Custom Ruger No. 1 Oregunsmithing 26″ .405 Winchester single Shot Rifle

SOLD FOR: $1,312.91

LSB#: WY250428JB002

Make: Sturm, Ruger & Co.

Model: Custom No. 1

Serial Number: 133-70968

Year of Manufacture: 2000 (RUGER Serial Number Lookup), we do not know when this rifle was customized.

Caliber: .405 Winchester

Action Type: Single-Shot Falling-Block Rifle

Barrel Length: 26″

Sights/Optics: There is no provision for iron sights. A quarter-rib is screwed to the rear of the barrel, cut for Ruger rings. A set of 1″ rings is included.

Stock Configuration and Condition: The stocks are two-piece checkered wood with capped forend, straight comb, black rubber Ruger buttpad and sling studs front and rear. The stocks have some light nicks and scratches, mostly concentrated around the toe. There is light tool marking at the hole for the forend mounting screw. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 13 3/4″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the pad. The pad has light wear. Overall, the stocks are in Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: Black Gun Paint

Finish Originality: Refinished, the barrel is not original to the receiver.

Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is very minor erosion and stubborn fouling scattered through the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 7/10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 95% of its metal finish. There are some scattered minor scuffs and scratches. There is finish loss on the edges of the loading groove and lever. There is some finish loss at the muzzle-end of the barrel. The action shows light operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Very Good-plus condition as customized.

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 rifle comes with the installed rings.

Our Assessment: The Ruger No. 1 was introduced in 1967 and at first 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 No. 1 was made back in 2000 and was originally chambered for .220 Swift. It has since been customized by Oregunsmithing of Pendleton, Oregon with a 26″ .405 Winchester barrel. Called “big medicine” when used in a Winchester 1895 by Teddy Roosevelt, the President felt that it was an ideal cartridge for lion, but has seen use for a variety of game in North America as well. This robust rifle, chambered for an equally robust cartridge, should still be able to drop game animals for another lifetime. Good luck on your bid!  

Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud