No. 1V market/availability

[cellar701]

I'm a little puzzled on availability of the 1V on the used market. I picked one up (this one .223) at a LGS this week for what I thought was a very good price and when I do a price check on Gunbroker, etc there just aren't many out there for sale / sold to give me much data. Interested in the expert's thoughts - is there just not much of a market out there for the No. 1 in V configuration?

 

[rowdy1972]

1vs are quite desirable depending on caliber and era they were from.

 

[roofinspector]

You know, I haven't seen a No.1V for a while, probably several years. I don't know if people just keep the No.1V's or were never bought in the first place. The No.1V has some tenure.

As I recall, one could buy a No.1V a bit cheaper on the preowned market than the other types, guess maybe because of the smaller niche it targeted.

Makes a fine donor, vintage or recent. The older ones may have the sear engagement screw for adjustment, but the newer two screw triggers can be updated.

 

[picketpin]

There are probably at least two issues in play. First there are simply far fewer "V"s sold than there have been "B" Standard Rifles and they have been offered in far fewer cartridges.

Except for a very few proto types the "V" first came out in 1970 in the 22-250. The 25-06 followed in 1971. The only other offerings prior to 1978-79 were the 7mm Mag and the 300 Win Mag that were designed to shoot silhouette and aren't really that great of varmint rifle.

The early guns prior to 1976 were designed to be shot with old style long tube scopes and external scope blocks like the Unertl, Redfield 3200 or Lymans. The barrels were drilled and tapped for after market externally adjustable bases. It wasn't till 1976 that Ruger drilled the third set of holes back by the receiver that allowed mounting modern short tube scopes with the now supplied Ruger scope blocks and regular Ruger scope rings.

The 220 Swift wasn't cataloged till 1979 but some did hit the market in 1978.

In 1980 they exspanded the "V" lineup to include quite a few more cartridge choices including the 223 and 6mm Rem. They discontinued the 7mm Mag and 300 Mag about then. There have been short runs of 22PPC, 6mm PPC, 243 and 280 Rem. None of those were chambered for very long and all could be considered scarce at best. The 204 came out in laminate/stainless in 2004 and is now discontinued. The only things currently cataloged as the "V" are the 223, 22-250.. 6.5 Creedmore and 25-06. The current 223 is 1:8 twist to use with the 63 grain and heavier bullets and according to the factory they had no plans to chamber any more 6.5 Creedmores in 2012 (This was in July 2012) nor are they scheduled for any time prior to July 2013. It may be gone.

What it boils down to is simply far fewer rifles in far fewer chamberings added to the fact that guys that buy "V"s tend to be semi/serious varminters and tend to hang onto theirs. After all you get to shoot a varmint rifle a LOT more than a hunting rifle. :-)

Price tends to be determined by age and chambering. In general a guy runs across a bunch of 22-250s and 25-06s and everything else is far less common to out right rare.

Ross

 

[SHOOTER]

All I want is a 1V-300mag!!!!

 

[mattsbox99]

Ross,

Ruger shows the .223 V still being 1-9 twist, however the 6.5 Creedmoor is an 8 twist.

I would agree, the only Vs I've seen have been .22-250s and .25/06s.

 

[cellar701]

Thanks all - kind of confirms what I've been seeing ...

 

[Buckeye Bill]

I stumbled on my 6 MM Rem V while visiting a local shop "used". I have never seen a V model in a shop. I have seen many on GB and other "on line" locations. When making my deal, I was able to convince the dealer that there was a very small market for the rifle. Best price on all of my No.1's was from that deal. Shoots 3/4 inches at 100 with factory ammunition. Low recoil but very heavy. I love it! I will start reloading for it someday and see what it can really do.

 

[gewehrfreund]

All I want is a 1V-300mag!!!!

OK, here's one for you, if you can live with the "customization" and wrong wood that looks like it's also been shortened. :roll:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=320190970

 

[wunbe]

I'll never understand the urge to tatoo guns.

wunbe

 

[Heavy Barrel]

1979 Swift with one of those old Unertl Ultra Varmit's

150yds.

 

[METLHED57]

The "V" models are my favorite. I have a 220Swift, .204Ruger, 300WinMag, and 7MM Mag. Tried to find a 1V 6.5 Creedmoor last Aug but they had all dried up. Had to settle for a Ruger M77 Target in the Creedmoor. That thing's a nail driver.

 

[picketpin]

Matt: You are correct. I have an older 223 with the slower twist. I had thought about a new one but "I" was disappointed in the 1:9 twist and would have preferred 1:8 to shoot even heavier bullets. I think that's where I got the 1:8 locked in my head. I wanted one in 1:8 with factory marking so I could make factory marked VLD gun.

I was negotiating for a 6.5 Creedmore with Ruger this summer when they called and told me no more for 2012 and none scheduled for 2013 as of now. I suspect it'll be discontinued soon.

I guess I'll have to pick up a 6.5 somewhere down the road. The 280 Rem is still a quest, but then it has been for 30 years.

They are a Hoot to Shoot!!! ;-)

Ross

 

[SHOOTER]

Were the older V's douglas barrels?

 

[mattsbox99]

Ross, I have the VT 6.5 Creedmoor and its really fun gun to shoot, you'll really enjoy it when you find one!

If anything, I'd like to see Ruger make a fast twist 22-250 in either the V or Hawkeye Predator rifles.

 

[picketpin]

Shooter: The very earliest 22-250s and 25-06s were probably Douglas barreled. The 22-250 was cataloged in 1970 and the 25-06 in 1971. By mid 1972, by about serial 130-05xxx the conversion over to Wilson barrel was probably complete. SO if you can find a "V" that shipped prior to that, chances are it has a Douglas barrel. As mentioned before there is simply no way to tell by the barrel itself.

I have a 22-250 that is 130-016xx and a 25-06 that is 130-026xx and assume they are Douglas barreled. Both shipped prior to 1972.

Heck now that they make their own barrels I'd love to see them make a 1:8 or 1:7 22-250 "V" as a factory VLD rifle and just to make sure everybody knows it's "special" leave the hammer forging marks on the barrel just like the T10-22!!!

Ross

 

[gewehrfreund]

Were the older V's douglas barrels?

Any No. 1 made prior to "around" serial number 130-05000 will/should have a Douglas barrel,
BUT, there's really no way to tell, and Ruger is/was notorious for using up parts inventory on a rather haphazard basis sometimes, so the sn above is a very broad generalization.
My 1V is sn 130-01144 with the 1st style of grip checkering, so I'm pretty confident that it has a Douglas barrel.
My guess is that any V made after 1973 or so is unlikely to have the Douglas barrel.

 

[rangerbob]

I was ordering some other items(MecGar magazines for my Sigs) from my salesperson at Sports South this morning and I mentioned that their listings for #1's was down to 3 models and he basically stated that the #1 had been dropped. I know that Jason at Lipseys stated otherwise, but I think it's a situation with Ruger that they simply don't have the time to build them right now. They can't keep up with demand for 10-22's, M77s, Mini's and the American rifle, not to mention all of their handguns. I think it would be safe to say if one finds :( a #1 they want, get it. I had several, but sold most except for my Holy grail #1A in 308 that I bitched about them not making for 4 decades. Bob!

 

[Ruger # 1 Guy]

I'm a little puzzled on availability of the 1V on the used market. I picked one up (this one .223) at a LGS this week for what I thought was a very good price and when I do a price check on Gunbroker, etc there just aren't many out there for sale / sold to give me much data. Interested in the expert's thoughts - is there just not much of a market out there for the No. 1 in V configuration?

The last time I checked the Ruger group, they had a survey running that says that the 1-V is the second most popular # 1, the 1-B being the most popular.

I don't doubt that Ruger has made more B's than any other configuration and that could account for it being the most popular.

The 1-V is usually bought by varmint hunters and target shooters so it's a more useful gun, that may be why the guys that have them keep them and you don't see many used ones for sale.
Ruger # 1 Guy

 

[oldrodder]

All I want is a 1V-300mag!!!!

Like this one? I just picked this up not knowing what I was buying!!

I was looking for a #1b when I bought it. It's obvious that I'm sorely lacking in knowledge here!
According to Ruger's website, shipped in 1975.

Mike

 

[SHOOTER]

Pm sent

 

[Ruger # 1 Guy]

All I want is a 1V-300mag!!!!

Like this one? I just picked this up not knowing what I was buying!!

I was looking for a #1b when I bought it. It's obvious that I'm sorely lacking in knowledge here!
According to Ruger's website, shipped in 1975.
Mike

You got very lucky, it's a hard one to find and worth a good premium to collectors and shooters that are serious about collecting and shooting # 1's.
Ruger # 1 Guy

 

[dfletcher]

I just picked up a No 1 in 220 Swift, it came with a Nikon Monarch scope and I can't wait to see how she does. My other No1s are big bore so I don't shoot them much, this one I plan on using often. I managed to get the last in stock Ruger No1 fully adjustable trigger from Numrich. I'm supposing Numrich will get more, for $8.95 with all 3 screws included I think this is a great deal.

I've shied away from No1s because of the challenges getting them to shoot. If this one does well I'll buy more and don't mind getting a used one.

 

[MClark]

I have a 1V a 4 digit SN in 22-250 with the blocks for the long scope. Using a magnifier to look at the blocks it looks like a scope has never been on it and it may be unfired. I picked it up at a show in Phoenix about 10 years ago. It has been a safe queen for me but could not pass it up.

Mark

 

[OIF2]

I bought this one awhile back because the wood was soooo pretty. Terrible shooter though (.223) so I had it rebarreled (also in .223) with a blackened stainless 25" barrel. I also added a Canjar single-set trigger. Now it groups superbly. I probably have too much into it, but hey, it does exactly what I want and I like it.
Bob

 

[77ruger]

Anyone know how many of the (K1 V BBZ) stainless laminated 22-250's were made? How about accuracy, 1/2 MOA? I'm thinking about buying one.

 

[SHOOTER]

There's 3-4 on gunbroker now. Armslist too