Project Goal: Ruger No1 in 460WBY for Speer AGS Tungsten Solids

[TTundra]

A #1 converted to 460wby just sold on GB for $2800. The #1 in Lott (tropical) have gone for $1400-$2000 recently.

Purely financial perspective, if you can have the work done for less than $700, you lose nothing in terms of value (Depending what you into this rifle). Quite possibly, doing the conversion can actually increase the value.

It can be done, and if it's what you want to do, go for it. There was a gentleman named Avi (?) On youtube that had a few #1s in the heavy hitters. Good videos to watch first.

 

[Certus]

A #1 converted to 460wby just sold on GB for $2800. The #1 in Lott (tropical) have gone for $1400-$2000 recently.

Purely financial perspective, if you can have the work done for less than $700, you lose nothing in terms of value (Depending what you into this rifle). Quite possibly, doing the conversion can actually increase the value.

It can be done, and if it's what you want to do, go for it. There was a gentleman named Avi (?) On youtube that had a few #1s in the heavy hitters. Good videos to watch first.

1tufgun I think.

Found it:

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

1tufgun I think.

Found it:

You can see that hurt him, note the hand wringing.

 

[Certus]

You can see that hurt him, note the hand wringing.

Yeah didn’t look too comfy.

.416 Rigby in a No1 was the first big bore rifle I ever shot.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Well, that's my goal. I have a Ruger No 1 in 458 Lott and love it, but kinda want a bit more horsepower. It's a novelty for sure. I also have 50 of the African Grand Slam Tungsten core 500gr Speer projectiles that I have been saving for this project.
I've seen Rugers rechambered to 460 Weatherby, but have been unsuccessful in finding a gunsmith to perform the work to my rifle. The ones I've seen have been the blued/walnut variety which is pretty, but I like the tropical versions better.

So, anybody have recommendations on who in the states can do the conversion? It would have to be rechambered and the extractor work done.

View attachment 584387View attachment 584388View attachment 584389

@adamsredlines
Do you want to take on an charging Abraham's tank with those tungsten solids. I reckon the would have plenty of penetration for the job
Ha ha ha ha ha
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Do it! And if you don’t like full throttle Wby just slow it down to the Lott levels again and have that low pressure everyone loves.

@Certus
That would be like having a dadge Viper and driving it in first gear. Where's the fun.
Not my shoulder so bring on the fun.
I fired 3 shots out of a 460 and that cured me of wanting to have more fun
Bob

 

[Riflecrank]

Being able to easily beat the SAAMI .458 Lott with non-SAAMI, long-loaded .458 WinMag handloads,
and despising the .458 Lott, I rechambered my stainless/laminate Ruger No. 1-H to .450 NE 3-1/4".
The 450 NE reamer cleans up a .458 Lott chamber nicely for classic NE ammo.

Aye, the .577 NE rim is the biggest you can do on a Ruger No. 1, because it becomes impossible to get the extractor/ejector to function with any bigger rim.
You could go bigger if you want to knock the fired brass out with a ramrod.

But there is the issue of the holes drilled in the barrel for the studs and screws attaching the quarter rib.
The bigger diameter .460 WbyMag chamber might communicate with those holes.
Those hole depths may be variable if a Monday morning or Friday afternoon factory production.

Also, the Ruger No. 1 barrel shank is a bit on the wee side anyway, 1.14" to 1.15" diameter is about the greatest that will fit to clear the forearm hanger. A standard 1.20" to 1.25" diameter barrel is too big, or may require some thinning/weakening of the forearm hanger.
A re-barrel is definitely a better idea for a .460 WbyMag.
Then why not just go on to .510/.460 WbyMag aka .500 A2 ?
That worked great for me.
Easy to turn that 9-pound rifle into a 10-pound rifle that way, with a heavier barrel.

And besides, the tungsten cores will pencil right through the bullet jackets on impact
at too high velocity with a .460 WbyMag.
Better use them at lower velocity, unless you just like torturing your target with deep pinholes
and superficial wounds from the jacket remnants.

 

[Mike Van Horn]

I didn’t like shooting a #1 in 375 H&H, only shot it twice. A 460 wby, NO!!

 

[PARA45]

1tufgun I think.

Found it:

Ouch, that looked very painful. No thanks!

 

[jlb1036]

I would recomend rechamber to 450ACKLEY mag that will give you extra
horse power you can drive those 500 grs to 2350-2400 fps in a 23'' bbl
over 6100 ft/lbs energy
I shoot tqo buff with my brno 602 450ackley excellent results

 

[Rafiki]

Aye, the .577 NE rim is the biggest you can do on a Ruger No. 1, because it becomes impossible to get the extractor/ejector to function with any bigger rim.
You could go bigger if you want to knock the fired brass out with a ramrod.

I've been curious about the many 20ga Ruger No 1's that periodically show up; NECG has one. The rim of a 20ga is larger (.766) that a .577 NE (.748) so that would certainly be even more of a problem.
The ejector does need some work for sure; my 50-90 Sharps rim is .663 and I was skeptical that we could get that to properly work. The Weatherby (.579) would not be so much of an issue.

But there is the issue of the holes drilled in the barrel for the studs and screws attaching the quarter rib.
The bigger diameter .460 WbyMag chamber might communicate with those holes.
Those hole depths may be variable if a Monday morning or Friday afternoon factory production.

Maybe, but I doubt it. These re-chamber jobs have been done before.

Also, the Ruger No. 1 barrel shank is a bit on the wee side anyway, 1.14" to 1.15" diameter is about the greatest that will fit to clear the forearm hanger. A standard 1.20" to 1.25" diameter barrel is too big, or may require some thinning/weakening of the forearm hanger.

This is the problem that I ran into. The new barrel being a bit fatter requires such a modification to the hanger. Under recoil the hanger broke at the tip where the fore-end screw attaches to the hanger. The fix is to dovetail a recoil lug to the barrel and screw the fore-end to that. In my opinion this is how it should be from Ruger anyway.

A re-barrel is definitely a better idea for a .460 WbyMag.
Then why not just go on to .510/.460 WbyMag aka .500 A2 ?
That worked great for me.
Easy to turn that 9-pound rifle into a 10-pound rifle that way, with a heavier barrel.

This thing will be punishing but you can make an entertaining YouTube video.

 

[Forrest Halley]

I've been curious about the many 20ga Ruger No 1's that periodically show up; NECG has one. The rim of a 20ga is larger (.766) that a .577 NE (.748) so that would certainly be even more of a problem.
The ejector does need some work for sure; my 50-90 Sharps rim is .663 and I was skeptical that we could get that to properly work. The Weatherby (.579) would not be so much of an issue.

What's the operating pressure difference between the 20 gauge and .577?

 

[Rafiki]

What's the operating pressure difference between the 20 gauge and .577?

I think a 20ga is about 12,000psi, something like that but this was about the #1 being able to handle the rim size.

 

[Forrest Halley]

I think a 20ga is about 12,000psi, something like that but this was about the #1 being able to handle the rim size.

Well the rim size that can be handled at a higher pressure will be smaller is my thought with the comment. I was having difficulty finding the pressure of the .577 NE round.

 

[Riflecrank]

Rafiki,

Here is the NECG link where they say they have stopped doing the "20-bore" conversion on Ruger No. 1:

NECG RUGER No.1 20 Bore Slug Gun - UG-369, Guns | New England Custom Gun Service, Ltd.

"NECG RUGER No.1 20 Bore Slug Gun - UG-369​

Price: $3,895.00
LAST ONE! NECG Ruger No.1 20 Bore Slug Gun. 26" fully rifled barrel. Outfitted with NECG Classic Ramp with Folding Hood, NECG Classic barrel band swivel and a custom rear sight scope base system with an NECG "Half Moon" sight. 30mm Talley rings are included. Factory wood with 13 1/2" LOP. 7.8 pounds. The NECG / RUGER NO.1 Conversions have been phased out. This is the last one. Please email us at info@necgltd.com for more information on this gun. "

Lack of demand or mechanical failures ?

The .600/.577 NE uses a .620-caliber bullet, like the .600 NE.
Works on a Ruger No. 1, with the smaller rim of the .577 NE and altered case body taper.
A 20-gauge rifle barrel uses a bullet of 0.615" diameter.
A 20-bore Ruger No. 1 could certainly be done similarly, with the smaller rim diameter of the .577 NE case.

I am truly interested in how they did that. "20-bore" Ruger No. 1.
Did it handle standard 20-ga shotshell ammo ?

My Gunsmith is a mechanical engineer by university education and work experience,
and he is a gunsmithing Wizard.
He tried to get my Ruger No. 1 to handle the shotgun shell rim of 20-gauge.
Had he stopped at .577 NE rim it would have been a breeze for him.
I scrapped the idea and that Ruger No. 1 got turned into a .45-100-2.6" Sharps with a .458 WinMag throat, aka .45-70 Elko Magnum of CIP homologation.
I still have the "20-bore" rifle barrel,
and might someday get it put on an 1874 Sharps replica, chambered for the 20-gauge 3.5" brass hulls.
No problems with the rim size there, the Sharps extractor works fine on something that big.

A lot of Remington Rolling Blocks were done as smoothbore 20-ga shotguns, but I think they used only a 2.5" hull length.
It is tricky to get a Rolling block to handle the longer cartridges in .45-

 

[PerH]

.450 Ne

500 grain 2450 or so In the nr 1 and higher . Seen data for 2500 fps aka start load for .460 Wby . But same recoil impulse as an .460 it had

 

[Rafiki]

Rafiki,

Here is the NECG link where they say they have stopped doing the "20-bore" conversion on Ruger No. 1:

NECG RUGER No.1 20 Bore Slug Gun - UG-369, Guns | New England Custom Gun Service, Ltd.

"NECG RUGER No.1 20 Bore Slug Gun - UG-369​

Price: $3,895.00
LAST ONE! NECG Ruger No.1 20 Bore Slug Gun. 26" fully rifled barrel. Outfitted with NECG Classic Ramp with Folding Hood, NECG Classic barrel band swivel and a custom rear sight scope base system with an NECG "Half Moon" sight. 30mm Talley rings are included. Factory wood with 13 1/2" LOP. 7.8 pounds. The NECG / RUGER NO.1 Conversions have been phased out. This is the last one. Please email us at info@necgltd.com for more information on this gun. "

Lack of demand or mechanical failures ?

The .600/.577 NE uses a .620-caliber bullet, like the .600 NE.
Works on a Ruger No. 1, with the smaller rim of the .577 NE and altered case body taper.
A 20-gauge rifle barrel uses a bullet of 0.615" diameter.
A 20-bore Ruger No. 1 could certainly be done similarly, with the smaller rim diameter of the .577 NE case.

I am truly interested in how they did that. "20-bore" Ruger No. 1.
Did it handle standard 20-ga shotshell ammo ?

My Gunsmith is a mechanical engineer by university education and work experience,
and he is a gunsmithing Wizard.
He tried to get my Ruger No. 1 to handle the shotgun shell rim of 20-gauge.
Had he stopped at .577 NE rim it would have been a breeze for him.
I scrapped the idea and that Ruger No. 1 got turned into a .45-100-2.6" Sharps with a .458 WinMag throat, aka .45-70 Elko Magnum of CIP homologation.
I still have the "20-bore" rifle barrel,
and might someday get it put on an 1874 Sharps replica, chambered for the 20-gauge 3.5" brass hulls.
No problems with the rim size there, the Sharps extractor works fine on something that big.

A lot of Remington Rolling Blocks were done as smoothbore 20-ga shotguns, but I think they used only a 2.5" hull length.
It is tricky to get a Rolling block to handle the longer cartridges in .45-

My rolling lock is 45-90 (2.4"), barely clears the hammer. You would probably need to reshape the hammer spur. Rollingblocks wee made for 50 years and there are many different shapes of hammers.

 

[Riflecrank]

Similar to shaving down the top of the hammer on a RB to allow the longer cartridge to angle into chamber,
you have to shave down the top of the falling block and internal walls of the Ruger No. 1 to get a 20-gauge shotshell rim to work.
No thanks.
If 460 Wby Mag has gross H20 of 140 grains,
then the 450 NE 3-1/4" has about 129 grains H2O gross.
The 460 Wby Mag has about 0.740" length of parallel-sided free-bore.
The 450 NE 3-1/4" has zero PSFB and a narrow and abrupt leade, so basically no throat.
I suppose modern 450 NE 3-1/4" brass handles pressure well, but not as well as the Norma-made 460 Wby Mag brass.
The Ruger No. 1 action strength is not an issue, as long as it has not been thinned out for too big a rim.

 

[Rafiki]

Similar to shaving down the top of the hammer on a RB to allow the longer cartridge to angle into chamber,
you have to shave down the top of the falling block and internal walls of the Ruger No. 1 to get a 20-gauge shotshell rim to work.
No thanks.

Yeah, but that has nothing to do with the 460 Wby.

If 460 Wby Mag has gross H20 of 140 grains,
then the 450 NE 3-1/4" has about 129 grains H2O gross.
The 460 Wby Mag has about 0.740" length of parallel-sided free-bore.
The 450 NE 3-1/4" has zero PSFB and a narrow and abrupt leade, so basically no throat.
I suppose modern 450 NE 3-1/4" brass handles pressure well, but not as well as the Norma-made 460 Wby Mag brass.

The freebore of the Wby is long to bleed off pressure which is not a problem with the 450 NE 3-1/2" unless you are trying to make it something it's not. If so you could certainly reconfigure the throat/freebore/leade to fit your purpose.

The Ruger No. 1 action strength is not an issue, as long as it has not been thinned out for too big a rim.

I say again, the rim 460 Wby rim diameter is not an issue.

 

[Riflecrank]

And I say again that I have a Ruger No.1 that is chambered for .460 WbyMag necked up to .510-caliber, a .500 A-Square.
But I had the throat lengthened to seat the 750-grain Hornady A-Max bullets out to a COL of 4.75", so I call it the .510 JAB.
A modest load with 750-grainer at 2150 fps from a heavy 27" barrel lands on target at 942 yards with a 5-mil holdover.
That cow pasture shooting was from a sit with a tall bipod.
No weakening of the action with that, aye.
With custom barrel no drilling into the chamber to mount a quarter rib either.

With a simple re-chambering of a .458 Lott
there may be weakening of the chamber since the studs and screws holding onto the quarter rib
have their holes drilled right over the chamber.
Better to get the custom barrel and have your gunsmith use a quarter rib or longer Picatinny rail with solder or J-B Weld over the chamber and any screws farther forward on the barrel.
Get that custom barrel made with the shank cylinder lengthened to 6" or more long for a level mounting of rib/rail.
That is what I did.

You can find videos on the internet of Bubba shooting his .460 WbyMag Ruger No. 1 that
was made by a simple re-chambering of a factory .458 WinMag or .458 Lott.
Good for a few stunt shots on a video.
You never know when the quarter rib might blow off the top of the barrel.

Any Ruger No. 1 re-chambering requires pulling off the quarter rib and measuring the depth of the holes over the chamber area.
Then subtract that depth as well as 1/2 of the chamber diameter from 1/2 of the barrel diameter at that point, to see how many thou of steel remain to plug that chamber gas port.

I have had the quarter rib loosen on a factory .475 Linebaugh Ruger No.1.
After that I prophylactically J-B Weld the quarter ribs on any Ruger No. 1 that kicks a little.