Fair price? Ruger No1 .458 - Now with photos

lledwod

lledwod

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Another price check thread:rolleyes: I have the opportunity to buy a Ruger No1 in .458Win. It is in very good shape, somewhere around 'excellent' to 'near new'. The wood looks average to me for a No 1, it comes with dies and some brass and some bullets. It has a red rubber recoil pad. Sorry no photos unless I buy it! What would be a safe price for me to pay? As in what could I get for it if I decide to sell it down the road? 1200$? Thanks for any input!
 
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It seems everyone wants to buy a rifle with the thought of not losing any money when they sell it in the future...

My guess is you can pretty well always get $750 for a Number One... just for a project build...

I can't think of anything I would want less than a Number One in .458 Winchester.
 
Believe me you don't want a #1 in 458 WM. I had one and it was one of the ugliest 458s I ever fired. The stock just isn't designed for heavy recoil and the recoil pad is like a hockey puck............there's a good chance that rifle you're looking at was mine. There just weren't that many of them in the Yukon.
 
I had a big bore number one. The idea of shooting it was fun until you actually did. Pretty bad for recoil. The price of ammo is high in most big bores. But who want to hunt dangerous game with a single shot.
 
By contrast I like the idea of a #1 in .458. A poor recoil pad can be replaced with a Decelerator, and cutting an inch off the LOP will tend to tame recoil, unless your arms are particularly long. Be cognisant to the possibility of a cracked stock. Pay close attention to the area just behind the tang, and through the pistol grip. A crack, caused by uneven bedding, can hide in the grain of the wood so you may have to look sharp to see it. If you're going to scope that thing, you might want to invest in a custom quarter rib to move the ocular of your scope far enough forward that you don't take a hit. A scope cut from a .458 is a memorable experience.
 
Hmmm. I don't want it because it is a .458. I want it because I'm a gunnut, it is a good deal, I've always wanted a No 1, and it might make a fun conversation piece till I need to sell it. And seeing as I have surpassed my self imposed gun buying limit this year already, I am trying to justify the purchase. I am sure I can buy it, play with it and sell it. But I don't have a good idea what a fair value is (750$?) and it sounds like this is one of the less popular No 1 chamberings......
 
I have always wanted one of those but all this talk has me scared of it now.

Maybe cut down the barrel to decrease velocity and use it to hammer moose.
 
guntech said:
I can't think of anything I would want less than a Number One in .458 Winchester.
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Number One in .458 Lott?

conor_90 said:
Maybe cut down the barrel to decrease velocity and use it to hammer moose.
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Worst of all possible worlds: more muzzle blast, more recoil, less velocity, no positive effects whatsoever. If you want to decrease velocity, load the .458 down to .45-70 levels and enjoy it. Better yet...buy the gun in .45-70.

Number Ones are among my favourite rifles, but they make even easy-to-shoot chamberings like the .375H&H painful and unpleasant.
 
If you want 45-70 velocities in a ruger number one then shop for one in 45-70. They come in the much nicer medium sporter with a shorter, lighter contour barrel vs the front heavy tropical version that the 458 comes in.
 
lledwod said:
Hmmm. I don't want it because it is a .458. I want it because I'm a gunnut, it is a good deal, I've always wanted a No 1, and it might make a fun conversation piece till I need to sell it. And seeing as I have surpassed my self imposed gun buying limit this year already, I am trying to justify the purchase. I am sure I can buy it, play with it and sell it. But I don't have a good idea what a fair value is (750$?) and it sounds like this is one of the less popular No 1 chamberings......
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Nice rifle! You can always make reduced loads to reduce recoil and shoot cast bullets to reduce cost. New No.1's currently go for around $1800. These rifles kept in good condition should hold their value very well.

I have a bolt-action .458 WM and really like it. Good penetration. On heavy game that heavy wide bullet is confidence-inspiring for unfavorable angle shots, or when you have to take a brush-obstructed shot.
 
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$750 is what you would pay 5 years ago. A huge increase from Ruger on new along with out falling dollar has raised the used market.

$1200 if it is indeed in excellent condition is fair.

I had a special edition Ruger No. 1 in .450 Nitro Express 3 1/4". It was a handful, but fine from field positions depending on load.
 
jjohnwm said:
Number One in .458 Lott?
Number Ones are among my favourite rifles, but they make even easy-to-shoot chamberings like the .375H&H painful and unpleasant.
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For real pain, have a few go's with a Ruger No.3 in .45-70 using warm handloads with heavy bullets.:sok2

Even my No.3 in .30-40 Krag was not very comfy from the bench with factory 180 grainers, but it shot very well.
 
SHELL SHUCKER said:
For real pain, have a few go's with a Ruger No.3 in .45-70 using warm handloads with heavy bullets.:sok2
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Speaking of.....take a look at these loads. I shot these in my #3 back in 1994. From a bench. Recoil was, um, heavy.

y3mG24HrgRsLcEcdm1NMs13_3CRqM_mhnb91o8JOUCJWbVTrjovFFIYMuVwuTeJjYA0bLau5VJt9aHcylsGuala86gB6D01jOfwD6yYcWU6ornhty6cnWrWAcRvDj2sV39Jv1TtoTcBbE4TGM77kfKRuMJ6aVT0LbS1F6SmeXnDAeU
 
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