I recently got an older (1974) Ruger #1-B.  The finish was bad but the price was good.  It looks like some kind of a verethane finish.  Chipped out in places.  Scrapes off easily.  Way back when,  I had an early (22xx) rifle and I am sure that was an oil finish.  The other #1's I have here (turn of the century) have oil finishes.   Am I seeing an after market finish here?

George

Thanks for that information.  I compared it with an 1998  and a 2004 and the finish on the 1974 I just got doesn't look anything like either of them.  I'll take a picture next time I have the camera set up, but doubt that you would be able to see much.

George

if it is chipping  and coming off easy I'd guess its an after market job by someone who liked shiney and sprayed it on over an oil and it has started separating due to inter-coat adhesion problems and differential shrinkage

Definitely agree with DW's statement, looks like someone added new finish over the existing and they were not at all compatible.

J.Louis

That looks very much like what I got when I used polyurethane varnish over a  sanding sealer that contained stearate on some furniture.
Chuck

The finish is correct.  I have a 1-A that I bought new in 1975 and have hunted with ever since.  The finish is glossy and peeling in places, just like yours.  As a side note, Ruger sure put some nice wood on those early Number 1's.

OK, if that is an original finish, how the heck do you "repair" it if that is even possible.  The two #1's I bought in 1967 or 8 had oil finish and the wood was pretty plain.

George

I see tiny scratches in some of the divots, and in a couple of places I see scratches in the remaining finish running beyond the divots. All the scratches appear to be pretty much parallel. I see here a finish film that was compromised, allowing some agent--maybe just atmospheric water--to penetrate and start the process. Sometimes the new gee-whiz plasticized finishes are very thin, and scratches that are hardly noticeable get the destruction started.

It's right that you can't repair this damage. You have to remove ALL of it and begin again. Been there with furniture. Manufacturers who use the stuff are fixated on the bottom line, and see their products almost as temporary throw aways. It's certainly the case in the furniture world. Not much being built these days with a mind to things still being in use by the buyers' heirs in a couple of centuries.

As I mentioned in the earlier reply, my 1A,that is very similar to yours, has been hunted with since it was purchased new in 1975.  The flaking finish is worst around the edges of the checkering and much like yours over the rest of the stock. As a hunting rifle, it has been exposed to rain more times than I can count.  My personal opinion is that any defect or edge that isn't water tight lets water soak in and results in the finish lifting from the wood.  That is just an opinion, but I am 100% certain that it is the original finish.

I had an early #1 with an epoxy finish that caused pitting at the wood line. Sent it back to Ruger and they scraped and replaced the rifle. It was a 458 tropical. New gun didn't even come close in finish or performance. This was a comon problem with this group of rifles.
Tom