Ruger boxes and time frames

OK, my google-fu is weak right now.

Is there a listing of the box colors and time frame when they were used out there somewhere?

I know for my Six series revolvers they used the white hinged box with the shape cut out from 1970 to 1974-75. Then came the Red/white, Red/black and Yellow/black finishing it out. But I'd like to know the timefames if possible.

Thanks for the help.

You need to subscribe to this! It has all the information that you want and then some. Well worth the money.

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=30544

I have been a subscriber for about 5 or 6 years now but I don't recall a comprehensive listing of boxes/time periods but I might not have looked deep enough.

As Chad list the different variations of the different guns he usually mentions the different box changes. Unless it a special box or something it's just a causal sentence in the description and one has to look close to pick it out.

Chad! This would be a great article for your next issue. Give us a break down of the different box changes for the different guns.

yes, I've never seen a 'breakdown' of the Security/Speed/Service and Police Six models, know the white ,one piece ,fold up box was first, then a variety of red ( maroon) red & white ones, then finally the yellow /black of the early 80's, till the grey case came out.......BUT these double actions fluctuated in box types,colors,mainly any and all info was on the shipper or the end labels.....Yes, Chad I agree each section of the
Reference guides should have a better,more specific,when and what of the boxes...most of this wold be "fill in" or maybe just a complete?? box section?? but that would be a bit more confusing bunched together ,just my .02 cents...........easier to "add" a sentence or few words to the types as one goes along in each model OR at the end of the "catalog" breakdown info at the start of each section ( type and models)
Ha Ha, all of this easier said than done !!!! :wink:

Ron, you are one of the few guys we know that actually collect double actions, go through your "collection" see what model/type is in each box/shipper, if you have any "letters" ( shipping info) note the dates, put it all together , and forward it to Chad...there you go ,I did the editing portion of this project 8) ....and gratis

you too Terry, as well as any and ALL 'other' double action "collectors" maye one of your displays has all of this "noted & compiled"???? if NOT, it should be !! haha more "display hints"....boy ,I'm getting quite good at this................ :roll:

Dan, what a great guy you are .

I have the white fold up, red/white, red/black and yellow/black and ALL have labels on the ends so I could use those to reference back to a serial number vs year, but that won't necessarily give me a start and end date on when they were implemented. However it is a start and I guess I'll start doing some more investigation.

I am willing to work on this project so if anyone has any input/information just PM me with it and I'll start compiling and I'll pass the info on to Chad to add to anything he has.

I would think that the different colored boxes (actually all boxes) were used across the board by Ruger. I know that early on there were specific boxes for specific models and I am willing to try to catalog those also if the info is sent to me.

According to RENE the white box for the Six series was used until 1974 (maybe 1975) then the change happened. I would assume (but that can get you into trouble I know) that if Ruger stopped the white box in say 1975, they probably stopped using it for all their guns (but maybe for certain guns they wouldn't change until that stock of boxes was depleted). So, some guns might have changed in 1975 and others maybe earlier or later.

However, I am willing to be the point man for the box use dates (unless Chad has a good start on this already then I'll filter any info I get to him if he wants).

This actually started while I was prepping my display for the July 2016 OGCA show. I didn't want to just show the different boxes but wanted to give a little background info on when they were used by Ruger. Thus my question.

Thanks in advance to anyone/everyone for any help they can render.

Ron,
The best info I can gather comes straight out of Chad's Reference,,, he inserts "Box Notes" when ever a change was noted through out it.

Roughly serial number range of where box changes were noted, these also over lap. But again with Ruger they have been known mix things up now and then. :wink:

Best,
Terry

Thanks Terry, I'll start by rereading the Reference and the RENE's that I have a lot closer and see what I can determine.

street said:

As Chad list the different variations of the different guns he usually mentions the different box changes. Unless it a special box or something it's just a causal sentence in the description and one has to look close to pick it out.

Chad! This would be a great article for your next issue. Give us a break down of the different box changes for the different guns.

Click to expand...

Good idea...not sure I'll have the room to slip it in the August issue, but I can do this.
Chet15

RoninPA said:

Dan, what a great guy you are .

According to RENE the white box for the Six series was used until 1974 (maybe 1975) then the change happened. I would assume (but that can get you into trouble I know) that if Ruger stopped the white box in say 1975, they probably stopped using it for all their guns (but maybe for certain guns they wouldn't change until that stock of boxes was depleted). So, some guns might have changed in 1975 and others maybe earlier or later.

Thanks in advance to anyone/everyone for any help they can render.

Click to expand...

Here's the problem, Ruger used different boxes concurrently. White boxes were usually fill-in if colored boxes were out of stock. I bought several blue and stainless six series guns in the first year 1973 and 2nd year of New Model production and all are reddish/orange with flip top lid.

But their colored box inventory apparently couldn't keep up with production. And they always seemed to have the generic white boxes in stock as back up.

Hondo44 said:

RoninPA said:

Dan, what a great guy you are .

According to RENE the white box for the Six series was used until 1974 (maybe 1975) then the change happened. I would assume (but that can get you into trouble I know) that if Ruger stopped the white box in say 1975, they probably stopped using it for all their guns (but maybe for certain guns they wouldn't change until that stock of boxes was depleted). So, some guns might have changed in 1975 and others maybe earlier or later.

Thanks in advance to anyone/everyone for any help they can render.

Click to expand...

Here's the problem, Ruger used different boxes concurrently. White boxes were usually fill-in if colored boxes were out of stock. I bought several blue and stainless six series guns in the first year 1973 and 2nd year of New Model production and all are reddish/orange with flip top lid.

But their colored box inventory apparently couldn't keep up with production. And they always seemed to have the generic white boxes in stock as back up.

Click to expand...

I wonder if the white fitted boxes were kept around generally for police or other contract orders, although the white boxes could be used for civilian orders as well? Those don't have a shipping sleeve (do they?) and were shipped in case lots. With such orders Ruger probably could have figured the guns would get straight to law enforcement and the sleeves would have been thrown anyway. Would make sense to generally send civilian orders out in red hinged boxes with the outer brown shipping sleeve.
Just thinking about an explanation.
I know Ruger did the same thing with the P85. Law enforcement got yellow hinged boxes. Civilian shipments got plastic boxes.
Chet15