Ruger No. 3 production numbers

Unsure if any one has already posted about this but... What's the break down on approximate numbers of No. 3s by caliber? I'm sure 45-70 probably makes up %50 or more of all made but what follows?

Thanks

Hornets, .223s, .30-40s are fairly common. .375s are scarce. Hardest one to find is probably the .44Mag.

Wasn't there a Kraig too?

Coincidently, I saw one today at a local gun show. Only $695.

wunbe

wunbe said:

Wasn't there a Kraig too?

wunbe

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That would be the 30 40 and I recall that that was a relatively short run in total. Somewhere, someone stated that the 44 mag was the shortest run and the 30 40 was next shortest. "RUN" for me, is the number actually built and not a focus on the time frame or calendar. 8)

Introduced in the 1973 catalog in 45-70, 30-40 and 22Hornet.

Starting serial number 130-50,000 ending serial number 130-70,344 in 1979.

From 1980 through 1986 they were intermixed with the #1. When last cataloged total production had exceeded 30,000.

That's the production figures. Or at least according to the Wilson book and my catalogs.

Calibers: 45-70 1973 - 1986
30-40 1973 - 1980 This is the catalogs. Wilson says they were disc in 1978.
22H 1973 - 1982
223 1980 - 1985 This is again in the catalogs. Wilson says 1978 - 1985
375 W 1979 - 1980
44M 1981 - 1986

Of course we have no real source of numbers by caliber but just looking at the time each was cataloged you can draw your own inferences.

Yes, there may be a few in odd ball chamberings and FOB rifles. These are the Cataloged" chamberings and the catalogs they appear in.

RWT

The No. 3 should never have had the silly carbine butt and it should have been offered in 30-30.

Altho it will never happen a new No. 3 with shotgun butt and in 30-30 and 45-70 would be interesting.

I purchased a pair of modified #3's at auction a few years ago.......a 30 40 with #1 B wood, and a 22 Hornet with front sight removed, rear sight blanked, and #1 A wood. Both are well done, very attractive, and tho a "big" Martin Auction, very nicely end priced........Very frankly, I suggest the restocking of the #3 with B or A model wood..................... 8) I plan on doing so with a 223 when I find one.......... :wink:

I have 4 that have been rebarreled and restocked into #2s.

I like the lockup point of the action and the ability to modify the lever.

3 started life as 22 Hornets and one was a 223.

One is an AH with old Bishop wood on it with a check piece and a shortened AH forearm in 257AI, It wears the one piece Conetrol base and Conetrol rings with a 22" stainless fluted Shilen tube turned to the factory "A" profile.. The lever has been modified to follow the curve of the pistol gripwith a small curl at the tip to work the action with your little finger..

#2 is another 257AI but with factory "B" wood with the pistol grip removed so the wrist/butt stock is now straight wristed in the English style. The SB forearm has been slimmed and shortened to 9" long with an ebony tip. The lever has been modified to follow the straight wrist with just a small half circle at the tip to pop the action with your little finger. It's got a factory "B" barrel and rib.

#3 is still a 223 but with "A" wood and a "B" factory factory 223 barrel turned down to "A" profile. The lever on that on is unmodified due to zero or near zero recoil.I built this BEFORE they made the short run of 223 "A"s or before I found my 223 "AB" which now wears a AH forearm.

#4 is a 7-08 made using a stainless factory "B" 7-08 barrel. The weight and profile were left factory but shortened to 22" . It wears a factory sighted rib and a factory front sight off an "H" to fit the barrel. The forearm is another shortened and slimmed down SB. The lever is modified to follow the pistol grip with just a small hook at the little finger to work the action.

Why go to all the trouble. When your missing a few fingers and your left wrist doesn't bend, you do what you must. ;-)

That said I can't imagine firing any #3 in any chambering that recoils heavily. I don't see how you keep from getting the snot knocked out of you, especially your finger behind the curve in the lever.

I have exactly the same problem with my Winchester/Browning 78s that have a lever that seems to be exactly the same as the #3 lever. All have had the lever modified. I don't have the stones to shoot the bigger ones with the factory lever shape. I have a 30-338, 280, 25-06 and a 22-250 and other than the 22-250 all have had the lever modified. If your really want to wrap your knuckles/fingers try a factory Winchester in 45-90 from 1919 loaded balls to the wall. ;-)

There never seemed to be enough price difference between the #1 and the #3 to make it worth while to buy a #3 back when a guy was looking at a new rifle in the 70s or 80s..

The closest I ever came to a serious scope ding was with a #3 that had been punched from 375W to 375 H&H. A friend made it for a "quick/light elk rifle. He left the #3 wood on it.. I shot it one time and my shoulder said never again plus I felt the scope objective JUST touch my eye brow. Later that afternoon the owner crawled the stock a bit and ended up with 11 stitches in his brow and 6 in his nose. Not a good stock for a heavy recoiling rifle. IMO

RWT

A while back I got a Ruger #3 customized in a 41 mag, with a 26" SS Barrel and 1B wood.

Now that long barrel just did not make a lot of sense to me so I have had it bobbed down to 22". Also, I found the #3 lever to be wholly useless on a 1B stock as it did not allow room for the right hand on the pistol grip. And shooting with that hand on the lever allowed for some side to side movement I hated.

So my local smith has modified the lever by cutting it off where it almost touches receiver behind the trigger, reshaping, and welding the removed tag back on the bottom curve of the trigger guard ala Dakota single shots. I just saw the near finished product on Friday. Looks great.

Regards,

wunbe

I have some No. 2s as well, but I still like what is to my eye the classic lines of the No. 3 carbine.

A pic of a classic from 1873 and a classic 1973 version:

cellar701 said:

I have some No. 2s as well, but I still like what is to my eye the classic lines of the No. 3 carbine.

A pic of a classic from 1873 and a classic 1973 version:

Click to expand...

Great photo and you make a great point. I like the simple classic lines of the No. 3 as well.

Seems, late at night, with the minimal remainder of a somebody's brandy manhatten, that like a late night tryst with a present (now), but long lost lover, where your gentle hand is placed, makes all the difference "about that lever".....Hope some of you Older Guys follow that............. 8)

index finger goes on the trigger, no problem. Social/middle finger goes in the curve behind the "trigger guard", no problem. Ring finger and little finger go behind the curve and under the lever. I defy you to shoot it in anything that recoils that it doesn't smack the heck out of your ring finger..

If left straight wristed you can cut the end off the lever and re-weld it to run along the stock with a flare down at the tip to work the action. Easiest way to modify and not get your finger hammered. If you use #1 wood or an aftermarket stock with a pistol grip it's a slightly different modification.

Am I the only guy that has unlatched a #1 in his coat or vest pocket while hunting with a #1?? I put a big red rubber band to hold the lever closed while hunting and then just break it in the process of working the action.


RWT

cellar701 said:

I have some No. 2s as well, but I still like what is to my eye the classic lines of the No. 3 carbine.

A pic of a classic from 1873 and a classic 1973 version:

Click to expand...

Like an Edsel?

:wink:

HAWKEYE#28 said:

Seems, late at night, with the minimal remainder of a somebody's brandy manhatten, that like a late night tryst with a present (now), but long lost lover, where your gentle hand is placed, makes all the difference "about that lever".....Hope some of you Older Guys follow that............. 8)

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I follow you. . .


vaguely. . .


or is it barely?




My No. 3 inventory consists of a JK Cloward custom rifle in 222 Rem., a 223 that I had rebarreled with a 375 Win. Ruger factory barrel from Numrich (still have the 223 barrel too, so it can go right back to original in short order) that now has nice aftermarket stocks, and I am still on the lookout for the elusive 44 Mag. or maybe a 22 Hornet, though I have 2 No. 1 Hornets and a slew of other Hornet rifles.

A 22 L.R. #3 would be nice too!

Agree, and a number of us have lobbied for it. However, some time ago, an reliable company Insider advised that while Ruger had studied the feasibility of a .22 caliber rimfire for the #1 action/rifle/model, "it would never be produced, due to it's cost, weight, and need for design modification(s)"(paraphrased, amongst other comments)

Just a little heads up. I,m going to be posting a col
lection of no. 1s and no.3s on the buy/swap forum in the next few days. All are 70s production and all are safe queen quality.

Always looking for unmolested No. 3 guns. And parts.
And gunsmiths who have experience - experience being the key word here - working with them.

winchester348 said:

Just a little heads up. I,m going to be posting a col
lection of no. 1s and no.3s on the buy/swap forum in the next few days. All are 70s production and all are safe queen quality.

Click to expand...

Did these ever show up here?