Is it possible to get a Ruger No.1 action rebarrelled to 505 Gibbs? (is the reciever ring large enough)

I know the #1's have been chambered up to 577 NE, which is an even larger diameter case. I don't know if the action is bored for a larger thread, as the factory thread, off the top of my head, is 1"-16. Personally, if I were going for a 50 caliber on a #1, it would have to be a 500 NE, something about falling blocks and rimmed cases that just go together.

The reciever ring on a No1 is a lot larger than a Mauser action. I have a 98 Mauser that has the barrel from a Ruger No1 45-70 that had to be turned down and re-threaded to fit the Mauser action. It was backed up, enough of the barrel cut off the chamber to get rid of the cut for the 45-70 rim, and re-chambered to 458x2". The Ruger quarter rib and iron sights are still on the barrel. Made one hell of a "go in the grass" rifle for big bears, and lion!
I think if a 505 will fit in a Mauser it will go in a Ruger No1, since they are rebarreling Ruger No1s to 577 NE!

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..Mac >>>===(x)===>

I think you can use a Ruger action for anything up to, but not including a 50 BMG.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Ross Seyfred has written several articles about a big-bore conversion that he did. I think it was in Rifle Magazine.

No one has mentioned the fact that the safety has to be modified so the cartridges can be loaded and ejected. That tang safety gets in the way of the big rimmed cases. Bowen does this modification as part of their conversion job.

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Good huntin' and shootin',
RAB

Ross converted his rifle to a 470, which is what gave me the idea to go to 500 since rim size is almost identical.
I had my safety filed into a small oblong shape with very fine checkering similar to a quality english shotgun safety, and had the edges of the safety slide closely fitted down onto the frame.
In its original factory form the safety used to tear bits of skin off my thumb under recoil. I never had it interfere with my cartridge however, but I would imagine that with the 577 it may pose a problem.
I tend to agree with Paul H, on the "fatboys" I would stay away from rimless cases and stick to the rimmed cartridge range. They also have a certain nostalgia about them.
Also, a 500 plus grain solid @ 2200 fps tends to go right through most animals and the old nitros fit neatly into this category.
A buddy of mine had been given some bullets to try in his 416 Rigby Ruger #1, but the maker wanted some recoveries to examine. After trying unsuccsesfully on a few buff and elephant (bullets going right through) he snuck up behind a dozing pachy and shot along the spine towards the brain, feeling sure he would recover the bullet. It exited through the elephants forehead!

BBS,

Unless you have to have a 505 Gibbs, I think the 500 Nitro would be better for a couple of reasons.

Firstly is the 510 bore and bullets.

Secondly, in a standard weight rifle and full pressure loads either the 500 Jeffrey, 500 Nitro or 505 Gibbs will nearly break your neck. The smaller capacity of the 500 Nitro will (all else being equal) make it easier to work with.

Thirdly, if you use RCBS dies the 500 Nitro dies will be the standard size dies whereas the 505 will require larger dies. They will also be more costly.

Fourthly, if you were to venture into cast or paper patch bullets, I think the 500 Nitro would be better but the 505 Gibbs does have a long neck anyway.

Fifthly, unless you can make the Gibbs on one of those expensive magnum mauser actions I think it loses a lot its appeal.

Perhaps the best of all is the 450 Nitro. As fara s I am aware it is set up for .458 bullets and I think a 458 could be rechambered as the 450 would clean up the 458 chamber OK around the belt.

What about a 450 Nitro No 2. That and the 475 No 2 are real impressive looking rounds. The kind of make the Gibbs look like a dwarf.

Maybe I will know more about this in the near future as I am about to venture into Ruger number 1 territory with a 375 and will need a bigger brother.

Mike

OK thanks for the info. After the 416/505 Gibbs is finished a 50. on a Ruger No.1 is looking like the next project. Although now you mention it a rimmed case might be the go instead of the 505 case. Do you get much of a brass flow problem with the big straight wall cases (separation in front of the web).
I've got a friend that has a 9.3*74R and cases start to go after 2 firings although he does load a little hot.

Mike
Was going to be a 50/505 Gibbs anyway (wrote straight 505 to keep it simple) because of bullet selection. I think the Gibbs has a larger case capacity than the 450 Nitro and 475#2, but I may be wrong. My A-Square book shows 140gr of IMR7828 as a normal pressure load for a standard 505 Gibbs.

BBS,

Just noticed you are in Melbourne. Not far from the bullets and cases.

Have you got someone down there to do a 50/510 reamer/dies or just having a 510 barrel chambered and then throated separately and a bigger expander plug.

I think you are right on case capacity but I think those No 2 Nitros are just the best looking thing about. I suspect that the No 2s would not be much larger than a 460 case. Similar base, longer, but long neck and plenty of taper.

Not sure about cases for the 450 No 2. My cartridges of the world lists it as a 455.

I wonder if a 458 was rechambered to 450 Nitro could the 458 Win writing on the barrel be filled with weld etc and replaced with 450 Nitro.

Mike

[This message has been edited by Mike375 (edited 05-31-2001).]

As I recall from the Rifle article, Seyfried and Bowen both advise against full power loads in the .577 conversions. I think Bowen recommends sticking to nitro-for-black loads, or the equivalent of the 650/90 grains cordite loads.

Mike, If I let those guys on the other thread talk me out of my bolt action .500 NE, maybe I'll get a .458 #1 rechambered to .450 #2. I'm with you on those #2 Nitros; there's just something about those huge cases that puts a smile on my face.

Cannon

So nice to find that I'm not alone in my dimentia... I came into a set of .470 NE dies for the right price and am seriously considering coverting a Ruger #1 in .458 WM to handle the .470 NE :-). I have a friend out here that has a .500 NE on a #1 that he had converted some years ago.

Bowen does some interesting conversions too doesn't he! I also like that ".470 NE No 2" M77 conversion which he says is a ".475 Rigby" equivalent. Problem is I can't find any reference to a ".475 Rigby" anywhere - Taylor, McIntosh, A-Square...So I am assuming it is like Saeed's .475/.416 Rigby - a rimless for reliable feeding in a bolt gun??? Anyone know anything more on this case? I have a Rem Model 30 that is awaiting a conversion to .450 Rigby or .475 Rigby? :-) ...Maybe this should be opened up in another topic thread????

Thanks - Jeff Pfeifer

I think the 470 NE in a #1 is one of the classiest ways to go. If I hadn't gone off the deep end on the 500 Jeffrey, I'd strongly consider a 470.

I believe the 475 Rigby is a NE round, not a rimless bolt gun round. I believe the only rimless bolt gun rounds Rigby made is the 416, and the relatively new 450, which is a 416 necked up.

The Ruger #1 will fit up to a 500 NE but not a 600 NE. But it will fit a 600 JDJ (500 NE blown out to .620).

Paul,

The round Pfeifer is referring to is indeed a rimless cartridge, a necked up Rigby case that Bowen calls both ".470 NE No.2" and ".475 Rigby". Take a look at the M77 conversions on Bowen's rifle page. I think the price of the conversion -- $500 vs. $1400 for a .505 Gibbs conversion -- is a pretty good indication this cartridge is a necked up Rigby.

[This message has been edited by Cannon (edited 06-01-2001).]

Cannon,
That's the kind of deal I like. That would be a good way to shave a few ounces off the old heavy barrel Ruger .416, convert it to .475. I will probably be taking mine down to Bowen myself when I get back from Botswana. For some reason I had never known it could be done so cheaply. I just wonder about the accuracy of their rebores? Has anyone out there done this or another Bowen rebore?

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Good huntin' and shootin',
RAB

Mike No my gunsmith doesn't have a reamer, only a 505Gibbs reamer including neck.
I was asking about Ruger No.1 because a friend is selling one (25-06) and I was thinking about the 50/505. I still have to wait for my 416/505 to be built and pay for it before I start on a 50/505.
Re: welding to cover case/caliber size on a barrel this would effect any heat treating of the barrel, may set up stresses and bend the barrel. Silver soldering is about the most heat you would want to put into a barrel.
Yes I'm down here sort of close to the cases and bullets
Scott

RAB,
I was also thinking the same with respect to the older heavier barrel contour Ruger Magnum MKII in .416 Rigby (RSM vs the newer & lighter RSML). In this conversion two things work together in the right direction - lightening that heavy bbl somewhat by reboring/rerifling and using the additional bbl weight with a cartridge with more recoil.

This same conversion could also be done fairly reasonably on the CZ-550 in .416 Rigby by rebarreling (and adding a nicer express sight on a qtr-rib :-)). The P14 is also a candidate but as I'm finding out bottom metal and action conversion is fairly pricey, that's even before you get to the wood, barrel, sights, etc. With a CZ-550 and a rebarrel job you should be up and shooting! And as we know other stock options are out there for the CZ too. Are the two end products comparable - any comments?

Would love to hear from anyone with any experience with this .475 (.475/.416) Rigby? I too initially thought Bowen was referring to one of the various "classic" .470 to .476 cartridges, then after pouring through my reference books, I came to the conclusion that it must just be a .416 Rigby case that was opened up...it makes the most sense in a bolt gun. Feeding shouldn't present any unusual problems I'd think. From what Saeed reports on his reloading page for his .475/.416 Rigby this really generates some energy....Really just taking the .450 Rigby one step further. :-)

Anyone know who else does a nice rebore/rerifle job other than Cliff LaBounty. Cliff does excellent work from all I hear, just that when I spoke to him two months ago he said that he was 18 months out wrt turn around time! I had heard that Dick Nickel also did this work but he recently passed away back in December of 2000.

My apologies for "derailing" the Ruger #1 conversion thread. Should we take this up in another posting?..."Bolt-action conversions to .450 and .475 Rigby" and/or ".475 (.475/.416) Rigby" :-)