Future for Flattops ?????

Please speculate or crystal ball gaze for me if you will . I am wondering about the 4 4/8" 44 spl . midframe flat tops I keep dragging home . I have a stainless standard grip , a blue standard grip and a blue Bisley grip.
I did not buy as any kind of investing grand scheme but because I like them. Now as I look around while not rare they do not seem that common and availability seems to be shrinking.
So, as I really don't NEED to shoot them all, should I lay back a couple and shoot the heck out of one ? Are they all equal in future desirability? Or are they common enough to just shoot em all and don't look back.

How much investment value is there going to be in relatively common Rugers? Sure, you might make a few dollars here and there, but foregoing pleasure for the small return?

Now if you enjoy just having unfired guns in the box with papers etc. as an end in itself as many collectors do--that's another story--but doing it for investment doesn't seem like it makes a lot of sense.

I purchased my 1'st ruger flattop in .357/9mm about a month ago because I didn't have one in these cartridges. After I received it, & started fondling it,

I couldn't help thinking about the other in 44 spl that was also on the website where I was shopping from. (I'm addicted) :lol:

Well now, I have another coming & very excited to get it too. I do plan on shooting them as well.....
There don't seem to be many of these in Canada. I never see guys posting about them on CGN forum, but perhaps it will change soon. I like the smaller frame size like so many others before me....

Happy shooting!

You won't see them from Canada much, because handguns of any kind are pretty much illegal, and hard to get a permit for, as I understand it.

The .45acp/LC is my favorite flattop. Especially with the acp cylinder installed.

Depends on your mentality . See, I don't believe in holding anything 'back'. If I own it, I shoot it and enjoy it in my 'life time' as a shoot'n iron. I'll let my sons worry over what's it worth if they want to get rid of 'em. That's just me though as others buy to look at, fill complete sets, etc..., or as an investment down the road which is fine too.... A hobby so to speak! As for me, the only reason I would not shoot a revolver is if it was mechanically incapable/unsafe to do so or if somehow I came into possession of a historical firearm.

That said, I do have a favorite .44 Special flattop that I shoot most of the time and have another in the wings just in case I somehow wear this one out! Same with my .45 flattops. One is the favorite, the other is backup... I do shot the backups ... just not very often. In my opinion, I am glad that Ruger 'finally' brought out the '.44 Special', '.45 Colt', and '.357' flattops (and the New Vaqueros) on the medium frames in my lifetime . All with 5 1/2" barrels. Just can't beat it!!!

needsmostuff said:

Please speculate or crystal ball gaze for me if you will . I am wondering about the 4 4/8" 44 spl . midframe flat tops I keep dragging home . I have a stainless standard grip , a blue standard grip and a blue Bisley grip.
I did not buy as any kind of investing grand scheme but because I like them. Now as I look around while not rare they do not seem that common and availability seems to be shrinking.
So, as I really don't NEED to shoot them all, should I lay back a couple and shoot the heck out of one ? Are they all equal in future desirability? Or are they common enough to just shoot em all and don't look back.

Click to expand...

Doubt you or most of your relatives will be around long enough for those pistols to be HIGHLY sought after..........shoot them

Just depends on if Ruger decides to make a change in them, again...as they did with the old model...it would probably add to the value of these...but don't hold your breath on them making a change.

Say, if they decide to start making them with a polymer frame (think LCR). :lol:

Well, responses run pretty much as I anticipated . No real low number oddballs here although it seems Ruger makes a specific number of flattops in a specific caliber then stops and moves on to the next caliber. Maybe some "how did I miss getting one "hindsight desire down the road sometime. We have all had that.
I think I will "pick " the stainless as the "first" one to personalize and try to wear out.

If you are talking 44 special, then yes it will go up in value and will continue to, simply because there were not many made. When I bought S&W 24-3's back in the early eighties they were below $200. Today they are a lot higher and hard to find. Flattop three screws were made in abundance and bring good prices today. The two screw flattops will do the same. Not tomorrow, but in the same time frame as the others. Another might be the 41's. On the other hand, because they are sanctioned by CAS groups, the 38/45 calibers were/are manufactured in greater numbers, so not so much.

I do plan on shooting the .44 spl flattop with 240/250k gr cast bullet loads in the 750-900 fps range only!
If I need a more powerful load, my SBH rugers will take care of that....

Handgun ownership in Canada is not illegal, but folks must have a firearms licence, register them & only certain handguns with barrel lengths of at least 105 mm (a touch over 4") may be owned. Perty much .25 & .32 calibre, regardless of barrel length, are in the "prohibited" class & only certain people that owned them before certain dates can own them. I believe the date was Feb 95 & there was another about 1998. I am one of the fortunate to have the "grandfathering" clause. (I wonder if I was female if it would be grandmothering clause?) :lol:

My big wish is that we legal owners that have proper handling skills could carry them in the bush for protection, hunting or plinking in safe areas. You folks in the US have true freedoms....

God bless the USA,....I salute the stars & stripes!

I bought this 44 Special 3-4 years ago and it's a favorite. Very accurate, carries easily. I'm having my "brand" engraved on the backstrap just to personalize it. Not concerned about affecting the gun's value.

If you take care of them i dont see why you cant do both. I carry mine in cases to the range, shoot them, bring them home, wipe them down and put them away. I enjoy shooting my guns and have very few i dont shoot. Now when it comes to holster time, there are certain ones that get carried the most. But i dont know if thats because i prefer them more or want to keep the wear off the others.