Recent content by PALADIN85020

Here are a few more detailed pics of the OP July 1950 red eagle - click on each for larger images. John

Thought I'd share a photo of my Standard from July, 1950 - first full year of production "red eagle." John

In actuality, the flat gates were made through early 1957. This one is mine, and it comes back to 1957, probably one of the last ones made. Click the images for larger pictures. John

I thought I'd share some pics of the stags on my 1957 Ruger .44 mag Blackhawk. I have no doubt these are factory. I obtained the gun from the estate of an old rancher in Arizona. You can click on any or all of the photos for larger images. John

Thanks to all for the answers to my questions. Much appreciated! John

What front sight was standard? Did it differ in any respect from the one used on the 5.5" bull barrel models? Thanks, John

I've had this Ruger Mk II with a 10" barrel for some time - I bought it in its original box because I never saw another like it, and I thought it was cool. However, now that I think about it, I have some questions that some of you may be able to answer: 1. Exactly how rare is this variation...

Yes. As a right-hander, the right-side safety lever gouged my right hand index finger's upper knuckle. I removed the lever and replaced it with the spacer Ruger thoughtfully provided. It's easy to do and made a real difference in comfort. John

It was shipped in July, 1950 - midway in the first full year of production. John

The biggest problem I've had with the Mark IV trigger pull is that there is a massive amount of overtravel. I wish Ruger would put an overtravel stop screw into the trigger on the target models. However, I've found a cheap workaround for the overtravel problem. I installed a trigger shoe...

It's entirely possible, but unknown, if the original owner replaced the earlier pin with a collared one. All other features look correct for a 1957 gun. John

In preparation for an article I'm writing, I recently took these pics comparing one of the original Ruger "red eagle" Standard pistols with a newly-manufactured Ruger Mark IV. A lot has happened in the intervening period. The Standard was made in the first full year of production, mid-1950...

I took some pics recently of one of the original Ruger flattop .44 magnum single actions. I bought this from the estate of a guy who evidently used it as a field gun, so it's seen some honest wear. It's still in excellent mechanical shape. I had to do some superb bargaining to talk his widow...

For those of you getting Dillon's Blue Press catalog/magazine, this article appeared as the centerpiece in the August, 2016 issue. John

I took a picture recently I thought some of you might enjoy. These are two old model .44 magnums. The top one is a Super Blackhawk, produced in early 1973, just before the changeover to the new transfer-bar models. The lower one is a flat top .44 mag Blackhawk with original factory stag...