Ducks Unlimited 22/45 ??

Help Support Ruger Forum:

RPM Enterprises

Buckeye
Joined
Jan 14, 2002
Messages
1,055
Location
Rugerville,WA. U.S.A.
Just found an odd Ruger 22/45. Mark III Hunter and has a Ducks Unlimited logo on the back of the bolt. Comes in a greeen plactic case and model number is 10142 with a catalog number P512HMKIIIDU. Empty case date 5/25/2010. Odd that DU would use a .22 pistol. This is the first one I have ever seen :shock: :shock:






 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
I agree, "legit" yes, 'proper'?? duh, who shoots ducks with a .22...... 8)

(legally) :roll:

Nice gun Rick, first one we ever saw ,,,, goes to show , one NEVER knows what was made for "whom" or "when"............ :wink:
 

RPM Enterprises

Buckeye
Joined
Jan 14, 2002
Messages
1,055
Location
Rugerville,WA. U.S.A.
HAWKEYE#28 said:
to wit: "Man does not live by shotgun alone.." It is offered purposely so as to attract all bidders and chance purchasers at the Banquets............... 8)

Mike I totaly agree. Needless to say a very interesting gun. First I have seen and just wonder how many they may have done.
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,142
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
Find a state or regional DU chapter rep. Ask him what year they were done, & then ask how many were done for DU that year. The reps are the ones who head up the banquets over a district. I know that the NRA has XXX number of events annually. If it's a "regular package item" you will get production numbers by the number of events held that year. But,, usually, if the plan is for 1000 events,, there are usually several more made to make sure they have enough for all events & the occasional "issue" problem. Usually only 25 extra guns done. So, if there were 1000 events that year, most likely around 1025 guns done.
 

chet15

Hawkeye
Joined
Jan 22, 2001
Messages
5,993
Location
Dawson, Iowa
This is definitely a Ruger produced item, as the unique model number and catalog number on the end of the box are different than any other regular Ruger item.
Often times, organizations purchase a group of a particular model from a distributor and then have them all dolled up, but in a case like that the "extras" were not factory authorized.
In the case of this DU pistol, it is all Ruger, and a rare one apparently since it went unnoticed for three years!!
Chet15
 

DEEREMEYER1

Bearcat
Joined
Sep 21, 2013
Messages
8
Hi there. I stumbled across this post while I was looking for info on MY Ducks Unlimited 22/45. I joined the forum specifically to respond. My tag says catalog #P512HMKIIIDU and model #10142. My spent casing is dated 5/28/2010. I purchased mine from Cabela's in Sidney, NE just this year in the gun library as "pre-owned" and was told it was a SHOT Show gun. But the Ducks Unlimited connection makes me question that. From what I gather on the Ruger website the fluted-barrel 22/45 Targets are a "distributor exclusive" for Davidson's. Anyway, I just wanted to pass along that there's at least ONE more gun like yours out here in circulation. I don't shoot mine often and I kind of bought it on a whim but I think I'll hold onto it.
 

DEEREMEYER1

Bearcat
Joined
Sep 21, 2013
Messages
8
I should add that my serial number is 229-82243 so our guns aren't too far apart. One of the theories about there being roughly a thousand of these out there might be right on.
 

k2nd

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jun 13, 2007
Messages
213
Location
Niagara, ND
Our local DU Banquet was this past Thursday and they had 2 handguns with the DU logo. 1 was a Ruger SR40C and the other was a SIG Mosquito with camo finish.
k2nd
 

chet15

Hawkeye
Joined
Jan 22, 2001
Messages
5,993
Location
Dawson, Iowa
According to a contact from Davidson's, there were only 362 of the DU pistol made between August 2011 and June 2013.
Info recently printed in the August Red Eagle News Exchange.
Chet15
 

DEEREMEYER1

Bearcat
Joined
Sep 21, 2013
Messages
8
"According to a contact from Davidson's, there were only 362 of the DU pistol made between August 2011 and June 2013.
Info recently printed in the August Red Eagle News Exchange.
Chet15"

That's strange because the fired case envelope in the case with mine is dated May of 2010. Maybe mine is the "prototype" and worth even more, lol. Or maybe they just pulled some earlier production pistols off the shelf and etched the slides and produced a new catalog number for them and therefore they have a later "production" date. Or maybe only the barrels themselves are test-fired before the gun is fully assembled to avoid dirtying up the whole gun during test firing.
 

chet15

Hawkeye
Joined
Jan 22, 2001
Messages
5,993
Location
Dawson, Iowa
Davidson's records may be when the guns were received by them...not necessarily Ruger's dates of manufacture.
 

jberke

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
130
Location
Montana
Just picked one of these up myself at a DU banquet. Was told the chapter bought it back in about 2010/2011. Its in the serial # range everyone is talking about. I was talking to someone else at the banquet that might want to buy it from me. If there were only 362 made, maybe I should hold on to it.
 

hittman

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Messages
16,923
Location
Illinois
Welcome to the forum.
I don't know if the DU designation adds a premium. Sure it must for some DU folks or a hard core collector,
Otherwise, I think the standard or basic model of this is worth in the $450 range if still new in box,
Just spit balling here ….. hope others are able to chime in soon.
 
Joined
Dec 19, 2001
Messages
10,105
Location
Alaska, Idaho USA
I was a chapter chairman from 2007-2012 once we passed raising the $ million mark. 2013 I moved to Idaho so lost track of a lot, but I'll fill in some. Prior to my involvement they were heavily shotgun oriented. My theory was people that attended the events were sportsmen and hunters in general. I went directly to manufacturers far more than most events. Ruger complained to me that DU had never used them.
The gun decisions were made by some higher ups in DU and some chapter chairmen. Frankly they didn't care for the way I did things but brought in enough money that they didn't say much. By the third or fourth year (it's been a long time) I was bringing in 100 Rugers along with multiple other manufacturers. Just as every major fund raiser guns fall in several categories.
As with everything else times change. It was hugely expensive to buy all the guns I did, I expect they cut back because of that, plus how difficult it got to be to even get guns. Most fund raisers are using a cloth sign with multiple pictures on them. People have to choose and then they are ordered.
I'm sure there are guns that are produced by Ruger that attracts attention. After all these years I've lost track . As far as higher value after a few years my guess is it would be minimal. For a short time there is competition for some of the guns do to limited availability. After several years I'm guessing that would be limited. I'm sure Contender had seen much the same thing with NRA.
I didn't keep track of numbers even back then, but after all these years being away, even less.
 

Latest posts

Top