Help needed with Ruger 3A

Greetings all,
I am a new member who has recently acquired a Ruger falling block single shot rifle in .223 Remington
Serial No 132-40266. it is stamped 3 on the top of the action and Ruger's records say it is a Model 3A from 1984.
What puzzles me is that although it has a 22" barrel tapped fpr scope mounts it has no barrel band and the loading lever, stock and forend and like those fitted to the rifle model with the front sling swivel screwed into the fore end.
Can any one tell me whether it left the factory like this or has someone cobbled rifle parts on to a carbine?
I would post pictures if I could work out how to do that. Thanks in anticipation

Sounds like a "No. 2"

A No. 3 that someone put No. 1 wood on. Definitely didn't leave the factory that way.

That may well be the case but does it explain the rifle style loading lever?

Aussie Bruce said:

That may well be the case but does it explain the rifle style loading lever?

Click to expand...

Without a picture, it's just too hard to speculate on what you have.
Changing a No. 3 receiver over to use a No.1 lever is pure lunacy and hardly worth the time, effort and money it would take.

gewehrfreund said:

Aussie Bruce said:

That may well be the case but does it explain the rifle style loading lever?

Click to expand...

Without a picture, it's just too hard to speculate on what you have.
Changing a No. 3 receiver over to use a No.1 lever is pure lunacy and hardly worth the time, effort and money it would take.

Click to expand...

Can you tell me how to post a picture?

Photobucket.

I have joined photobucket and uploaded pictures of this rifle there. How do I post them here?



[url=http://s346.photobucket.com/user/Mac9913/media/Ruger%20No%203A_zpscd48h1py.jpg[img]http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p438/Mac9913/Ruger%20No%203A_zpscd48h1py.jpg[/img]

Click on the "Check Mark" in the bottom right corner of the photo on PhotoBucket, Then click on the "Link" of the new pop up, then click on the "URL=http://" bottom right on the second pop up. Then on the RugerForum, left click where you want the picture to be pasted, then right click and "past".

It could happen..... :mrgreen:

308longdistance said:

Click on the "Check Mark" in the bottom right corner of the photo on PhotoBucket, Then click on the "Link" of the new pop up, then click on the "URL=http://" bottom right on the second pop up. Then on the RugerForum, left click where you want the picture to be pasted, then right click and "past".

It could happen..... :mrgreen:

Click to expand...

Many thanks. I believe i have done it

Somebody changed out the wood and lever.

The barrel/ front sight is no. 3

G2 said:

Somebody changed out the wood and lever.

The barrel/ front sight is no. 3

Click to expand...

It has now been suggested to me that as this was made towards the end of production the factory may have had more No 3 barrels than it did other parts and put rifle bits on them. Sounds possible but unlikely but who knows?

Aussie Bruce said:

G2 said:

Somebody changed out the wood and lever.

The barrel/ front sight is no. 3

Click to expand...

It has now been suggested to me that as this was made towards the end of production the factory may have had more No 3 barrels than it did other parts and put rifle bits on them. Sounds possible but unlikely but who knows?

Click to expand...

The only way I see that happening is as an unauthorized employee "lunchbox" job, but that seems unlikely.
That is the first No. 3 with a No. 1 lever I've ever seen, and again, I have to ask - why!? There are lots of fairly cheap donor No. 1 rifles out there that can serve as "custom" projects.

gewehrfreund said:

Aussie Bruce said:

G2 said:

Somebody changed out the wood and lever.

The barrel/ front sight is no. 3

Click to expand...

It has now been suggested to me that as this was made towards the end of production the factory may have had more No 3 barrels than it did other parts and put rifle bits on them. Sounds possible but unlikely but who knows?

Click to expand...

The only way I see that happening is as an unauthorized employee "lunchbox" job, but that seems unlikely.
That is the first No. 3 with a No. 1 lever I've ever seen, and again, I have to ask - why!? There are lots of fairly cheap donor No. 1 rifles out there that can serve as "custom" projects.

Click to expand...

Think of it this way; I have a # 3, (I do 45/70) decide I don't like the the strait carbine stock (in my case, recoil is brutal) and like the function, style, looks of a the no.1 wood (thinking pistol grip and ergonomics) find a set of no.1 wood offered for sale and decide this just might be better desired results, make the swap, but that no.3 lever still a knuckle buster AND it just doesn't work, look, function quite right with the pistol grip, so order a no.1 lever and make the swap.

FWIW: I did the wood swap on my 45/70 thinking this would be a easy fix, while it did help somewhat with the recoil management the lever wasn't quite right and I was thinking about lever change. Ended up going back to original and keeping loads in the 1200fps range, recoil problem solved. Sold the no.1 wood.

I can still see some benefits and reasons to the OP swap,
Front sight assembly a lot less cluttered.
Rear scope ring mounting, less weight.
Back when this conversion probably happened, no.3's were cheap.

Since no one asked, I'd remove that Limbsaver and replace it with a Ruger factory red or thin black. Find some factory style scope mount bases and put something period correct on it for a scope. Maybe a nice Redfield 1.5 to 5X "TV screen" type. Will make a nice little rifle.

A visit to Numrich Arms, maybe Ebay would find the "No3" hardware to put it back to original.

dfletcher said:

Since no one asked, I'd remove that Limbsaver and replace it with a Ruger factory red or thin black. Find some factory style scope mount bases and put something period correct on it for a scope. Maybe a nice Redfield 1.5 to 5X "TV screen" type. Will make a nice little rifle.

A visit to Numrich Arms, maybe Ebay would find the "No3" hardware to put it back to original.

Click to expand...

Why bother? Is there something non-functional about the setup? It's not "factory-original," and even with replacement parts it won't be. Some folks buy a gun to shoot, not collect. Guns like these that don't command "collector" prices make it possible for poor schmucks to own a decent gun at a decent price.

dfletcher said:

Since no one asked, I'd remove that Limbsaver and replace it with a Ruger factory red or thin black. Find some factory style scope mount bases and put something period correct on it for a scope. Maybe a nice Redfield 1.5 to 5X "TV screen" type. Will make a nice little rifle.

A visit to Numrich Arms, maybe Ebay would find the "No3" hardware to put it back to original.

Click to expand...

Why bother? Is there something non-functional about the setup? It's not "factory-original," and even with replacement parts it won't be. Some folks buy a gun to shoot, not collect. Guns like these that don't command "collector" prices make it possible for poor schmucks to own a decent gun at a decent price.

toysoldier said:

dfletcher said:

Since no one asked, I'd remove that Limbsaver and replace it with a Ruger factory red or thin black. Find some factory style scope mount bases and put something period correct on it for a scope. Maybe a nice Redfield 1.5 to 5X "TV screen" type. Will make a nice little rifle.

A visit to Numrich Arms, maybe Ebay would find the "No3" hardware to put it back to original.

Click to expand...

Why bother? Is there something non-functional about the setup? It's not "factory-original," and even with replacement parts it won't be. Some folks buy a gun to shoot, not collect. Guns like these that don't command "collector" prices make it possible for poor schmucks to own a decent gun at a decent price.

Click to expand...

I agree. I bought it to shoot.I think it offers the best of both models and I like it the way it is

I like it!

I think the red pads look nice with the walnut, the same as the ones Thompson used to use.

How does the barrel fit in that channel? I've thought about putting No1 wood on mine and was always curious how that ends up fitting.

It's a higly modified #3. By the way it's JUST a #3, they never were cataloged or produced with a configuration Letter ala A, B etc.

I have half a dozen #2s. That's sort of going the other way. The #3 action/lever locks in a detent in the front of the action. The #1 lever locks in a hole in the bottom of the trigger guard.

Putting #1 wood on a #3 action is just doing it. The barrel contours are different from #1s to #3s so it leaves a bit of gap up near the receiver between the barrel and forearm. This certainly looks like a rifle somebody spent time and money to essentially make it into a #1 in 223.

I built the #2s because I somehow manage to hook the #1 lever in my vest pocket from time to time and eject the shell. Then the deer hops up and I have a unloaded rifle.

I serious doubt it is factory unless a lunch box gun and the factory told you it left the factory as a #3.

Nifty rifle but a long way around to essentially have a #1.

RWT