Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Ruger no 1 donor

Some of those "bad barrel guns" might shoot okay, with just a fire lapping job. Actually I think most of the real stinkers have already been rebarreled over the past 40 years

Did Ruger ever offer #1 actions for sale by themselves?

Good question. I do remember them selling barreled actions early on.

You ever find an action? I have a worn (hunted in coastal AK) 1B action (.30-06 rechambered to .30 Gibbs) I could part with.

If interested, I can provide pictures.

Brownells catalogs way back had Ruger bbld actions listed.

I have had three custom guns built on the #1 action. Fortunately I did these before prices went crazy. The most I ever paid for a donor rifle was $800 and I was still able to recoup some money by selling the wood.

IIRC, Brownells sold just the #1 actions also. Dang, I wish I had squirrel-holed a few!

I’d suggest looking for an early serial number rifle with good wood. The early rifles had a factory adjustable trigger and the wood on some models are just outstanding.

I managed to pick up an early 4 digit serial number rifle in 243 that had fantastic wood. Using a second year of production Ruger No.1 might seem nuts to Ruger collectors, but if you figure on having buy that same quality wood and an adjustable trigger it made sense to me.

I had a 4 digit .280. wood was very nice

My dads beater B in .22-250 had so so stock, but it cracked and I havent fixed it yet. Swapped in a used buttstock, w better wood LOL

His had the old checkering pattern, think it a '74 model.
Old man had it, new....didnt shoot worth a crap, had Ruger rebarrel it ( on their dime ) and then sold it to my dad.

Pops killed a fair number of chucks w it. Has the 3 screw trigger. One side of receiver is white from use. Lever latch is worn. Still puts Norma factory at .75" at 100.

Dunno how much throat wear. My eyes suck. Need to have it checked out. Offered it for sale to some fam, w old varixiii 3.5-10x. no takers. Appears i may have even priced it on the low side.


The #3 barreled action ( w bubba scope base holes) sold to a bud. Dirt cheap. Just to get rid of it ....save me from sinking money into a #3 project. Sold the scope, used the #1 stock from it, sold the Canjar.....I had a " free" action.

Proly slap a FX3 12x on the old #1. Took it off the " for sale " list. It is available to one person, kid my dad took hunting a few times. If he wants it, sell at good price. If he doesnt, it can sit in back of my safe. Not a .22 -250 fan, prefer .243 in a B model