BHK-45B

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kevin masten

Blackhawk
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
575
Does anyone have an estimate of how many Old Model BHK-45B revolvers were manufactured? Just got one lettered from Ruger. Oddity in that it shows shipped with 4 5/8 barrel. The piece has a 7 1/2 bbl. I can attest to the fact that it has never been rebarreled. What say you regarding this.
 

JCW64

Single-Sixer
Joined
Aug 4, 2005
Messages
467
Location
Louisiana
Ruger has made mistakes with their letters in the past. They don't put forth the effort in them like they did 10-20 years ago. Stay on them until they make it right. I believe a few hundred of each barrel length were produced.
 

contender

Ruger Guru
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Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,142
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Lake Lure NC USA
First,,, Ruger can make a mistake in their letters. I've had a couple.

There were about 422 BKH-44B's and about 195 BKH-45B's made.

I'd call them,,, and POLITELY ask them to double check things, as you feel the gun has never been modified. The model info is only ONE number off, and can mean a big difference in things.

Also, if you'd like, you can PM me with the serial number, and I can check it against the numbers listed in Dougans book.
 

princeout

Blackhawk
Joined
Jun 12, 2009
Messages
946
Location
Oklahoma
Ruger does have some issues with their letters the last couple of years. I have a 45 that letters as a "44 Colt". Gotta be a rare one!!
Tim
 

contender

Ruger Guru
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Lake Lure NC USA
Due to PM's we believe it's most likely not an error in the letter. According to Dougans list in his book, the gun in question was shipped with a the short bbl.

To further help collectors,,, here is a little story of one of my guns.
I attended an auction several years ago & there was an OM 45 convertible, boxed, with 2 sets of grips. A set of aftermarket Sambar stags, and the original grips. There was paperwork in the box etc. Knowing that Om convertibles were desirable, and adding the stags,,, I bid enough to win the auction. I sold the stags to help offset my expenses. But the gun was an enigma. In some of the paperwork, it has a work order/receipt where the gun had been returned to Ruger for them to add the 45 acp cylinder. That made it a factory done convertible. When I sent for my letter, (this was before they even charged for them,) it came back as NOT a convertible. A few phone calls & lots of patience etc,,, along with the details provided by me & the work order, did not help the wonderful girls who TRIED to find info on my gun. It just will not letter as a convertible. The letter can only state how the gun was originally shipped. They could not find any records that showed it as a returned gun for additional work.

My point is that it's possible that this gun above was returned to the factory for the addition of a different bbl. Ruger can & will often do such modifications,,, IF,,, IF,,, they already make that model. I'd suspect in this case,, he will never get a true, factory letter on how it is now.
 

bigbore45colt

Hunter
Joined
Apr 9, 2005
Messages
3,532
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Once Dougan's book came out, I was told by the Records Dept that they were using his book to letter brass frame guns. Not sure if they still do, but I would bet that's what happened here.

I'd get a hold of them and ask them to pull the original invoice or Day Book and see what that says....

Just my $0.02

BB45C
 
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Messages
11,654
Location
Kentucky
I don't see how a factory retrofit cylinder should qualify a gun as being a "convertible". Factory letters have always been accepted as documentation of a gun's ORIGINAL configuration and ship date.

I could see it as being acceptable to have a letter mentioning the cylinder retrofit or any other work such as a barrel swap, though. If that work were also dated it would make for an interesting bit of history.

Considering how letters are done these days, we're lucky to get just the correct basic info.

JMHO
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
I agree, BIG difference in one being "original, as shipped" versus any change or customize ever done...no matter how the "story" may go, unless bought brand new, in the box and shipper, that contains the "contents". I put little value or substance in ANY story, they ALL have a story, as often said, "buy the gun, NOT the story..."
see it all the time , on any given weekend ,at any given show, folks will say "this is what we got and how it came" or as they "remember Dad having it..........as for letters, I have seen letters come back that they would put whatever information YOU may have provided for them, also just WHO (whom) the letter was requested by and for.... 8) :roll: :wink:

( yes, there has been "favoritism" shown over the years......) :?
 

chet15

Hawkeye
Joined
Jan 22, 2001
Messages
5,993
Location
Dawson, Iowa
contender said:
Due to PM's we believe it's most likely not an error in the letter. According to Dougans list in his book, the gun in question was shipped with a the short bbl.

I believe it was Dougan's addendum that stated the Brass Frame 45 Blackhawks listings in his book were backwards...the listing for the BKH44B are in fact BKH45B numbers and the numbers listed for the BKH45B are the numbers for the BKH44B. The BKH45B is the definite rarity and when the numbers are switched around there.

As far as originality, if the gun didn't leave with an extra cylinder originally, it won't letter as a convertible after you send it back to the factory to have it fitted.
I agree with this because there are a lot of Rugers that have been sent back for various items, extra cylinders, new grip frames, grips, other parts, reblues etc....complete reworks, factory conversions. They aren't "original" and Ruger will never find these changes in the original paperwork.
Chet15
 

kevin masten

Blackhawk
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
575
Well. Lots of interesting information regarding the letter, from Ruger, regarding the BHK 45B that I posted a question on. What is right; what is wrong, information wise and facts, we may never know. As long ,years, as I have had the piece and the appearance of it, I am having a lot trouble accepting that it has been rebarreled. You all know the feeling. I believe the piece shipped as a 7 1/2" bbl . To be able prove it, probably not . I will have to live with what Ruger says and accept what I tell myself.

Regards to all and thanks for all the great input.
 

chet15

Hawkeye
Joined
Jan 22, 2001
Messages
5,993
Location
Dawson, Iowa
kevin masten said:
Well. Lots of interesting information regarding the letter, from Ruger, regarding the BHK 45B that I posted a question on. What is right; what is wrong, information wise and facts, we may never know. As long ,years, as I have had the piece and the appearance of it, I am having a lot trouble accepting that it has been rebarreled. You all know the feeling. I believe the piece shipped as a 7 1/2" bbl . To be able prove it, probably not . I will have to live with what Ruger says and accept what I tell myself.

Regards to all and thanks for all the great input.

I would ask Ruger to check again, because it does have a different barrel on it. If they are still using Dougan's lists (to save time, like they used to do with the Brass frame Supers), then you can see why Ruger got it wrong. They need to go back to the original record.
It would be worth it to you because the BKH45B is a definite rarity, rarer only by those in .41 Mag. and the Non prefix S47B
If you post your serial number here, we can pretty much tell you how it left...it will appear in Dougan's lists and those are easy to decipher once you get by his BKH44B/BKH45B heading mixup.
As a side note, some BKH45B are known to also letter as being shipped with a Super Blackhawk wide spur hammer.
Chet15
 
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Messages
11,654
Location
Kentucky
For those of you keeping score at home . . .

The lengthy detailed charts on pages 380 and 381 of Dougan's book have the headings wrong, and he acknowledges this in his later addendum. His totals at the bottom of page 381 are reversed, as well.

His summary on page 271 lists the numbers correctly.

It's the 7-1/2" BKH45B guns that are the "rarer" of the two, as Chet points out.

BKH44B . . . 422

BKH45B . . . 195
 
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