Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots really rare Rugers...

Another thread jogged my memory about my college days. I worked part time at a gun shop in the early 80's. We had one Ruger #3 come through the shop, chambered in .375 H&H . The guys all marveled at the rifle, which lasted a week or so and was then bought by a Ruger collector. I recall the shop manager offered him a free box of ammo if he'd shoot it, and the gentleman declined I never heard of another one in the caliber. Anyone else ever see one?

My brother owned a .300M #1V Liberty model, but later sold it during a bout of unemployment It was a non-catalogued model, but I think I recall seeing one other.

Anyone else run into any other odd/Remarkable #1's or #3's

I had one of the #1 7mm Mags with the heavy varmint barrel ( 1V ) in a 200th year. Took my first deer in Snowville, VA with it. Heavy sucker. Traded it for a Sako .222 mag varmint rifle ( which I still have ). Had a #1A in .223 that was "uncommon". Got talked out of it by a buddy with too much money. Miss them both.

I would offer the opinion that the No.3 was a .375 Winchester and not a .375 H&H, unless it was aftermarket rechambered. Also, the 1V in .300 WM was a cataloged offering from about 1972 for about 6 years. they are not often found today and could be considered rare, especially the Liberty marked one.
There are a lot of No.1's rarer than this one!

I'll bet a #3 in .375 HH would be a snotty little bastidge to shoot.
'Bout the most miserable rifle I ever shot was a #3 w/ hot loaded 45-70. Just a snotty little beast.

I have heard of #1s in .222 Remington and .308 Winchester
but have never encountered one. I did handle a #1V in .280
Remington caliber at a pawnshop in Ft Hood, TX back in the
90s, I didnt know it was a rarity until years later. I have
heard of #1s in .30-40 Krag but have never seen one.

ENU,

That was exactly my inital thoughts on the subject. I have owned 2 or 3 No: 3's in .375 Win. and still have one. Also have 200th yr. No: 3 in .30-40 Krag. I've never seen a #1 in .30-40... But with Ruger, you never know... I've learned to never say never.

I have also handled a couple of No: 1's in .222 Rem. One was an AB and the other a "B". Likely both were pre 1970 models, thus they didn't have the Alphabetical nomenclature at that time.

I have also handled a No: 1-AB in .308 Win. Seller offered it to me for $450. I didn't have that much cash on me at the time. I called him about 3 days later and told him I'd take it for $450. He responded: "I told you $550!" I was so upset that I passed on the deal. About 3 mos. later the seller passed away. I never did find out what happened to all his guns. But I sure wish I had taken that .308 I don't think I looked at the serial # at the time. But I suspect that it was also pre-prefix. OH well! We all remember the good ones that got away. Of all the No: 1's I've looked at over the years, I have only seen less than a half-dozen of the pre-prefixed ones. Sadly, I never realized how collectable they were until fairly recently.

We live and learn, and I'm a slow learner....

Grasshopper

The .375 definitely was stamped ".375 H&H", and definitely did come in with a new shipment. I was already into #1's by that point - Dad had 4 or 5 by then as well. The shop manager was also a #1 afficianado, and we all knew the difference between the 375 Win & .375 H&H

Sort of related to this thread In the early 1990's, in San Angelo, TX, I saw one #1B in .220 Swift that had the best wood I had ever seen on any #1, with both buttstock & forend full figured walnut. I was driving through at the time on the way to my deer lease in West Texas. I was tempted, but couldn't buy it. Saw it again two more times, finally stopped in with enough cash to buy it - and of course it had sold. How stable that wood was is anybody's guess, but it's still one I remember

I'm with ENU, I've never seen, nor heard of a No.3 in .375H&H. It's not listed in Claytons' book or Chad Hiddleson's book either. If one was produced, it would be a find of significant porportions.

I've thinned out my No.1s and sold all my No.3s, including a NIB .30-40Krag, Liberty.

I'm down to just a few No.1s, but I still do have a 1V in .300WinMag, Liberty, along with a 1V in .25-06, Liberty. I also have three non-prefix rifles and a 1S in .300 H&H.

There is a considerable storehouse of knowledge on the Ruger-1 forum. You guys ought to stop by and visit with us.

Jim

In the mid 80's I purchased a well used # 3 in 30-06. Rumour has it that a very small number "non-cataloged" were made. No papers or other documention with the rifle. It appeared to have the same barrel configuration as #1b, no sights, 26" barrel, #3 lever and wood.

I was somewhat sceptical it was legit and sold it to a friend would it restocked with some custom #1 wood and then sold it as well.

Trying to track down the current owner to obtain the serial number to see if it would "letter" by Ruger.

For sometime now there has been a rechambered .375 Win to .375 H&H for sale here in Canada, Agree with all it would be handfull to shoot with factory loads. Probably why it's still for sale...

As well I'm fortune enough to own a # 1S in .38x55, if not rare certainly not very common.

Flyer

The only rare #3, I've ever personally seen, was an issue, non-cataloged .30-06, displayed in a Ruger collection at a gun show, along with it's factory certification letter, containing it's serial number, framed & displayed right next to it.

.

El Numero Uno, I didn't start the thread planning to buy another #1, but visiting your site got me curious. One local shop has recently consigned an estate collection and one of the finds is a Non-prefix .222 in the BB (#1B) version. Good wood, crummy scope, mirror bore, nice shape, forend not tampered-with, decent price, so of course I dropped it into lay-a-way. S/N is in the 8XXX range. Yee Haw!

There is also a non-prefix .243 BB in the 4XXX range. The wood isn't as nice as my .222, but I bet it is a good shooter.

I saw the 220swift mentioned above...were there very many of those? A friend bought two #1s from an estate the other was in 22-250 and I told him I believe the swift would be worth more.

tex n cal,
Thanks for the visit; I think you will be glad you put that .222 away. As I noted in the article, "Ruger No.1 Rarity Estimates", any non-prefix rifle is a rare rifle, as there were only about 7500 of them, serial #s up to 8437. Any rifle from that table with a production estimate of less than 1%( or less than 50) is very rare. Of course this information only relates to the non-prefix No.1's. There are some later prefixed rifles that were made in very small quantities. The 1B in .284 Winchester comes to mind, with only a handful made. The .264 Win. Mag. in 1B is another, with 5 or less, rifles. A 1A in 7x57 made in 1972 is another, with about 10 rifles; but, there was the non-cataloged run of about 300 in 1976. It has been in the Catalog since 1977 and is extremely popular. Just remember how many threads there have been about it on the Campfire!

In the 90's I collected #1's and 77's . I had an ab in .308 and alot of liberty.s I had a .222 B 4 digit . The 77 I had most were Liberty's new in the box. I had the .350 mag and the .358 Rs. Also some what is called PL i had all caliber except 2 or 3.

The Swift was cataloged up through 2007 and fairly easy to locate up through then in both the 1B and 1V versions. So yeah, quite a few. (Someone in the classifieds here has two 1Bs in .220 Swift for sale right now.)

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...owflat/Number/2933612/page/6#Post2933612

And here:

http://www.gunsinternational.com/Ruger-No1-V-Varmint-220-Swift.cfm?gun_id=100082689

And here:

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=130540609

And here:

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=128611273

Some folks have claimed that the .220 Swift is actually more accurate on average than the .22-250. That Swift in San Angelo - oh my it was pretty - like a bombshell actress it might have been a total flake, but it sure woulda been fun to get to know it.

My .300 win mag #1B Liberty model is my favorite rifle. It has nice wood, and is semi-collectable. Dad gave it to my Grandad's best friend, after Grandad passed away. Parker was the gent's first name, and even in his '80's he did enjoy shooting and handloading for it. His heirs gave it back to Dad after he passed, and I have it now. It has a looonng throat that will allow 180 Noslers to be seated out to 3.60 OAL, and will take heavier powder charges than some .300's. I have seen 180 gr velocities into the 3200's, and 3 shot, 1/2" groups with it, too.

Nice article, very interesting. I am not a No. 1 collector but have always had at least one No. 1 in my gun cabinet since acquiring a 1H in 375 H&H - with very nice wood - in 1976. Out of curiosity, how common were the 1H in 404 Jeffery with factory removable brake and the Liberty 45-70 No. 3?

Here's one on Gunsamerica (not mine) with a scope and what appears to be second variation checkering:

http://www.gunsamerica.com/942046758/Guns/Rifles/Ruger-Rifles/1-Type/Ruger_No_1_300_WIN_MAG.htm#

at one time had a no. 1 in 357 mag marked CHP. should have kept it!