#1 Sporter barrel contours?

[Skip C]

Hello!

A customer wants a contoured barrel blank for a #1 in .500/416. I only have one print for the #1 Sporter contour, which shows a taper from .890 in front of the breech radius to .650 at the muzzle. Not sure of the standard length for Sporters.

I would assume the larger calibers had a heavier contour, or were all Sporter contours the same?

Thanks for any help!

 

[JiminMaine]

That is a tough one. There are "Light Sporters" 1-A and "Medium Sporters" 1-S. There are a bunch of different contours and barrel lengths. The 1-A has a 22" barrel with sights, 1-AB is 22"barrel without sights, 1-B is usually 26" but not always no sights, 1-S 20"-28" with sights 1-H 24" with at least 2 different contours, RSI 20", 1-V 24" Those just the standard listings. Over the years Ruger has made a lot of changes.

If you would like I can measure a few of mine and send the measurements

 

[JiminMaine]

Hello!

A customer wants a contoured barrel blank for a #1 in .500/416. I only have one print for the #1 Sporter contour, which shows a taper from .890 in front of the breech radius to .650 at the muzzle. Not sure of the standard length for Sporters.

I would assume the larger calibers had a heavier contour, or were all Sporter contours the same?

Thanks for any help!

Since he wants a .500/416 I would "ASSUME" that he is probably looking for the countour that was used for the 375 H&H, 450/400 3" NE, etc. Thsy used what was called the "C" contour. A few of the 450/400 3" NE were made with the "D" contour which is the one used for the 458 WM, 460 Weatherby, etc. Those "Usually" had a 24" barrel with sights.
I don't think something like the .500/416 would have been chambered in the contours used in the 1-A or 1-S, the two "Sporters."

 

[Skip C]

Thanks for the info, very helpful! I do think it probably would be the "C" contour you mention.

Do you know if there was a heavier "Sporter" model that was not the Tropical?

I need to get some more info from the customer, but again, thanks for the help!

 

[JiminMaine]

I'm not an expert, I can only talk about what I have or have owned. The 1-S, medium sporter, started out 26" medium weight barrels with sights and Alexander Henry forearm.. Over the years the 1-S designation has been used for a lot of special/limited runs. They made 1-S 20" barreled 44 Mags, 460 S&W, etc. They also made 1-S with 28" barrels in 257 Weatheby Mag., 218 Bee and a few others. I think (that gets me into trouble a lot) that if you wanted a barrel heavier than the 1-S then it would probably be a 1-H Tropical.

The No. 1 can be customized to just about anything. I am a 35 Rem. nut. Ruger never chambered the No. 1 in 35 Rem. I wanted one, so I bought a new RSI in 7x57 Mauser and had a new barrel chambered in 35 Rem. installed. I also had a K-1B re-barreled to 35 Rem. with a 25" barrel. Then took the take-off 20" 7x57 barrel and had it fitted to a N0. 3 action and bought new No. 1 RSI wood to put on it. I guess that makes it a No.2 RSI with a factory barrel.

I think the customer should tell you just what he wants and then let you put it together for him.

 

[Boxhead]

My 1A is 25".

 

[Skip C]

Thanks for the help everyone! I think we are just going to duplicate his existing barrel, if it is appropriate for the caliber.