Allure of the Ruger No1

[SFRanger7GP]

The only Ruger #1 I have at this time is a 9.3x74R. It is short, handy, well balanced and hits hard on both ends.

Safe shooting

 

[Rafiki]

The only Ruger #1 I have at this time is a 9.3x74R. It is short, handy, well balanced and hits hard on both ends.

Safe shooting

Very nice traditional cartridge and rifle; perfect combination.

 

[Nevada Mike]

Who did the work on that Mike?

Tha basic metal work was done by John McLaughlin of Helena, MT. Stock done by Gary Goudy (now retired), and the filing, finishing and tweaks done by Peter Mazur of Grass Valley, CA.

The rifle has 25" Brux cut rifled barrel, Jard trigger, Neider steel butt plate, and a custom forend hanger. Ready to hunt, with scope, sling, ammo carrier and 6 rounds, it weighs 8 lbs., 13 oz. Shoots 1/2" five shot groups at 100 yards. I love it.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Congrats, Kevin. The 1A configuration with the Alex Henry forend is a lovely. I suspect with the 240gr woodleighs that 06 would be one heck of a close work stopper on your biggie stuff in Zim too. (Giraffe, Eland, Cats)

Highly recommend you getting a pair of the Alaska Arms QD low rings for that gun so you can go back and forth between Jesse gun mode and long range destroyer.

I will indeed Rook. I am quite impressed by the balance of this rifle, it just comes to shoulder and sits there. The 385 Tropical I found was a nittle barrel heavy. So yes, it is worth fitting QD's to have immediate acquisition.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

This is the Centenary edition rifle that they have in stock. Cal .308 R100k. Comes in a special box with various bits and pieces.

 

[rookhawk]

This is the Centenary edition rifle that they have in stock. Cal .308 R100k. Comes in a special box with various bits and pieces.
View attachment 528777

That’s a pretty nice piece of wood on that one, @Kevin Peacocke. As someone that isn’t a Ruger collector (e.g. keeping them original in their box Unfired), I would be tempted to buy that, strip the plastic finish, fit an orange pad, work up some red stain, some oil finish to top it off, and I’d use a triangular checkering file to pick up all the checkering to give it a hand made look. Chopping off the forend tip to apply ebony or buffalo horn is optional and not that hard, but it does certainly give the gun a best-London look for pennies.

Far and away, for its money, the #1 is the finest gun one can buy. They are infinitely upgradable and customs can fetch extraordinary sums which says a lot about the quality of the action.

@Kevin Peacocke if you can ever find one, a Kepplinger single set trigger is a wonderful thing. It shoots the same as usual, unless you push the trigger forward in which point it becomes a 4 ounce hair trigger for those very long shots off a steady rest. If you ever see a Kepplinger for sale, please buy it. (I think they stopped production 6-7 years ago.)

 

[Ryan]

I have decided upon the 30-06. It is what I can get, brand new and reasonably priced, and considering that PG all the way up to eland will be on the ticket I think it is the correct choice. The shop will put a red pad on for me.
Here it is:
View attachment 528549

I picked up the same caliber in 2017 with very similar wood. That matte finish Ruger uses doesn't do it any favors. So I stripped mine, stained it with Pilkington Gun Co. Gold and Brown stain and then refinished it. Just that will make a huge difference if you are so inclined.

Here's mine with the new finish lounging around on my last trip to RSA.

 

[Rafiki]

I picked up the same caliber in 2017 with very similar wood. That matte finish Ruger uses doesn't do it any favors. So I stripped mine, stained it with Pilkington Gun Co. Gold and Brown stain and then refinished it. Just that will make a huge difference if you are so inclined.

Here's mine with the new finish lounging around on my last trip to RSA. View attachment 528835

Nice. What caliber is the bolt rifle?

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Yes that does look nice Ryan. I see you resisted the temptation to put a red recoil pad on it, i may enhance it even more.

 

[Rafiki]

I don't get the whole red pad thing. Yeah I know there's some nostalgia around it but really it's all in the eye of the beholder. I have black on mine and looks just fine, to me anyway. Ryan's rifle is a beauty, I like that he spent some personal time refinishing it, labor of love.

I'm in the process of making a Ruger RSM the rifle that appeals to me. Just yesterday I was discussing a leather wrapped pad for it with the stockmaker. I think I'll have that done. I like the look and it's also very traditional of the really fine English guns; which of course the Ruger RSM is not.

 

[Ryan]

Yes that does look nice Ryan. I see you resisted the temptation to put a red recoil pad on it, i may enhance it even more.

It actually needs a better recoil pad since the one Ruger has on it isn't all that great and I've had to glue it back on the base after it pealed off once. I'm with @Rafiki, the whole red pad thing isn't as big a deal to me as some view it. I'll make that decision when I chat with my gunsmith about it.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Yes I suppose it is in the eye of the beholder. Here are two Ruger no1 stocks, I think neither recoil pad hits the mark in this case.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Here is another where I think the red pad looks great, it fits well and suits the colour of the wood much better:

 

[Ryan]

Nice. What caliber is the bolt rifle?

375 Ruger. It is one of the earlier Ruger Africans. I stumbled on that stock by Accurate Innovations had on their finished stock page for a good deal when I went looking for something a bit heavier than the Rugers walnut stock.

 

[Rafiki]

Yes I suppose it is in the eye of the beholder. Here are two Ruger no1 stocks, I think neither recoil pad hits the mark in this case.
View attachment 528837

extremely nice wood on those. My No 1 "project gun" came to me with such nice wood that I couldn't bare to replace it with the planed for Turkish walnut. It is a 1984 No 1 458 Win Mag when it came to me, it is something vastly different now but still has the same furniture.

Are these original Ruger stocks? What vintage?

 

[Rafiki]

375 Ruger. It is one of the earlier Ruger Africans. I stumbled on that stock by Accurate Innovations had on their finished stock page for a good deal when I went looking for something a bit heavier than the Rugers walnut stock.

My RSM is a 375 H&H. The stock is a club. Whole other subject best suited on another thread. Your bolt looks very nice.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

extremely nice wood on those. My No 1 "project gun" came to me with such nice wood that I couldn't bare to replace it with the planed for Turkish walnut. It is a 1984 No 1 458 Win Mag when it came to me, it is something vastly different now but still has the same furniture.

Are these original Ruger stocks? What vintage?

No neither is original, they belong to a friend of mine here in Johannesburg. Call me odd, but after toying with 'upgrading' the stock on the 375 No1 that I had, I have now come full circle and think that Ruger's original furniture is just fine the way it is. It is such a pleasing design that altering anything at all seems messing with perfection. I mean, just look at Hawk's rifle, you want to cradle the thing.

 

[Rafiki]

Call me odd, but after toying with 'upgrading' the stock on the 375 No1 that I had, I have now come full

Don't have to convince me, they are classic and classy.

 

[Rafiki]

I picked up the same caliber in 2017 with very similar wood. That matte finish Ruger uses doesn't do it any favors. So I stripped mine, stained it with Pilkington Gun Co. Gold and Brown stain and then refinished it. Just that will make a huge difference if you are so inclined.

Here's mine with the new finish lounging around on my last trip to RSA. View attachment 528835

I see that you have your scope set way back on the bolt rifle which is curious. Looks like a Leupold scope. The reason I'm asking is that the RSM is a magnum action, the "African" is not; i may have an issue that I wasn't aware of.

 

[Forrest Halley]

I see that you have your scope set way back on the bolt rifle which is curious. Looks like a Leupold scope. The reason I'm asking is that the RSM is a magnum action, the "African" is not; i may have an issue that I wasn't aware of.

Yikes. That's crazy looking. Been a while since I've seen the gold band on the inside of the scope rings.