question about paste-over box labels

I think it has been discussed before, but..
if you have an old model box with a new model paste-over end label, what is the best way to remove the new model label and not destroy the original old model label? seems like lighter fluid was mentioned, but I cannot recall..

Hi I believe Contender posted about the lighter fluid I played with a hair drier but if it gets to hot the finish on the box starts to separate from the box if I remember correctly I think the lighter fluid was used for taking off the china marker and crayon numbers

Gramps

Lighter fluid works good. You just need to have patience when taking the label off. A little bit at a time...keep the fluid going on the gap between label and the box when taking it off and don't get too hasty or printed box paper will start coming with it.
What type of box/label is it and what's the sn on the box?
Chet15

it is a 2-piece box for a short barrel revolver..have not got it in hand yet, so do not know if the original box is a BKH34, BKH41, OR BKH44.. the new model label is for a 6" standard pistol..

I have a couple of those boxes. I kept the paste-over labels on them. Thought it would be something to ad to display. However I sure would like to know what is lurking underneath. Let us know how it goes.

Tommy, I have found that if you just squirt some lighter fluid on the label where the catalog number is located you can usually see through it enough to tell the original box type that is underneath. If you want to just leave it alone after you find out the original box marking, the lighter fluid will evaporate fairly quickly....no harm no foul! At least this has been my experience.
FT44

Bill thanks for that!

Just remember, those pasteover boxes are a lot rarer than just the printed box!
I know a collector in Washington who is putting a nice grouping of those together.
I know of two BKH30 boxes that were pasted over with small white 9-1/2" Single-Six labels...just enough to cover the pertinent info. They are still with the NIB 410xxx and 412xxx range Single-Sixes that came with them...would be a shame to break those away from the pair! Oh yes...the brown shippers are with those too!
One gun alone, even though it is a Single-Six, should top out somewhere between $2,500 and 3K in my opinion.
Chet15

Good stuff! That is part of the reason that I did not remove them. Sort of thought of them as an anomaly/sort of unique.

Also I think Ruger Guy may have a story that is the opposite: what was under the label was way more valuable than with it left on!

well, I got the box and the Standard Auto label came right off, in one piece with the hairdryer..it was a 45 Colt box, which is now for sale in the classifieds section...

I own serial # 464730 that was shipped in a Hawkeye box with the white sticker on the end that gives a model RS99X.
Also serial # 465420 that was shipped in a S-47 box with the white sticker on the end giving Model RS99X.
Both gun are numbered NIB to the boxes.
J/S

Hi I have RS99X that is in its correct numbered paste over Hawkeye box #465396 im going to leave it as is

Gramps

GRAMPS 51 said:

Hi I have RS99X that is in its correct numbered paste over Hawkeye box #465396 im going to leave it as is

Gramps

Click to expand...

Nice stuff!

tommygun said:

Also I think Ruger Guy may have a story that is the opposite: what was under the label was way more valuable than with it left on!

Click to expand...

Yeah...but if it has an RS99X label on the end of a Hawkeye box, that is always a Hawkeye box underneath. So I value a 464xxx-465xxx range RSS9X Single-Six at the price of a RSS9X of that vintage plus at least $500.
That Single-Six that Steve Ruger talks about #464730 used to be our gun. Munnell was the original owner and he took the RSS9X label off the end and sold us us the label with the gun, selling the Hawkeye box to somebody else.
So we had to find another Hawkeye box to go with the label.
For us its all about the originality because there is always a collector out there that is going to recognize the rarity of the complete package for what it is, and in my opinion give a premium for it.
Another example...Serial number 10 was shipped in a Super Blackhawk box with a Hawkeye label on the end. I've also seen pictures of writers shooting prototype Hawkeyes that were shipped in 10" black and yellow flattop boxes.
And I've also seen #200014 Lightweight Single-Six that was originally shipped in a .357 Blackhawk box, also to a writer.
There are a lot of examples I'd rather keep original...another is the first group of RSS4 4-5/8" Single-Sixes in the 134xxx range...all 1,000 guns believed to have been shipped Single-Six boxes without catalog numbers on the end. To me a separate package variation for the RSS4.
Chet15