HUnter Jim,
Sorry but I disagree, they used old European stats. the old Germans and Brits simple ran a reamer in the barrel and stopped when they decided it had gone far enough, and surprisingly they were pretty good at it, according to Jack Belk. They even used different bore sizes, 418 to 424...Ruger did not do their homework and rather than sort it out or seek advise from someone who knew, they dumped the project, a monumental mistake IMO...

All they had to do was buy clymer reamers..The 404 isn't SAMMI but it is standardized among the the USA reamer makers and lots of custom gun smiths , Winchester and others are making 404s without Rugers manufactured problem....

Do you not find it unusual that only Ruger had this problem? I ask you to consider that.

.

Ray,



I have interviewed both Ruger's executive management on their decision, and also Winchester's Custom Shop Manager on what they are doing. Plus sources at ammo makers who were involved with Bill Ruger (rest his soul), such as Kynamco. All this "stuff" is in a forth-coming article.



The Winchester .404 Jeffery rifle so far is "vaporware" if you permit me a software industry term, or "view-graph engineering" to borrow another term from my past.



The grand story of this great cartridge and its death in the USA is "interesting" to say the least.



At least in Europe there is a CIP spec for the 10.75X73, and some people making brass and cartridges. Kynamco reports they are shipping around 5,000 rounds a year. This sounds like a lot until you consider that is about 14 rounds a day world wide.



jim

Fellows:

Why not just buy one from Winchester??

http://www.winchester-guns.com/prodinfo/catalog/detail.asp?cat_id=535&type_id=911&cat=001C

Blue

The .404 Jeff is not a SAAMI standard cartridge, and there are various reamers and chamber dimensions floating around out there. I know Rifle magazine reported one example of excess headspace with a Ruger M77 .404J loaned to them by Ruger of over .100" with the ammunition they acquired.

It wasn't the frijoli mechanics on this one Ray, but they often make good targets.

jim

For that price why not just buy the Ruger and get or make the right size brass for it.

Well said. I certainly won't be buying one of those Winchesters for that price. You could make a Custom gun for the same price.

Now there's a Hell of a thought! And they wouldn't even have to build it on the big square bridge action, either. Yo, Ray, what's their email address?

D Hunter,

Ruger dropped the .404 Jeff due to ammunition incompatibilities, and I don't think that problem has been solved -- so I expect bugging them about it won't change their decision.

There is a lot of history to this situation by the way.

jim dodd

I see that the Cableas gun library in Dundee Mi has a Ruger #1 H in 404 Jeffery for $1,850 with brass, RCBS dies and origional box. It looks like a gem so I thought I would pass it on. One of only 80 ever made. Nice looking wood for a Stock # 1.

You mean a .404 Jeffery?

Yup thats the one

I wonder if this is the same one that was on Gunsamerica a few weeks ago for $1,000?
It sounds like the same package including dies, brass etc.

I know the gun manager at the Dundee gun room is a bit looney on his prices. He is not even in line with the other Cabelas. I wont print what I think of the fellow It is a darn nice gun but WOW what a price.

Well, New England Custom Gun also has one for sale (as of the date of this post):

Ruger #1 "Tropical", .404 Jeffery, as new with box. $1700.00
http://www.newenglandcustomgun.com/

So, maybe $1,850 isn't too out of line with the market. If I'm not mistaken, Ruger made very few of these before halting production of the No. 1s in .404 Jeffery so I would imagine that they may appeal more to the collector market.

A No. 1 in .404 Jeffery would be sweet. It wouldn't really do anything that a No. 1 in .416 Rem Mag or .416 Rigby couldn't do, of course, but it would be classy.

-Bob F.

I knew at the time that I should have bought that one in the Gunlist, thats two I let slide, never again...

I guess the thing that has me slightly stumped is why the 404 is $1800 and they made 80 of them. They only made around 30 in the 38-55 and they go for around $1200. I think we can thank a select few dealer who crank up the prices and then others follow. I can't blame them for making a good living but it sure does make you wish you would have bought one in the past. The one at Cabelas is a real peach. Beautifull wood for a #1. You are right, it is a very classy piece.

Supply and demand and in the case of the 404 its demand that runs the prices up...$1800 is a cheap way to own a 404 these days...Can't build one for that. However, I would not want a single shot DGR, myself.

Sounds like Ruger needs to make a few more.