Early Ruger No. 3 single shot
Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2023 12:19 pm
Been looking for a nice, clean Ruger No. 3 single shot for many, many years, but they are hard to find now and when you do find one, they are pretty rough. After all, the No. 3 was the budget version of Ruger's much more expensive No. 1 single shot. As a result, a lot of No.3s were used a lot as utility guns, truck guns and so on. Oddly enough, though, No. 3s later became very popular with custom single shot gun makers who used the very simple, but very strong No. 3 action for custom builds. That and the fact that Ruger didn't make a lot of these single shots and prices on No. 3s run very high, now. Picked this one up at a gun show from a seller we know and trust and got it at a very, very reasonable price. Couldn't pass it up.
Mint condition Ruger No. 3, 1974, second year of production, no warning label, 45-70
I have also wanted a No. 3 Ruger because it's one of the lightest and handiest classic falling block single shots ever made. Weight is listed at only 6 pounds. Oh, I would love to have a Quigley Sharps in 45-70, but those run upwards of 12 pounds. NO WAY could I even shoulder one, now. Even a Winchester High Wall 45-70 is pushing 10 to 11 pounds. Just too much for this old granny.
What about recoil? True, the Ruger No. 3 in 45-70 is infamous for recoil when using tier 2 and 3 45-70 loads (and it is rated for tier 3 loads), but this one will be seeing mostly Tier 1 trapdoor loads. I used to shoot those in an even lighter 45-70 Contender carbine, no problem. Just added a leather lace on recoil pad on that Contender carbine and did fine. That same pad is a perfect fit for my No. 3
These earliest vintage Ruger No. 3s were not drilled and tapped for a scope or a peep sight, so no scope on this one. Will probably just go with a Skinner barrel mount peep or maybe even a red dot via the rear sight dovetail.
Can't wait to get out and shoot this one.
Mint condition Ruger No. 3, 1974, second year of production, no warning label, 45-70
I have also wanted a No. 3 Ruger because it's one of the lightest and handiest classic falling block single shots ever made. Weight is listed at only 6 pounds. Oh, I would love to have a Quigley Sharps in 45-70, but those run upwards of 12 pounds. NO WAY could I even shoulder one, now. Even a Winchester High Wall 45-70 is pushing 10 to 11 pounds. Just too much for this old granny.
What about recoil? True, the Ruger No. 3 in 45-70 is infamous for recoil when using tier 2 and 3 45-70 loads (and it is rated for tier 3 loads), but this one will be seeing mostly Tier 1 trapdoor loads. I used to shoot those in an even lighter 45-70 Contender carbine, no problem. Just added a leather lace on recoil pad on that Contender carbine and did fine. That same pad is a perfect fit for my No. 3
These earliest vintage Ruger No. 3s were not drilled and tapped for a scope or a peep sight, so no scope on this one. Will probably just go with a Skinner barrel mount peep or maybe even a red dot via the rear sight dovetail.
Can't wait to get out and shoot this one.