Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Ruger #1 "beaters"

Wish I had some photos of my son's No1 .338 Win. It's a beater even by Alaskan standards but it still shoots well.

He sort of replaced it with a stainless No1 in 35 Whelen. Don't know if you can see it but the trigger guard lever is rounded ala Farquarhson.

Jim62,

OK, all the evidence I can gather is in and the issue still seems open due to contravening conclusions, but I am more sure than ever that this is a salt wood stock.

I finally was able to talk with Art again and this time he said he cannot remember any Rugers with salt wood stocks. He did say he saw some Weatherbys with salt wood. (NOTE: This is quite different from what he told me a year ago about Rugers and he offered no explanation for the change.)

On the other hand, the silver nitrate testing agent for salt wood that Art uses finally arrived. I tried some on a Browning Safari rifle stock that is known to be salt wood and the clear liquid turned to milk -- the tell-tale sign of salt in the wood. I also tried it on the butt stock of my Ruger #1S and got the SAME reaction -- salt. As an additional control test, I then tried it on a spare #1B butt stock I have -- no reaction. Please note that all areas I tested were under the butt pad and far away from any blued, action/barrel, parts that might have been exposed to excess bluing salts.

My bottom line now, pending other evidence, is that this #1 rifle has a salt wood stock. Whether there are any more and how many there may be, I duno!

1B

Interesting sights on that rifle, Phil. Anything worth sharing about them?

Agreed, I would like to hear a little about them myself.

I definitely like how the factory quarter rib was removed and replaced with something "better" in place of attaching to the quarter rib. That and the 1" red pad (Pachmayer?).

I could definitely appreciate that rig.

I don't remember ever seeing a beater #1, but I also can't remember seeing too many second-hand #1's for sale in any condition. That's probably a regional thing.

mine is becomeing a beater. it is scratched blueing is wearing off the barrel and action. weve falling of cliff faces together. just this deer season i had a spill while climbing down a water fall cliff. knocked the stinking target turret of the leupold and put some deep gauges in the walnut.
i use it alot at times it good used daily in cold weather rain snow and the mudd.

even though shes been with me for 10 years and is getn alittle rougher looking my 2506 in rugger m77 is picture perfect beater. blueing is gone, stain is gone for spots ont eh stock.

i love useing rifles and when i have favorite it goes everywhere all the time.
they cant look new forever unless theyre hanging on the wall.

but yeah to answer the question i havent seen a rough used #1 nibe us pretty much the roughest number one ive ever seen. all numbers ones on the used shelf look like new and bring new prices

Well, that's what I figured, since I have never heard of any Rugers with salt wood. Also, Weatherbys could have salt wood stocks since they were also stocked in California grown walnut.

Had one come in the store in 7mm mag, rough shape but fixable. He wanted $250 for it, I offered 200, he wouldn't take it, like a dummy I let him walk.

There is a 1A in 270 win at a local pawnshop.

Saw one in a local gunshop that some knucklehead had spray painted ALL OVER with green and brown paint and to add insult to injury, sprinkled some sand into the mix for texture. I almost bought it to save it.
__________
NRA Patron,Life, or Benefactor since '72

Would this be considered a "beater"?

Is that even a legal barrel length for a rifle?

What chambering is it?

Absolutely!

I have no idea what caliber. I found it on a custom gunsmith forum tag.

my dads is a 22-250 that he has kept in his truck for as long as I can remeber. It pretty beat up but he can still tag a yote with it across the pasture. I killed my first few deer with that gun. It still wears the old redfield with a target dot that it has always had. I love that old gun and hope he leaves it to me.

I quess its one of those deals where you hate to beat the gun up but you hate more not to use it.

Me three! It kinda looks like the XS Weaver backup on a custom base?

Pete

Guys, I inadvertantly ran across the answer just yesterday. I was searching for info on the 9.3x74R and ran across a post from Feb of 2010 explaining the barrel. He has the same picture posted and if you scroll to the bottom, he provides an explanation.

Ruger #1 in Alaska