Just picked up my new rifle. I had been looking around for several months, and one popped up on Davidson's Gun Genie, so I ordered it through the cheapest shop in my area. Arrived in two days, and looks really nice. The stock is pretty good with a lot of dark wavy streaks and decent fiddleback, about 75% coverage on both sides and even fron side to side.

Question I had is, does Ruger ever use English Walnut on their No. 1's? Their specs call for black walnut on the No. 1, but I would swear this is English or Circassian on this gun. I make quite a few stocks, and buy pretty regularly. In fact, I grabbed a piece of fiddleback English I had purchased a couple of weeks ago, wt it down and held it up to the Ruger. It could have been a twin brother. I wonder if they may use left over Circassians from their specials (such as the Boddingtons) on their regular production? Color is not a reliable indicator, but this piece has the grain and structure of English, not black.


Also, does anyone know of a source for brass right now. Looks like it's sold out everywhere, and I'd like to try some loads.

Post a pic of that bad boy and we'll give it a go!

Didn't have time tonight. I'll try to put it up tomorrow.

Here are the pictures I took today. The color in the pix may be a little off. In person, the stock is a medium honey brown. It looks exactly like some of the stocks I have seen on the Boddington rifles. If it isn't English, it is most certainly fiddleback Claro. I have seen a lot of this (actually have a few blanks) from CA, and I think sometimes it gets mixed up by the dealers. I suppose any California walnut would qualify as "American Walnut", which is what Ruger specs on their website. The days of dark, crotch grained black walnut are over there, I think, as they are everywhere.

Black Walnut

Nice to see they used a piece with no stained sapwood.

I owned two, just sold one to another member here, and I love the way they handle, none of that heavy kick like a Lott or Rigby... Very nicely done rifles.

And the one you sold shoots well and handles nicely. It is also quite lovely to look at as well. This member couldn't be happier and thanks you as well.
Frank

Yep black walnut.

The 300 H&H is one I didn't win the lottery on, but I wish I had left alone.

I bought it at a gun show years ago; probably around 1980. It was a 200th anniverary (marked on barrel) varmint model 25-06 with the best wood I had ever seen on a Ruger (and at the time some of it was really nice. It wasn't odd to see hi grade wood on them). It had a 15X Unertl 2" Ultra varmint on it. I quickly sold the scope (for very little, at that time the top of the line Unertl wasn't in much demand.) I mounted a more modern scope, and proceeded to try to get it to shoot for a year. In frustration, I had a local smith turn down the barrel to a heavy sporter contour, and restocked it in fiber glass. It still wouldn't shoot, and in addition, turning it so drastically apparently warped the barrel to the point you could hardly get it on target. I, of course, had sold the stocks by this time. I pulled the barrel, and have had the action stuck in a corner for probably 25 years. It really shoots now, and the old trigger is great.

All said and done though, I wish I still had a mint bicentenial varmint rifle with a premium Unertl and exhibition quality wood (at the time I paid $350 for the rifle and scope). The scope would be in four figures today, and I haven't seen a bicentential No 1 for sale in so long I have no idea of their current value. Thinking how much I have spent on the gun, and how much it would be worth if I hadn't almost brings a tear to my eye. I just tell myself I got a lot of practice on it.

Don't know how, but this was posted to the wrong thread.

Jamison International should have,I just picked
Up a couple hundred cases myself 2 months ago
for my 450/400 a real nice handling rifle and
the wood is beautiful I hope this helps Art S.
Ed nyatiinc.com

quote:

nyatiinc.com

I went to them after I couldn't find the Hornady, and ordered some; turned out they had 20 rounds left in stock. Managed to find 40 more rounds of their brass at another source, and this is enough to start. The brass looked great, and seemed to load and function really well. It is quite a bit more than Hornady, though.