Stainless New Models

Bot my first New Model to keep ever this Fall at Tulsa. Gonna gather up few more and retire all the OM's and FT's. What yr did Ruger start making NM's in SS? What year did Ruger start putting all that xtra writing on the bbls? Thanks! Krw

we first saw stainless Rugers in around 1974 depends on which models, Old Army maybe 1975, and the "warnings" late 1978 and all of them in early 1979........Chad (RENE)would have a more "exact" date but like I say, it varied with each model...I do know the early stainless Old Army had a very porous stainless casting lots of casting 'pits', and had to try and polish up many of them in our shop back then, mid 1970s......... 8) :roll: :wink:

1974 is correct, with NM Super Single-Sixes.
Not sure when the first stainless .357's were shipped but may have been about the same time...the small batch of .357/9mm Stainless KBN-36X's were among the earliest shipped.
DA's probably were 1974 for the first stainless.
And the KBP7 Old Army was 1975.

Heard a story about stainless once.... old man WBR hated it but it was his wife who convinced him to do firearms in stainless... and the rest is history.
Chet15

Jan 1978 Barrel warning began on the left side.