Buckeye Special

Help Support Ruger Forum:

TINCANBANDIT

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
216
My Father just picked up a Ruger Blackhawk Buckeye Special (32 Mag/32-20) NIB with all paperwork etc...

What is this thing worth? Should he shoot it or leave it unfired?
 

Chuck 100 yd

Hunter
Joined
Mar 20, 2010
Messages
3,251
Location
Ridgefield WA
Is it a fine gun made to shoot or a paper weight meant just for looking at? If it were mine it would get shot and enjoyed for what it was made for,in my case , I would shoot it.
 

TinStarFirearms

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Yale, Oklahoma
I say shoot it. I think I read the sentiment on this forum or another that if he doesn't shoot it, someone someday will get the pleasure of firing it. I agree.

Andrew
 

tinman

Buckeye
Joined
Jul 19, 2015
Messages
1,814
Location
Texas
Read thru this thread from 2010 and see if it helps y'all decide. I'm thinking that since that gun was only made for one year and is NIB, you might wanna think about it as a collector to be stashed or sold then replaced with something a bit less rare to use as a shooter.

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=84223

And if you are going to shoot it here is a bit of history for ya:

http://www.sixguns.com/tests/tt3220.htm
 

cas6969

Buckeye
Joined
Oct 11, 1999
Messages
1,215
It would probably depend on what I paid for it, but I'd sell it to a collector for a profit and buy a used shooter if I really wanted another. Win, win, win.
 

jsh

Single-Sixer
Joined
Oct 6, 2013
Messages
321
Location
Kansas US of A
I have one as well. Bought it used, but knew all of the back ground on it. It had been shot very little for its age.
If you are a reloader it will out do the 327. These things were built like a tank. FYI I replaced all but a couple of my .22's with the 32-20/30-20. I refuse to pay silly prices for rf ammo.
I have a couple of the single sevens and keep going back to the buckeye. I like some others like a hefty six shooter, as long as I am not packing it all day. Mine shoots very well. Have tinkered with it in IHMSA in FP and BB. Yes with my load using a 140plain base it will take over the rams at 200m. If only it had a good or better sight.
Jeff
 

Hondo44

Hawkeye
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
8,041
Location
People's Republik of California
TINCANBANDIT said:
My Father just picked up a Ruger Blackhawk Buckeye Special (32 Mag/32-20) NIB with all paperwork etc...

What is this thing worth? Should he shoot it or leave it unfired?

They generally sell in the $775 to 900 range. Top of the range if boxed and unfired. None seem to have much shooting time.

They're not that hard to find. I would always prefer to pay a little less for one that's been shot. I'd buy one unfired if I could flip it and make a buck on it, but I don't store unfired guns for the next owner or as investments. There's lots better ways than guns to invest one's money, and lots faster appreciating guns to invest in if one wanted to.

For me, the 32-20 is fun to shoot, and with a lot more potential in that large frame for the handloaders; the 32 H&R Mag not so much in such a large frame. But 10 minutes with a .327 Fed Mag reamer in the 32 H&R cyl and then it too will be a lot more fun to shoot. And you can still shoot 32 H&R mags out of it, and even 32 Longs.
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,150
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
I bought 2 of the 3 Buckeyes a few years ago. The ones I got had already been fired,,, so I didn't feel bad about shooting mine. BUT,,,,,,,,,, as a collector the NIB or LNIB ones should stay that way. Too many other guns to shoot that are not as valuable. PS; I paid common, shooter grade prices for regular Blackhawks when I bought mine.
 

TINCANBANDIT

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
216
Here are a few pictures,

vSJKwGpl.jpg


oeegJMol.jpg


KZIs0Rdl.jpg
 

Sugar River

Buckeye
Joined
Aug 25, 2008
Messages
1,084
Location
S Florida
Picked up a 32M/32-20 Buckeye in a small LGS in Flemington NJ shortly after Buckeye Sports went belly up (from memory about '93?).
He was closing them out for $189, and having trouble moving them.
I should have bought all 5 he had.
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
to me, the only way I'd even think of "maybe" setting one aside is if they were matched set ( numbers) all new in the box but a LOW serial number, 2 or 3 digit maybe...have seen far too many over the years sold a pair recently ,one of each BOTH had 3 digit numbers not all the paper work ,only ONE good box, NO shippers, and got $650 for 0ne, and $25 more for the proper boxed one ........and they sat for a while before we moved them, to two DIFFERENT people besides..............do what Hondo44 says 8) :roll: :wink:
 

CraigC

Hawkeye
Joined
May 27, 2002
Messages
5,197
Location
West Tennessee
Paid fair market value for my .38-40 version back in 2005. It was brand new in the box with shipping sleeve. Took it right out and shot it. Then I put a PC half cock kit in it.
 

mhblaw

Blackhawk
Joined
Jan 15, 2009
Messages
942
Location
North Dakota
I have two of the Buckeye's, 32 and 40. Both purchased new when they came out (89-90) with matching serial numbers. Bowen reamed the 32 cylinder to allow 327. Still have the boxes etc. and I shoot the heck out of them.
 

TINCANBANDIT

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
216
I did a write up on this gun, let me know if you see any errors or omissions, thanks

http://tincanbandit.blogspot.com/2016/05/featured-gun-ruger-blackhawk-buckeye.html
 

Hondo44

Hawkeye
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
8,041
Location
People's Republik of California
The first sentence is missing the word 'is'.
"The Buckeye is the state tree of Ohio (the Aesculus glabra)...Ohio is known as the "Buckeye State"....it [is ]also the name of the Ohio State University sports teams.

Total of 5032 shipped to Buckeye. Known serial numbers are 610-00000 -610-05198.
Other box label variations known.
 

mohavesam

Hawkeye
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
Messages
5,847
Location
Rugerville, AZ
TINCANBANDIT said:
I did a write up on this gun, let me know if you see any errors or omissions, thanks

http://tincanbandit.blogspot.com/2016/05/featured-gun-ruger-blackhawk-buckeye.html


Nice that you caught the green felt bag! The 32 convertible is a shooter extraordinaire', especially when reamed for 327 Fed Mag.
 
Top