Hello Guys

I'm real interested in seeing pictures of or hearing about custom rifles that have started as Ruger #1's or #3's, especially #3's. There seems to be a dearth (practiaclly zip) of material on the web that I can find regards these, but maybe I'm just looking or asking in the wrong places.

I'm especially interested in lock and action/lever work.

Cheers - Foster

Sorry I don't have pictures, but I have seen three custom Ruger No. 3's locally that were restocked with No. 1 pistol grip stocks. All had unchanged levers.

I handled one and could not find a comfortable way to hold it. I would think if someone was going to make this conversion, they should rebend the lever to be something like a Sharps Borchardt. I have also seen several Martini conversions that have a better looking lever. But, DON"T just leave it the same. It was made for a straight stock. It does not work with a pistol grip stock.

PS. I have a stock No. 3 and am looking for another.

There's not much I can offer. Most of the custom work on the Ruger's appears to be either the wood or the barrel. The only action work I've seen was the side lever conversion recently show on these forums, but I see you've already posted in that thread.

What is it you wish to alter in the action? It seems to me the action is done well enough, except one might dispense with the separate trigger, using an extension off the current sear in its place. The safety could then be modified for "fire" in the rearward position, as was done in some of the early singles. This would simplify the linkage some, and get the safety button out of the way of ejecting cases. I doubt any of these changes just mentioned are worth the effort, though.

There are very few direct references to changes but one that I have seen is to change the hanger system and use a different form of mainspring - and that was all that was said. I can't really see any changes that might be practical but sometimes the obvious is going right by.

Another is to cut the lever tip off (No 3 action) and reweld it to resemble the Miller/Haas style, but I have not seen any photos of changed Ruger actions . I have several De haas books but photos this style of lever are sparse even in the books. To get it right I'd like to see as many examples as possible.

Cheers

Yes, I can imagine one could be rid of the foreend hanger; however, from the drawings, it appears the current coil main spring is arranged to lower sear contact forces at full cock; a vee main spring would take less room but would increase this force. I recall the hanger also carries the ejector mechanism. A flanged cartridge woundn't need all the fancy mechanism in the extractor, and some hunters (eg. J Taylor) consider ejectors of limited value.

i posted several pics over on 24 hr campfire several months ago on two number threes that i have done. on one the action was scalloped and the lever modified and the other one the lever was modified. leupold had one in their catalog one time where a savage 99 lever was fitted to the action. my modifications to the lever was explained above. i cut off the end and weld it to the lever. i'll try and find the original pics and post them here if i can figure out how.

If you are going to do a custom No. 1 or No. 3, one very nice touch is to have the safety recessed into the receiver. It makes the lines of the action much more attractive than the standard safety sitting on top. Another very nice touch, which is shown in one of Steven Dodd Hughes' books, is to convert the lever into a sidelever. It's an amazingly graceful change.

With regard to the No. 3 lever and pistol grip stocks, the nicest levers I've seen cut the lever off at the top of the curve and weld the section on to the bottom rear, largely following the lines of the No. 1 lever, but without the release mechanism contained in the No. 1 lever.

I know that both gunmkr (Steven Hughes) and Mark Stratton have built custom No.1's. I've seen examples of their work and it is impressive. I'm sure Chic Worthing has stocked several No.1's that has had custom metalwork done. Also certain that Scrollcutter has engraved more than a few. You could PM or email those guys and ask, as all are members of these forums. Might get more attention if you post this question in the Gunsmithing Forum here at AR.

quote:

Originally posted by Tentman:
Hello Guys

I'm real interested in seeing pictures of or hearing about custom rifles that have started as Ruger #1's or #3's, especially #3's. There seems to be a dearth (practiaclly zip) of material on the web that I can find regards these, but maybe I'm just looking or asking in the wrong places.

I'm especially interested in lock and action/lever work.

Cheers - Foster

My conceptual custom No. 3 adds a pistol-grip style stock, and has the lever altered by fitting it to the curvature of the front face of the pistol grip, and having it inletted into this face. The tip of the lever projects down beyond the bottom of the grip cap, and is also inletted into a groove cut into the front edge of the grip cap, where a small grasping knob is located, A'la Martini. It has a 26" medium-weight octagon-to-round barrel with a quarter-rib for the scope and the three-leaf "express" rear sight, and is chambered for a rimmed round, like the 8X75RS giving near-8mm Rem. Mag. performance.

This rifle is still an as-issued .30/40 Krag, and has been awaiting customization for about 30 years now!!

Here are the two custom #3 actions that max(hm2) did (I hope you don't mind me sharing, max). I'm finishing my own as we speak and it's quite different... no pictures yet...

http://photobucket.com/albums/b132/irklemm/?action=view...rent=3levermod_1.jpg

http://photobucket.com/albums/b132/irklemm/?action=view...rent=3levermod_2.jpg

no i don't mind you posting them. i originally posted them for people to see and you managed to get them up on this site.
thanks, max

quote:

Originally posted by max(hm2):
no i don't mind you posting them. i originally posted them for people to see and you managed to get them up on this site.
thanks, max

Very nice, guys!

This was a #3. How you get from there to this is very complicated process,

quote:

Originally posted by gnmkr:
This was a #3. How you get from there to this is very complicated process,

Not to mention relatively expensive!!

quote:

Originally posted by Tentman:
I'm especially interested in lock and action/lever work.

Cheers - Foster

I have a friend who has converted a couple of Rolling Block actions to loop-style under-levers before his recent and ongoing serious illness. If I ever get around to re-doing a Number 3 lever and stock again, it will be to something like that...somewhat similar to a Winchester M64 lever...follows the pistol grip, but otherwise with a flatter profile but still full-loop lever.

Not exactly a "custom" #3, but my favorite!
It's wearing a B&C stock for a #1 (easy fit) and it's a 30-40 Krag. Loves cast bullets and accounted for much venision!

All the altered 3s seems to me inferior in looks to a standard 1.

I don't have pictures, but my pet rifle is a No.1 in 450/400 3". It has a heavy 24" barrel- heavier than Tropical Rifle contour. The loading port has been opened up to accommodate the big rimmed cases. I also had the safety button inset so the rims would not catch on it during ejection. To finish it off I had the action and lever color case hardened.

The best part is it shoots as good as it looks! The .411 400 grain Woodleighs are great. I also load it down to .405 Win ballistics with 300 grain Hornadys.

Here is a bad picture of some of the engraving I had done on my 17 PPC. I'll have to take a new picture now that the stock a d barrel work is done.