Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Rare #1

I saw this and thought it may be of interest to someone on here. I guess it is 1 of 15.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=172202299

Interesting butt pad on that one. Seems like it would be easier to move that for $$$ if Ruger didn't currently have the 300 H&H cataloged in their #1-S variation.

I don't know where this guy gets his numbers from. But I've noticed that this guy has a lot of RARE #1's. Just because he says it's 1 of 15 doesn't make it so...

I once was at a Gun Show and a guy had a Ruger #1-A in .22 Hornet. He claimed it was made in 1976. A friend of mine was going to buy it, and pay an exorbanent price, but chanced to ask me first. I went over to the guy and asked him how he knew it was made in 1976? He replied: "by the serial #." I then asked him how did he account for the fact that it had the "Warning" on the barrel? He said: "What do you mean?" I told him that the "Warning" was not implemented until midyear of 1978 and if had bothered to call Ruger, that's exactly what they would tell him. He got mad and told me to get lost.

I told him that if he had not mis-represented that gun, he'd have sold it, but I stopped the sale by pointing that out... He wasn't too happy with me...

Point is; Lots of folks will mis-represent a gun in hopes to "Catch a Sucker", and make few extra bucks... Those guys are the bane of the business, IME...

GH

So they #1B in 300 H&H isn't rare? I have done buissness with these people before and have never been disappointed. I can not find that confirguration listed or cataloged anywhere. The #1S just came out this year. These guys sell a LOT of hard to find Rugers and have a very nice shop.

I'm well aware that the 1-B in .300 H&H is not cataloged. Neither is the 1-S or the 1-B in .264 Win Mag. Sometimes Ruger makes distributor exclusives for different distributors. Most times these are never cataloged.

It is generally known amoung #1 afictionados that Ruger will not make a run of less that either 200 or 250 pieces... (memory at fault again) Or should I say that they won't commission a run.
That being said, there are instances where substantially less than that number were made. Coming to mind was the 1-H in .404 Jeffery. It was cataloged for several years, but actual numbers range from around 50 to 90 or so, depending on the source. Some were recalled (And likely rebarreled to something else...)

I can't say how many 1-B's in .300 H&H were made... I wasn't interested enough to bother to look into it. Another case in point, is the guy in the Gun List who advertises the #1-A Stainless/Walnum in .35 Whelen. He claims only 111 produced. Perhaps he's correct... (The distributor who commissioned them) will tell you there were 250. Who is right? I don't know. But I'd tend to believe the distributor...

I think that's what makes the #1 so attractive as a collector... Because there ARE a lot of unknowns. I have owned over 60 #1's over the years and still own around 20 or so... But as far as collection purposes..., I am limiting my collecting to the 1-A SS/Walnut series, the #1-AB's and the early production pre-prefix's (Of which I've never seen only a handful and never owned one...) I think I've actually handled only two or three.

But then, I'm a natural-born Skeptic...

Perhaps 1-B and El Numero Uno will join in and shed some light on this subject...

GH

So...how does one describe a rifle "as new" when it's been owned and fired? I think the price of $995 currently being bid is probably "OK" if only 250 were made (I kinda doubt the "only 15 made" too...), but dropping from new to used takes away a certain amount of collector interest.

Just for those who don't know GH -- I've owned guns since about 1962, so I know a little bit about them. But I can assure you I will call him if I'm looking at something and have the faintest question in my mind about what I'm buying or what's a good price.

Dennis

If a guy were to buy this Ruger would be able to "letter" it correct? They should be able to tell you when it was made and how many, right? I know colt and Winchester can but not sure about Rugers.

Why don't you call Ruger and ask?

Ruger will tell you that it is a 1B in .300 H&H, but I seriously doubt they will tell you how many were made. That has been their policy forever! When these 1B .300 H&H's showed up, 15 was the number bandied about as the production number.
I haven't checked your Link, but I think this is Little Crow Sports. They know how many they got and I have not heard of anyone else having any.
I don't think this one, or the 1B's in .264 WM were Distributor Exclusives; just something Ruger decided to make. They may be in the Catalog next year.

Thanks for all the information. LC is who has them for sale so you are right on the money there. Do you really think they would make the #1S and a #1B in a dying caliber? Not many of us left that prefer the "old magnums".

I would be skeptic of the "claims" as well. I would check it out thoroughly before I bought anything on line not to discredit this particular vendor. However it is a nice looking gun and if it only had 6 rounds fired through it, it might would be worth it. I would want to see it in person though. A 1B in 300 H&H would be about perfect as a NA one gun battery IMO and it would get big points for nostalgia.

I've never seen a gray spacer like that on any Ruger, much less a #1. Does not mean that there are not some out there but... Anyone else seen or -- better yet -- own one?

1B

The spacer doesn't look unlike the one on my 1A 7 x 57. I think it is in the finishing.

Well I have seen a couple of .475 Linebaugh/.480 Rugers on GB. I've not seen one in the flesh, yet. I see they are cataloging the .460 S&W, which might be kinda interesting, too - but I have a .480 Ruger and it would be cool to have a companion Ruger to it.

.264 and .270 Weatherby are pretty intriguing, but I think I would like to get a Liberty Model .270.

All that said, I'll probably buy the next one I see with really nice wood

i just happen to have a no. 1 in 250 sav,ihave owner it for 5 or 6 yr,it is blue and walnut, i have not shot it a lot, but it shoots perfect.......

The first Black & Gray pads I seen on # 1's was in May of 2009, seemes most that I seen after that date are Black & Gray.
Ruger # 1 Guy

C-C,

Please tell us more.... Serial # range? What configuration? 1-A, 1-B? Etc... "Warning" on the barrel? I'm all ears...

Edw-

i see we have the same shopping plans...

has anyone laid eyes on a .460S&W yet? saw the 475/480 guns, the 460sounds interesting.....

Ruger1Guy,

The black pad Rugers I have seen -- including my brand new .264 WM #1B -- all have even blacker, not gray, spacers. (This brings up the question why spacers at all, when the rifles really need more recoil pad than they do the bhard surface?)

1B

I have purchased two rifles from the fine folks at Little Crow.

While the owner is very knowledgable, he has his daughter listing stuff on GB, and she is not an expert.

I bid on a "Walnut and stainless steel 22" Ruger 10/22".

Needless to say when I showed up to purchase it, the rifle was a "Hardwood and stainless steel 22" Ruger 10/22".

Need I say more?

They do get a ton of Rugers, and I would not be surprised if Ruger made up some rifles that were not necessarilly catalogued, but I would be shocked if Ruger made a "only fifteen made" statement to just about any vendor. Besides, if you pay a premium for this particular rifle, who is to say Ruger won't make some more?