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I have a Ruger No.1 in .280 that I am considering selling and wanted to know the value. The rifle is blue and in about 95% condition. It is a 1996 production date.

Thanks!!
Mine is priceless! 16 pointer to its credit and a pristine record of DRT kills. It goes inot the pine box with me.

1B
$300



By the way, I'll take it!
$305
The auction has begun. grin

Seriously, a nice caliber. Don't recall seeing one in .280.
Please don't sell it.

I have never seen one either and not sure if I could resist. smile

I think interest in it would be quite high.

Any pics?
I think you guys may be right. I should probably keep it.
I was thinking the value of it should be in the neighborhood of $700-$750?
Bow,

Please do not take the following commentary personally... It is merely an observation...

Quote
I was thinking the value of it SHOULD be in the neighborhood of $700-$750?
(emphasis mine...)

I would think that you are correct... Unfortunately, some weird things have gone on in the gun market in the last few years...

This spring I saw a 1-V in .22/250 on the used rack at a local gun shop... AFAIK, it's still there... Price was $569.95.

My personal rule-of-thumb is that gun related equipment have an approximate intrinsic value of 75-80% of dealer cost of a new one. (Assuming 98% or better condition) Now the dealer cost of a #1 is about $835 or so depending on distributor... Calculated out that makes the going rate at about $675 or so... Consider that you have a discontinued model and chambering... Which should command somewhat of a premium.. And you're pretty well spot on!

The best way to calculate a rifle's worth is to see what they are selling for on Gunbroker and Auction Arms. If you are registered, you can go back 3 mos. I am sure you will see that some folks are very optimistic about what their guns are worth, and list them over and over... sometimes for several months...

A friend of mine had several #1's listed on Gunbroker he ultimately had to reduce the price to $650 and most of them finally sold... (they were sold thru a broker... [jgsite] ) One was a pre-warning red pad 1-B in .243 Win with absolutely stunning wood... He listed it @ $925 for a long time. It ultimately sold for $650... (Which was less than my friend paid for it...) The broker was getting anxious to sell them when my friend passed away... (My view at least...)

Unless a rifle has a rare collector quality, or killer wood, that's about what they seem to be going for. Of course, limited runs and uncataloged specials always command a premium... When the economy suffers, it isn't just the housing marked that suffers... shocked Luxury commodities especially suffer, and lets's face it guns are luxurys... smile

When the prince of fools was elected, a lot of folks went crazy buying and stockpiling guns, ammo, and reloading components... Which ultimately drove the price up... Now it's coming back down... Those of us who bought during that time, will have to sit on them for a while to get our money back... If we ever do... With the economy the way it is... It's likely to take some time...

As I said, don't take this personally... This is merely the facts as I can logically see them... Others may view it differently...

GH
"I think you guys may be right. I should probably keep it.
I was thinking the value of it should be in the neighborhood of $700-$750?
"

If it's in good shape, and you find a motivated buyer, that sounds about right, in the current economic climate.
I have an early (late '60s) 280 #1 and a much later (early '90s) custom-LH stocked 1B that I am pretty attached to.
Some of us #1 loonies are a little less excited about the post-'93 black recoil pad guns, but they might actually be better in that they have Ruger hammer forged barrels.
I'd say $600 to $800, depending on how nice the wood. .280 is a fairly desireable caliber.
I used to think 70% of wholesale or a bit lower; and the rifle had to be super clean. Less if it was more used but not abused.

I think that Grasshopper may be somewhat of an optimist. Look at the 4 pages of unsold no.1's and their asking prices; and the success rate. Guess they got in when times were better etc. I really do not understand all the ins and outs of the resale businesses, just an observation.

No.1's are indeed a niche market; their market(cash) value varies across the country.

I saw a preowned Weatherby MKV, magnaported, Nikon scope, for 499 at a very large retailer, so the overall market is getting tougher it seems.
Originally Posted by gewehrfreund
"[
Some of us #1 loonies are a little less excited about the post-'93 black recoil pad guns, but they might actually be better in that they have Ruger hammer forged barrels.


Lance is right. I have a late 60's gun (Douglas bbl) that would be one of the last I would ever sell. I love the 280 and if I was looking for a shooter I would try and find a newer one with a Ruger made barrel and then find some old wood to put on it. I have had a few of the dual marked 280/ 7mm Express guns and some shot and some did not (Wilson bbl's)

A good 280 is hard to come by. think hard before you let it go. I think your price is fair even in todays market

Dave
Originally Posted by Grasshopper
This spring I saw a 1-V in .22/250 on the used rack at a local gun shop... AFAIK, it's still there... Price was $569.95.

GH


I visited the shop again, today. That 1-V in .22/250 is still there. Price is now: $539.95

As another poster stated, the values vary around the country. Since Michigan is in the worst shape economically that it's been in my memory... Likely that's why I see the downturn of the prices... NO-1's may well fare better in other states...

GH
When I was stationed in FT Hood, TX back in the early
90s I saw a Ruger #1V in 280 at a pawnshop. Didnt think
much of it until years later I did some reading up on
Rugers and it was a pretty rare variation.
Other factors favoring black pad #1s are that, in my experience anyway, the out the door quality in terms of reliable, repeatable, accuracy and not great but acceptable triggers instead of grossly heavy weight trigger pulls vastly favors the black pad rifles. Slip shod work done at Ruger works from the late 70s to the new era was far more common than it is now. Most of my older #1s needed lots of tweaking to match the newer #1s. The wood in general is nowhere near as nice as early models but, even then, you can still find some prizes.

1B
1B I agree. I think the wood quality has been on the way up last couple years... at least the possibility of getting nice wood.

If I were looking for a shooter I would have no qualms about a newly made #1

Dave
Guys, I finally put it up for sale in the classified for those interested.
I saw a #1 in .280 Rem today at a gunshow but didnt check
the price.
When my dad passed away a couple years ago I got his 1B in .280 that I bought him for Christmas almost 30 years ago. It will never get sold. It is a beautiful rifle in a great chambering.
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