American Gunsmith

The Ruger #1 may be the perfect stock design, but the customer is always right! Here’s how to add a custom touch to the finest wood.
by Dominick Pisano

Back in the mid-1960’s Sturm, Ruger & Co. came out with the Ruger #1, a falling block rifle featuring a completely new action. It was an incredible move on Ruger’s part because single-shot rifles were not nearly as popular as they have since become. If you were interested in a single shot, be it a falling block or other action type, you were limited to the used gun market, such as Winchester High Walls and Low Walls, Stevens, and a plethora of military Rolling Blocks being given away at ridiculous prices.