Any Ruger #1 experts out there?

[patrickt66]

I have a chance to buy a like-new Ruger #1a (light sporter) in like new condition. I don't think it has ever been fired. It has "Made In The 200th Year Of American Liberty, 1976" marked on the barrel. Caliber is 7mm Mauser(7x57). Does anybody know the value of it? Condition is LNIB.

 

[PJR]

According to the 20th Edition of the Blue Book, a 1A is listed as $575 in 100 per cent condition, $485 in 98 percent. The "Liberty" model that you are looking at would add a premium of $50 to $75 according to the Blue Book but only if it is 100 percent condition, unfired and with the box and papers.

My favorite deer rifle is a 1A in .270 Winchester. I wanted a 7x57 but the .270 was available at the time. I like this rifle. I'm primarily a bird hunter and this rifle is the only one I've found that handled as well as a shotgun.

The #1 does not have a great reputation for accuracy but mine always shot to point of aim from a cold barrel and would put three rounds into 1.5" at 100 yards. This is more than adequate from a single shot. The other note is that with the action behind the scope mount, a scope with a little more eye relief is desirable. I found a 1.5x-5x Leupold Vari-X III was perfect with 5" of eye relief at 1.5x.

My only wish was that Ruger would make this exact same rifle in 257 Roberts. I'd buy one in a minute.

 

[flstfi]

The 1A

I have a Ruger 1A chambered in .357 Mag. its a CHP special edition. I am still trying to get a value on that one

 

[Coltdriver]

I won't claim to be an expert on #1's but I have owned about a half dozen of them and still have a #1 in .243 and a #3 in .223.

The biggest distinction you have to make is do you want to collect or shoot? If you shoot your collectables they quickly loose collectable value.

A 1976 #1 is going to have that very sought after beautiful wood. A true collector may pay a fairly significant premium over book as long as the gun is new in the box, unfired and has all the papers etc with it.

You take it out and shoot it and you will have a nice #1. But the value will fall to something under the $600 range and you may have a long time finding a buyer for it at that price.

I have sold them from $400 to $700 depending on the wood, caliber and condition.

But in general, unless you have a collectors item, they are typically a little overpriced. Thats just my opinion. The unique thing about them is that they have the strongest action out there and that is relatively undisputed. So if you like to reload you can work up loads that your rifle will like and that will reward you with the satisfaction of having "figured one out".

Any one of them can be made into a shooter if you just tweak the fore arm a bit.

What does the seller want for the one you are considering??

 

[ZEKE/PA]

Patrickt66,
I own a 200th #1 in .270 Win.
I did some horse trading way back then to acquire it as the #1 gave me an itch that I couldn't scratch.
With reloads, it is a great shooter I have killed several deer with it, one at a distance of 320 yards.
I partial to the 7x57 Mauser however and if I had the offer I would certainly take it.
Respectfully, Zeke

 

[aerod1]

I have a #1 chambered in .30-06. It isn't extremely accurate but is accurate enough for deer. It is a nice looking rifle.
Jim

 

[Samuel2001]

Used to have a pair of #3s, the cheap version of the #1 and regret selling them. One was in FoFo mag. and the other was in .45-70 Gov. The FoFo was pleasant to shoot and a great hog rifle. The .45-70 on the other hand was quite painfull with the garret loads that I had for it, for anti bear at the camp!

Now if that was just the cheap #3 that was so cool and fun at the range, I bet the better #1 is a pleasure to shoot with the better designed stocks, recoil pads and and real barrel lengths.

I duno how much that rifle is going for, but if its a fair price it would probably make for a great shooter(Like New sounds like its been shot to me).

 

[retiredsgt]

Ruger No.1's

Why not go to the Yahoo Forums and check in at the Ruger No1. slot. A lot of good info there. The No.1 A is a nice gun and the accuracy depends on a lot of things. All of mine shoot within a minute of angle at 100 yds. But, I handload for them. The 7 x 57 is an old but interesting round. Try to get it for under 600, if you can. Good Shooting!

 

[Gewehr98]

Pardon my ignorance...

I've been shooting for just over 28 years, but *** is a FoFo Mag? The Forty-Four Remington Magnum, and Four-Fourty-Four Marlin, I can get. But a FoFo Mag, is that a Christopher Lowell centerfold publication thing?