Ruger Ivory Grip Value

Hi All. Great forum. I'm a newbie but hope to visit often. I have a Ruger Single-Six (#28169) with elephant ivory grips. I'm thinking of selling the grips separately, then selling the gun with replacement grips. I've been told the grips are more valuable separate from the gun? Is that true? Not sure who to believe. What kind of value if sold separately? What is gun value with original ivory grips on it? Here's a couple pics of grips (Oops-having trouble inserting images--gotta work on that). Any feedback is appreciated.

Generally, REAL ivory grips run in the $400-$500 range. If Factory, I'd guess, maybe $600.

Just a WAG!

Welcome to the Forum, and yes , as a rule any add on things to any gun are not going to get their true value unless as noted above, they were "possibly" factory offered, and the gun is in awesome shape, has the box and all, the shipper, ,everything,THEN by all means it is a sum of the total of the parts, and you'd get TOP dollar, BUT normally this is NOT the case, it is "added" on, the condition of the gun is "normal" (average) and the grips are just that elephant ivory, and as such what the market value may hold for them.......if the gun is "average" shape flatgate, in the serial number range you cited, the gun is slightly more worth than the grips,,,I would sell them separately, IF this is the case...........if the grips are NICE, fit the XR-3 frames "well", and either have medallions or not will be somewhat of a difference...ivory grips are in the $400-500 for plain, GOOD fitting, nice "grain" in the ivory........then again, one never knows, a lady recently sold her husbands flatgate Single Six and it had factory stags grips and she got $250 for it, and she KNEW what her old man had paid ,years ago, for the gun, and the grips and it was less that $100,so she was HAPPY !!! :shock: sad really, as she gave it away..........yes, I offered the buyer 3 times the $250, and he just smiled....... 8)

BearBio said:

Generally, REAL ivory grips run in the $400-$500 range. If Factory, I'd guess, maybe $600.

Just a WAG!

Click to expand...

Authentic Sturm Ruger (XR3 w/early black eagles) elephant ivory grips are more
like $1,000+ if they change hands, which is not often.

Dan-

Thanks for quick response. Just to clarify: The $400-$500 value is for the elephant ivory grips alone (and yes they are in good shape, I believe Factory based on match markings on the back, quite beautiful)? The gun is in a HH Heiser holster. Based on the Heiser maker's mark, I believe the gun was purchased pre-1955. Not sure which way to go -strip the grips and sell separately, or sell the whole original package together. Got to figure out how to upload pics. Cheers.

Here's some photos of my Ruger. Based on Serial #28169 I believe it is 1955, 3- Screw, Old Model, 5 1/2" barrel, "Flatgate" w/Factory elephant ivory grips, frame marked "XR3" and ALCOA G, Heiser holster. In good shape, except for some scratches on back (see photo). I'm looking to sell the whole package, or sell ivory grips separate and replace them and then sell the gun.

Wow! a sweet outfit for sure. You wont have any trouble finding a buyer on that one. Good luck. I would put it on GunBroker with a high reserve and start it at $.01.
There will be a bidding war over it.

I sold a Winchester cartridge box containing 13 BP .44 WCF cartridges that way on GunBroker and it closed at $385.00. I was not expecting that!!!

Buckeye-

Thanks for comment. What do you think the whole package would fetch?

I have a bit of a hard time with $500 for a set of unfitted ivories. Not when I can get a new set, perfectly fitted to my grip frame for $500-$550. Like this set Nutmeg did for my USFA .44Spl this spring.

I think Nutmeg is getting $599 plus shipping for Single Action Ivory now.

Those don't look factory to me...but I'm no expert.

They are not factory, but they sure are one good looking set. I would think that a 550.00 plus price would not be out of line.

just as I had noted, there is a BIG difference in and from "factory" and just aftermarket grips, I've bought and sold many pairs just like the ones pictured and all in the $450-500 , as noted above ,"retail" if ordered new from a current maker would be in the $550-575,but we find them at shows and shops ,used, for less...
by the way, that is one NICE gun, and to me worth MORE than the grips..........you'll do just fine, and if someone 'added' medallions, those grips would be awesome......
yes, factory ivory grips are about 3 times those prices, my wife turned down over $1500 for hers,would sell them at NO price........

Here's my New Model .45 Colt 1979 vintage. Ivory chipped and repaired on the other side like it had been dropped. My favorite shooter. Not for sale now but after I tip over my daughter will probably sell it. It could be that one of my nephews will get it.

Nice gun, nice grips,, but sadly, not factory ivory grips. Still very desirable all around!

PM sent with question and opinions......... 8)

how do you tell if they are factory ivory?
the fit looks pretty good to me, I have a hard time thinking a factory production piece would be any where near as good as an aftermarket set custom fit to a particular gun unless back in the day when the factory was actually using ivory they had a skilled person who literally did fit each set to a particular gun.
What very specifically in the OPs pic was the tip off that they werent factory?

Thank you in advance for the education.

Factory ivories have Ruger medallions in them.

That said, not all ivories with Ruger medallions are "factory". There are MANY reproductions out there.

It takes close examination of the panels, including the back side, to attempt to identify real Ruger ivories. IMHO there are perhaps a half-dozen or so guys with the experience to do this, and even they don't agree sometimes.

Thanks you all for the comments. Someone had told me previously that during the early years of the Old Model (maybe 1953-1956) some of the factory ivory did not have the medallions. I guess that was bad info?

I've already had several interested parties contact me for all or parts of the package. Not sure what I'm going to do at this point. Serial $28169 along with the quality of the ivory seems to get folks excited. Even got interest in just the holster (I believe the holster was produced in 1954 or 1955). Somebody asked for a pic of the holster's maker's mark.

The holster is probably worth almost as much as the gun (sans ivory).