BKH-46 Chrome Blackhawk

What is the consensus on this one?

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=392488400

I'm pretty sure the factory didn't stamp the "S" on the barrel, and I can't tell from the pic if it's so stamped on the frame near the serial number.

I'd say a factory letter is mandatory on this one.

JMHO

Screw holes show quite a lot of dish. Not what you would expect from Ruger. I had some chrome guns Tusconite polished in prep for plating and they didn't show dishing close to this.

Ale or cmattson, were you able to find the S on the bbl?

Letter definitely a plus here.

not a bad plating job, cannot see any "S", and its odd they would plate the grip screw ,but not the cylinder pin, nor the latch assembly.....hhhmmm
Yessir, they ALL have a story................ :roll:

think of the price of a 44 flattop and the price of getting ANY gun 'plated' all in all not a bad price, sum of the total of the 'parts'........ :wink:

The chrome guns I got from Tusconite were Single Six's, RSS4 and RSS9. Obviously they were not factory but I got a lot of enjoyment out of them. This one could easily fall into that same category and would be cool to have if it was priced just a bit lower.

I see no "S" on the barrel, but the pics aren't that good.

And I'm still pretty sure Ruger didn't stamp the barrel.

There MAY be an "S" after the serial number, but I'm not sure.

RENE only acknowledges ONE 6-1/2" chromed .44 Flattie . . . and this ain't it.

Dougan confirms a single one as a 1958 "show gun".

All that said . . . with Ruger, "never say never". The plating shop was right across the street.

:mrgreen:

Serial number is 23062. There is a mark of some kind right above the base pin. Kind of looks like an S. He does not have a factory letter confirming the chrome, but the guy he bought it from showed him a "book" that indicated it was factory, but the "book" did not stay with gun.

Somebody just had an OM 3 screw Chrome plated and decided to sell it? Maybe it was a Bill Ruger special project gun.

As far as I'm concerned, it's another of those that, for the right price, would be a heckuva conversation starter.

Without a factory letter, it's just a homebuilt. Lost provenance is an age-old story.
Sorry.

- I have a pair of glossy nickel-plated Bearcats. Perfect and beautiful, but I hold no delusion about them being "factory".

Maybe someone knows which Ruger site or supplier ever even had plating tanks for nickel, copper, or chrome???

Chrome guns are appealing to me anyways! Someday I may get one. ps

One never knows, and yes they are "different" and YES, theyALL have a story......reminds me of a Single Six, we bought years ago at the Columbus,Ohio OGCA show, guy had a sign on his back "Chrome Ruger Single Six for sale" and I got it for $200 and I asked him "what makes you thinks its 'chrome, they chrome bumpers and nickel plate guns"...he laughed and said he had the box at home and it had a "Chrome" white sticker on the box....this was back in the early 70's, no big deal as to "plated" guns and at that price he was not trying to sell us a pig in a poke....shook hands , he said he'd bring the box to the next show ,yep, I should have insisted on and gave him some money to ship me the box, and to this day never heard or got anything............alas the gun did NOT "letter" and Steve Vogel, was sent some pictures and he said the next time we got together he would look it over,make his own determination/opinion, needless to say Steve passed away, and to this day Laura would not ever think about selling it,it is what it is...........and ANY flatgate in the #19,000 serial number range is worth WAY more than $200 !!!!! :roll:
Dan M ( the Sultan of Shine) can certainly attest for the "niceties" of plated guns 8) :wink:

Photo needed of the "S", pls.................. 8)

I hear ya Rugerguy.....I gots one myself.....an OM-357 with a "prefix" serial number, an RX3 grip frame, and what "looks like" ivory grips.
There's no debating the "history" of this one because the fact is, I had it nickle-plated years ago and the grips are actualy made from holly wood.
Getting back to the topic at hand;
I suppose that I could install a pair of black eagle medallions on mine, list it on an auction site, and call it a "rare factory plated, transition model".....but my principles wouldn't allow for that. Some folks though, well let's just say that ya gotta watch some folks......

......Buy the gun, not the story.

DGW

"......Buy the gun, not the story."

Absolutely.

looks more like a "B"..............but even if it was an "S", its NOT the spot where Ruger put their marking, ONLY the Hawkeye, has an "S" out of the barrel. and that was rotated 90 degrees, and on top,front of the frame.........

rugerguy said:

looks more like a "B"..............but even if it was an "S", its NOT the spot where Ruger put their marking, ONLY the Hawkeye, has an "S" out of the barrel. and that was rotated 90 degrees, and on top,front of the frame.........

Click to expand...

Correct, Dan, and that was a proof mark, as the chamber on the 256 WM Hawkeye was in the barrel. Of course, the Blackhawks are "S" marked on the barrel end of the cylinder, as the cylinder is in fact a set of chambers......... 8)

23481 is documented as being a factory chrome BKH46. Pretty close to the example in this thread. So if Ruger's letter program were up and running again, would be interesting to see how this one letters.
Chet15