Ruger No 1 LOP
- Thread starter Dmytro
- Start date
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I'm not aware of anyone who makes a synthetic stock for the #1. While you could get a custom wood stock made to your specifications, the cost is intimidating if you want nicely figured walnut. There is no reason not to shortened the factory stock though, and while you are at it you might opt for a better recoil pad/butt plate, and whoever does the work can ensure that the stock has even contact with the tang which will prevent stock failure if yours is a heavy kicker. I think those are about your best options.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Congratulations on your rifle, I think you've made a good choice. I had a #1 in .416 Rigby but I didn't care for the ring positions on the quarter rib which caused the scope to be mounted so far to the rear that it covered the loading port and so close to my eye that having an accident was just a matter of time. A scope cut from a rifle that produced 70 ft/lbs of recoil would have been a serious matter, particularly if I was miles from help. So I had a custom quarter rib made and inletted for Talley QD rings to position the scope farther forward. The result was that the ocular of the scope, a 1.5-5X Leupold, was even with the front edge of the falling block. The eye relief was fine as long as I stayed at 3X or lower, but when I adjusted to 4X or 5X I no longer had a full field of view. Even so, with the magnification set at 3X I could shoot confidently out to 300 yards but more importantly I could effectively deal with a short range threat and make a reasonably fast follow up shot if I needed to.
If that rifle hadn't been lost in a house fire, I'm sure I would still be carrying it today despite a couple of idiosyncrasies that caused me to go back to a bolt gun. Because the rifle was my primary bear gun, I had no choice but to carry it loaded, so that meant a round in the chamber with the safety on. When I was on foot, after 3 or 4 hours of walking, invariably when I unslung the rifle the safety had moved to the fire position. I tried carrying the rifle with the action out of battery, but this only resulted in decorating the tundra with very expensive .416 Rigby ammo, and an empty rifle when I needed a loaded one. I became so used to the safety being in the fire position that I stopped being concerned about it, but I never allowed anyone to walk my left side, which is where the muzzle normally pointed. I also got in the habit of carrying the rifle slung muzzle down so that if there ever was an accidental discharge, and there never was, that it wouldn't be beside my ear.
Another problem was bedding of the stock at the tang was uneven from the factory and the stock split in short order. I sent the rifle out for warranty and the second stock suffered the same malady. Each time the rifle went out, I was without it for a month or more. The second time it went out, another customer's rifle was returned to me, so that had to be sorted out and took even more time. It was at that time that I discovered that not all #1 Tropicals have nicely figured wood. My original stock and forend matched nicely and were pleasing in color and figure. The first replacement stock wasn't as nice, but the color was a close match to the forend. When my rifle finally made it home the second time, the butt was made from handsome, dark, nicely figured wood, but it didn't match the slightly lighter colored forend. This stock also failed within 20 rounds. That was enough, and I sent it to my gunsmith for repair and to make up the custom quarter rib. So boys and girls, the moral of the story is to have your #1 properly bedded before you put too many rounds down the tube, particularly if it is chambered for a powerful cartridge. While you're at it, you can have the stock cut to fit you and have a high quality recoil pad installed.
If that rifle hadn't been lost in a house fire, I'm sure I would still be carrying it today despite a couple of idiosyncrasies that caused me to go back to a bolt gun. Because the rifle was my primary bear gun, I had no choice but to carry it loaded, so that meant a round in the chamber with the safety on. When I was on foot, after 3 or 4 hours of walking, invariably when I unslung the rifle the safety had moved to the fire position. I tried carrying the rifle with the action out of battery, but this only resulted in decorating the tundra with very expensive .416 Rigby ammo, and an empty rifle when I needed a loaded one. I became so used to the safety being in the fire position that I stopped being concerned about it, but I never allowed anyone to walk my left side, which is where the muzzle normally pointed. I also got in the habit of carrying the rifle slung muzzle down so that if there ever was an accidental discharge, and there never was, that it wouldn't be beside my ear.
Another problem was bedding of the stock at the tang was uneven from the factory and the stock split in short order. I sent the rifle out for warranty and the second stock suffered the same malady. Each time the rifle went out, I was without it for a month or more. The second time it went out, another customer's rifle was returned to me, so that had to be sorted out and took even more time. It was at that time that I discovered that not all #1 Tropicals have nicely figured wood. My original stock and forend matched nicely and were pleasing in color and figure. The first replacement stock wasn't as nice, but the color was a close match to the forend. When my rifle finally made it home the second time, the butt was made from handsome, dark, nicely figured wood, but it didn't match the slightly lighter colored forend. This stock also failed within 20 rounds. That was enough, and I sent it to my gunsmith for repair and to make up the custom quarter rib. So boys and girls, the moral of the story is to have your #1 properly bedded before you put too many rounds down the tube, particularly if it is chambered for a powerful cartridge. While you're at it, you can have the stock cut to fit you and have a high quality recoil pad installed.
Quite a story... My stock is laminate so I hope it will hold up better than yours did. And if not, I still have warranty on it. I probably shot couple boxes with it already and so far everything looks like new.
Did the level hit your trigger hand when you fired your gun? That's the difference that I have in firing this No 1 vs Ruger bolt action rifles in the same caliber.
Did the level hit your trigger hand when you fired your gun? That's the difference that I have in firing this No 1 vs Ruger bolt action rifles in the same caliber.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
No, my knuckles were never bruised from the lever of the #1, but I had to put a knuckle deflector behind the trigger guard of my Brno 602. The shape of the McMillan stock brought the knuckle of my middle finger much closer than the factory stock did. Your laminate stock if probably much more resistant to cracking than my traditional wood stock was, and if you've run a couple of boxes through the rifle without a problem you might not encounter one. Still, keep an eye out for a crack which could appear as a almost indiscernible dark line coming off a corner of the tang. Also keep in mind that your warranty will replace your stock but not bed it properly, so if you do encounter a problem, have the stock properly bedded to prevent a recurrence.
yep, too late, but thanks anyway- I might restock it in a year or two.
