Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots I'm Sort of Confused Now

I've been shooting most of my 56 years and have gone through a lot of different phases in terms of what type of firearms interest me most at any given time. For some reason I never got worked up over single shots before but an article by MuleDeer has me all worked up over a Ruger No. 1. So I have read every post I can find here about them and I am a bit confused.

First, is it a uniform consensus that the currently manufactured No. 1's are of poor quality? Gun forums often have certain subjects that are the topic of frequent debate but I have not seen any positive comments about currently produced No. 1's, only negative ones. Anyone out there with a high opinion of the newer No. 1's, or should I just look for used older versions?

Second, none of my local gunshops stock these rifles and I hate to buy a rifle sight unseen, so I am going to have to travel to see and handle some. I expect I'll learn more then but for now, the Ruger website only lists No. 1's (in tropical, standard, sporter, international, varmint, etc.) but I keep reading about No.1A's, 1B's, No.3's, etc. I don't understand. For that matter, I am not sure what the reason is for the differences between the standard and sporter versions and the caliber options for each. Is there a reference book or article anyone can refer me to so I can ease up on some of my ignorance?

I'm selling a few guns in order to buy this new rifle so I have some time to do some research first but any info will be appreciated.

The 1A, 1B, 1H, etc. designations are for the various types of No. 1s (all No. 1s); many of which are still being manufactured, at least in a current variant.

Here's the deal with the current crop of No. 1s:
1A = Sporter (22" barrel, with sights)
1B = Standard (26" barrel, no sights)
1H = Tropical (24" barrel, with sights, big caliber)
1S = Sporter - .45-70
1RSI = International (Mannlicher-stocked carbine)
1V = Varminter (26" barrel, no sights, small caliber)

No. 3s are a whole different breed, which unfortunately are not currently being produced by Ruger. If you find a good one used, you're gonna pay through the nose.

The No. 1, whether current or previous manufacture, are a darn fine rifle. Some of the earlier ones might have had better wood, different (better?) forearm and stock configurations, and arguably better fit and finish. Regardless, the No. 1 is a classy, classic, well-made firearm. One, IMHO, that if you get one and learn to appreciate, will certainly endear itself to you and probably get you hooked on the falling block / single-shot style of rifle and hunting.

Go, take a look and hand a few, and get one if it fits and feels right. I doubt that you'll be disappointed.

Now, as for selecting the "right" one (configuration and caliber); what type of hunting would/do you plan for the No. 1?

I am under the impression that the #1s are NOT lacking in quality.
My experience has been that the #1V is not as easy to shoot as a heavy barrel bolt action rifle with a beavertail forend.
Many #1s can greatly benifit from a few simple tuning steps.

I have said this before but will say it again with feeling. The Ruger No.1 is one of the finest factory-made rifles available at any price. It may be that some of the earliest examples might have had better-looking wood and slightly better finish overall, but the current rifles are by no measure second-rate. All of the recent examples that I have handled look very good, and they are well worth their price.

I have read complaints that No.1s are not sufficiently accurate. My No.1B in .280 Rem. is certainly sufficiently accurate for any conceivable hunting use--usually grouping 3 shots of Federal 150-grain Classic into 1" give or take an eighth. I do not use it as a benchrest rifle and that is good enough to deer hunting.

What I love about the No.1, apart from its unequalled good looks, is its marvelous balance. Any model that I have ever handled from the 1A to the Tropical has handled like it was custom made for me. Since I am a real fuss-a!@ when it comes to how a rifle feels in my hands, that is saying something.

My only complaint with the No.1 has more to do with marketing than the rifle. The No.1B standard rifle is a nice piece but at 8 lbs. is a little heavy for general use. The 1A Sporter and the RSI Full-Stock are handy pieces but are available in only four chamberings (.243, .270, 7x57, and .30-06). Why a .257 Roberts in the 8-lb. Standard and not in the lighter rifles as Ruger has currently done with a special run of No.1As in .257?

If you take the plunge, I doubt that you will be disappointed in the rifle.

Let's switch to a car metaphor.

One car on offer has great design, robust mechanics, and fits your taste and needs down to your toes. And it is emminently affordable and from a company with good customer service. Made in the US too!

But the factory just will not go the final yard in making that car perform exactly the way you want it to consistently. Fortunately, lots of others have been in the same fix and found several different ways to resolve those performance issues relatively inexpensively.

The only other way to get near what you want is to to go custom car at huge expense.

You buy it, make the changes, and swap info at every opportunity with all comers until it would seem to an outside viewer that the car is junk.

We are not called "gun nuts" for no reason!
1B

Unfortunately, I think Ruger, like some other large American firearms manufacturers, suffers from the same out-of-touch product management as GM, Ford and Chrysler.

Their biggest problem is not that they cannot make it, but that they don't know what to make or how to marke it.

Suggest you visit the Sturm Ruger website and ask for a current catalog.........pictures tell you a great deal about what is described above. Yes, there is a text on the #1, but it is out of print and runs 125 to 150 dollars or more. I have personally owned 125 of these rifles over the past 24 years and have never been sorry..........

Man, that is a lot of really helpful information. Thank you very much guys.

VAnimrod, I've already decided to get a .45-70, so that limits me to the No.1S, which is fine with me because I like that configuration a lot. I need a .45-70 because . . . well, I just have to have one. I will mostly hunt Pa. whitetail in close cover, but I think it will also be perfect for an Alaskan Moose hunt I am planning.

I also like to do a lot of range shooting just punching holes in paper for fun. After reading about the black powder cartridge boys shooting at 1,000 yards I am anxious to see what this rifle can do at long range. I'm guessing with the trajectory of that cartridge, the factory iron sights won't allow that range, nor with the Ruger rings will a scope have enough adjustment to go that far, but it will be fun to see how far I can stretch it. I have a Nikon 1.5-4.5X20 scope I will mount on it.

I finally found a gun shop not too far away that had a version with stainless metal and laminated stock and a blued, walnut stock version. I'm a blued steel and walnut man normally, but the stainless, laminated was surprisingly nice. Still, I will order a blued, walnut version. The man at the shop said they don't carry .45-70 because his customers want the Browning Hi Wall in that caliber. Guess I'll have to get that one next but for now I am going with the Ruger. This was my first chance to fondle one and they looked, felt, fit, pointed and handled like magic. I can feel my resolve weakening and I may skip the wait trying to sell other guns and just take the hit and trade them in.

Thanks again for the info.

MY HERO!!!

I could never admit to owning that many and still be married to my lovely wife. even if I never had more than 2 at once