Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Re-bore Ruger #1 to 38-55

I am toying with the idea of buying a Ruger #1 and then sending it out to somebody like JESS to have it rebored and rechambered to 38-55. I have read about them quite a bit them on the fire.
Who would you recommend for this kind of work.
I would appreciate suggestions. Maybe to a 358 Win. Instead? What do you think?

Good luck with Jes he does not normally answer the phone and is supposed to call back

This is his web site, if you look through it it lists calibers, barrel exterior sizes, etc:

JES Reboring
http://35caliber.com/3.html

I hate being ignored by a business when I am trying to give them business. I never have understood that but it happens far to frequently. Do you have someone else you can recommend?

JES did an excellent job for me i rebored to a 35 Whelen on a Ruger #1 ,you might wanna consider this cartridge the 35 Whelen ,read about this cartridge 1st before decide. Pete53

Jesse may not answer your call because he's in the shop working. However, if you leave a message, he will call you back. It may take a day or two, be patient. I've talked to him a half dozen times. Solid guy to do business with.

^^ this ^^ great man to deal with !

I own four Ruger #1's & four 1885's. I like both styles of falling-block single-shots. Because I really like my Winchester 1885 Traditional Hunter in .405 Winchester, I don't think I would ever get a Ruger #1 and have it rechambered for 38-55. I would just get another 1885 already chambered in that caliber since they are not difficult to locate. Because the Ruger #1 comes in almost 60 calibers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruger_No._1), I've always had good luck locating factory rifles I was interested in acquiring. But that's a personal choice so it may not work for you the way it does for me. The Ruger #1 was chambered in 38-55 in 1989 but I have to admit I don't remember ever seeing one for sale so it might be kind of hard to find an affordable original.

I have a custom rifle built on the 1885 action in 38-55 and it's a wonderful gun. My 358 is a pre 64 M70 and a Ruger #1 in 35 Whelan. Before I went to the expense of buying a rifle and having it rebored look into a factory rifle in 35 Whelan.

Saw one at a Charlotte NC gun show about 25 years ago. Wish I had grabbed it.

Rolly

I have had some Ruger #1's rebarreled by the gunsmith Todd Lockburner in Monument Colorado.

Todd has done an excellent job and was responsive. My last job was a Ruger #1 that was in 45-70 and I commissioned Todd to re-barrel and chamber in 40-82 WCF. Todd did a superb job, including the Ruger sight base and blue.


I note these custom jobs are not inexpensive. I sold the 45-70 barrel to ease some of my cost. I agree with other posters that the best option is to find a rifle already in 38-55.

I had a Marlin 336 30-30 rebarreled in 38-55 WCF years ago before old cartridges gained the interest in these "antique" cartridges. With modern steel receivers and barrels and modern brass you can "hop" them up over blackpowder pressure loads. I found AA1680 and 5744 to be good powders for my loads.

Just a data point: Not too many #1 barrels will work for a rebore to 38-55. The barrel bore is not the problem, the cartridge size is. A 223 will work, any 223 like cartridge will work Anything much larger will be to large already to go to 38-55 which is only 0.421 base diameter.

RAS

i have a brand new in the box 35 Whelen in a Ruger #1 that rifle is worth $2,000.00 so i won`t ever shoot this rifle myself. but i have a older nice used Ruger #1 i had only $750.00 in so i sent it too Jess and i had that rifle rebored to a 35 Whelen for $300.00 and now for a total cost of that rifle now is only $1050.00 i have in this rifle. if your smart about it you can figure out how to do this too . good luck,Pete53

i have a 1972 Winchester m94 in 35/30-30 that JES did. he did a wonderful job.

sighting the 35/30-30 in, 2 shots at 100 yards.

It's been my experience as well, I've got a 7600 barrel arriving there today to be rebored to .358W. We've played phone tag for a week, but he has returned every one of my calls and left a message withy the info I wanted.

Speaking of "Wished I had grabbed it".... I went back and it was gone...kicking myself for not grabbing another No. 1 that I have no use for.

I found one for a enthusiast member here some years ago. I would get ahold of Lee Newton and see if he might have one to sell.

Oh well, it wasn't meant to be... Easy for me to say huh?

Last year there was a pristine Brno single shot in 5.6x52R on Gunbroker. It had the proper detachable scope mount (with a cheap Bushnell) and 200 rounds of ammo. It was neat, but I thought it a bit high, I really didn't have the $, and had no real use for it. I kept dicking around until somebody bought it and now all these months later I still kick myself for not biting the bullet. I'll never find another like it...

There is not a more precise, reliable, nor a nicer gunsmith who rebores than JES. He is worth whatever trivial wait you experience.

Mark Penrod in Indiana is a premier gunsmith who works on Ruger single shot rifles and I can't think of a better smith to rebarrel your #1 if you decide to go that route.