Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots ruger #1 safety

just got my first #1 and I can only put the safety on when the breech is completely open
if I move it from safe to fire it will only go back to safe if I open the breech again

is this right

Your brief description suggests there is a problem That I have never encountered on my three dozen #1s.

After cocking. the safety on mine moves back and forth freely when empty or with a live cartridge up the pipe w/o reopening the breach. But IF I pull the trigger, THEN I have to reopen the breach too. But so what? There is no need for the gun to be put on safe when empty or with a fired round ready for ejection in the chamber. And you can't load a live round w/o dropping the breech block and cocking it again.

1B

I don't want to open the breech everytime I take the safety off anticipating a shot that may not happen and then cannot put it on safe without cycling the breech

Sounds like the rifle needs a visit with Momma (Ruger).

Agree. I bought a 30 year old Ruger Number One a few years ago. Had trouble with the extractor. A quick round trip to Ruger cured it, for free, in less than two weeks.

Prior to that a local gunsmith had messed with it for months with no improvement.

Yes, it's worth the trouble of sending it to Ruger for a checkup.

Guy

If you have even modest skill with simple handtools, this can be fixed right at home in about half hour.

If it's an older No.1 (pre-1977), it's probably just a matter of backing off slightly on the sear adjustment screw (only accessible with the stock off)

If it's a newer rifle with the 2-screw trigger, you still need to take the stock off, but then all that should be necessary is to file/stone a slight radius on the front edge of the sear extension where it first contacts the safety, then polish both mating surfaces (with a stone or emery paper, etc.). Finally, apply some good gun grease (i.e. RIG), and your problem should be solved.



Or, take it to your local gunsmith ($$), or as suggested, send it back to Ruger.

Try it with a round in the chamber.

Make that a snap cap ( dummy round ) in the chamber. NEVER use LIVE ammo for testing. Neven, not ever

What kind of advice is that, world hunter? Is that supposed to be funny?

Not at all, this can be done at a range on the bench, I didnt feel I needed to lecture some one about safe gun handling.
I have a Ruger #1, that has a very stiff saftey it the condition he describes but works very smoothly with a case in the chamber. Why is it everyone jumps to the worst conclusion.

sounds wrong. The safety should function without a round in the chamber. I wouldnt trust it to function loaded when it won't unloaded.

I have to agree that there should be no difference in the operation of the safety with or without a round in the chamber.

Interesting situation. I also have a #1 that has had some trigger work done. My safety will not engage, period.

I have to wonder if the trigger work was accomplished at the expense of a functional safety.

Adding to that, the trigger is almost too light. It was like that when I bought it so I have no idea regarding who did the work.

Sounds like the best remedy is to let Ruger fix it.

When it is cocked the safety should go on and off and back on at will, with or without a case in the chamber. If the gun has been fired the safety will not reengage without cocking.

my safety will not engage under any circumstances.

See my first post in this thread.

i have sent the rifle back to ruger thanks to all that have replied

[quote=gene270]i have sent the rifle back to ruger thanks to all that have replied [/quot

Good call.

I'm inclined to do the same thing. Sending it back to Ruger would go a long way to a guaranteed repair.

I must stand corrected here. In playing with my #1-V this afternoon, I dropped the lever as though I were ejecting a spent round and the safety slid into position as easy as pie.
I'm embarrassed in that I was unaware of how the safety worked, if this is the common and proper way to engage a safety.
Am I just discovering something about how the safety engages or is this a real ball of snakes on my hands?