Ruger No. 1 357 Mag

[PoochyCor]

My Dad has a Ruger No. 1 .357 Mag (originally made for the CHP) that he bought new in the early 80's. It's been fired around a half dozen times but the box is long gone. He wanted me to see if anyone out there has an interest in buying it. So, does anyone have an interest?

Thanks, Cor

[mrcorporate]

Do you have any pictures of the weapon?

[Your Mentor]

"(originally made for the CHP)"

Could you please explain this. I'd never heard this regarding a Ruger single shot.

[PoochyCor]

I'll have Dad take some pictures and have those out in a few days.

Dad said you'd have to call Ruger directly to get the history of the #1 .357, but when he bought it he was told it was produced for the CHP and then he called Ruger directly, recently, and had that confirmed. It's not a commerative.

The serial # starts with 132-4XXXX.

[Your Mentor]

Okay. Well just for the record, we've NEVER carried a Ruger No. 1 in .357 mag. That's why I asked for some info. If it was produced as a test gun, I've never heard anything about it. A single shot .357 would be pretty useless in the field, especially since only officers who bought their own .357's carried them. The department issued .38's. I doubt, seriously, that such a production was 'for' the CHP and I bring that up because I don't want candidates buying something based on your statement when it is simply fiction. Before making such statements please research the fact. We need to protect forum members from frivilous advertising. If you can substantiate the claim, then do so, otherwise, kindly retract that statement in your post.

[Chippysgt]

I don't remember the year. I am thinking it was the late 70s but there was a Ruger Number 1 offered for sale in .357 caliber. I think it was a CAHP commerative rifle and I think it was advertized in the APB. There was also a Buck knife with CHP engraving, I have one of those as well as the commerative .357 and .38 pistols.
I am a little fuzzy on the details but I am pretty sure it was an association deal. I am positive that it was not a department firearm.

[Your Mentor]

Thanks Sarge. That's interesting and obviously puts the rifle into perspective. So there was a commemorative version of the rifle but the non-commemorative version was not made for a CHP contract. I was just protecting our membership.

Now that you bring up commemorative firearms, I wonder why we haven't seen any in several years. There was the S&W 1006 commemorative which was issued when we thought we were going to the 10mm; just before the advent of the .40 S&W. Was there a 4006 commemorative? That would have been worth the money as compared to the upcoming buyback.

[PoochyCor]

I don't know the history behind the production of the gun. I do, however, know that my father was told by the seller in the early 80's that the rifle was produced in the .357 caliber for the CHP and that he recently contacted Ruger Firearms by phone was told the same thing. Do what you will with that information, but a call to Ruger on your part might help clear up your issues with the accuracy of my post.

[PoochyCor]

Was only able to find the 2 following posts on web sites:

??Last Thursday I bought the first gun from that collection. A Ruger No. 1 Light weight with Henry fore end in 357 Magnum caliber. Turns out, they tell me, after further research, that 1,800 of those rifles were made in that caliber and 1,400 of them were marked with a group insignia, that of the California Highway Patrol. I had my choice between one of those so inscribed rifles or one with no insignia on it. I went for the one with the best wood, in fact, beautiful wood, a nice light and dark contrasting burl, and that turned out to be one with no insignia. My ongoing love affair with good wood thus led me to a very lucky choice. Why? Ruger only made 400 of those particular rifles, in that caliber, so I got a relatively rare one?.?

Above From http://www.naaminis.com/discus/messages/2/3103.html?1157386379 [/i][/i]


Q:
I have a Ruger #1 California Highway Patrol limited edition in 357 cal. with the wheel and wings emblem of the CHP engraved on it. Can you tell me how many were made and current value?

Stewart

A:
Stewart, the CHP edition was a limited run, only 1,820 total produced. My collector price info only shows them at about $600-650, which is just about the normal price for a #1. I have seen them listed recently for $800-850 but do not know how well they sell at that price. Depends on the gun's condition and what the market may bear.
Above From: http://www.gunblast.com/QA2.htm

My assumption is that the 400 unmarked are also CHP editions but I found nothing to definitively state that.

[Chippysgt]

To the best of my knowledge there was never a 4006 commemorative. When I came on you had to buy your own gun. Most opted from the S&W Mdl 19 or the Colt Python. The Smith was about $93 and the Python was about $125 as I recall. There was also a S&W Highway Patrolman but it was a real hog leg, not lean and mean like the other two. It was about $75. Then in the late 70s they gave us S&W 38s but we could still carry our own as long as it would hold the .38P+. Carrying .357 ammo was against policy. What was that they said about rather being convicted by 12 than carried by 6. When they finally went to the .40 we were able to buy the .38 and it was pretty cheap for a stainless 6" so I bought it. The only other guns in my three decades was the Remington 870 and the Mini 14 but they were only for remote areas after that guy got badly outgunned on the Willits Hwy.

Again, to the best of my knowledge the California Association of Highway Patrolman (CAHP) is the only one who has ever commissioned and sold commemoratives and that was the 357, 38, Ruger 1 and the Buck Knife in presentation case.

I think it might be easy to confuse the CHP with the CAHP but I am pretty sure what I am saying is accurate. By the way, Ruger 1 are collectors rifles and they seem to fetch a decent price. They were produced in many calibers but the only one associated with the Highway Patrol was .357.

[PeckerHead]

Hey, YM. Don't you remember our old LT tried to sell us a couple of those limited edition Ruger No. 1's. I think my response was like yours, what good is a single shot .357? Now if they were .45 tommy guns....! :biggrin:shock:ubt:

[Your Mentor]

I remember the LT (how could anyone NOT remember him) and his collection of commemoratives. Don't recall him trying to sell me a gun but you were always buying and selling stuff back then. I remember carrying a .357 though. What a great round. Remember night shoots? What a muzzle flash! Lit up the entire desert landscape. I wish we had a choice now.

[PeckerHead]

YM, those were the days. But that quad speed loader pouch for my .357 always got in the way of the seatbelt in the Mustangs. What's that thing Don Johnson was carrying on Nash Bridges, a .38 super? Still haven't used that .357 Sig you gave me. Wonder why the Department never tested the Para Ordinance P-16?

[Chippysgt]

You guys are getting me all nostalgic with all that salty talk. .357 muzzle flash, yeahhhhhh:evil:

I got an e-mail this morning from CAHP retired director Jim Mortenson. He goes back far enough to make me look like a rookie and he confirmed that the Ruger Number 1 was an collectable offering from the CAHP so as far as I am concerned that is the end of the story.

[Your Mentor]

Don Johnson carried a Bren Ten; the first commercial 10mm.

I gave you a .357 Sig? I thought I traded the two I had through Roger.

[bcjack]

I searched the Sturm, Ruger home and got no info on a CHP or CAHP gun of any kind...

[Chippysgt]

It was a long long time ago and it was not the most popular item the CAHP ever offered. Most of the people working for Ruger were probably kids or not even born when it was made. You would probably need to talk to the historian.

[VFR Chippie]

:evil: All this talk over commemorative-this and department-issued-that!!! Where are the photos of this still-elusive firearm?

You better find the proper motivation, or I will...well, I can't finish that in this forum. I'll let a PT instructor take over the rest for me. :badgrin:

PHOTOS: POST 'EM!!

[x MAIT]

:evil: All this talk over commemorative-this and department-issued-that!!! Where are the photos of this still-elusive firearm?

You better find the proper motivation, or I will...well, I can't finish that in this forum. I'll let a PT instructor take over the rest for me. :badgrin:

PHOTOS: POST 'EM!!

You need to look at the date of the link. It has been dead since October 2006.

[Yzeman]

Altitude sickness....

[Chippysgt]

http://www.jamesdjulia.net/firearm/oct04/images/thumbs/52857.jpg
View (http://www.jamesdjulia.net/firearm/oct04/catalog_detail.asp?Details=52857)251 $1,150.00 *SCARCE RUGER NO. 1 SINGLE SHOT RIFLE. Cal. 357 Mag. SN 132-48492. Fine single shot rifle with 22” tapered rnd bbl with Ruger brass bead ramp front sight and 1/4 rib with folding sight. It has 2-pc, very nicely grained American walnut wood with Alex Henry forearm, pistol grip stock with Ruger thin red pad. Accompanied by its original white 1-pc cardboard box. Not one of the lot made for the California Highway Patrol. CONDITION: As new, appears unfired, retaining virtually all of its original bright factory finish to both metal and wood. Crisp mechanics and brilliant shiny bore. Box is fine. 4-52857 JR519 (800-1,200)

The point is that there was a referrence in this 2004 article to the lot made for the CHP. I have looked high and low since I knew this rifle was made and offered for sale, I believe, through the CAHP.