Note: The Poll results were deleted when I changed the title of the thread. No matter. The decision was made.

My Ruger No. 3 underwent surgery and is about to get a facelift. Caliber is .375FL NE 2-1/2". Lever has been altered to work with pistol grip stock. But I want some help deciding which stock to go with. Refer to the pictures below.

Question:
Which stock should I use?

Choices:
one stock
the other stock

 

I like that lever. I started a similar 375 FL Ruger No 3 project a few years ago. It is still in project form (.223 with No 1 wood) while I have dabbled with several other interests. It will turn into something one of these days but I'm not sure what.

I'm a sucker for Turkish.

I'm wondering if a Ruger #3 is worth the price of a new turkish stock.

Nice treatment of the lever.

I favour the Turkish.

would like to see some completed photos.

Best wishes,

Chris

Well, since it's your money, of course go with the Turkish walnut stock!

Thanks for the input.

It was a tough decision but I decided to go against the advice and, instead, went the quick and easy way. It all came down to time. I found out that it was going to take a year to get the Turkish fitted, shaped, checkered, and finished. I already waited more than a year to get the rifle rechambered and the lever modified. I just didn't want to wait another year!

The No.1 buttstock fit without alteration. The forend was made for a No.1A and the barrel channel needed to be opened a bit. I don't have any stock making tools so I had to improvise. I put tape around the barrel to protect it, held some sandpaper around the barrel, and moved the forend fore and aft, sanding it until it fit. Then I sealed the areas of the channel where the wood was made bare. It worked out pretty easily.

Here is what I have now. I mounted a very light scope (8.5 oz) and the whole thing weights about 7 lbs. Scope is removable in a pinch and the metallic sights can be viewed over the bases. I still need to install a barrel-band sling eye. I might also install the Trop safety because they look so nice.

It makes a handy little carbine. Again, caliber is .375FL NE 3-1/2". I will take it out to shoot soon. Targets to follow.

May I ask who did the lever modification?
You can always spend more money on it if you want to later.

I shot the rifle today to zero the scope. It was 12" off at 50yds! But I got it dialed in. Here was the final group. I moved the scope to shoot 3/4" more to the left after this. I would have fired again but ammo was short and I am confident from the way I walked it in that the final adjustment will be spot on.



I was shooting 3-shot groups and something I noticed was that the rifle would nearly always fire the first two shots so close they were touching. Then the third shot would move away. I suppose there was a shift when the barrel got warm. I have seen that before with single shot rifles.

I shot both Kynoch and Westley-Richards (Wolfgang Romey) factory loads. I started with the Kynoch and they were so tight that I had to beat the lever closed and yank it open. I was starting to get worried about what might be an overly tight headspace. But the W-R fit just right as did an older fired shell of Kynoch. So I measured the rim thicknesses and to my surprise the W-R was thicker. W-R rims were .0605" thick and the Kynoch were .0595" thick. So it must have been another dimension of the Kynoch that was giving me trouble. Too late to tell because I only had one box of Kynock and I fired them all.

Few people are familiar with the .375 Flanged NE 2-1/2" cartridge. In power it is probably comparable to the .358 Winchester. Factory ammo comes loaded with .375 caliber bullets of 270gr and 300gr but it is difficult to find. I will be reloading.



Here is a side by side comparison. Left to right these are .38-55, .375 Winchester, .375FL NE 2-1/2", .375 H&H.

Mike - it wasn't a matter of money but of time. But, yes, I guess I can add to it/upgrade later.

The lever was modified by Jim Dubell, Delta Gun Shop. He did a wonderful job. I sent him pictures of one like it and he copied it to a tee. He rust blued the modified lever and it matches the rest of the action perfectly. I am very pleased with the work.

Thanks! I have saved the pics you posted and Jim may be getting another call when my No 3 is ready to go. One of my problems has been what to actually build. While procrastinating on this project, I think I have picked up complete rifles in almost all of calibers that I had thought about for my No 3 project. And I have a bug for a couple of other projects that may come ahead of this one again.

I think your rifle came out very nice and I also like the lever work. It's obviously a shooter too!!! Congrats!

I had a friend who had a 375NE, flanged, 2 1/2 in I think a Stephen grant double. It was the first and only one I've seen but he let me shoot it several times and while I have no experience with it on game I did like the cartridge. I do shoot two 9 X 57's, one rimmed in a drilling and the other rimless in a J.P. Sauer & Sohn Mauser and it's also quite similar to the 358 WCF. It's a good cartridge too and should compare favorably with the 375 - 2 1/2. I believe you'll come to like it very much.

Very, very nice job, Grenadier!!! I too like the lever shape. I've had a couple of #1's and wanted to do "something" but never found that round "toit" to do it.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and in this case YOU "be the holder", I like I just as it is because I like simple tings and the #1 and #3 are the same except for the exteriors and the lever...putting on a nice piece of Turkish someday wouldn't make it shoot any better...only make it prettier in some eyes.

Nice choice of case also...we all seem to get magnumitise at one time or another and forget the usefulness of many of the just slightly smaller cases...Madison Ave has sold us a bill of goods telling us we HAVE TO HAVE A MAGNUM or we won't get "paid".

Luck hunting.

I had a Cogswell & Harrison double in this cartridge but I didn't like the weight or balance. It was over 10 lbs and very barrel heavy. However, I came to like the cartridge. I think the cartridge is better suited for a short single shot rifle and recoil with the 7lb Ruger is very tame.