Lipsey's Exclusive 1-A in 275 Rigby

No. 1 and No. 3
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PhantoM14
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Lipsey's Exclusive 1-A in 275 Rigby

Post by PhantoM14 »

New Guy -- First Post.

I notice a Topic from 2017 with almost the same Subject. But ...

Does anyone know about the prospects for the current, Subject listing on the Ruger site? I've asked the Ruger Customer Service desk and at Lipsey's multiple times over the last several months - but always get the same brush-off that no one knows. Someone must know something or Ruger would remove the listing. There must be some intent. BTW, I want one of these. Anyone else?
K1-RSI (.308Win); 1-A (7x57: 200th Anniversary of American Independence); 1-B (7mmRM); 77Hawkeye FTW (7mmRM); 77/22 (22LR)
ElNumeroUno
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Re: Lipsey's Exclusive 1-A in 275 Rigby

Post by ElNumeroUno »

They still show up on the Lipsey's site because Lipsey' has an open order for them. Now, as to whether they will ever be made? that is the question!!
El Numero Uno
Serious Collector of Early & Rare Ruger No.1 Rifles
www.classicsportingarms.com
Hawkeye28
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Re: Lipsey's Exclusive 1-A in 275 Rigby

Post by Hawkeye28 »

Seems that new manufacture Number Ones have not occurred for well over two years, if my cryptic notes and discussions with Jason C of Lipseys are correct. :roll:
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PhantoM14
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Re: Lipsey's Exclusive 1-A in 275 Rigby

Post by PhantoM14 »

I’m resurrecting this thread because I’m still interested in the subject No. 1. It is also still listed on the Ruger website. (The PC Carbine in 40 S&W was recently dropped from there, so they try to keep the website current.) I’m thinking with the annual SHOT show coming up, someone here might be able to attend and ask Ruger what is happening with No. 1 production.

That aside, some months ago I did find a nice 1A in 7x57. To sweeten me to the buy, it is a 200th Year gun. Have not shot it yet – winter in Wyoming and all; I’ll wait until spring. Even so, it’s a new favorite.
1A - 7x57 - 200YR.jpg
This is my first gun in this caliber so I looked for some ammo. Pickings are slim at best. All the local gun shops laughed when I asked what they had in 7x57. So, I bought some online – some Privi, Federal, Remington. All 140 stuff, but I did find a Federal in 175gr. With the Ruger having a 1:8.75 twist, the 175gr should do pretty well.

I’ve also picked up the Redding FL die and seater. Been reading to find out what the favorite powders and bullets are. Seems Win760, Reloder 16/17, and IMR 4350 are some favorites. We had some Win760 locally. Bullets? I have some ELD-X 150gr I’ve used in the 7RM, so I’ll start there.

As this 1A is my first “vintage” No. 1, I’d love to hear about differences from the “modern” (recent production) No. 1s. For example, I understand that the checkering used to be hand cut. True on this one? When did they go to machine “engraving”.

Also, I found it curious that in Clayton’s book, in the table in the back, he did not list the 7x57 for 1976, but does make reference to 7x57 in 200th Year Rifles in Chapter 9. What is the story behind that?

Sorry to have rambled on so long. I probably should have started a new thread with my questions, but we’ll see what comes from this. (I'm trying to figure out the best way to post pictures.)
K1-RSI (.308Win); 1-A (7x57: 200th Anniversary of American Independence); 1-B (7mmRM); 77Hawkeye FTW (7mmRM); 77/22 (22LR)
zebra55
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Re: Lipsey's Exclusive 1-A in 275 Rigby

Post by zebra55 »

the 200 yr liberty guns were produced with two different butt stock checkering patterns as this was tne year they moved away from the older scallopped pattern to the newer one thats on the guns today. not sure if they used the stocks in order they were produced as we know the reciecers were not by the non prefix serial numbers showing up on V guns which were not made until later. Anyway my point is I never heard of a 7x57 liberty gun ever having the older style checkering pattern, which may indicate they were not produced until the end of the run, if you get a letter from Ruger you would know the date it was made...
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PhantoM14
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Re: Lipsey's Exclusive 1-A in 275 Rigby

Post by PhantoM14 »

Thanks zebra. I've recently sent to Ruger Records for authenticity. Will post what I find out.
K1-RSI (.308Win); 1-A (7x57: 200th Anniversary of American Independence); 1-B (7mmRM); 77Hawkeye FTW (7mmRM); 77/22 (22LR)
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PhantoM14
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Re: Lipsey's Exclusive 1-A in 275 Rigby

Post by PhantoM14 »

Still kicking this thread around. Fitting, given the sleepy nature of No. 1 activity these days.

Anyway, I did hear back from Ruger about my 1-A 200-year gun. It was shipped to Brownell's in June of 1976. It does have the "new", 1976-introduced checkering pattern as in Photograph 5-5 of JD Clayton's book.

Related to the 7x57mm chambering, it appears there was a major (?) change by Ruger in the mid- to late-seventies. I came across this in an article by Dave Scovill, the former Editor-in-Chief of Rifle magazine, in the Fall 2012 Rifle magazine Special Edition on 7mm cartridges and guns. He compared the chambering of a mid-seventies M77 in 7x57 to a mid-1980s Remington Model 700 in 7x57 and a M77 MKII in 7x57. Apparently, sometime in the mid- to late-70s, the historic, .495-inch leade for the 7x57mm military round (standard since the 19th century) was abandoned for a shorter .267-inche leade in the M700 and .25-inch leade in the M77 MKII. This (longer leade) situation probably favors longer, heavier, flat-base bullets in the older, pre-change guns - a Speer 160-grain Hot-Core, Hornady 154-grain Spire Point, or Nosler 160-grain partition, for example; over a Sierra 140 boat-tail or Speer 130 flat-base (in the extreme) if seated to one caliber -- considering the dramatic difference in probable freebore. I'll have to assess this for my 1-A, but I expect it to have the longer leade. (But this might explain why the Federal 175-grain Power Shok, factory load shoots slightly better for me.)

Everyone probably knows this situation, who has any familiarity with the 7x57, but I certainly didn't. This is apparently one of the interesting aspects of dealing with historic guns - me not being in any way, a collector, though.

There is one other thing I'm still assessing about my 200-year 1-A: who was making the barrels in that era? So back to doing research on this for me; starting with the JD Clayton book.

I'll be back sometime.
K1-RSI (.308Win); 1-A (7x57: 200th Anniversary of American Independence); 1-B (7mmRM); 77Hawkeye FTW (7mmRM); 77/22 (22LR)
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Piranha451
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Re: Lipsey's Exclusive 1-A in 275 Rigby

Post by Piranha451 »

zebra55 wrote: Fri Jan 13, 2023 4:56 pm the 200 yr liberty guns were produced with two different butt stock checkering patterns as this was tne year they moved away from the older scalloped pattern to the newer one thats on the guns today. not sure if they used the stocks in order they were produced as we know the receivers were not by the non prefix serial numbers showing up on V guns which were not made until later. Anyway my point is I never heard of a 7x57 liberty gun ever having the older style checkering pattern, which may indicate they were not produced until the end of the run, if you get a letter from Ruger you would know the date it was made...
I believe you are correct in your assessment that they were not produced until the end of the run in 1976 as the first year of the No. 1 in 7x57 being catalogued is 1977.
Nahanni
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Re: Lipsey's Exclusive 1-A in 275 Rigby

Post by Nahanni »

Here is a pic of my 275 Rigby. With express sights and with scope
Attachments
20170505-CBlyth-P5050012-1.jpg
20170722-CBlyth-20170722-CBlyth-20170722_160412-1-1.jpg
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