Ruger no 1 buying guide

ThiccyMouse

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First real post and I figured I would post this here because it is not really a buy/sell ad and probably doesn't belong in classifieds. Plus, I didn't see a thread that aggregated general buying tips on medium/big bore ruger no 1's into one thread, so I figured I would make one! Hopefully I didn't miss one and this isn't a duplicate.

I am trying to acquire a ruger no 1 in 458 lott. It seems my two most reasonable options are either finding one that came from the factory this way, or finding one chambered in 458 win mag and having it rechambered to 458 lott. Throughout my search I have learned the following:
1.) Ruger no 1's in these calibers (among many others) have been selling for some pretty sky high prices recently. I have seen several factory chambered in 458 lott go for around $2700 and many chambered in 458 win mag going from anywhere from $1200 to close to $2000. As we speak there are several such rifles in 458 win mag listed on gun broker and guns international that are listed with 'buy it now' prices of $1525, $1695, and $1999. Point is, current prices all seem very high for used ruger no 1's.
2.) Ruger no 1's seem to be at least fairly common throughout this site. I see many of you have them, hunt with them, and buy them relatively frequently. There seem to be quite a few 'gurus' that have a very extensive knowledge of these firearms.

With all that being said, here are my following questions that would be of great help to me, and hopefully of use to others that search for these and similar rifles:

1.) What are some red/green flags that you look for when buying a used ruger no 1?
2.) Are there any good/bad manufacture dates that you watch out for?
3.) What would you consider a fair price for a used ruger no 1 assuming it is in reasonable shape? ( I understand this can vary a lot with condition and caliber, for now lets assume a 458 win mag or 458 lott without any major damage. Am I correct in my assessment of current price levels? Are these indeed very high or am I just being optimistic?)
4.) What are your number 1 (no pun intended) locations or websites for tracking down and buying these rifles? At least in my area, most gun stores I go to rarely if ever have these guns for sale. Most of what I see at local gun stores are a myriad of handguns and 15 different brands of ar-15s. (not that there's anything wrong with that)!

I apologize for being longwinded here, and I understand these questions might not all have simple, straightforward answers, my main intent here is to get a thread going with some general opinions and guidelines on the matter that might be of use to others that search for these rifles chambered in common DG calibers. I figured this could be a fun discussion! Let me know what you all think!
 
Welcome to AH. Number 1’s are some of my favorite rifles. I’ve owned a few. As far as value or what years, I can’t help you. i’d look at them, like any other rifle: look at overall condition, inspect the bore and is it in your budget? They aren’t going to be cheap but what is?Find one in good condition: money well spent.
 
Welcome to AH. Number 1’s are some of my favorite rifles. I’ve owned a few. As far as value or what years, I can’t help you. i’d look at them, like any other rifle: look at overall condition, inspect the bore and is it in your budget? They aren’t going to be cheap but what is?Find one in good condition: money well spent.
Thanks, that's a fair point. Personally, my budget for the whole project (either 458 lott or 458 win mag + rechamber) is ideally under $2k, although there is wiggle room there. I just figured some due diligence on my part could save me some money and (more importantly) get me a better rifle (and maybe this info might help someone else out too). Prices have just been so up and down these days, its hard to judge what's a good deal, who's trying to gouge you, etc.
 
Have you fired a .458 Lott? It is quite lively in a #1. The .458 Lott is the second most ridiculous #1 after the .25-06. People are downright foolish in how they snap them up. The rifle in my avatar had a sibling go for $4k. I'd say the best gateway into the #1 right now seems to be in a belted magnum maybe a .375. People are afraid of them, but they aren't that bad at all. I love mine. Powerful and sleek, but with enough weight that you only really feel rocked with hot loads.
 
Would this be your first No.1? If a .458 of any description is what you are looking for a No.1 is not the best place to find one, the big bore calibers kick like a mule.
Some opine its that old saw about being like a "shove rather than a slap", which is just a lot of hooey. The big bores just flat kick! Now if you like pain, then go for it.
Try one in a standard caliber before you buy a magnum. Get an '06 or even less to get familiar with the platform.
If you do get a big bore figure on getting a much thicker and softer pad installed right away.
As to vintage of them, the early red pad rifles have a reputation for being finicky. Early rifles had barrels from 2-3 different makers and accuracy was spotty.
Later guns with black pads are generally after Ruger started making their own barrels and are uniformly good.
I have owned many of them and all shot at least good, many excellent.
You might try to find a copy of the Ruger No. 1 book, full of good info. Author is J.D. Clayton and its in softcover now and not as expensive as it once was.
Good luck on the search and going down the No.1 rathole.
 
Have you fired a .458 Lott? It is quite lively in a #1. The .458 Lott is the second most ridiculous #1 after the .25-06. People are downright foolish in how they snap them up. The rifle in my avatar had a sibling go for $4k. I'd say the best gateway into the #1 right now seems to be in a belted magnum maybe a .375. People are afraid of them, but they aren't that bad at all. I love mine. Powerful and sleek, but with enough weight that you only really feel rocked with hot loads.
I have not, part of my interest is because I am a big fan of 45 cal rifles and will also have a swaging setup for making 45 cal projectiles soon (that's the main reason I am not personally looking for a 375 or other calibers).

You do bring up a good point though, I have seen how quickly people snatch them up, and I do not want to be a fool about it. I would love one of these rifles, but not if it ends up costing me an arm and a leg. I don't want to throw away all sense and throw down $3k or $4k out of desperation, part of why I made this thread.

Btw that is a very nice looking rifle!
 
Would this be your first No.1? If a .458 of any description is what you are looking for a No.1 is not the best place to find one, the big bore calibers kick like a mule.
Some opine its that old saw about being like a "shove rather than a slap", which is just a lot of hooey. The big bores just flat kick! Now if you like pain, then go for it.
Try one in a standard caliber before you buy a magnum. Get an '06 or even less to get familiar with the platform.
If you do get a big bore figure on getting a much thicker and softer pad installed right away.
As to vintage of them, the early red pad rifles have a reputation for being finicky. Early rifles had barrels from 2-3 different makers and accuracy was spotty.
Later guns with black pads are generally after Ruger started making their own barrels and are uniformly good.
I have owned many of them and all shot at least good, many excellent.
You might try to find a copy of the Ruger No. 1 book, full of good info. Author is J.D. Clayton and its in softcover now and not as expensive as it once was.
Good luck on the search and going down the No.1 rathole.
That is helpful, I will check out that book. This would be my first no 1. As far as 458's go, would you reccomend a different rifle? I would like a no 1, but that is not a hard line in the sand. I would certainly plan on adding a recoil pad, and maybe even looking for one that is ported (I've seen a few come up), but to be honest I do enjoy heavy recoiling firearms! Ideally, I would like to try and find a similar gun to fire before purchasing, but that is easier said than done.
 
If you do end up with a #1 I one of the .45 mags, replace the recoil pad with a Pachmeyer Decelerator or something similar.
 
Yes, the stock No.1 recoil pad is rubbish for heavier recoiling calibers. I just had a 1-1/2" NEGC Universal pad installed on my .375H&H, it helped calm things down a good bit.

Best regards,
 
A bit of a departure but if you really want a jolt, get a #3 in 45-70.
Not to get TOO off topic, but the worst recoil I've felt was 3 inch slugs out of a kel tec KSG. The small, lightweight gun combined with a flat, hard plastic "recoil pad" and straight, streamlined bullpup design is nothing short of painful. It's not even that much recoil energy in the grand scheme of things, piss poor ergonomics really just make that big of a difference.
 
The 458 Lott in a No 1 is a big step into the magnum world but here is my suggestion. For starters go with a No 1 in 45/70 and reload your way up to hotter loads. The action is strong enough to take just about anything. I have shot 500 gr bullets out of mine. Yes you notice it but the moose noticed it more. Also keep in mind that if you're reloading, you can shoot 458 Win Mag thru your 458 Lott chambering. Start by using 458 Win Mag reduced loads and build up your confidence and tolerance before getting into the full Lott loading. Everybody's tolerance to recoil is different.
 
This website has a fair amount of info on Ruger No 1s

 

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The 458 Lott in a No 1 is a big step into the magnum world but here is my suggestion. For starters go with a No 1 in 45/70 and reload your way up to hotter loads. The action is strong enough to take just about anything. I have shot 500 gr bullets out of mine. Yes you notice it but the moose noticed it more. Also keep in mind that if you're reloading, you can shoot 458 Win Mag thru your 458 Lott chambering. Start by using 458 Win Mag reduced loads and build up your confidence and tolerance before getting into the full Lott loading. Everybody's tolerance to recoil is different.
Love the 45-70. I have a marlin 1895 sbl in 45-70 and it is currently my favorite firearm. It is really amazing how you can load that cartridge to be about as mild or wild as you want. I was also thinking it might be a good idea for me to get a 458 win mag ruger no 1, shoot that for a while, and then have it rechambered to 458 lott if I am desiring more. I really like your idea of getting a 458 lott right off the bat and just downloading it and working my way up. I think that is an ideal situation, and if I can find a ruger no 1 already chambered for lott then I will probably go with that option.
 
I've had a few. 8 or 9 IIRC. I just sold my last one. A typical #1 in excellent condition is worth about $1200-1500 these days depending on caliber. The more obscure calibers (303 British, 275 Rigby, 458 Lott, etc) are fetching way more than that. OTOH, I've seen clean used #1's in ordinary calibers selling for around $1000. 22-250's are a dime a dozen and even a clean 375 H&H can be had for about $1000-1200. Usually with a partial box of ammo. ;-)

I love the design of #1's. They're well made and the wood can be anywhere from okay to spectacular. I got rid of mine simply because I have too many guns and I needed to let some of them go. I really liked my #1's but I didn't shoot them very often and never hunted with any of them. If you've ever tried to cull a gun safe you know that guns you like still have to get sold or no real progress is ever made.

There are only two downsides to #1 rifles. They are addictive and some of them have to be tweaked a bit to get decent accuracy. The tweaking almost always has to do with the way the fore end is attached and torqued. Most respond well to addressing just that but once in a while one needs a little more attention. Having said that I still highly recommend them. They're a joy to own and shoot.
 
I've had a few. 8 or 9 IIRC. I just sold my last one. A typical #1 in excellent condition is worth about $1200-1500 these days depending on caliber. The more obscure calibers (303 British, 275 Rigby, 458 Lott, etc) are fetching way more than that. OTOH, I've seen clean used #1's in ordinary calibers selling for around $1000. 22-250's are a dime a dozen and even a clean 375 H&H can be had for about $1000-1200. Usually with a partial box of ammo. ;-)

I love the design of #1's. They're well made and the wood can be anywhere from okay to spectacular. I got rid of mine simply because I have too many guns and I needed to let some of them go. I really liked my #1's but I didn't shoot them very often and never hunted with any of them. If you've ever tried to cull a gun safe you know that guns you like still have to get sold or no real progress is ever made.

There are only two downsides to #1 rifles. They are addictive and some of them have to be tweaked a bit to get decent accuracy. The tweaking almost always has to do with the way the fore end is attached and torqued. Most respond well to addressing just that but once in a while one needs a little more attention. Having said that I still highly recommend them. They're a joy to own and shoot.
Very informative, I have heard similar reports regarding accurizing these rifles. When tweaking for accuracy, have you ever encountered one of these rifles that was simply a "lemon"? Like one with a bad barrel, poorly bored chamber, or other such defect that made it inherently inaccurate?
 
Just get one in 450/400 NE 3"
 
That is helpful, I will check out that book. This would be my first no 1. As far as 458's go, would you reccomend a different rifle? I would like a no 1, but that is not a hard line in the sand. I would certainly plan on adding a recoil pad, and maybe even looking for one that is ported (I've seen a few come up), but to be honest I do enjoy heavy recoiling firearms! Ideally, I would like to try and find a similar gun to fire before purchasing, but that is easier said than done.
I have owned a No 1 in 458 Lott and currently own four No 1s in various calibers. I can tell you the 458 doesn’t weigh much and thus kicks really bad. Five rounds at the range and I put it down. If your looking for a dangerous game caliber I suggest the No 1 in 375 H & H. Good luck finding the rifle you want.
 
Very informative, I have heard similar reports regarding accurizing these rifles. When tweaking for accuracy, have you ever encountered one of these rifles that was simply a "lemon"? Like one with a bad barrel, poorly bored chamber, or other such defect that made it inherently inaccurate?
No. No issues like that at all.
 

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