Ruger boxes

[RoninPA]

Trying to get some dates on when Ruger started/ended using certain color boxes for their Revolvers - anyone done any research who could help me out? Particularly the black plastic (like the gray ones), black plastic with the handgrip and red lettering, and the newer white paper with the hard R logo and red lettering? And anything from the start to now to make sure I have the right info for part of a display.

Here's some of what I've found (it is from the revolvers I own):
White box (two w/red logo and lettering on inside top flap and one with it on the outside): 1970 to 1974

Red/White box: 1974 to 1975

Red/Black box: 1975 to 1979

Yellow/Black box: 1979 to 1995

Gray (plastic) box: 1995 to present

Black (plastic) box (the one I have for a GP100 was 2008): 2005(?) - present

Black (plastic) w/red logo and carry handle (for a Super Redhawk .44 Mag dated 2021): 2018(?) - present

White (new) w/red logo (Wrangler dated 2021): 2020(?) - present

Thanks for the help.

 

[hittman]

I'm thinking some of the "P" series semi autos came in black plastic boxes. Maybe some that were distributor models and for some reason, I think maybe the few that went to the Chicago PD. ~ ?? ~

Hope guys like WMG, Chet15 and others chime in soon Ron. Good luck in your search.

Here's a box I recalled seeing years ago, hope the link works.

Ruger black box - Bing

Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you’re looking for and rewards you.

www.bing.com

 

[Get Wood]

I'm thinking some of the "P" series semi autos came in black plastic boxes. Maybe some that were distributor models and for some reason, I think maybe the few that went to the Chicago PD. ~ ?? ~

My Ruger P90 Came In That Box.

 

[RoninPA]

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I think that the P series did come in th black boxes but I have a black box that a KGP-151 (5" Stainless GP-100 Full lug .357 Mag) came in and the inside molding is for that revolver. I also have a black box that my SR9C was shipped in (with the correct molding) but I'm more interested in the boxes for revolvers (at this time).

This might be a rabbit hole I'm going down.

I also edited my OP to show some of what I have found. Just not sure if the dates are correct nor how to find correct dates. Did Ruger keep records on the Boxes?? I doubt it.

 

[contender]

Somewhere in my stuff is an early P-85 .9mm box that's plastic & black. I'm figuring shortly after the P-85 came out for it's date.

 

[rugerguy]

remember the early P 85s came in the one piece fold up , yellow /black box almost square shaped, then there was the early gray two tone, almost looked like 'fabric" was part of the plastic case back in that early P series , then the black, thinner plastic case, had P85 or P 89 molded on the top center, then the gray case and what looked like a "name plate" for the model on the top of the case.......I recall many of the cases were and I believe still made over here in Middlefield ,Ohio ,,,,,Flambeau Plastics

 

[Dan in MI]

I had some SBH Hunters in black boxes. I know the 41's were, I can't remember if the the 45 did. Never had a 44 so no idea there.

 

[the_leper_colony]

I'm not seeing them mentioned above, but there are also red plastic Ruger factory boxes out there - I vaguely recall hearing they were used for guns that had been returned to the factory, or some other special situation. I've owned three of them (still have one), and I think they all had egg crate foam interiors, rather than molded plastic. Here's a photo (previously posted on a different thread) showing the inside:

As always FWIW, IMHO, YMNV, etc., etc.

 

[RoninPA]

Thanks for the info guys, BUT, I'm really looking for the dates of use for the boxes that Ruger used to ship their revolvers in. I know there were other colors used for "special" firearms. I'm pretty sure there was also a green box used and maybe others, but I don't think they were regularly used to ship revolvers in. In my display I will have what I think are the "typical" colors/materials used - see my edit in the first post. These are the ones that I think most people see/think of when dealing with Ruger revolvers. I'm really trying to nail down the dates (as close as possible) that they were used to help show the evolution of the boxes as the years progressed.

 

[KIR]

Manufactured in 1967. Purchased in August NIB. Single Six with .22 WMR cylinder.

 

[KIR]

Then there's my LCP which I was the first to purchase when Scheels opened in Sparks, NV in Sep 2008.

 

[RoninPA]

KIR, thank you for those pictures, I now think it is a rabbit hole to try to figure out the dates Ruger used certain boxes and your red/black box helps prove it.

Your box was used for a 1967 revolver but that type box wasn't used until 1975 for the Security Six series revolvers. And your LCP box is completely different as compared to the boxes that my Wrangles came in.

So I guess I'll need to rethink how I word that portion of my display.

 

[weaselmeatgravy]

Ron, I know you are a DA guy. When you say just Revolvers, a SA guy will think white box as in 1961-1962 era Super Blackhawks. The gun KIR shows is an old model SA and those predominantly used the two-piece boxes with exceptions for the wood cased Supers, white box Supers, leatherette cases for engraved Single Sixes, etc. The two-piece were generally yellow and black for Blackhawks, and red and black for the Bearcat, Single Six, Super Blackhawk, Old Army. The Hawkeye from the early 1960s used a red and black but I think the colors were swapped. The Old Army box has some coloration swap from the Super Blackhawk box, but I can't recall exactly what the difference is, but those two are the same size. Oh, don't forget the silver boxes for Lightweight Single Sixes, both green wreath and black wreath. The DA -Six was the first to generally use one-piece boxes as you mention, white with die cut interior reminiscent of the early white Super Blackhawk boxes except without an outer sleeve, reddish orange & white, red and black, yellow and black. Then there were other NM SA boxes like white boxes and brown boxes used for long barreled guns like the 9.5" Single Sixes before the longer yellow & black boxes were made. The P series pistol had quite a few boxes, most of which have been mentioned, and I believe it was the first to use a plastic case. The earliest gray plastic boxes didn't stack and had pebble grain on both ends so they couldn't put stickers on them, so those used cardboard shippers like the cardboard boxes they replaced. Then the gray box was redesigned to stack and have a smooth end for a sticker, eliminating the need for a shipper. Green, red, and black plastic regular cases were used for things like distributor guns (examples: green for Lipsey's KNR4 and also some Hunter model .22 autos, black for limited runs like convertible Vaqueros, red for 50th anniversary guns, and leftover red cases were used for whatever they could hold). There was even a blue teal case for some of the auto pistols, I think USA Shooting Team models. Then along came the big clunky suitcases, and the recent economy grade cardboard boxes for LCP, LC9, LCR, SR1911 Wranglers, etc. Also, the 50th anniversary Bearcat and Super Blackhawk got away from the red plastic and had fancier white boxes, or at least fancier mylar stickers. The earliest of the recent white boxes had Ruger gun rugs but I think they stopped including those as a cost-cutting step. There are probably quite a few I overlooked, but your dates are pretty good. I think the gray plastic may not have come around until 1996, but it could be 1995. Most of the box types are mentioned in the RENE Reference, I think with approximate serial numbers when the changeover happened that can be cross-referenced to the list of SN ranges and dates to get an approximate year. But the newest stuff is not in there.

 

[RoninPA]

Bob, I guess I was hoping against hope that Ruger had some semblance of progression when it came to boxes versus time when they started making revolvers, SA'a and DA's alike. But from what I am seeing is that they used certain boxes at tmes and then years might go by and they then used the same style for other completely different guns. I guess it just depended on what boxes they had in stock in their warehouse when they were making the guns.

It truly looks like you would have to TRY to track the boxes strictly by each of the handgun models over the years.

I guess I'll just label that part of my display as showing some of the various types of boxes Ruger used throughout the years (without referencing any dates) and then try to explain to anyone who has questions.

I do thank all who took the time to reply and show some examples and also give a written dissertation.

 

[weaselmeatgravy]

Ron, I didn't think I was implying that the same boxes were used after long gaps. The old model SA boxes were generally two-pieces with a lift-off top. Same colored New Model or DA boxes were one-piece with a hinged lid. The white one-piece boxes for early Supers were different from white boxes used with early DA's, but the early DA boxes almost seem like a callback to the white Super boxes. Both were kind of in response to a "what do we ship this in?" situation. The white Super Blackhawk boxes came about when the factory that made the mahogany cases burned down, and they needed something to ship the guns in - those white boxes were only used for about a year until the black and red two-piece design was available (yellow and black two-piece boxes had been used for regular Blackhawks since 1955 but only held guns with a 6,5" barrel at most and the Super was 7.5"). And the black and red Single Six boxes came out right at the start in 1953 and eventually were made long enough to accommodate the 9.5" guns but were really too thin to fully close over the beefier Super cylinder. The white Super box also used a white slip sleeve and then on top of that was a brown cardboard shipper. The labels used on the interior lids of the mahogany cases were also used on the interior lids of the white box. The early DA white box was a response to building a whole new product line and were used for the lowback years. They had to shift away from the white DA box when the highback frame came out since it didn't fit the die cut interior of the lowback white box. There wasn't a long period where the reddish orange and white box was used for DAs, maybe only 1974-75 and then they came out with the heavier cardboard red and black one-piece style for DAs. The SAs continued to use the reddish orange & white boxes for several years before the yellow and black one-piece came out and then both DAs and SAs were shipped in that.

Oh, leftover red and black DA boxes were used for at least a couple of other things, first for non-barreled #1 rifle actions, and then decades later they put the Cabela's Single Six in those same red and black boxes. They must be out of them by now! The leftover yellow and black one-piece boxes were used for years to return guns sent in for repair or for the safety conversion. Supply of those must also be exhausted now since they have been using brown boxes with a black Ruger eagle on the lid for those things lately.

 

[RoninPA]

Bob, I understand what you are saying. It looks like if you want to "track" box usage, you need to do it for each model, not a general "Ruger used these boxes from X date to Y date to ship their guns". I have a pretty good grasp on the dates for the boxes for the double actions and I see that one cannot equate those with what was/is used for the single actions even to the point of individual models.

So, I'll get my DA boxes dated and then maybe start to work on the .357 Blackhawks since I have examples of the Flattops, OM's and NM's.

Thanks for all the insights.

 

[rugerguy]

bottom line is as Bopb says ,,BUT sadly most of us did NOT take pictures of the boxes used, let alone what the dates may have been, let alone re-use for overruns, OR LONG barreled guns that the two reddish orange ( 1973 New Models) until the yellow black boxes of 1982,,,,so you have white paper boxes for the LONG barrel Single Cylinder star marked guns of the mid 1970s and so it goes, on and on....how long did they use Hawkeye boxes for "whatever" since the stopped making the Hawkeyes .....Mr Ruger must have had a GOOD friend or relative in the "paper sticker" business.....
Yes, have always wished Chad had included the box information with his variations of all the models over the years..........
....hey do like Dougan and come out with an "addendum? UPDATE..........

 

[weaselmeatgravy]

Chad does have some box info in the Ref. Look for "Box note". I have an electronic copy and get 74 hits in Volume 1 and 30 hits in Volume 2.

Although my copy is an unpublished draft that has a bit more than is in the printed copies, so for Ron's benefit, here is one such snip of unpublished info pertaining to the -Six DAs that he may be interested in (this info apparently came from me since I own both of the guns mentioned):

I have a 153-40xxx gun that is in a yellow box which might lead one to believe that they were used earlier, but I disregarded it since that gun has a "U" suffix indicating it was used and likely shipped late due to that (if it ever actually "shipped" at all, since it came from the Stan Terhune estate).