Small market... that Ruger keeps making smaller and smaller by lowering the quality of the rifles, lowering the quality of the wood, all while continuously raising the price. Well no sh@t they're not selling, you don't need to be genius to figure out why.
This is all correct, especially the lower quality wood. Pretty soon Ruger will run out of pallets and then the price will really jump.
Fortunately they still have a warehouse full of used tank tread pads to use as "recoil pads"...
I still like Ruger No. 1's but these days the used market seems to be the best place to shop. Looking back at some of the wood they used to use breaks your heart in comparison to what's on the rifles now. Also the overall fit and finish was miles better - forends and receivers without big gaps between them, wood that wasn't way proud of the receiver and levers that snapped shut tightly, not rattle loosely when closed. The 90's when they started making their own barrels up through maybe the early 2010's would seem to offer the best examples in terms of good accuracy combined with a still high build quality.
A fellow just needs to get used to the idea that if you want a nice Ruger No. 1 you're going to spend some bucks, and part of that might be a new barrel for an older red pad model (total gamble on those old Wilson barrels). I currently have an itch for a nice No. 3 in .22 Hornet to be sent to RJ Renner for one of his treatments. Total cost would run way over $2000 and more likely something over $2500, and I'd still be gambling on the accuracy of the barrel but that's life in the 21st Century. Right now there is a total dearth of suitable components for a Hornet so that itch will remain unscratched for the foreseeable future.
