O.M.Flattop .44 Production Numbers

Could someone tell me approx how many of each Barrel length of Flat top .44 mags Ruger made. 6 1/2". 7 1/2" and 10" Also how much would a shooter grade 6 1/2" flat top 44 be worth. There is one at a local gunshop on consignment for $650.00....good/ bad?

Well, almost 30,000 flattop 44's were made. It breaks down as follows;
BKH4... 15,550
BKH46.... 12,060
BKH47... 750
BKH40.... 1,500
Total.... 29,860

Reference guide; Dougans "Pistols & Revolvers, the Vintage years.

What's a BKH4 :?:

If it is decent shape it is probably an alright deal. 44 Flat Tops are pretty durn special and you don't see them in that price range often.

cherokee5425 said:

how much would a shooter grade 6 1/2" flat top 44 be worth. There is one at a local gunshop on consignment for $650.00....good/ bad?

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Condition, condition and condition dictates the value. All original parts? What grips? Some of the earliest .44's were shipped with the black "plastic" grips but the majority were shipped with varnished walnut XR-3 grips. Some of these walnuts had a "dimple or contour" near the grip medallion. Ruger marketed stag and ivory grips for these guns that were sold as accessories.
Presence of "Factory" stags or ivories can significantly enhance the value of the .44. Early .44's had thin triggers. Later guns had thicker triggers. Ejector housings changed during .44 Flattop production, as well.

flatgate

BlackEagle said:

What's a BKH4 :?:

If it is decent shape it is probably an alright deal. 44 Flat Tops are pretty durn special and you don't see them in that price range often.

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Same as a BKH-46. From RENE; BKH-46 (also designated "44 Blackhawk" 1956 to 1957, and "BKH-4" 1957-1959
I had to look it up also :wink:
Jim

I'll add a wee bit more info. The early centerfire revolvers from SR&Co. were either a 4-5/8" .357 or a 6-1/2" .44. Ruger assigned a catalog number of BKH-3 to the .357 and BKH-4 to the .44. When other barrel lengths were added to the line a bit more descriptive catalog numbering system was put in place.

flatgate

PS The Red Eagle News Exchange's Ruger Reference contains information about these guns plus a whole lot more!

Hey how many ANNIVERSARY 44 Flat tops were made ????? Bet more than the original :lol: :lol: :lol: RR.

radicalrod said:

Hey how many ANNIVERSARY 44 Flat tops were made ????? Bet more than the original :lol: :lol: :lol: RR.

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And, how many do you have?

I have a .357 and a .44 with a s/n ending in 636 and a pair ending in 100 and one .44 shooter.......

flatgate

That quote of 750 BKH-47 in JD's book is also off by a long shot. I'm not sure what the deal is there with Ruger's records, but that 750 just isn't right. Anybody who's had or seen 7-1/2" or 10" barreled flattops will tell you they've owned or seen a lot fewer of the 10" guns.
Through my research I've estimated 1,500 to 2,000 BKH-47 with the non-logo flattop barrel address and an additional 725 of the BKH-47 with eagle logo barrel.
Chet15

It's funny you bring that up chet15. I was answering that in the wee hours, (couldn't sleep) and it didn't seem right. I forgot to check on it, and later thought about it but wasn't at home. As always, mistakes can be made.