Never a #3 !

[6pt-sika]

I've had perhaps 30-36 Ruger #1's over the last 30 years but I never owned a #3 .

Someone had a #3 on Gunbroker that started life as a 44 MAG think the gun was circa 83 or 84 and it has since had the chamber run out to 444 Marlin . So I decided it just might need to become part of my "accumulation" . Gun was sold with 75 pieces of NEW R-P brass , set of RCBS dies , a box of some commercially cast 310 grainers , a box of REM factory loads and a box of Hornady factory loads .

Person in Utah I purchased it from put it in the mail today hopefully I'll have it by monday .

[gamekeeper]

That sounds like it will keep you busy for awhile, congratulations....

[Pete44ru]

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Many .45-70 Ruger #3 owners can't deal with the recoil, due to it's light weight (I didn't have a problem with the 3 I once had, but YMMV).

If any #3 owners find they need one, there's a recoil pad out there (for all Rugers with the carbine roll-over buttplate) that's a direct/drop-in replacement for the BP.

They're fugly, but cheap ($12):





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[GunnyMack]

The butt is the one thing that has prevented me from getting a #3, just doesn't look right!
I've always liked #1's, only have one now, it's a .218 Bee that I got for a cool $350! LNIB, Bushnell scope( crappy 3-9), couple hundred pieces of once fired brass... HOW COULD I WALK AWAY FROM THAT DEAL!!
I did a bit of tinkering to the forend, glass bedded receiver to wood and a piece of oil soaked leather under the barrel for up pressure and BINGO a 1/2" 5 shot group at 100! Now if I only had a place to groundhog hunt.

[barbarossa]

I had a Ruger no 3 in 44mag and while it was a great little gun and I took a few deer with it I was not happy with the looks and especially the plastic butt plate.I have replaced it with a no 1 in 303 british

[Pete44ru]

The butt is the one thing that has prevented me from getting a #3, just doesn't look right!

I've altered a couple of #3 carbines to have a PG buttstock (the "S" lever will work, with proper/classic PG shape & position), and (after tossing the forend barrel band) reshaped the forend to the Ruger Alexander Henry style (as in the Model 1-S) forend tip.

Checkering, however, is not my forte' ……………



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[Blaine]

The recoil on my buddy's #3 45-70 was, IMO, brutal.

[6pt-sika]

.

Many .45-70 Ruger #3 owners can't deal with the recoil, due to it's light weight (I didn't have a problem with the 3 I once had, but YMMV).

If any #3 owners find they need one, there's a recoil pad out there (for all Rugers with the carbine roll-over buttplate) that's a direct/drop-in replacement for the BP.

They're fugly, but cheap ($12):





.

This #3 once 44 now 444 has that not that great looking pad already on the gun .

[AJMD429]

I bought a No.1 in 7 mm Remington Magnum many years ago but never really warmed up to that cartridge in that gun.

I thought about rebarreling it in 45-70 but then I got to thinking 444 Marlin would be even more unique...! That design just seems perfect for a large-bore rimmed straight-walled cartridge of some sort.

If you really like the No.3 as a 444, then maybe I'll bump that project up from 'probably never get around to' to 'possibly some day....'

BTW.....were there any "Ruger No.2" rifles...??

[6pt-sika]

I bought a No.1 in 7 mm Remington Magnum many years ago but never really warmed up to that cartridge in that gun.

I thought about rebarreling it in 45-70 but then I got to thinking 444 Marlin would be even more unique...! That design just seems perfect for a large-bore rimmed straight-walled cartridge of some sort.

If you really like the No.3 as a 444, then maybe I'll bump that project up from 'probably never get around to' to 'possibly some day....'

BTW.....were there any "Ruger No.2" rifles...??

It might be a better option for you to purchase one of the new #1S guns in 44 Mag and run a 444 reamer in the chamber . Lipseys has the #1B in 257 Weatherby with a 28” pipe , I’d actually like to try one of those . Had a 257 Weatherby before in a 700 CDL and liked it well enough.

[Bill in Oregon]

6pt, I hope you are happy with your No. 3. Like you, I have had many No. 1s, but never the little fella. I expect with heavy handloads your .444 will deliver all the punch you want -- from both ends.

[Ji in Hawaii]

Never owned one before but from what l have heard the No. 3 lever can bite your fingers in the more stoutly recoiling rounds. I personally preferred the looks of the No. 3 over the No. 1.

[6pt-sika]

This will be more then likely a cast only gun . But my cast loads are usually fairly stout , but with that being said I don’t perceive a recoil issue until I get to maybe 350 grainers . I EXPECT to work up loads to and including 375 grainers . At the moment I have a couple new NOE molds for s 434-234GC in FP and HP versions , since that’s a totally new mold to me I may very well start with that one . But I’d say I’ve got something in the neighborhood of three dozen 44 GC molds from 207-375 grains . So this could be a year or two with load development and I just might not hunt long enough to kill a deer with each of those different bullets .

[6pt-sika]

Never owned one before but from what l have heard the No. 3 lever can bite your fingers in the more stoutly recoiling rounds. I personally preferred the looks of the No. 3 over the No. 1.

I believe I’ve only had a few #3’s in my hands over the years . The two that stick out the most were a 45-70 I’d actually gone to a shop to buy when I was 17 I think and my pop talked me oughtta buying , coulda bought one new that day for $159 plus tax that was 1978 . The other was in 30-40 Krag at a local gunshop , someone ordered it and never came back coulda bought that one for $185 plus tax that was 1983 . Had my hands on several used ones but nothing that stuck out , to be honest of all the original chamberings the #3 was available in only the 45-70 , 375 WIN and possibly the 44 MAG intrested me .

[wolfdog]

I have had a #3 in 45/70 for awhile now, about 15 years or so. It is a great woods carbine. It has one advantage for me over the #1, the lever has a fairly stout detent to stop it from opening as opposed to the #1's lever release button which has been know to be bumped and drop the lever at the worst time . The recoil will get your attention though.

[6pt-sika]

I have had a #3 in 45/70 for awhile now, about 15 years or so. It is a great woods carbine. It has one advantage for me over the #1, the lever has a fairly stout detent to stop it from opening as opposed to the #1's lever release button which has been know to be bumped and drop the lever at the worst time . The recoil will get your attention though.

Not to argue your point , but I've got a #1H in 375 H&H and had 1H's in 416 Rem Mag and 458 Win Mag and i personally never had that problem .

[Lefty Dude]

My #3 Ruger carbine was in 375 Winny. I took several Deer & a 3 point Bull Elk with the piece. Then I had it re-barreled to 30-40 Krag.
This was the best choice I ever made, for a custom rifle. This piece was very accurate, shot 190 gr. Noslers like a lazer. Took many more Deer & Elk with the piece. My hand load was right up there with a 308, close to a full case of IMR 4350.

[wolfdog]

I have had a #3 in 45/70 for awhile now, about 15 years or so. It is a great woods carbine. It has one advantage for me over the #1, the lever has a fairly stout detent to stop it from opening as opposed to the #1's lever release button which has been know to be bumped and drop the lever at the worst time . The recoil will get your attention though.

Not to argue your point , but I've got a #1H in 375 H&H and had 1H's in 416 Rem Mag and 458 Win Mag and i personally never had that problem .

Not a matter of recoil, when still hunting in brush it doesn't take much of a twig to release the lever, had it happen with a 30 .06 #1 A I used to have a couple of times. #3 has never done it.

[6pt-sika]

The #3 finally showed up today and it looked ok . It actually felt pretty good with that abomination recoil pad . I bought an old Redfield one piece mount for the thing and hopefully it’ll appear later today . My plan is to get a scope mounted tonight and maybe 8 or 10 loads for tommorrow .

[6pt-sika]

Thevtriggerd at about 3 1/2 pounds . I may try and work on that later . 2-2 1/2 would suit me better