Found one on gunbroker at a less than exorbitant price (relative to current times) and picked it up this morning. Have only had time to examine it and check throat length for various bullets but first impressions are definitely impressive. In a way it's just a glorified NEF or H&R Ultra but it's like taking those to their ultimate level.
Mine was apparently made on January 17 of this year going by the inspection sticker. I'll go ahead and get this out of the way, but for a mid-$400 rifle, this thing has better figure in the wood, is better finished, better fit of wood to metal (way better), better trigger and in general just better put together than the last three Ruger No. 1's I've bought, all at well over $1000.
Out of the box it weighs 6 lbs 14.5 ounces on my postal scale and balances right behind the forend. Not a lightweight but it's not unduly heavy either.
The trigger is a very pleasant surprise. It breaks cleanly and consistently at 3 1/4 lbs. No wiggle, no takeup, just a firm set and a crisp break with a bit of overtravel. The throat is pretty standard for a .30-30 which is good. A Sierra 150 FN and a Hornady 150 RN seated to hit the lands have their cannelures only a couple hundredths ahead of the case mouth. A bullet from an Accurate mold 31-170 hits the lands with the case mouth just even with the front of the crimp groove, couldn't ask for a better fit there. Of course, you don't need to crimp a bullet in a single shot but just mentioning that as a reference. The Sierra 125 spitzer and a Hornady 150 spire point can both be seated to hit the lands with plenty of bullet inside the case and their ogives well outside the case mouth - OAL is way over standard for a magazine fed rifle but in this rifle it's not an issue. Lots of fun possibilities here.
The comb is the weak spot, it's definitely low, low, low. I tried various base mounts with a Sig Romeo5 and a Burris Fastfire sitting on a little Weaver base and you still have to raise your head to sight through them. With the Henry picatinny base any scope even in low rings requires you to have the comb about in line with your lower teeth.
Getting some loads together this afternoon and will brave the cold tomorrow morning or Friday to do some initial workup and will report back on those results.
