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Ruger #3??

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21 April 2004, 20:06
lubbockdave
Ruger #3??
I have a very nice ruger #3 in .223 sitting in the safe and like the gun the way it is but I was wondering...

I'd like to have a smaller/short stock 243 and have been playing with the idea of getting a NEF, or maybe one day a ruger #1 but then it occured to me, maybe I could get the #3 I have re-bored to 243. Is this possible? a good thing to do to this #3? and can any gunsmith do this? has anyone done this before? and can you rec a good gunsmith to do this?

thanks

Dave
22 April 2004, 00:36
Hairtrigger
I believe the 223 caliber in a #3 is somewhat desirable. I think you could pocket a few $$ if you take your time to find the right buyer and then look for a 243 priced right
22 April 2004, 04:08
<eldeguello>
Quote:

but I was wondering...

I'd like to have a smaller/short stock 243 and have been playing with the idea of getting a NEF, or maybe one day a ruger #1 but then it occured to me, maybe I could get the #3 I have re-bored to 243. Is this possible? Dave



It is certainly possible to have it rebored, rerifled, and rechambered to .243. However, only certain shops are set up to do reboring, which is in essence, barrel making using a prebored blank! The only company I have ever used for this service, the Atkinson & Marquardt Rifle Company of Prescott AZ is now out of business. Too bad! They did great work.
24 April 2004, 02:05
Jim_L
Keep or sell the # 3 as a collectable it is worth some money as there were not as many made in that caliber changing the caliber will cost you more in resale value than a H&R rifle will cost you if you do some serious price searching. Go for the H&R and leave the Ruger # 3 as is. Its too sweet a gun to be messed with. Plus with the H&R you can have extra barrels fitted to it at a later date in different calibers so you can try out almost any decent caliber for about $100 for new barrel and fitting. Its well worth it. Not as easy or simple as an encore rifle but somewhat cheaper and just as good a rifle and as accurate.
Jim L
25 April 2004, 06:21
Antlers
Keep or sell the #3 - it would be a shame to rebore it.