Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots A Dark Day...

Just got word from our Lipsey's rep that Ruger has notified them that they are officially dropping the No. 1, including all limited editions that they had planned. I had a feeling this was coming for awhile but there it is. We are unfortunately living in a world of f*c*ing ARs and disposable bolt guns...

It is a dark day. They are obviously not selling well to have this happen. When they went to the current marketing method a few years ago my fear was it would lead to this.

In my opinion, it was the very plain wood from 2014 and 2015 that put them in the hole. Then there was the ~1500 rifles that got "fire saled" to Cabela's in 2015- they have tried for a year and a half to sell them at $999.99. The Cabela's at Allen(TX) still has a dozen!
Now, it looks like Lipsey's has another "clean up" run of No.1's; lot's of rifles that have been out of the catalog for 4 years. Even a bunch of the AB's in 338 Federal! That is a rare bird!
Still not clear to me if the WBR Centennial and the 1S in 44 Magnum will be made this year. I have received some of all the other 2016 offerings.
Not all Lipsey's reps may be clued in to exactly what is(or has been) happening with the No.1, so I would say until you hear it from Jason(or me) it is one of those continuing rumors.

I still want the .275 Rigby my dealer has been trying to order for me since the day it was announced! I have already stocked up on brass!

AND I still want a No1S in 8x57mm to come out in a future production run!

AND my personal budget has a planned purchase of one No1 per year for the rest of my collecting career! what I am supposed to do? switch back to M70s?

What are they thinking? drop a niche product and abandon a loyal consumer base so they can put all their staff to work making AR-type rifles for the anticipated panic buying after 8-Nov.... oh wait.... something changed... 8-Nov didn't go the way many thought.... Ruger stock dropped from $64 on 8-nov to $48 two days later.... most other gun companies did the same, since the high volume sales of folks buying their 2018-19-20 guns in 2017 won't happen.... Maybe this is typical bean counter thought process: Cancel projects and lay off dedicated workers to get the stock price to go back up.... it won't work if the stock price had been over-inflated in anticipation of another panic-driven record sales year!

Come on Mike Fifer! You all are the Arms Makers for Responsible Citizens, like me! Keep building my favorite rifle! I'll take that One Shot and Make it Count!

Poole

Bingo.

If they were selling, with a decent margin, they'd still be in the lineup. Newer shooters just don't appreciate this kind of stuff, and new ones are going up against a pretty fat used market too, many with better wood. The good news is that there's still a bunch of new and used ones out there.

No. 1's never sold well, as a beancounter would define "well". They are at most, a niche gun, a loss leader to establish Rugers cred as a fine gun maker. In the bigger scheme of things, the beancounters will have their say, and it appears that time is now. I imagine Ruger, even at the current price point, makes little or nothing on them when all is said and done, due to the low volume. Bill saw value in that when he was alive, but plastic will now have its day. A shame.

I read it as a sound business decision, particularly given the change in our leadership that will make gun sales fall across the board relative to the Obama days. They are doing their best to protect their shareholders, as they should.

It's essentially the same thing that happened to Savage 99's: a shrinking market for new 99's, and plenty of used guns for those who still wanted one. Which is exactly why Savage dropped the 99, and why they never brought it back despite the dreams (and whines) of 99 enthusiasts.

Whittakers and CDNN offers select models for less than $900 at times. Hard to see much profit there.

Is seems similar to me too when Remington dropped the H&R single. Now you have 2 or 3 clones to choose from. All presumably making money. Including, I hear, a new Henry offering. I dont think it was just profit then, something else going on here. Just stupid or capacity or plant moving?

Why I mention that again? I currently own two ruger No1 and two Browning/Miruko/Winchester 1885. I like all 4 well enough to be lifetime keepers. As far as I can recall, the 85 cost about the same (or more). They sell well enough to remain in limited production. That with mega yen, Japanese labor costs and double middle man import scenarios.

I see Bill Ruger was mentioned. That I do get that. Remember Lee Iacocca, Steve Jobs or Ronald Regan. Leadership matters. Tough guys with strong ideas.

I worry for the future of Ruger. I guess, mostly I feel sorry for myself. The 77/22 is gone also. The big 416 rigby bolt gun is gone too. Not willing or able to compete with CZ? Profit margin? Low volume? Plant or logistics? Does it matter?

Cup is 1/2 full. Winchester and CZ going strong (class act strong) and Ruger, Savage and Remlin selling to the classless side. I own a Ruger American, it serves a purpose, like the tools out in my utility shed.

Gotta stop production to get folks eager for buyin em later........do a run every 5 yrs or so. One chambering.

Ought to keep prices high enough.

I been eyeing a used blue #1 in 30-06, but the wood is about the Plain Jane as Iv seen, has the Alex Henry forarm, not sure of the Model, asking 700.00 They would do better! would rechambering it to 35 rem or 35 Whelen, be worth it? I love the #1s just not big on the old 06. cal.

There are so many reasons that no one even guessed yet. It may take skilled labor which is retiring and being replaced with workers that can push a button. You would not believe the low end personnel, I spoke with at Ruger. He claimed to be a service technician on the phone. Heck, he should be posting on the web! Perhaps some production is moved and the key men dont go. Ruger is all over the country now. New people, new machines and the old location maybe flat out on something long term popular.

I see the three best, old school, wood stock, blue steel rifles all discontinued within a few years. The big RSM, 77/xx guns and now presumably the No1. The guy running the show might just pull the plug on classic and decide move on.

It is not unheard of where a CEO, positions the company for a buy out because he is sitting a pile of worthless stock options.

I get the economics of it, I really do. If it's not making money, you can't continue to offer it, like the Red Label. I'm just disgusted with what the gun industry has become. I've been in the business since 1986, with a brief sabbatical while I helped my Dad with the family printing business. In the "good old days", customers would come in looking for a quality hunting rifle, shotgun or defensive handgun. The "para-military" crowd was always present but were a small segment of the business, at least around here. Now, it seems like every two out of three guys in the door are wanting the latest AR or another gadget to hang on the last remaining slot on the rails of their "Tactical Weapon System." Everybody thinks they are GI Joe or Rambo. The ones that do come in looking for a hunting rifle usually want the cheapest, most miserable piece of crap they can buy. They spend $1000 to join a club, drive their $50,000 tricked out truck and buy the latest designer camo but don't want to spend over $400 for a rifle and scope. And that's the crowd gun makers are catering to now. It brings tears to my eyes to look through a '70s or '80s Ruger catalog and compare what they USED to make, to what they're peddling now. And it's not just Ruger of course.

I have nine No. 1s and one No. 3 that I dearly love and hunt with. None of mine are safe queens. If I never get another one, I'm pretty well set. I will mostly miss the anticipation of what limited edition chamberings they would offer. As we know, with the No. 1, nearly all things were possible and much like the Remington 700 Classics, I always looked forward to what they had up their sleeve. I fear the M77 will suffer the same fate and we will be left with the American line because cheap and disposable is where it's at today. Sorry for the rant, just need to vent...

SCGunNut,

I get what you're saying, but like many you don't recognize that lower-priced guns have always been part of the mass-produced American gun market, whether they're called "affordable" or "the cheapest, most miserable piece of crap they can buy." I suspect many people forget this because so many of the affordable rifles of previous generations are often now considered classics.

Three examples: The Model 23's were the low-end Savage bolt-action centerfires of their generation. They certainly weren't anywhere the quality of 99's, with plenty of stamped parts, including the detachable magazine, and other cost-cutting measures such as the "action" being a few milling cuts in the rear end of the barrel. Yet today a 23 in good shape will sell for the price of a new Ruger American, and even more if it's a .22 Hornet.

The Remington 721/722 are now considered "classics" by some people, but here's what the rifle reviewer of GUN DIGEST wrote in the 1958 edition: “The motto at Remington these days…is ‘all for production,’ so their rifles are designed for ease of manufacture and to sell at a certain price. Every part that can possibly be banged out on a punch press is banged out on a punch press, much to the sorrow of any real gun bug. Such methods do not affect the handling qualities or functioning of a rifle, certainly, but neither do they add up to a gun that a guy’d want to own with pride.” And he wasn't the only shooter who felt that way.

One of the old guns I inherited from my family was a Stevens side-by-side 12-gauge belonging to my paternal grandfather. It worked fine and actually fit me pretty well, though the stock was walnut-stained birch. But my grandfather wasn't much of a hunter, and I suspect he mostly used it to keep varmints out of the garden and hen house. I'd only put a few hundred rounds through it when one of the internal hammers broke, due to a machining defect--and that was after fixing a couple of more minor problems. It was designed and built as a gun for somebody who wanted to pay as little as possible, like a lot of other shotguns (and rifles) were back then.

So no, not every customer was "looking for a quality hunting rifle, shotgun or defensive handgun" back then. The reason some of us sometimes think they were is the higher-quality guns were the ones that survived, or revered enough for their owners to take care of them. But the vast majority of sporting firearms produced in America have not been high quality, and in fact many have been decidedly cheap, because that's what a very large percentage of firearms customers have always wanted.

Maybe if they installed a safety that allows brass to clear the breech they would have sold some more.





Dave

Damn! Im glad I popped for one last year!

Luckily I pretty had my fill of No. 1's a few years ago, after owning and hunting with a pile over the years. The only one remaining is my 1B .22 Hornet, one of my favorite rodent rifles--and I actually like the fact that the safety stops ejected brass. I adjusted the ejector spring so the cases would just slide into the safety's ridge, where they can be plucked off and dropped in a pocket or ammo box, depending on whether I'm walking or "road hunting."

I first became aware of Number 1's in the late 1970's - Dad bought a couple, and I looked at them & said, "damn they're gorgeous, and look at the wood you get for your money!" and so was hooked.

This one cost $295 in 1977:



They were a great value in that time, though barrel troubles plagued them in the 80's.

The parallels with the Savage 99 occur to me as well - the 99 was in most cases, not a luxury item in its day, but they were well made from forged steel & walnut, and they usually had excellent barrels. I carried a 1927 model this past weekend, and it handled quite nicely. They too were a fine value.

I've bought a couple of new #1's in the past year; I would have bought more, had I been able to find them with nicer wood, but Ruger apparently can't/won't put nicer wood on them. I agree with El Numero Uno that plain wood was a problem; I certainly am not willing to pay $1300+ for plain wood, on a line of rifles that was famous for good wood quality.

I saw a couple of Kimber Classic Selects this weekend, and they are in the same price range as #1's, yet have attractive wood. Pity Ruger didn't tap into some of that source.

I will enjoy the ones I have, and have some really nice ones, that shoot well and look good. Hopefully I'll round up a few of the other variations I wanted, like the .475 Linebaugh, and the Weatherby calibers.

Who knows, maybe the nice ones will start appreciating?

Likewise, factory wood, a Cabelas .30-40 #1-AC

John,

You're right, as usual. I'm just venting. I realize what were "cheap" THEN, are "classics" NOW. Another prime example is the 788. They were certainly an econo rifle when introduced but look at what clean examples bring today, especially the less common chamberings. Who'da thunk a cheap bolt action .30-30 would bring close to a Grand. Anyway, the "cheap" guns of yesteryear were better quality than a lot of the "high end" guns of today. Like I said, it's just depressing to look at catalogs from the good old days, compared to what's "hot" today.
BTW, I carried one of my No.1s (.303 Brit) hunting yesterday. It always feels special to carry one, but it felt just a little more meaningful yesterday, even though we encountered no deer. I encourage all of you to dig those No. 1s out of the safe, take them afield and just enjoy the time on stand with them.

Been taking my #1B 6mm to the farm deer hunting the last two weekends. Love this rifle, almost no recoil in this caliber.

It appears this rumor is fact, although I am not willing to throw in the towel yet!
I think the 100 WBR Centennial 270's will be completed, as I think they are already in process with Baron Technology.
I am not clear as to whether the last 2016 offering, the 1S in 44 Magnum will be made. To my knowledge, none have been made so far. Some 308 K1 RSI's have just been completed.

Glad I have one, a .375 H&H, known to my sons as "Dad's bear rifle."

Wish I had the other three I sold over the years. Sigh...

Guy

Well this changes my mind about possibly trading or selling my 1B in .270 Weatherby. Dang! May need to see about picking up another one or two pretty quick.

I just sold 12 of mine last month. Watch prices go through the roof now...😕

I do know where there is a 308 RSI. Not terrible wood, but not spectacular either. Wood to metal fit is atrocious! I've never been a fan of stainless and walnut, but maybe I oughta buy this one...

I'm hunting a 4 digit 243 right now. Took a nice doe with it last night.

I love these rifles!

Sad indeed...

Todd

I bought a bunch and will have them on our website next week for $879.99.

I like the No. 1's. I hate seeing some of this stuff go by the wayside...

Sound business or not, seeing quality wood and blue firearms replaced by injection molded, cheap to produce, price point wares is beyond sad.

Just be thankful we'll still be able to buy McD's product which create $15/hr, no-talent-required jobs for the next generation of injection-molded consumers.

Kudos Darrick!

Amen my Brother!

Please let us know when they are in, I might have to jump on one. Or more.

Shame. I only have a couple, a 1B in .22 Hornet and my new 1S in .275 Rigby. I suppose there were enough built that options will be around for a a few years as there are some I would like including a .300 H&H.

I ordered 3 for my shop...a #1A .243, #1B .270 Win and a #1S .35 Whelen. Rcvd the first two rifles yesterday, the walnut is pretty disappointing, but I wasn't expecting much given Ruger's recent track record.

"GFY" is only an expression!

You're not supposed to actually do it.




Clark

Well, you know me...

If there is a bad decision to be made, rest assured I will jump all over it like a dog on a bone!!!

The older red pad guns had some exceptional wood. This .220 was traded; I also years back traded a 4 digit .243.

I still have an '06 RSI that I plan to keep. It's short and really handy in a box blind. Wood shows some grain, but not fancy.

DF

I'm probably going to sell my Philip Reeb double rifle (Cased 8X57 incredibly engraved, original scope, etc), so I dropped into Cabela's in Tualatin, OR about a week ago. I'm still undecided whether to sell it to them or not. It's easy, but I'd probably be leaving $$$$ on the counter.

Anyway ....

I was frankly surprised by their Ruger Number Ones on four counts.

First, they had about a dozen (maybe more) brand-new Number Ones in their Gun Library. I'd not expected to see that many.

Secondly, the wood was BROWN ... that's about all it was. Absolutely grainless brown wood that looked for all the world like it was painted a baby-crap brown.

Thirdly, the wood-to-metal fit was ... let's be nice; inferior.

And finally, I dropped the lever on two of them and the feel was "gritty."

I bought a new 1KA in .257 Roberts a couple of years ago and it is a magnificent rendition of the wonderful rifle we all love ... The Ruger Number One.

Apparently, those days are over and it came about rapidly.

As the OP said, it is a SAD DAY, a sad day, indeed.

Blessings to All of You and have a Great Thanksgiving.

Steve

The last one I bought was the K1V .223, with 26" 1 in 9" barrel. It looks okay, and does shoot well:





Before that I bought one of the 1A's in 7.62x39. It has so-so wood. But does shoot reasonably well for a commie cartridge

I suspect that Swift was the one I saw in a gunshop in San Angelo, about 25 years ago. I lusted after it for a long time, finally had the money, walked in and it was gone

Oh well, maybe it will turn up again someday.

I just looked and note that you already have a few for $879.99, 1B in 6.5 CM, 1V .243, 1A in 7-08, 7.62x39 and .280, 1S etc.

Hey Steve!!

I was in Cabela's in Springfield a month or so ago. Same situation. They had a #1 RSI in .257 Roberts among the pile which I started to lust over but that stock ... ewwww. Looked like molded / cast plastic faux-wood painted exactly the color your describe. I left without it.

Tom

some of them are getting pretty spendy

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/599360253

Jesus Christ...I have the twin to that one that I bought about 4 years ago for less than $900.

Yep, they gonna get spendy.

DF

That's what gets me, they seemed like they knew where their remaining market was and planned to specifically target it, but then missed by a mile. They realized the #1 wasn't going to sell in numbers sufficient to warrant standard production but that collectors and hard core rifle loonys would still buy limited editions in one-of caliber offerings.

But those same people, collectors and hard core loonys, place a premium on aesthetics and build quality which they totally screwed up. I bought one of last year's 1S models in 30-06 and the only really nice thing I can say about it is that was nicely accurate - not one ragged hole accurate but certainly sub-MOA. But the wood quality and color was as you describe, baby-crap brown, and the wood to metal fit would have shamed a first year Remlin 336.

They're still one of the most graceful looking rifles in profile ever built and I'm sorry to see them stopping production, but to have marked the target so well and then missed so badly is just sad.





That said, if Whittaker's has something interesting for $879 I might just put one last toe in the #1 water...

The two I wish I had bought when they were making them were the 1-S .475 Linebaugh and the 1-V 6.5-284. Actually, the one I kick myself the most for not buying was the .475 Turnbull when Davidson's closed them out for $699.

Indeed. Soon, anything with a wood stock will be a classic.

After having a few of each, I've come to prefer the Browning versions of the 1885s, but some of the Rugers, especially the SS walnut versions, are especially appealing to me. One of these days, opportunity and resources are going to align and I'll jump in again.

I expect a temporary price jump on GB and the like, but eventually things should settle down to normal, except for the hardcore sellers that think everything they have is made of gold.

I was looking at a 223 stainless/walnut No1 at cableas. Not to say shopping, just looking. I liked that combination. That is one of the new guns cabelas still stocks.

Yeah, I'd like to have the Linebaugh as a companion to revolvers.

But I did score a Turnbull. The funny story about them is that the guy I bought it from had never fired it, and given its rarity (less than 100 made) I was thinking of just putting it back in the safe as an investment. But the previous owner lost the box, so after a while I decided to shoot it. It is pheonomenal, the most accurate big bore I have ever seen.

Don't feel bad. I sold one recently as well.



Dave

More in route. I had them mark down current inventory as well.

I am sorry, but; I dont follow all this real close. Can I have a site or link to shortactionsmoker listing?

https://shop.whittakerguns.com/

Roll the cursor over Firearms > Rifles > N-Z, then you have to scroll through the rifles to find the #1's. It helps to choose to sort by either name or price.

Oh, Whittaker. I know them. Excellent

thank you

Probably truer than we think. Sad.

Plastic is cheaper than wood and stainless/synthetic is more practical. You are going to see a lot of plastic sales for one reason or the other. In spite of that, I believe the new Winchester and the old CZ are both doing a strong business in blue steel and walnut rifles. The Winchester is little higher priced while CZ is very reasonable. I consider both to be offering products at a fair value.

They're on there now. Just click the Black Friday tab at the top. A few others are in the mix too. They can be found by searching for Ruger.

Sad to see No.1 production end, but not too surprised. A business exists to turn a profit, so you can hardly blame Ruger. Make more of what sells best, and turns a profit, and drop the products that don't. Simple as that. I'll be hanging on to the No.1's in my safe.

Jeff

If I was a share holder, I would be concerned with some of the production changes at Ruger. But I am not so, they can do what ever and I have no say. Just dont 'assume' it makes financial sense or good for the companies long term success to drop all the hi-end products. We dont know that. I agree it is sad. I dont agree it makes sense. Or, It might at some level.

CZ can market a gun every bit as good as the discontinued 77/22 for less cost. And BACO (aka Winchester) can market an 1885, every bit as good as the discontinued No1 for more cost. I can spend all my available cash and never own another Ruger. No problem.

In my not so humble opinion,it does a company well to offer some hi-end flag ship products. Like GM with a Corvette. I dont believe Ruger retains the expertise to build a quality firearm. That is really sad.

My morning was kinda bright

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On a side note: .243 win 100gr not impressed. Little hole in and out, deer went maybe 80 yards.

Think Ruger could sell #1s at good margin, if they made it in .35 Remington

I don't know how I've managed to go 51 years without one, guess I'll have to go another 51 and wonder 'what if'

SCGunNut: Sad news you report - I have always had a soft spot for Ruger #1's.
I am guessing over the years I have owned at least 20 of them - currently I am down to just 7 of them.
Now with the news you bear I wish I had them all back.
But the #1 I miss the most is my first - which was in caliber 6mm Remington - it had serial number 1,300, had stunning wood and shot quite well.
In a moment of weakness I relented to a long time pestering friend of mine who "wanted" it badly.
Well he soon resold it for a profit and I held that against him for quite some time.
I hope your information is wrong or Ruger changes its policy.
Sad.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I can put you in contact with the party that has it now...

He may not be wanting to move it, though...

But, he's a Loony like the rest of us, so who knows...

DF

I'm not as big a fan as some.

My main peeve with the #1 is scope mounting. To me, they're a real challenge. If they had brought the rear ring base back over the action, mounting a scope would be easier.

And, some #1's shoot great, others not so great. You just don't know until you take it to the range.

They do have nice, classic lines.

IMO,

DF

44mag!!!! Want!

Steve,
I was in there in October, and probably saw the same rifles you saw. I bought none of them (and apparently nobody else did either) because the wood color and fit was uninspiring. If they were selling barreled actions for $600 I'd buy 'em and track down a stock maker. But for what they're asking, I don't think they're worth it. The message Ruger is sending to it's #1 fans seems quite clear..............they're making plenty of money selling other (cheaper) models, and don't care.