chet15
Hawkeye
For all of you who's thinking was that the early 1969 prefixed guns were serial numbered in a one-step process, this pistol that will be pictured shortly proves it wrong.
For years we have noted guns with the prefix and dash separated a little from the other five digits, or the dash even running somewhat on top the first digit in the other five, something that in my opinion absolutely could not happen the way the serial numbering heads are made.... wheels of numbers stacked close to each other.
From gun to gun one wheel is rotated to the the next corresponding serial number. But those wheels are stacked close to each other, so there's no way to get side to side movement, up/down discrepencies yes, but NOT side to side. We have also archived closeups of 10- prefix serial numbers where the prefix is lighter stamped than the other five digits and also where the prefix is much heavier stamped than the other five digits.
Then about ten years ago the Single-Six number 09539 showed up with large serial numbers. We were able to determine the gun should have been 20-09539 since the gun had black eagle medallions and the rollmark on the left side of the cylinder frame did not have the circle "R" trademark (added at about 20-53xxx). So one of two possibilities... either the 20- was rolled too far up or down on the serial numbering head to make an impression in the metal, or the serial numbers on the earliest prefix guns were done in a two-step process. Some said, "look for evidence the prefix was ground off".!!!
John Dougan's latest book, page 355, says that NUMBERALL head serial number A1006J63 (originally shipped to Ruger on October 3, 1963...the serial number head with large 1/8" numbers) was modified "in the tool room in December 1968 by opening up the yoke, and two additional character wheels, retaining pawls and springs were added. A total of seven number wheels plus one to mark the hyphen were required." Actually a total of eight digits plus the hypen were needed on the serial numbering head to accomodate for the 100- and 110- prefixed .44 Carbine and 10/22 carbine series'.
But... by the looks of that 10- prefix serial number, that serial numbering head was not modified until much later in 1969.
On the auto, note closely the font size of the "0" in the prefix and the font size of the 2nd digit of the five in the suffix, the "0" in the 10- prefix is much larger. We have found that when the font size became the same between the prefix and the other five digits, that is when space discrepencies are no longer found between prefix and other digits, so must be when Ruger finally utilized an 8 wheel head (plus hyphen) to stamp serial numbers in a one-step process. This happened much later in the 10- prefix for autos.
Chet15
For years we have noted guns with the prefix and dash separated a little from the other five digits, or the dash even running somewhat on top the first digit in the other five, something that in my opinion absolutely could not happen the way the serial numbering heads are made.... wheels of numbers stacked close to each other.
From gun to gun one wheel is rotated to the the next corresponding serial number. But those wheels are stacked close to each other, so there's no way to get side to side movement, up/down discrepencies yes, but NOT side to side. We have also archived closeups of 10- prefix serial numbers where the prefix is lighter stamped than the other five digits and also where the prefix is much heavier stamped than the other five digits.
Then about ten years ago the Single-Six number 09539 showed up with large serial numbers. We were able to determine the gun should have been 20-09539 since the gun had black eagle medallions and the rollmark on the left side of the cylinder frame did not have the circle "R" trademark (added at about 20-53xxx). So one of two possibilities... either the 20- was rolled too far up or down on the serial numbering head to make an impression in the metal, or the serial numbers on the earliest prefix guns were done in a two-step process. Some said, "look for evidence the prefix was ground off".!!!
John Dougan's latest book, page 355, says that NUMBERALL head serial number A1006J63 (originally shipped to Ruger on October 3, 1963...the serial number head with large 1/8" numbers) was modified "in the tool room in December 1968 by opening up the yoke, and two additional character wheels, retaining pawls and springs were added. A total of seven number wheels plus one to mark the hyphen were required." Actually a total of eight digits plus the hypen were needed on the serial numbering head to accomodate for the 100- and 110- prefixed .44 Carbine and 10/22 carbine series'.
But... by the looks of that 10- prefix serial number, that serial numbering head was not modified until much later in 1969.
On the auto, note closely the font size of the "0" in the prefix and the font size of the 2nd digit of the five in the suffix, the "0" in the 10- prefix is much larger. We have found that when the font size became the same between the prefix and the other five digits, that is when space discrepencies are no longer found between prefix and other digits, so must be when Ruger finally utilized an 8 wheel head (plus hyphen) to stamp serial numbers in a one-step process. This happened much later in the 10- prefix for autos.
Chet15