Old Army 1976

Just an opportunity to post a few pics ...... :mrgreen:

1976 Red Box Outer Sleeve "200th Year ..... " Bought in '77

Very nice! I've owned both a blued and a stainless version and I regret trading them both. Another one for my bucket list.

Nice. Doesn't look like it has been shot much though, if at all, since '77. Thinking of getting one of mine out this weekend if weather permits! Lots of fun.

Nice piece.......... 8)

Rclark said:

Nice. Doesn't look like it has been shot much though, if at all, since '77. Thinking of getting one of mine out this weekend if weather permits! Lots of fun.

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I know that it's been in storage since 1990. I seem to remember shooting it with Dad before I "moved out" to Colorado in 1981 but only, maybe, a cylinder full each. I suspect it went right back into the box after that session.

The receipt in the box says $130 .... by the way.

$130... My how times have changed! One of mine was an $800 purchase and the others were around $400....

Nice revolver!

Nice package!! Very hard to find like that. In case you don't know there are only about 2000 of the blue 200th yr. guns made. And with your package being complete makes it very rare. I bet you could count fingers on both hands and couldn't find that many complete packages like yours. Sometime in the future when nice Old models will be next to impossible to find or afford, the 200th yr. guns will finally be worth what they should be. After all they are only a one year production.

As I've noted in a few other posts, I inherited a few guns as my Mom and Dad moved in to assisted living. I would like to keep them all but ........

I'm not sure I'm an Arisaka collector or Peruvian Mauser etc.

Might have to do some herd thinnin' .... I have to traverse the "I'll never shoot it/never have another one" threshold.

The Old Army and a 7.5" NMSB 44mag. may fall on the wrong side of that doorway.

Lngstrt, you should check the cylinder inscription to see which way it reads, pointed away from you or pointed toward you. There are 3 or 4 known with the inscription reading while the gun is pointed toward the holder...and they are all Liberty marked. A rare gun!
Chet15

My Dad had an Old Army and it was fun to shoot but I was never into black powder that much so my brother has it now. It was not a 76 but the first centerfire handgun I bought was. It is a SS Blackhawk in 357.

chet15 said:

Lngstrt, you should check the cylinder inscription to see which way it reads, pointed away from you or pointed toward you. There are 3 or 4 known with the inscription reading while the gun is pointed toward the holder...and they are all Liberty marked. A rare gun!
Chet15

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This one reads "FOR BLACK POWDER ONLY" readable while muzzle is pointed away from my noggin.

I'm half tempted - well, maybe quarter tempted - to get one of those 45LC cylinders so I can shoot it without having to spend an hour per shot cleaning BP soot off the innards. :wink:

Yes, get the 45 Colt cylinder. 45 Colt cylinder = FUN!!!!!

Lngstrt said:

Might have to do some herd thinnin' .... I have to traverse the "I'll never shoot it/never have another one" threshold. The Old Army and a 7.5" NMSB 44mag. may fall on the wrong side of that doorway.

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Keep me posted - I have an open door policy.

I have one in stainless that I bought several years ago at an estate auction. I got no box or papers with it so I
don't know much about it other than it's a Liberty marked gun. It had been fired some but was clean as a pin
when I bought it. The serial number is the four digit type before the Liberty guns were marked with the std
serial number markings. The grip panels are Rosewood like the more recent Blackhawks so I assumed they were
not original? Any info would be appreciated.

jbtardy said:

I have one in stainless that I bought several years ago at an estate auction. I got no box or papers with it so I
don't know much about it other than it's a Liberty marked gun. It had been fired some but was clean as a pin
when I bought it. The serial number is the four digit type before the Liberty guns were marked with the std
serial number markings. The grip panels are Rosewood like the more recent Blackhawks so I assumed they were
not original? Any info would be appreciated.

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As for your grip panels being rosewood, that may be correct. The Colorado Centennial had rosewood grips and they were made in 1975. Some of the Star model Single-Sixes had left over rosewood grips installed so it is possible that one could have found it's way to your gun. There is no way to know for sure. As with most Rugers, "It is what it is!"

Right! For some reason Ruger shipped a few stainless guns in the 1975 time period with rosewood panels...just like the panels from the Colorado Centennial. Honestly, there were enough Colorado Centennials that a few pair of those panels could very well have been mixed with other production. Curiously though, I've only seen rosewood on stainless SA's from 1975....two or three non-prefix Old Army's and several star marked or convertible stainless Single-Sixes from the period.
jbtardy...send me a PM on the serial number of the gun in question so I can add it to my "Reference of Ruger Firearms". Currently I show #633 and #634 that are known to have come with those grips.
As an added bonus, your Old Army may also have a backwards cylinder inscription....that is, if you are able to read the cylinder inscription with the gun pointed to your belly, it is the scarce variation. Ruger later caught the error and for the most part has made sure the address reads as you point the gun away from you.
Chet15