No.1 220 Swift question

[rugerjunkie]

A couple actually.

I have a line on a No. 1 in 220 Swift. I have not seen it yet but by the description I am going to say it is a 1V. Also by what I've been told it is in very good shape. I do not know if the box,etc. is there or not yet.

I am not up on these and don't know enough about rarity,desirability, or value. Assuming it is in say a 95% range,what would a real world value be? Any premium? Or just like any other used No.1? What date ranges were these offered?

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[mcknight77]

No premium unless it's an early gun or has exceptional wood.

 

[OldRugerMan]

I saw one the other day with nice wood for $549 but passed on it even though I thought it was a good price. It was a No.1-V "Warning" model which has a 24" barrel. Although generally excellent shooters I think you need a 26" barrel for the Swift, otherwise you may as well be shooting a 22-250.

 

[El Numero Uno]

Randy,
I thought all No.1 Swifts were "Warning" rifles, and I thought all 1V Swifts were 26" barrels. Someone correct me if I am thinking wrong!

 

[OldRugerMan]

Lee, I think you are (always) right about the warning. Maybe the barrel was cut? I didn't look close enough but pretty sure it was 24". 2002 catlog says 26" - maybe why the rifle was so cheap.

 

[picketpin]

Lee: You are correct. The 220 Swift was introduced in in the "V" Model in 1979. The "Warning" began in 1977. THe 220 Swift "B" was introduced in 1988. So, yes ALL 220 Swift are "Warning rifles"

The "V" Swift had /has a 26" barrel from the factory. It and the 204 are the only "V" that was issued with a 26" barrel. The "B" of course was issued with a 26" barrel.

They went to 3rd checkering in 1976.

So ALL factory #1s in 220 Swift are Warning rifles, with 3rd checkering and 26" barrels.

I was bidding on a 1980 Model with very good wood last week. It sold for $715. I thought that was fair.

 

[Heavy Barrel]

Ross,
What kind on value would you put on this 1V Swift,ser.#131-42xxx ? Unfired but probably not for too long,had to find a place for my extra Unertl .Just curious.

 

[picketpin]

Well it could be either a 1st or 2nd year rifle. But, there just isn't anything "Special" from start to finish. They are all the same like I mentioned above, all are "Warning Barrels" , it's going to be a Wilson barrel, it has the common 3rd checkering and of course a 26" barrel.

They are wonderful shooters but as the earliest rifles look identical to rifles made 10-20 years later there really isn't much to distinguish them.

There are LOTS of them out there.

I bid $705 for one like yours, 131 serial number, either 1st or second year. I didn't bother to call the factory to find out as I didn't think 1st year added to value. So with a Swift the only added value I can attach is how good the wood is.

I'd have been happy paying $705 for the one I bid on but didn't bid again when outbid at $715, the selling price. That seemed like a fair price.

A guy has to be careful, the Swift is one of the few #1s a guy can buy that has been fired enough with fast loads to errode the throat. In fact mine came with a badly erroded barrel that I didn't pay much for and then sent back to the factory and had rebarreled.

Unless it had KILLER wood I would think that $750 for a/the rifle would be fair. Just not rare and they are all the same so nothing else to distinguish one to add to value.

That's my pennies worth.

Ross

 

[Heavy Barrel]

Well it could be either a 1st or 2nd year rifle. But, there just isn't anything "Special" from start to finish. They are all the same like I mentioned above, all are "Warning Barrels" , it's going to be a Wilson barrel, it has the common 3rd checkering and of course a 26" barrel.

They are wonderful shooters but as the earliest rifles look identical to rifles made 10-20 years later there really isn't much to distinguish them.

There are LOTS of them out there.

I bid $705 for one like yours, 131 serial number, either 1st or second year. I didn't bother to call the factory to find out as I didn't think 1st year added to value. So with a Swift the only added value I can attach is how good the wood is.

I'd have been happy paying $705 for the one I bid on but didn't bid again when outbid at $715, the selling price. That seemed like a fair price.

A guy has to be careful, the Swift is one of the few #1s a guy can buy that has been fired enough with fast loads to errode the throat. In fact mine came with a badly erroded barrel that I didn't pay much for and then sent back to the factory and had rebarreled.

Unless it had KILLER wood I would think that $750 for a/the rifle would be fair. Just not rare and they are all the same so nothing else to distinguish one to add to value.

That's my pennies worth.

Ross

Ross,
Thanks for the information.On another note,according to Ruger it was shipped March 1979.
Thanks again.

 

[rugerjunkie]

Thanks for all the info everyone.

I have yet to find out the asking price. It is a co-workers relative that is selling and I did see pictures and it is a 1V and in like new condition. We'll just have to see what he wants for it.

Heavy Barrel...thats a nice looking rig ya got there.

Jeff

 

[Heavy Barrel]

Thanks for all the info everyone.

I have yet to find out the asking price. It is a co-workers relative that is selling and I did see pictures and it is a 1V and in like new condition. We'll just have to see what he wants for it.

Heavy Barrel...thats a nice looking rig ya got there.

Jeff

Thanks for the compliment.Have three of those old Unertl 15X Ultra Varmits,always looking for something to put them on.This one is a real killer.

 

[OldRugerMan]

Hey Heavy Barrel - nice looking iron there! Well, I got to make a hands on evaluation of the No.1-V 220 Swift I saw a couple of weeks ago. I think it is a parts gun put together to get rid of and heres why: It has a 130-28xxx serial number which would have been made in mid 1976, not 1977 when the Warning started. It does have an uncut 26" Warning barrel on it with a nice bore, scope blocks missing but 6 standard factory d/t holes. The breach block has a lot of play in it - by unlatching the lever the breach block falls open - very loose... lots of blue wear on the bottom of the action. The stock has pretty nice wood standard LOP, red pad but fitting is poor with gaps all around the tang. The forearm has a piece of rubber under the front of the barrel channel. I have no interest in it, even a free call to the factory to see what caliber it was shipped as. Looks like a rifle that needs to be sent back to the factory for a rebuild. The guy says bottom dollar is $500+6% tax - not worth it in my book.

 

[picketpin]

It left the factory as a 7mm Mag "Liberty" and was was re chambered to 7mm STW in 1990. Carried a lot of miles. I took 13 elk, 17 mule deer and a moose with the rifle.

When I bought a barreled action from a stainless factory 7mm STW I pulled the wood off and installed it on the stainless action. Changed the barrel to an unfired take off 220 Swift and changed the extractor. Wood is off a "V', don't remember which one it was.

The rubber thing is the unpatented Miller rubber thingy to add front upward pressure on the barrel. The block is loose because there is no extractor plunger or spring installed in the rifle as a varminter.

Shoots sub MOA with 55s.

Didn't need two 7mm STWs plus round count was getting up above 700 so it became a Swift.

Swapped it for a 6mm "V" made the 2nd year they made the 6mm "V" and a bit of boot.

Yep, it's a builder.

Ross

 

[OldRugerMan]

Well then - there you go. Thanks Ross - interesting history.