RUGER No. 1 #1 1-H 01378 .416 Rigby Single-Action Rifle MFD 1998
SOLD FOR: $1275
LSB#: 220409KL005
Make: Sturm, Ruger & Co.
Model: No. 1 (1-H)
Serial Number: 133-50737
Year of Manufacture: 1998 (Ruger Serial Number Lookup)
Caliber: .416 Rigby
Action Type: Falling Block Single Shot Rifle
Markings: The top of the barrel is marked with a Ruger warning and “STURM, RUGER & CO., INC. / SOUTHPORT, CONN. U.S.A.”. The left side of the barrel is marked with “416 RIGBY” under a Ruger proof mark. The top of the receiver is marked “RUGER / No. 1”. The underside left of the receiver is marked with the serial number “133-50737”. The grip cap is marked with the company’s trademark phoenix logo.
Barrel Length: 24”
Sights/Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade in-line dovetailed to a ramped banded base fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a flip up u-notch dovetailed into the barrel rib which is notched for the included Ruger rings.
Stock Configuration and Condition: The stock is a two-piece checkered wood with pistol grip and Henry forend, pistol-grip, fluted straight comb, and a brown rubber Decelerator buttpad. There are sling studs on the belly of the buttstock and the underside of the forend. Light dings and short drag lines are dotted throughout the wood, most notably on the right side of the forend, and on either side of the buttstock. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP is 13 3/4” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttpad. The buttpad has only minor handling marks. Overall, the stock is in Fine condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is rather bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion, but there is very faint fouling visible in spots.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 97% of its metal finish. The barrel and receiver have just a few scant minor nicks and the receiver itself has taken on a very minor plum hue and has a few spots of minor surface oxidation on the right flat. Operational wear is minimal. The screws have light tool marks with strong slots. All markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Fine-to-Excellent condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork, and Accessories: This No. 1 includes its serial-matching cardboard box, a pair of Ruger rings in Ruger packaging, a security lock, and the manual.
Our Assessment: The Ruger No. 1 was introduced in 1967 and seems an odd design choice for a modern rifle. Repeating rifles of many different designs had become the norm by the late ’60s and the single shot—certainly the falling-block single-shot—was on the outs with most hunters and target shooters. The brilliant success of the Ruger No. 1 comes from its embodiment of Ruger’s design philosophy: simple, durable, reliable. It has been chambered in nearly 50 different cartridges and continues to be manufactured and sold to this day. This example is in Excellent condition, manufactured in 1998, and is chambered for .416 Rigby, an absolute powerhouse cartridge suited to dangerous game found in Africa and India. While No. 1 rifles are chambered in many cartridges, relatively few were made in .416 Rigby. Ruger makes very few No. 1 rifles when viewed in the greater context of their output, so the dedicated hunter will want to seek out this version. Good luck and happy bidding!