Ruger No. 1 in danger?

[Tatume]

Hello Folks,

Previously there was a list of cartridges for each flavor of No. 1. Ruger now catalogs each variant of the No. 1 in only one chambering each. I've read speculation that they are considering phasing out the No. 1 altogether. What are your thoughts on this? Should we be writing to Ruger to express our concern? I certainly don't want the No. 1 to go away. I only own six and there are many others I need.

Take care, Tom

[Clay M]

I am sure they don't sell as well as they once did. It is always supply and demand.I wouldn't be surprised if they phase it out .I have owned various #1's over the years. Now only a .204 and a .405.I like the #1 and would hate to see it go. .I would love to have a .308 ,but I guess the chance for that is gone.

[atr]

yes,,,,most guys don't hunt with single shot rifles....I love my ruger #1 in 7x57

[Clay M]

Unfortunately writing wont matter, it is sales or the bottom line that speaks.

[Potsy]

I'm sure I've posted about it before, and I'm sure some of you read the same article.
In "Shooting Times" about a year before Bill Ruger died, he did an invterview (though I can't remember who it was with, but it was in Shooting Times).
He said that as long as he was alive, Ruger would build the Old Army.
I don't think Bill was hardly down to room temperature before the Old Army was out of production.
Honestly, I'm amazed they're still building #1's.
Why dedicate the tooling and production time building high end rifles when you could be building plastic pistols, AR's, and $395.00 deer rifles for Wal-Mart (sarcasm intended)?
I love my two number ones. Sadly, one of them has been discontinued (1A in 7 x 57). The .45-70's are kind of their own model and I'm stunned they're still being built, fortunately I've got mine! One I always wanted was a 1S in .300 Win Mag. The 1S's have been out of regular production for years, save for a few special runs like the Boddington in .300 H&H. The Stainless Laminated versions didn't last long either.
Oh well, like all quality things built here it seems to be giving way to the lowest (cheapest) common denominator. At least they're not just importing guns from china and putting a Ruger sticker on them. Yet.
No. I don't doubt the "American Rifle" will outgroup my 1A. I don't really care either. That ain't why I bought it.

[Whiterabbit]

Hello Folks,

Previously there was a list of cartridges for each flavor of No. 1. Ruger now catalogs each variant of the No. 1 in only one chambering each. I've read speculation that they are considering phasing out the No. 1 altogether. What are your thoughts on this? Should we be writing to Ruger to express our concern? I certainly don't want the No. 1 to go away. I only own six and there are many others I need.

Take care, Tom

IME, kids today want evil black rifles and semi automatic pistols. Mention single shot, they don't want to hear it. Shotguns have to be pump action with an extended tube. rolling block, falling block, break action, and muzzleloader, they don't want to hear it.

It's the way of things. Ruger will eventually stop selling the #1 from lack of sales. Gun owners are changing with the times.

[Bullshop]

Single shots are only appealing to older folks and they are ah well getting older and dropping out as some say. No one new taking their place so the end result is fewer and fewer sales. Too bad because in my view the single shot are the most attractive of all. But alas I am old and will all too soon be dropping out and taking my antiquated view with me.
BTW my favorite of all the singles is one designed by Moses J. B.

[Reverend Recoil]

I am glad I got my No.1 in 9.3x74R when they first came out.

[Clay M]

I think I was twenty one when I bought my first Ruger #1.It was a 7X57 and I never could get it to shoot worth a ****.Ruger out long throats in the gun back then.I like hunting with a single shot because where I hunt you won't get but one shot anyway.
Now one of my favorite hunting rifles is the .#1 in .405 I wanted them to chamber the gun in that caliber for years and they finally did for a brief period.
Most young people now day think in terms of multiple shots.Not making each shot count.

[gewehrfreund]

The No. 1 is still with us. Understandably, Ruger is capitalizing on the current market demands (black guns, handguns, and "economical" bolt actions). If they had any plans to eliminate the No. 1, it would already be gone.
With limited production capacity for this rifle, they have decided to adopt, for now, a strategy of producing a limited number of variations in a limited number of chamberings.
But there are still some interesting offerings, For example, Ruger hadn't produced a No. 1 in 222 Rem. since about 1969, until this years offering in the 1A. There is a lot of interest in this rifle already even though they are just starting to make it into the pipeline, and one can assume that Ruger will bring out something else interesting and unusual next year.

[Lefty SRH]

I hope they don't phase them out, I truelly love my RSI in 7x57! I'd still like a "more standard" forearm rifle in both .308 and another 7x57!

[Gibbs44]

Single shots are only appealing to older folks and they are ah well getting older and dropping out as some say. No one new taking their place so the end result is fewer and fewer sales. Too bad because in my view the single shot are the most attractive of all. But alas I am old and will all too soon be dropping out and taking my antiquated view with me.
BTW my favorite of all the singles is one designed by Moses J. B.

Hey I'm just 33, and my Ruger No.1 in 7 mag is my favorite hunting rifle since Dad quit on it and gave it to me some 15 years ago. I do wish I could afford another one. A 20" heavy barrel .308 might be nice. I doubt they'll kill it off completely, instead rotating through the various cartridges every year, but I've been wrong today. I agree though, they are beautiful rifles.

[Artful]

I wish they still made the #3, I'd hate to see the #1 go too - And they are beautiful rifles.

[Clay M]

They got rid of the Red Label shotgun ,anything is possible.

[Shooter]

They got rid of the Red Label shotgun ,anything is possible.

The Red Label is coming back, according to Tom Gresham.

[HighHook]

Have a place in my heart for #1's and 85's...

[Cheshire Dave]

I have to agree with Reverend Recoil. I bought one of the 9.3x74 No.1s and it's a great cast bullet gun. Good trigger and groups well with loads over 2000 fps. Over kill for the little Blacktails around here but that's what i'm using next fall.

[LynC2]

I wish they still made the #3, I'd hate to see the #1 go too - And they are beautiful rifles.

I agree, I have a #3 in 30-40 and a .22 Hornet. My #3 45-70 was stolen and I never found a replacement. They were all "Liberty" models. I also lost a 22-250 # 1 in that burglary, @#$#@ I hate thieves! Anyway I still have my 25-06 and a newly purchased #1 in .405 Win. that is a fun gun to shoot with cast. Meanwhile working up loads with same. :grin:

[Artful]

I kept my #3 in 223 to go with 375 bigbore - 45-70 was too much of a good thing for my taste in #3 weight gun

but I would welcome a limited run in medium caliber like 30-40, 375 or 30-30 or even 356 WCF (rimmed 358!)

[LynC2]

I kept my #3 in 223 to go with 375 bigbore - 45-70 was too much of a good thing for my taste in #3 weight gun

but I would welcome a limited run in medium caliber like 30-40, 375 or 30-30 or even 356 WCF (rimmed 358!)

You're probably right, however I always had a laugh when someone told me recoil doesn't bother them and I would hand them the #3 45-70 with a hot load with 405 or 500 gr bullets! :lol:
Edited to add: Once was always enough with that as no one ever wanted to shoot it twice!

[Reverend Recoil]

I could make due with two more Ruger No.1's., a 45-70 and a 6.5x55.

[Clay M]

I would prefer the .45/70 had a 24" barrel .They are offering a distributors special in 26"

[JesterGrin_1]

I wish they made the No.1 in .358 Winchester. I purchased a Ruger No.1 Stainless in .243 Win that I was going to have Jess re-bore to a .358 Winchester Or a .338-O8. But the rifle is just too darn nice to bring myself to do that lol.

[Lefty SRH]

A .358 win would be nice

[square butte]

I wish - and have for years - that they would make up a batch in 25-20 and 32-20 WCF. I frequent a gun shop in Newport NH just a quarter mile down the road from the Ruger plant. Both of the guys that own the shop are retired from Ruger - and do a lot of business for/with Ruger - Seem to think that Ruger is going to restart production of #1's.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I'm privileged to own a No. 1 in the 22PPC which was only catalogued for 1 year in 1993!

[closebutnocigar]

I am glad I got my No.1 in 9.3x74R when they first came out.

Great Gun - Great Catridge!!!!

I love the No. 1 a lot and would love to own a Ruger No. 3 but today everything that doesn´t look like a AR 15 doesn´t sell well ......

[Tatume]

My No. 1 in 9.3x74R has the prettiest walnut I've ever seen on a factory gun. I've read where people brag about their old Rugers and claim they don't use good wood anymore. Well, they do sometimes!

[Clay M]

I think the #1 RSI is a beautiful gun.I would love to have one in .30/06 ..They are currently making it only in 7X57 which is a great choice.

[Tatume]

Hi Clay,

My No. 1 RSI is chambered in 270 Winchester and wears a Leupold 1.5-5x Vari-X III scope. In my opinion this is the nearest I've ever come to owning a perfect hunting rifle. It shoots one-inch five-shot groups at 100 yards, but I have to wait five minutes between shots because the barrel heats up so fast. My load with 130 grain bullets runs 2700 fps with a charge of RL22 that is well below maximum.

My No. 1a in 7x57mm pushes 140 grain bullets at the same speed from its 22" barrel. This is also a conservative load that is nowhere near maximum (I don't like max loads). What speed are you getting from your 7x57mm Ruger No. 1 RSI?

Take care, Tom

[Clay M]

I don't have a # 1 RSI, I have the Hawkeye RSI in .308 stainless. I love the Mannlicher stock guns. To me they are beautiful and classic looking.

[Tatume]

I agree that full-stocked hunting rifles are the most beautiful. A stutzen rifle is typically very light and will have a very short barrel too. They are absolutely wonderful hunting guns.

At one time I had an M77 International in 30-06. It was a joy to own, but the fellow who sold it to me talked me into selling it back to him. I wish I still had it.

I also had an M77 Hawkeye International in 308 Winchester, like yours. It was a wonderful gun. Another fellow talked me into trading for a Parker-Hale Volunteer muzzleloading rifle that he won in an international match in Berlin. The Volunteer was built in the original Enfield plant in Birmingham, England, using the original tooling and gauges. It is a wonderful hunting rifle and I've taken lots of nice game with it. It was a fair trade, and one that I do not regret. However, now that the M77 Hawkeye International is no longer cataloged, I'm sorry I don't have one.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh7/Moscheutos/volunteer_zps121d4dfb.jpg

Take care, Tom

[Clay M]

My Hawkeye RSI was a distributor special. It will shoot three shots under an inch at one hundred yards without letting the barrel cool.SAKO is making a nice Mannlicher .308 but it is about $2500

[JJ Mc FRAG]

I wish - and have for years - that they would make up a batch in 25-20 and 32-20 WCF. I frequent a gun shop in Newport NH just a quarter mile down the road from the Ruger plant. Both of the guys that own the shop are retired from Ruger - and do a lot of business for/with Ruger - Seem to think that Ruger is going to restart production of #1's.

BooYaa! That's been on my mind forever as well. Wouldn't it be nice to have some in .25-35 & .32-40 as well? I just sold my unfired No.1 in .475 Linebaugh to pay for a 1910 Winchester 94 w/26" barrel in .32-40 that is in good solid shape.

Dang, I wish I had at least pushed a few 400gr boolits through the Ruger before letting 'er go.
72817

[BAGTIC]

I wish they still made the #3, I'd hate to see the #1 go too - And they are beautiful rifles.


UGLY![The #3] I have and have had other #3 Ruger. The compact size is nice but appearance would make a vulture vomit. Is it true that the stocks are made from recycled orange rates?

The #1 are rather attractive guns however.

[nanuk]

yes,,,,most guys don't hunt ........

there... fixed it for ya...

most guys just go out shooting and harvesting.

[Artful]

UGLY![The #3] I have and have had other #3 Ruger.
The compact size is nice but appearance would make a vulture vomit.
Is it true that the stocks are made from recycled orange rates?

The #1 are rather attractive guns however.
Not all #3's carry recycled orange crate wood.
72956
72957
72958
72959

[Roundball]

Looks like the single shot rifle folks are more involved with traditional singles shots-1885's and Sharp's etc. It looks like all notable American single shots from the late 19th century are be recreated today. Part of the problem with #1's is the reputation for being inaccurate. As we know this is bull. Overtime I picked up a #1H in .375, a #1A in 30-06 and a #1B in .257 Roberts. All these rifles, on their (or my). worst day, gives good hunting accuracy. Currently, I'm working away learning how to load black powder cartridges in several calibers in the traditional single shots. I could care less for black plastic rifles but do OK with the plastic handguns. It's a trip when folks are blazing away with black rifles and the single shots give better accuracy. It's all what cranks your tractor. I'll go for the traditional singles shots and the #1's-I'll "do my own thing". We need to keep in mind we are not dealing with low end (inexpensive) firearms.

[dancingbear41]

I have two No. 1's in .22 Hornet and .375H&H Magnum. A case of extremes! They are beautiful rifles, it would be a shame to see them go. The .375 lives on a diet of cast bullets and doesn't seem too fussy about which ones either, it loves them.

[Tatume]

The reputation of inaccuracy given to No. 1 rifles is nonsense, as most of us already know. I presently own six, and they are all tack drivers. My 375 H&H will put five shots into less than an inch at 100 yards. My No.1V in 223 Remington will shoot 1/2" five shot groups at 100 yards. My No. 1 International in 270 Winchester will shoot groups of one inch or only slightly more than one inch at 100 yards, as will my No. 1A in 7x57mm. The only idiosyncrasy is they need to cool between shots.

[chsparkman]

I have a no. 1 in 270 Win and a no. 3 in .223. They are both accurate rifles once I did enough experimenting with hand loads. I'm just starting to shoot boolits through the .223 and that is a fun endeavor. I love those guns. I'd like to eventually pick up some more in other calibers.

[BCRider]

There may be another stategy working at Ruger too.

Consider that the single shot has a limited market appeal. Enough so that they can't split up the "soup" by making full batches of guns in a wide range of calibers. So what they do is go with a few calibers for a year or two. Then shift to another set of calibers for a year or two. Each time making enough guns to keep things going.

These guns go out into the world to enthusiastic owners. But over time a number lose intrest or develop desires for the gun in different chamberings. So they sell what they have and buy one new or used in some new caliber. Or they sell it and move on so the gun goes to some new lover of the single shot #1. Over time the guns move around and fill the demand for this style of rifle. Meanwhile the company keeps it going by offering the dribble of guns needed in different calibers over time rather than all at once to keep the #1 community happy enough.

All in all the #1 will never be a mass market sort of gun. So this is one way they can still justify making them. If you don't like the chamberings they are offering now wait a year or two and they'll change.

[dnepr]

If the ruger #1 is going to disappear I better get one soon , really like them just haven't afforded one yet

[afish4570]

I kept my #3 in 223 to go with 375 bigbore - 45-70 was too much of a good thing for my taste in #3 weight gun

but I would welcome a limited run in medium caliber like 30-40, 375 or 30-30 or even 356 WCF (rimmed 358!)

Love my #3 45-70 , great eastern deer rifle. My 94 in 356 is a great cal. too.....great candidate for a #3 and a great cast boolit gun too.afish4570[smilie=1:[smilie=1:

[Four Fingers of Death]

I love my 2x 338WMs (a 1B and a Sporter,I think one of these will end up as a 270) and my 416 Rigby. I would like to replace my 375H&H Remington Model 700SPS DG with a No1, best be getting on it!

[Potsy]

Four Fingers,
Kinda thinkin' the same thing about a .375H&H.
Someday, I'm gonna retire. When I do, I'm gonna take a little trip to the dark continent. I figure there's very little from Tommies to Cape Buffalo that a 300 grain partition out of a #1 won't put the smack on. I was surprised at how quick a #1 can be reloaded when need be.
When I bought my .45-70, they had an older Red Pad .375. Buuuut, the .45-70 was in a little better shape and a little lighter (not necessarily a plus, I was to find), not being able to afford both (shoulda bought both anyway), I walked out with my .45-70. They were both in the $600 range, about four years ago.
Of course, I still think a 1-S .300 Winnie with a .300Wby reamer dropped in it would be SWEET!

[Four Fingers of Death]

As I already have a 270 bolt action, I probably should rebarrel one of the 338s in 375H&H and use them as my main hunting arms for medium/ big game with boolits. Much as I love the romance of the 375H&H, short of me winning the lottery and going to Africa, the 338 is no slouch and is not far behind it.

Probably should just use my 270W and 300WM Ruger77 for the bulk of my hunting and leave the big boys for cast boolit whoompin' at the range.

UPDATE:

I just spent some time browsing the Ruger site, you are right, there is not much choice in the No1s at all. The fact that the Varminter is offered in 6.5-284 makes no sense at all to me, a great cartridge, but hardly a varmint cartridge. Maybe they are hoping to corner the market on Swedes shooting Moose and Caribou from a hunting stand. Don't make no kinda sense (well, at least to me).

I wouldn't mind a Light Sporter in 222, a Medium Sporter in 45/70 and a Tropical in 375H&H, but what I really want is a Compact 308! Beautiful little rifle.

[Kermit1945]

Weeeeellllllllllllll..... Accuracy is a relative thing. The Ruger 1/3's are more than adequate for hunting, but are tough to get to shoot competitively. Ask the ASSRA and ISSA types. Many try, and success is elusive.

As to single shots not selling, try getting on the list for any of the premium reproductions of the Ballard, Stevens 44 1/2, Winchester high/low walls, etc. Beautiful, accurate, spendy, and with dedicated followers. I believe Ruger could do it, but not at the current price point. Maybe some skilled 'smith willing to work for beanpot wages will buy the rights and build them as similarly premium rifles. Only problem would be making them shoot as well and convincing folks who already see them as too spendy to dig deeper into their wallets.

This is some of the competition:

http://ballardarms.com/
http://www.singleshotrifles.com/

I owned #3's in both .30-40 Krag and .45-70. The curved buttplate was stupid, and got replaced. Both were more than adequate for the hunting I did, but now have other owners. I still have a soft spot for these rifles in all their variants, but for what I do these days, other single shots do a better job. Just my opinion.

[Clay M]

Weeeeellllllllllllll..... Accuracy is a relative thing. The Ruger 1/3's are more than adequate for hunting, but are tough to get to shoot competitively. Ask the ASSRA and ISSA types. Many try, and success is elusive.


This is true.I have a #1 Varmint in .204 Ruger. On a good day with the right load I can get five shots to go into half an inch.Then I can take the rifle back out on another day and not be able to repeat this.They are temperamental to say the least.

[NoZombies]

I'm glad to have my #1 SS laminate in 45/70, and I'll be sad to see the demise of the line, if it comes to that.

With this talk of the #1 going out of production, and the contender going out of production, I'm begining to fear we're entering another dark time for single shots.

Don't get me wrong, there are always some manufacturers that will produce some single shots, but the trend looks like they're either going to be the cheap H&R/NEF types, or the very high dollar, custom type critters. Leaving a gap in the "middle class" of single shot rifles.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Funny, In Australia I see older models in calibres that are no longer chambered, fetching $300 more than new factory rifles.

[JesterGrin_1]

Maybe the people in Australia are just hedging there bets as in the Single Shot would probably the last firearm that will be stolen by the Gooberment.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Possibly. No1s seem to be at the same level of interest that they have always been at. A few shooters love them and have a lot and a lot of shooters with several firearms own one or two as an interest thing. They always seem to spark a bit of interest and curiosity when at the range, but you rarely ever see more than one at a time.

[Muzzlehatch]

You can blame the US military for that, with their "suppressive fire" doctrine. Why, they probably don't even teach the recruits to use a sling any more!

[rhadamanthos12]

I'm only 29 and I love my #1 in 45-70, I wouldn't mind picking up a few more single shots in the near future. I noticed at the start of this year, that their caliber options dropped off quite a bit. Guess I can't put it off for too long to get the calibers I want in a #1.

http://i.imgur.com/YdA2JI2.png

[Artful]

You can blame the US military for that, with their "suppressive fire" doctrine. Why, they probably don't even teach the recruits to use a sling any more!

M4 or M16 with a tight sling can warp the barrel enough to change POI - remember the forearm is just snapped onto the barrel itself and not a free float tube like on some civilian rifles.

[Clay M]

So on a #1B in .270win ,what is the likelihood of being able to get 1MOA at 100yds.I do believe the barrels Ruger makes are good. It is the bedding and barrel harmonics that can be questionable on a #1

[Moondawg]

I have a 1b in .280 Rem, and I just got back from the range where I was shooting "Thumper", my 9.3x74r Ruger 1. Now that is a rifle. I also own three 1885s, two highwalls and a lowwall. I have never felt limited by shooting a single shot. In fact in some respects a I consider having a good single shot an advantage. But than I am getting old and set in my ways.

[Tatume]

So on a #1B in .270win ,what is the likelihood of being able to get 1MOA at 100yds.I do believe the barrels Ruger makes are good. It is the bedding and barrel harmonics that can be questionable on a #1

There are a few tricks that people claim will improve accuracy in the Ruger No. 1 rifle. In my experience with them (which is considerable, I currently own six, including all model variants, and have owned more), I consider the tricks to be worthless. A No. 1 rifle will probably shoot one MOA or not much more right out of the box, if you allow the barrel to cool between shots. I usually allow about one minute between shots.

The comments about this being a hunting rifle and not a target rifle are correct. Anyone who wants to hunt with a good, classy single shot will be well served with a No. 1.

[Clay M]

A #1 needs fore end tip pressure to shoot. The little device that helps float the barrel I found to be worthless, and actually made the accuracy of my rife worse.

[oldgeezershooter]

My #1 Varmit model will shoot 1/2" groups all day long even with sloppy reloading.(25-06)
I load my 45-70 up to near .458 Win. specs and have dropped two Elk, one at 75 yds. and one at 150 yds.
They dropped in their shadow.

[94Doug]

I received a catalog from Ruger recently, and although they only list one caliber for each type of #1, the wording was somthing to the effect of "standby for next year for the introduction of new calibers...." I wonder too if they won't just have a different caliber each year for each type. Wouldn't be a bad idea. Maybe a limited edition of a certain caliber kind of like the 700 classic too.

[No_1]

That would not be a bad idea. This would give us all year to save for the purchase and something to look forward to.

[94Doug]

...and just for the record, although they didn't take my idea a few years back, I'd still like to see a limited production Octagon barrel #1.

[Clay M]

...and just for the record, although they didn't take my idea a few years back, I'd still like to see a limited production Octagon barrel #1.

Yeah in .32/40

[Tatume]

So on a #1B in .270win ,what is the likelihood of being able to get 1MOA at 100yds.I do believe the barrels Ruger makes are good. It is the bedding and barrel harmonics that can be questionable on a #1

Yesterday I fired some groups at 100 yards with my "box-stock" Ruger No. 1A in 7x57mm. They measured 1", 3/4", 1", 7/8" and (drum roll!) 1/4". I have to admit that the 1/4" group was only three shots; it looked so pretty I couldn't bring myself to mess it up with two more shots. These groups were fired from prone.

[Crash_Corrigan]

In '87 while living in Vermont I borrowed a Ruger Single Shot in 45-70. My wife (armed with a Mossberg 12 Gauge Model 500 and slugs) and I went a hunting for deer. We lived in a log home with 10 + acres of land and we were surrounded on 3 sides by forest and such for miles and miles. I sighted in the 45-70 as it had a scope on it at 150 yds. I got to where I could hit a package of Marlboro cigarettes 3 times at that distance every time through 3 boxes of shells.

My shoulder took a week to recover. My spouse (smarter than me) fired off a magazine full at 75 yds and was happy with that.

We spent about 5 days out in the woods and never saw a deer. On the last day while walking back to the cabin downhill offa a piece of higher ground behind our home we kicked up a nice buck. We almost stepped on him and he bolted up to his feet maybe 25 feet in front of us and took off to the right. Before I could bring my rifle to the shoulder the lady to my right slipped off the safety and fired from the hip at maybe 35 feet. The first round was low but the second went right into the right shoulder and exited just at the front of the left shoulder. There was a huge exit hole as some bone was blown out through the silly deer and he fell over DRT.

It was nice that he was so close to the cabin as I could back up my Nissan PU within 50 yds of his body and we took it home and hung it for dressing.

The guy that I borrowed the rifle from had given me a recipe for venison sausage which we used well ended up with over 85 lbs of sausage in the freezer.

The scary part of this was that she never brought the shotgun up to her shoulder to shoot. She fired two shots from the hip really fast. When I first gave her the shotgun a year earlier she practiced with low wall light bird loads at 20 yds with Foster Beer cans on a plank. With those loads she could fire off 5 shots almost as fast as a revolver and she usually cleared the plank of all the targets. She never liked to shoot from the shoulder as it hurt, but from the hip with a solid two handed grip on the gun she was deadly accurate so she kept on shooting that way.

The silly deer was within her deadly kill zone and she just reacted faster that I did and scored the deer.

I have not hunted deer ever since.