You may remember that about 4 years ago, Lipsey ordered a special run of No. 1As in .30-30. I think only 250 were ever made.

I thought long and hard about getting one, but decided to hold off until I heard a few reports about how they shot, accuracy, etc.

Well, despite constantly checking the internet, no shooting reviews were ever posted. The rifles were snatched up, and then there was dead silence.

So what happened? Did everybody who bought one just put them away in their collections, in unfired condition? Nobody, as far as I can tell, has ever published an actual benchrest test or field report on this rifle in .30-30.

Why am I bringing this up? Because I found one, NIB, but with pretty plain wood, that the guy is willing to let go in the $800 to $900 range. (He bought two when they first came out, but is keeping the one that arrived in Circassian Walnut.)

Frankly, since nobody ever writes squat about this rifle in this caliber, I don't know if $800 to $900 is a fair price or not.

And, (I know that this will make you sick), but I want one to shoot and hunt with. (Yea, I know, after I pull the trigger once, it'll worth $400 less.)

If anybody has any actual expertise regarding this rifle, either as a collector or shooter, whether good or bad, please post some comments.

I would rather have a used one in VG+ condition, but you never see used ones for sale.

Thanks for all info.

Mannyrock

For that price NIB you couldn't lose. Even if you didn't like it you could make a tidy profit on it.

There's one for sale here for $1500.

http://www.classicsportingarms.com/rugers-for-sale/

At US$800-900, I would have a friction burn on my hand from reaching for my wallet....

If you aren't hung up on plain wood, I'd jump all over it. I'm thinking of grabbing one of the 7.62x39's even though "I don't buy plain wood"

I don't know why the .30-30 is so uncommon in single shot rifles; it seems a natural for a light single shot. I've actually thought about having a modern Low Wall chambered for one of them.

BUY IT....!

All I have seen have plain wood but, as a long departed friend was fond of saying, "that is just a handle to hold onto when you fire the rifle".

Lets see, you think $800-900 is a lot for a Ruger #1? And its going to be worth $400 less than that if you shoot it? And you're worried we think you shouldn't hunt with it? Wrong, wrong, and wrong.

Buy it and hunt the hell out of it!


It will shoot at least as well as most lever action 30-30s

Sounds like a great deal.. If you pass, let me know.. I might be interested.. I think it would be great for whitetails loaded with NBTBT!!!

And one could (ahem) load it a bit warmer than factory

Thanks for all of the information and replies. They seem to echo all of the thoughts that are running through my head.

And yet, isn't it interesting, that nobody has responded by saying, "Yes, I have one and I have shot it from the bench, and it gets x-inch groups and it likes heavyweight (or lightweight) bullets."?

This is what makes me think that they have all been locked away in safes as collectors.

The one pointed out for sale at Collectors Firearms is a hard to use as a price gauge. It appears to be one of the ones with the Circassian walnut, which have the highest collector demand. And, it appears to me that almost every gun listed on GunsAmerica or GunsInternational is priced at fair value plus $300 to $500 dollars. (Lots and lots of sucker trolling on those sites.)

Mannyrock

The only #1 30-30 I know of in private hands is in a buddy's safe, circassian stocked, probably will never be fired, so your ideas are probably right about collector interest, even though he is no cllector. I've handled it a couple of times and it is special for sure. These did take a bit of time to sell out as I recall due to the fact that Lipseys released 4 different special edition #1 versions at the same time, so it took a little time to sell all 1000 or so. If you want one, jump on it fast before some one else does, the price is more than fair IMO. And as you say, they do not show up for sale very often. If you check Gun Broker, the 7.62 x 39 new edition clean-ups have a price similar to or higher than the one you looking at, and must add shipping and transfer to that price.

I have one, shoots under an inch with Revolutions, not so well with handloads, but I should pursue them further as the potential is there and I really didn't do much with the handloads.

How long is the throat on it? My .30-40 is lovely, but the throat is wayyyyy long. If you could actually touch the lands with a light bullet it could be pretty fun.

I'd love to have one, and would likely hunt the sheet out of it. The cartridge isn't flashy, but it kills medium sized game deader than Elvis.

Very classy rifle in a cartridge that is also a classic.

Elvis is dead?

I was kinda shooting a No 1 in 30-30 this weekend.

Actually, it was my Boddington Kudu in 300 H&H, but one of the loads I was testing was a mid-range load shooting a 150gr Hornady at 2,000 fps.

Another load was the 170gr Nosler Partition RN at 2,350. Now that will be a bang-up woods load for deer!

Like everyone else, I don't see how you could go wrong on this rifle, at the price mentioned.


Tim

El Numero Uno has one of the .30-30's for sale. I'd like to know more about how they are chambered - if the throat is really long.

I'd be shooting a bunch of cast bullets through one if I had one. It would go hunting too...