Did this cartridge ever get chambered for this rifle? I'd sure like to own one.

Cal30

I think here were a few. Both it and the No. 1 were at one time catalogued in tgat caliber. I have seen a few No. 1's in .404, but never saw an RSM. I agree, it would be a nice rifle.

In the 25+ years I've been into big bore rifles, I've never seen one. Maybe a special run for Lipsey's or Davidson's? But even then I think I would have been aware of it.

I believe there were plans to offer the rifle in .404 but to my knowledge they never made it to market. I was told at least one was made as a prototype but I cannot confirm this.

I have seen one made by Ruger

Have never seen one outside the catolouge but once was told maybe 2. I believe the problem may have been chamber specs just like with the 500 Jeffrey. The no.1 didn't last to long in the 404 but more knowledgeable persons may correct me on that. Either way its a shame so all one can do is have a 375 perhaps rebored to 404. I had one rebored to 500 Jeffrey and it is my favorite.
Now what was the deal with the 25-06 in the express rifle? I need on for completion of the set?

I have been looking for a .338 in the express. Not many out there.

Keep an eye on GB.

the rsm that is 270/3006/338win are a VERY heavy gun.

reboring a 375 to 404 would not be a huge deal..

i don't recall a ruger bolt gun in 404

Not to rain on any parade. The often confusions of terms on the river guns is as follows. The express series were all standard length actions in 270,06,7rem mag,300win mag, and 338win mag. I have only heard of 2 chambered in 25-06 (as illustrated in the river cat.) One of which at the time owned by Hank Williams Jr. I wish I owned the other but I don't. The barrels of the magnum models are larger in dia. than the none magnums.
The RSM's are magnum length actions and from what I can discern came with 3 different size/type barrels.
Heavy with stock mounted band.
Heavy with separate barrel band.
Mid weight with selerate band and shorter length.
Tho the catoluge suggests 404 Jeffrey they were never in mass production and that left only 375 H&H and 416 Right. The 458 Lott came last as river had no 458 DGG in that calib. in production. I have never seen a first model RSM in 458 Lott, but as the saying goes with ruger one never knows. Many over the years complained of the weight of these rifles and that is possibly why the RSM,s were changed. The Express rifles however in my opinion could not trimmed to much on the barrel and still retain that island rear sight.
Both guns now are gone as they never sold well at their price point.
But alas those hammer forged barrels with express sites are a constant thing of joy to this blue collar worker

I believe the issues for Ruger were a lack of factory ammunition and too much variance in case specs. If Federal had got behind the 404 like they did the 416 Rigby, we might have seen both. However, the market might not have supported them both anyway. We certainly don't see Ruger making Rigby's anymore.

I believe there were six (or possibly eight) 25.06s made in the Ruger Express. I know a man who owns two of them. I own four of them.

No, they are not for sale.

I owned a No. 1 in .404 about 20 years ago or so. I contacted the factory concerning the headspace problem that Ross Seyfreid had informed me about. The factory confirmed it and offered to exchange it for another caliber. Ross wanted to buy it anyway so I sold it to him.

Would be nice to have one in the RSM.

Dutch

RSM would be too heavy a platform for 404, IMO. {I have 2 of each, RSM and 404.} the 404 has a recoil level very similar to 375 HH. The Ruger RSm platform is suitable for something like 458 Lott upwards. My RSM in 500 A square is just fine, except for the square outline of the fore-end, which I had to have modified. No place for a square fore-end on a non-target shooting rifle, but go preach to the Ruger designers.

I remember seeing a 404 in a Ruger RSM on Gunbroker at one time, it intrigued me so much that I occasionally run the search looking for another one. I was not in a position financially to buy it when I saw it. If I recall it was double the price of one in .375 or 458.
My brother has a M77 tang safety in 25/06 that has a heavy 24" barrel and factory open sights, never seen another one like it, however it's not marked "Express".