Red Eagle found

I got this from a guy in WI and I don't usually buy sight unseen but it turned out good this time.
By My standards it was fairly inexpensive too. Serial #0256
Even had the correct mag. Now need to find a grip medallion for it.




Copy the IMG code link over on the right side of the page and paste it here instead of the page's URL. flatgate

nice one, don't forget to replace that front sight blade, they're still the same, the early ones were just a bit "cruder"???
good find, tough to get ones hands on any of them REAL low numbers......
the early 'two-piece' medallions will be about impossible to locate, most likely have to find another set of the early grips and swap 'em out....you can find some "beater" grips from time to time, but alas, if 'beat' that bad, those medallions break off real easy, as the do stick up, above the grips surface,not 'set in' like the later ,one piece medallions..........

Great find! Trying to find those in better condition is real hard since they were made in 1949-50 for $37.50 & most everyone bought it to use! J/S

Hey that looks GOOD compared to the way 0265 looked when I "rescued" it.... good find that needed a good home :lol: :lol: :lol: see ya RR.

Hey Rod, what about #187 red eagle? You still got that one? If I remember correctly, it was in need of lots of TLC.

Jody

Jody, that was 0603 that we made a deal on in Nashville.....heck I think I talked you into buying it at the pawn shop for 150 or something like that and offered you a finders fee if you would sell it to me.....you decided to keep it......at the show you wanted to buy a cut down 10 inch 44 Ft from Bill H and that's when we did the deal on the RE....we both went home HAPPY :lol: :lol: :lol: and I am still happy, thanks again....RR.

Neat old gun.

I believe I'd try shooting it before I replaced the front sight blade. It may have been filed down for a reason.

Or do we think this one's too old/rare to shoot? Concerns about the early design of bolt & firing pin?

I guess you are correct Rod. It was too long ago. Maybe I paid $187 for it. Either way, I was very new to Ruger collecting and should have let Dan take it home as a project for me. Oh well, bet I can find another!!

Jody

Hey I bet you can TOO.....660 out there minus the 6 I have and a few others I know of.....leaves a few to be found 0603 lives with his brothers 0155, 0265, 0383, 0448, 0449, and 0552.....just need a 2 digit gun to end the hunt :roll: :roll: :roll: see ya RR.

Doesn't that rear sight look a bit odd? Or did the oldest ones have a thicker sight like that? My dad has #13870, and it has the normal thinner rear sight.

Three50seven said:

Doesn't that rear sight look a bit odd? Or did the oldest ones have a thicker sight like that? My dad has #13870, and it has the normal thinner rear sight.

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All the early rear sights on the Red Eagle Standard were like that pictured, kinda like a Colt Ace rear sight, until about #12200 where they changed to the 1/2" dovetail type.
Chet15

I repeat my previous question . . .

Considering the known shortcomings of the original bolt and firing pin design, should this old jewel be fired, or just cleanded up and displayed for its historical significance??

Yes, I know the old bits can be replaced with newer stuff, but that's another question.

Ale I say save em lots of cheap RST4's to use.....only the first 2k had the early bolt.....buy a later Red Eagle and blast away......JMO and it is worth exactly what you pay for it.....NOTHING :lol: :lol: :lol: see ya RR.

I agree with RR!

Yep...don't shoot those early bolt guns. If you had a firing pin break, you could always make another one, but why go to the trouble.
Chet15

chet15 said:

Yep...don't shoot those early bolt guns. If you had a firing pin break, you could always make another one, but why go to the trouble.
Chet15

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I had the firing pins made for the bolts of two of the first model guns. They are not cheap, and the gunsmith said they are not easy to make. They needed to be hand fitting. The gunsmith used the firing pin out of Rugerguy's bolt as a pattern and he said the pin out of that bolt would not fit in either of my bolts. "THEY NEED TO BE HAND FITTED" I guess that was another reason that Ruger re-designed that bolt.

Shoot it if you like but if that pin breaks, you are in a lot of trouble. If you want to shoot it just use a later model bolt. After all that's what Ruger did when they received a 1st model gun with a broken firing pin. They replaced the complete bolt with a newer type bolt.

This gun #2806 was in worse shape than yours.
Rugerguy did an outstanding job of restoring her, she sleeps
in a one piece hinged box. :wink: I do not shooter her, she's retired.

Terry

Nice looking gun TA wish all mine looked like yours. That is a type 1A I take it.
How bad does that hurt the collector value after they are restored?

martyj said:

Nice looking gun TA wish all mine looked like yours. That is a type 1A I take it.
How bad does that hurt the collector value after they are restored?

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It would definately affect (lower) its collector value to most collectors. I just decided to restore her and give her to one of my granddaughters to go with her Red Eagle Target gun. I did not have alot in the gun and Dan did an outstanding job. My buddy has a 95% Type IA and if you handled both guns you would not know which was restored. Big difference between restored and reblued IMHO.
I didn't retsore her to make money or trick anyone I just wanted it to look nice!!! :wink: :wink:
Terry

To me, refurbishing a gun makes them look nice, but collector value drops way off I.M.O. because to me is the same as having a gun with zero original blue, which would only be shooter grade and not put into a collection.
Of course, there are always those who would rather have a reblued example of something they need in their collection just to fill a hole, but resale later is absolutely horrible.
Then...for those that are reblued and done right (right color blue, no polishing/buffing issues...looks factory) I guarantee that not even two to three generations from now somebody will be peddling them as a factory finish. That is the slippery slope and I'd just as soon see Ruger collecting be unadulterated. Unfortunately there are already a lot of nice guns in well-meaning collections that have been redone, but purchased as factory. Guaranteed it will cause a lot of tough feelings down the road. Just glad I don't have to experience it.
To put this in perspective with another hobby, coin collecting, just ask a seasoned collector what he things about "cleaned" coins..to make them look like new. To me is the same difference rebluing a gun, the shooter value remains the same but it is completely lost its collectibility.
I look at it like this, if one has the patience and the $, if somebody wants to add a collectible Ruger variation to his collection, just have the patience to wait....there are a lot of 95%+ "ORIGINAL FINISH" guns out there, you just gotta get out and find them. In the long run, you will be glad you waited.
Chet15