Ruger No. 1 404 Jeffery

yellowfintexas · Nov 3, 2022

I'm new here. I inherited a few rifles and struggling with the valuation of each rifle that I want to sell. One of them is a 404 Jeffery. Serial number showed it is made in 1993. I understand it's pretty rare bit I don't know of the demand for it. The gun is perfect in every aspect, looks like it came out of the factory. Would appreciate your inputs.

hittman · Nov 3, 2022

Welcome to the forum.

yellowfintexas · Nov 4, 2022

Thanks!!

chet15 · Nov 4, 2022

Great gun! Reportedly only 370 made.
But I have to question the front sight on your rifle. Looks like a Ruger sight of the type used on the 77/22 .22 Hornet, but the front sight on a Number 1 looks significantly different, much taller.
Chet15

jmol50 · Nov 4, 2022

Welcome to the forum. And thanks for sharing photos of your beautiful rifle. Bill Ruger got it right with this design.

yellowfintexas · Nov 4, 2022

chet15 said:
Great gun! Reportedly only 370 made.
But I have to question the front sight on your rifle. Looks like a Ruger sight of the type used on the 77/22 .22 Hornet, but the front sight on a Number 1 looks significantly different, much taller.
Chet15

Not familiar with 77/22 but hope extra close up photos helps some

yellowfintexas · Nov 4, 2022

jmol50 said:
Welcome to the forum. And thanks for sharing photos of your beautiful rifle. Bill Ruger got it right with this design.

Thanks! It's a nice rifle, indeed.

ABNRGR · Nov 5, 2022

Nice rifle! What kind of peep sight did you install?

Paul B · Nov 5, 2022

What with today'd prices on ammo you'd best take up reloading. I don't know how many were made in the .404. I've heard 250, some sat possibly as many as 500.
I gave $700 for mine which serializes to1994. I would have considered it way too high in price but the deal included the dies and shell holder to reload, two boxes of ammo. 100 bullets to reload the 60 some odd rounds of once fired brass that came with the rifle.
I have two other Ruger #1s in the Tropical format, a .375 H&H and .416 Rigby. I haven't priced ammo for the Rigby but at the time I bought the gun it was $215.95 a box of 20. Got lucky on the Rigby as it came like the .404, with dies and components. One massive stroke of luck. Ran into a guy at a gun show who was selling factory .416 Rigby ammo for $40 a box. I bought all twelve boxes. Turns out six boxes were softs and six were solids.
Frankly, I have no idea what any of my three rifles are worth. No matter as I don't plan on selling them any time soon.
Paul B.

tarbe · Nov 5, 2022

Paul B said:
What with today'd prices on ammo you'd best take up reloading. I don't know how many were made in the .404. I've heard 250, some sat possibly as many as 500.
I gave $700 for mine which serializes to1994. I would have considered it way too high in price but the deal included the dies and shell holder to reload, two boxes of ammo. 100 bullets to reload the 60 some odd rounds of once fired brass that came with the rifle.
I have two other Ruger #1s in the Tropical format, a .375 H&H and .416 Rigby. I haven't priced ammo for the Rigby but at the time I bought the gun it was $215.95 a box of 20. Got lucky on the Rigby as it came like the .404, with dies and components. One massive stroke of luck. Ran into a guy at a gun show who was selling factory .416 Rigby ammo for $40 a box. I bought all twelve boxes. Turns out six boxes were softs and six were solids.
Frankly, I have no idea what any of my three rifles are worth. No matter as I don't plan on selling them any time soon.
Paul B.

I believe there were 500 made in this chambering.

Paul - Have you fired this rifle?

I have not had one of these, but heard there might be an issue with how Ruger chambered them?

msp2640 · Nov 13, 2022

I believe that rear sight is from New England Custom Gun (NECG). They make a model specific to the scope ring slot for Ruger rifles. I have one on a 1st yr 77/22. Bill in MA

j p sixguns welldone · Nov 14, 2022

I've heard less than 100 made. chet15 says 370 which i think he would have a better knowledge of this than i. and their was a chambering issue with these. Dave Scovill wrote about it in handloader magazine. haven't got around too reload for mine. but you sure don't see them often.

Paul B · Nov 14, 2022

"Paul - Have you fired this rifle?"

Oh yeah. I can't see any difference in the brass after firing. I wonder if some had a headspace problem like the chamber being a bit too deep. Proper die set up will cure that problem most of the time.

Paul B.

Paul B · Nov 14, 2022

"I've heard less than 100 made. chet15 says 370 which i think he would have a better knowledge of this than i. and their was a chambering issue with these. Dave Scovill wrote about it in handloader magazine. haven't got around too reload for mine. but you sure don't see them often."

Frankly, I'm more inclined to think there may have been two runs, one of 250 that possibly had chamber problem and another where the problem was corrected. Just my thought on that matter.

I wonder? Do your remember which issue it was that Scovill commented on the .404?
Paul B.

j p sixguns welldone · Nov 14, 2022

have to look which issue. but only one run once the problem was discovered just quit chambering in 404 jeffery.

UmpquaCharlie · Nov 28, 2022

Are you selling your 404 Jeffery?

yellowfintexas · Jan 17, 2023

UmpquaCharlie said:
Are you selling your 404 Jeffery?

Yes, I plan to. I haven't posted this for sale anywhere just yet.

chet15 · Jan 19, 2023

Paul B said:
Frankly, I'm more inclined to think there may have been two runs, one of 250 that possibly had chamber problem and another where the problem was corrected. Just my thought on that matter.

I wonder? Do your remember which issue it was that Scovill commented on the .404?
Paul B.

No, SAAMI specs between ammunition manufacturers killed the .404 Jeffery in the Number 1. If the issue had been resolved they would have continued making that one.
Chet15

RSIno1 · Jan 19, 2023

No1s have jumped up in the past year or so and sold ones are pulling $1,200-2,500 on Gunbroker. There were no .404 Jeffery ones listed. The 1H has traditionally been on the low side of the curve but even now the 458 WinMag is pulling 15-1,700 I paid 750 for mine 2 years ago.

rugerdczr · Jan 30, 2023

I will have to pull my 404 out and check the sight I believe it's the same as this one.

Ruger No. 1 404 Jeffery

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