Like several others around here, I'm a traditional walnut/blue type when it comes to the Number Ones. I like hunting and shooting with 'em but it always makes me feel bad when I have one out in the nasty weather. Been thinking about a stainless/laminate #1 in 30-06......, seems like that'd be perfect for the really nasty days. I know they're hefty - aint they all. I keep seeing them advertised NIB on GB (30-06 or .308) for $769. Anyone else gone this route for the bad weather use?
Stainless/laminate #1
- Thread starter tss106
- Start date
As another blued/walnut person, I have looked at the stainless/laminate ones. I like laminates but just not on such a classic design. I can certainly see the attraction for them in inclement weather though. The weight of these has never been an issue for me though.
Not a route I'd go since if it's bad weather - rainy - I stay in. HATE rain. :oops:
Not a route I'd go since if it's bad weather - rainy - I stay in. HATE rain. :oops:
I hunt with bluer/walnut rifles except on rainy days. On rainy days I use a no.1 stainless laminate in 45/70 using open sights. The no.1 is a fantastic bad weather rifle as the action is very compact and can be protected easily. If concerned about weight you could always have the barrel shortened or use a more compact rifle than the "standard" (b?) rifle.
rugerjunkie
Hunter
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2005
- Messages
- 2,048
I say go for it! I'm like BlkHawk and don't care to go out in the rain but calling coyotes in the snow especially the wet heavy stuff is tough on the pretty blued ones too. My go to is my laminated No.1 in 25-06 for that.
picketpin
Buckeye
I own ONE stainless/laminate #1, a 204 "V". The ONLY reason I own one/it as a stainless/laminate is that is the only way the "V" was available in 204. Which by the way has been discontinued as have nearly all the stainless/laminate variants. That's why there are so many 30-06s and 308s flooding the market right now. The distributors got a huge price break when Ruger recently blew them out.
While I admit they might be a better wet weather rifle than walnut/blued #1s, they just were NOT popular enough to continue in production. They were very very slow sellers if available in any blued/walnut version.
#1 guys as a general rule are traditionalist. The #1 market has always been a niche market . Guys that buy #1s as a genral rule are less worried about the wet weather etc than they are owning classic and beutiful rifles.
While I don't live where it it rains a lot. I have hunted with #1s for the last 40 years or so and have never had a problem. It is best to wax or otherwise seal thestock including the inside of the forearm but beyond that I've never done anything, other than make sure it's clean, dry and oiled after a day afield.
Look for ALL of the stainless/laminates to be gone as Ruger exhausts supplies and blows out the existing ones. Also sold to distributors and blown out were the 22-250 "V" and the 25-06 "V".
I think the stainless/laminates were made in "B" Standard Sporter, "V" Varmint, "S" Medium Sporter and "H" Tropical. The surprising thing to me is they don't seem to have been made in any "S" Light Sporter versions/calibers. That MIGHT be the one place they could have found a niche.
RWT
While I admit they might be a better wet weather rifle than walnut/blued #1s, they just were NOT popular enough to continue in production. They were very very slow sellers if available in any blued/walnut version.
#1 guys as a general rule are traditionalist. The #1 market has always been a niche market . Guys that buy #1s as a genral rule are less worried about the wet weather etc than they are owning classic and beutiful rifles.
While I don't live where it it rains a lot. I have hunted with #1s for the last 40 years or so and have never had a problem. It is best to wax or otherwise seal thestock including the inside of the forearm but beyond that I've never done anything, other than make sure it's clean, dry and oiled after a day afield.
Look for ALL of the stainless/laminates to be gone as Ruger exhausts supplies and blows out the existing ones. Also sold to distributors and blown out were the 22-250 "V" and the 25-06 "V".
I think the stainless/laminates were made in "B" Standard Sporter, "V" Varmint, "S" Medium Sporter and "H" Tropical. The surprising thing to me is they don't seem to have been made in any "S" Light Sporter versions/calibers. That MIGHT be the one place they could have found a niche.
RWT
patrickjames
Single-Sixer
One of my main hunting rifles is a stainless/laminate #1 25/06.I really like Ruger Stainless steal and I really like the #1 so I win all the way around.
DavidMc116
Single-Sixer
I think many of us look at our firearms as investments. In the back of our minds we assume we can always sell our guns if push came to shove. I’m old school and feel those guns that served me on days I should have been duck hunting show character and fond memories. I’m not of the mindset that guns must be kept pristine. They’re tools! There’s also a commercially instilled notion that you need a different gun (caliber) for every type of game that walks. Find a gun that fits, weighs and balances in your hands comfortably, shoulders and sights naturally, and you’ll probably have a trusty friend for life if you learn to shoot it. Keep in mind all those articles on ballistic coefficients and trajectory serve primarily one purpose, to sell guns! Those TV monsters that are impervious to bullets have all but vanished. If your game is too far, get down on your belly and crawl. You’ll be surprised how much you learn about sign while down there. If you’re in thick cover, plan your shot! If the big “un” gets away, you’ve got reason to go back!
If you drop ole trusty in a lake, I seriously doubt it’ll break the bank. You can always rent a 75lb magnet and go back for it! Did I go back for it because of its monetary value? Nope, I loved that gun! Loving something requires a little faithfulness as in any relationship.
If you drop ole trusty in a lake, I seriously doubt it’ll break the bank. You can always rent a 75lb magnet and go back for it! Did I go back for it because of its monetary value? Nope, I loved that gun! Loving something requires a little faithfulness as in any relationship.
mattsbox99
Hunter
I don't own a lot of guns for each different critter, almost all my deer have been shot with 2 different rifles. I own a lot of different guns, because I like them! My new 6.5 Swede pushes a 120 grain bullet just as fast as my .25/06!
picketpin
Buckeye
My dad shot nearly everything in North America with a 30-06, a sporterised Eddysyone Enfield. My old man was a HUNTER. He was not however a shooter or a gun/nut. He owned one rifle, one shotgun, one 22 rifle and one pistol all of his life.
I don't fish. I don't ski. I don't 4 wheel. I hunt, shoot and reload so I can PLAY with many different calbiers. It's my hobby and it's my passion. I own LOTS of guns. I own LOTS of guns so I can shoot and tinker with many different cartridges. At last count I reload for 64 centerfire rifle cartridges and have at least one rifle for each.
Reloading and working loads to shrink groups is how I spend my free time. Yes, I hunt, I hunt a lot. However, hunting season only lasts 4 months out of the year. Another 2 or 3 can be absorbed shooting varmints. That leaves the middle of the winter and the middle of the summer to reload/tinker and shoot.
Which has nothing to do with why I PREFER walnut/blued rifles over stainelss/laminate. I personally just think they look better and the stainless/laminate has never been a critical issue for any hunting/shooting I do. I have a few rifles that are stainless/laminate, but the only reason for doing so was that the rifle or the configuation I wanted was not available any other way. Nothing WRONG with stainless laminate , I just don't care for them and from the looks of it, neither do MOST guys that purchase #1s.
RWT
I don't fish. I don't ski. I don't 4 wheel. I hunt, shoot and reload so I can PLAY with many different calbiers. It's my hobby and it's my passion. I own LOTS of guns. I own LOTS of guns so I can shoot and tinker with many different cartridges. At last count I reload for 64 centerfire rifle cartridges and have at least one rifle for each.
Reloading and working loads to shrink groups is how I spend my free time. Yes, I hunt, I hunt a lot. However, hunting season only lasts 4 months out of the year. Another 2 or 3 can be absorbed shooting varmints. That leaves the middle of the winter and the middle of the summer to reload/tinker and shoot.
Which has nothing to do with why I PREFER walnut/blued rifles over stainelss/laminate. I personally just think they look better and the stainless/laminate has never been a critical issue for any hunting/shooting I do. I have a few rifles that are stainless/laminate, but the only reason for doing so was that the rifle or the configuation I wanted was not available any other way. Nothing WRONG with stainless laminate , I just don't care for them and from the looks of it, neither do MOST guys that purchase #1s.
RWT
dmazur
Bearcat
I did something a little different when having a couple of #1's rebuilt. I went with brown laminated stocks and black Gunkote on actions/stainless barrels.
This created some pretty tough #1's (IMO) that don't quite look as gray and shiny as Ruger's laminated offerings.
It's not available from Ruger in this configuration, but it is something that can be done if you want one enough to have it built... :)
This created some pretty tough #1's (IMO) that don't quite look as gray and shiny as Ruger's laminated offerings.
It's not available from Ruger in this configuration, but it is something that can be done if you want one enough to have it built... :)
Well, I thought about it, looked one of the stainless/laminates over, thought about it more and came to the conclusion that I am also a walnut/blue type. Looks like I'm normal like the rest of y'all......., not sure though if that's a good thing or not! :wink:
wunbe
Buckeye
I have sold off all my factroy laminate #1s except for the .375 H&H which just shoots too nice to part with and my 7mm-08 which returned home after sale because the buyer -- a buddy-- needed the cash. It has the factory high glare SS buffed own to a parkerized type finish and so I'll hunt with it this year,
dmazur.
Your brown laminated stock is new to me as an option. How do they compare in weight to the original wood version? Where did you find yours and how much fittting was needed to make them field ready?
Thanks for any info,
wunbe
dmazur.
Your brown laminated stock is new to me as an option. How do they compare in weight to the original wood version? Where did you find yours and how much fittting was needed to make them field ready?
Thanks for any info,
wunbe
DavidMc116
Single-Sixer
I think Lipsky's should do a stainless/walnut #3 in .500 S&W! hehe
dmazur
Bearcat
wunbe -
I believe the gunsmith used Wenig as the source of the stocks. I wanted a "#1AB", so he used their palm-swell stock and their 1B forend, then shaped the forend shorter. Somewhere between an Alexander Henry and a 1B in length, with room for a sling swivel.
I believe the laminated stocks all weigh about the same, regardless of color. They are slightly heavier than walnut.
I believe Wenig sells the stocks as 90% inletted, so quite a bit of fitting is needed if you want to match the metal correctly. The gunsmith didn't just fit them for me, he bedded the forends to the spring hanger and receiver for a true float for the new barrels.
Here's a picture -
I believe the gunsmith used Wenig as the source of the stocks. I wanted a "#1AB", so he used their palm-swell stock and their 1B forend, then shaped the forend shorter. Somewhere between an Alexander Henry and a 1B in length, with room for a sling swivel.
I believe the laminated stocks all weigh about the same, regardless of color. They are slightly heavier than walnut.
I believe Wenig sells the stocks as 90% inletted, so quite a bit of fitting is needed if you want to match the metal correctly. The gunsmith didn't just fit them for me, he bedded the forends to the spring hanger and receiver for a true float for the new barrels.
Here's a picture -
wunbe
Buckeye
dmazur,
Thanks for the picture and the info. Looks like a good option to me. How do they shoot?
wunbe
Thanks for the picture and the info. Looks like a good option to me. How do they shoot?
wunbe
Guy M
Bearcat
dmazur - those are fine looking rifles you had built. Very nice.
For which cartridges are they chambered?
For which cartridges are they chambered?
dmazur
Bearcat
wunbe / Guy M -
The .243 will do 0.75" groups at 100 yds and the .30-06 will do 1-1/4" groups at 100 yds. These are 3 shot groups, and the sizes are consistent with handloads. Factory ammo does just a little worse.
The .243 will do 0.75" groups at 100 yds and the .30-06 will do 1-1/4" groups at 100 yds. These are 3 shot groups, and the sizes are consistent with handloads. Factory ammo does just a little worse.
Quarterbore
Blackhawk
I have been hiding in a cave I guess but what is the story with all the Stainless Laminate Ruger Number 1s in 308 on Gunbroker? Were these a limited run and they just didn't sell well or one dealer seemed to buy a ton of these and that is whay they are listing so many?
I really want a Ruger #1 in 308 but funds are tight so I don't think I can get one of them but darn would I like to.
I really want a Ruger #1 in 308 but funds are tight so I don't think I can get one of them but darn would I like to.
picketpin
Buckeye
Standard production riflers that have been discontinued by the factory and blown out to the wholesalers in order to get rid of them along with the 30-06 "B". Gives you some idea of just how well the stainless/laminates sold as a general rule. Nearly all if not all are discontinued and they have been substantually reduced at the wholesale prices inorder to get them moved and oiff the shelfs.
Also sold at a dscount and flooding the markets 22-250 "V" laminate/stainless. 25-06 laminate /stainless along with the 270 win and 300 Win Mag "B"s. Look for more to appear.
RWt
Also sold at a dscount and flooding the markets 22-250 "V" laminate/stainless. 25-06 laminate /stainless along with the 270 win and 300 Win Mag "B"s. Look for more to appear.
RWt
Quarterbore
Blackhawk
Has Davidson's been getting these? I am going to search as this would be the cheap way fro me to perhaps get my Ruger #1 in 308 that I have wanted! I like stainless for a hunting gun anyways!
EDIT - Nope - None in stock at Davidson's as of today. I'll have to keep an eye open!
EDIT - Nope - None in stock at Davidson's as of today. I'll have to keep an eye open!
coop2564
Bearcat
I have a stainless 30-06 and love it...shoots 1.5" groups with any round and 1'' with a few. And its beautiful!
picketpin
Buckeye
why in the world would a cartridge 45-70 in a modern rifle qualify in a "Primative" hunt???
RWT
RWT
DavidMc116
Single-Sixer
I’ve seen stainless/walnut #1-A’s in 7.62x39, 6.5x55, 7mm08, 257 Roberts, & 35 Whelen. Are there others? All of these seem to be bringing top dollar, so I guess it’s the Laminate stocks that drives buyers away, not specifically stainless.
picketpin
Buckeye
David: Those were the originally Lipsey Specials from the distributor. Run size is 250. They are ASKING at or near $1200 or so. The fact that they continue to be out there for sale NIB after this many years should sort of ecplain just how "fast" they were selling.
The latest runs from Lipsey have been walnut /blued partlially due to just how slow these stainless/walnuts sold.
MOST #1 guys are "tradissionalist".
Ross
The latest runs from Lipsey have been walnut /blued partlially due to just how slow these stainless/walnuts sold.
MOST #1 guys are "tradissionalist".
Ross
DavidMc116
Single-Sixer
Ross you're a super nice guy!! Thx for the input. I like the stainless/walnut. If you rebarrel one in stainless it's about $100 more than blued. After reading here on the forum how difficult it was to take the front sight off, I'm surprised these custom gun makers can put one back on a shilen barrel. When I find a stainless/walnut light sporter, at a decent price, I'm sending it off to be rechambered to 35 Remington. (My next project) I've done my .358 Win, but I love .35 cals., so this falls into the doubling up catagory on rifle calibers. I want to find a #3 beater and rechamber it to .500 S&W too. Yeahwee! What fun!
picketpin
Buckeye
Dave: I think the "Ruger" method actually has more to do with a cost effective manufacturing technique than it is about the sight ending up on there so tightly.
If you have the sight, off a take off, from Ruger or Brownelss it isn't really necesarry to put it on via the heat/shrink method so a smith doesn't have much truble. I've taper filed them before and just slid them on over a little epoxy and set the set screw and they are still there.
Of course I tried to get cute a while back and filed one just enough and then heated the sight and slid it on. It's a TINY but too far out. Istill haven't figured out a way to get it off without destroying it!! ;-) The only GOOD part to the experiment is the barrel is an old scarred up 270 barrel that it's impossible to hurt.
Ross
If you have the sight, off a take off, from Ruger or Brownelss it isn't really necesarry to put it on via the heat/shrink method so a smith doesn't have much truble. I've taper filed them before and just slid them on over a little epoxy and set the set screw and they are still there.
Of course I tried to get cute a while back and filed one just enough and then heated the sight and slid it on. It's a TINY but too far out. Istill haven't figured out a way to get it off without destroying it!! ;-) The only GOOD part to the experiment is the barrel is an old scarred up 270 barrel that it's impossible to hurt.
Ross
