I traded for a Blackhawk revolver today…like it says in the subject…with a pretty good box…4 digit serial number..47xx…but I really don't know much of anything about single action revolvers. The gun is 95%or better. Box is probably 85%. I've never seen anything other than a Bearcat with a brass frame. Has an adjustable rear sight. Box says…BKH-41. Beautiful bone or horn type stocks…I don't think they're imitation, but I don't really know. They do look original. I'd appreciate any information I can gather on this gun.
.41Mag, 4 5/8bbl, brass frame
- Thread starter hedrok
- Start date
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Very interesting gun from 1966.
There were only 61 of these 4-5/8" guns shipped with the factory brass grip frame and model-numbered BKH-41B, but they were 40-prefix guns shipped in 1973. I don't believe Ruger ever furnished stag grip panels for the brass grip frame. It is likely someone has retrofitted the grip frame and panels at a later date. A Ruger factory brass grip frame will be marked MR-3DB, but there were other aftermarket versions available.
Excellent find . . . that's a keeper! :mrgreen:
Edited to correct brass grip frame number.
There were only 61 of these 4-5/8" guns shipped with the factory brass grip frame and model-numbered BKH-41B, but they were 40-prefix guns shipped in 1973. I don't believe Ruger ever furnished stag grip panels for the brass grip frame. It is likely someone has retrofitted the grip frame and panels at a later date. A Ruger factory brass grip frame will be marked MR-3DB, but there were other aftermarket versions available.
Excellent find . . . that's a keeper! :mrgreen:
Edited to correct brass grip frame number.
NitroAcres
Single-Sixer
The BrassGrip Frame will be marked "MR-3DB" if it is a Ruger part.
Ruger never offered Stag grip panels for these..Only the XR3.
Ruger never offered Stag grip panels for these..Only the XR3.
contender
Ruger Guru
Sounds like you found a jewel! Kudos!
Good info above.
On those factory brassies,, it was usually the shipper marked with the correct model marking,, such as BKH-41B. It was cheaper to buy a rubber stamp to mark the shippers than to create a whole new label for the boxes.
Good info above.
On those factory brassies,, it was usually the shipper marked with the correct model marking,, such as BKH-41B. It was cheaper to buy a rubber stamp to mark the shippers than to create a whole new label for the boxes.
Yeah…Where we're all the "great finds" when I was younger and just going down the collection road?? I afraid it's a bit late for me to be starting a new line of collecting, so I'm pretty sure this one will be going up for sale one way or another. A couple hours ago I had a chance to look at a 3yr. old Blue Book and about dropped my teeth when I saw the values on a '62!! If, as Ale-8 mentioned, this is a 1966 gun in 95%+ with the box(65% after I looked at it better), anybody have an idea what a ballpark value might be?
Pardon my ignorance, but what is "RENE?"
...once again it is a sum of the total of the "parts" original OM 3 screw shorty, but wrong grip frame and after market stags BUT they if real stag and is the factory brass frame numbered as noted above, you still have $500-600 plus worth of parts, but gotta get a proper replacement OM XR-3 Red frame, AND walnut grips, so how much to buy and how much to sell, plus versus minus..YOU do the math... 8) :roll: :wink:
( saw an OM 3-screw 41 mag last gun show for $650 and it was "correct" no box) :wink:
( saw an OM 3-screw 41 mag last gun show for $650 and it was "correct" no box) :wink:
contender
Ruger Guru
Your .41 mag was made in the second year of production,, 1966. The serial number range for that year is; 3820 to 6780. 1965 was the first year,, so I'm not sure what you meant by "62.
And as noted above,, the parts,, can be either good or so-so. If it's a MR3-DB brass g/f,, it's worth more than other aftermarket brass g/f's. And,, as noted,, real stag vs fake or whatever makes a difference.
And as noted above,, the parts,, can be either good or so-so. If it's a MR3-DB brass g/f,, it's worth more than other aftermarket brass g/f's. And,, as noted,, real stag vs fake or whatever makes a difference.
Got it on the RENE. I didn't catch the acronym. Was a subscriber for years until an extended major economic downturn at the beginning of Kung - flu…then it fell into the group of non-essentials that were not renewed. The "62" reference was listed (but not explained) in the 3yr old Blue Book.
I've found no markings on it other than the normal barrel markings and the serial number. I'm no expert on anything…but I don't comprehend the "parts gun" reference at all. Are you saying this is a non-factory assembly of accumulated parts?
I've found no markings on it other than the normal barrel markings and the serial number. I'm no expert on anything…but I don't comprehend the "parts gun" reference at all. Are you saying this is a non-factory assembly of accumulated parts?
hedrok said:
Very likely. It is essentially impossible for that gun to have been shipped with the brass grip frame . . . unless it wasn't shipped until 1973 and just happened to be assembled/shipped at that time. Such things do happen, rarely. Only a letter from Ruger establishing the ship date and shipped configuration can sort this out, and might be the best $10 you spend here . . . particularly if it legitimized this unusual configuration. :wink:
For what it's worth, of the exceedingly few BKH-41B guns on record, only nine were known to exist as of the last RENE edition. :shock:
I too, am no expert on anything, but I can tell you my interpretation of the 'parts gun' reference. I THINK, the collectors are saying that IF your brass frame is truly a Ruger frame (marked with the MR3DB inside the grip panels), it alone, would have value (actually a minimum of $350 to as much as $450). Then, they would suggest that your grip panels MAY have value, depending on what they were made of (and, if they were factory original stags). Plastic/polymer grips would add nothing, stag could add $250 (if Ruger Stags... $500). Next, the gun itself would have value (especially if it was never converted to the infamous transfer bar neutering). I would guesstimate that an unconverted 4 digit, .41 Mag OM, with the 4 5/8" barrel would, by itself be worth a minimum of $700 (and MUCH more if you put it on Gunbroker, and allowed the undisciplined masses in today's market a chance at it. So, 'sum of the parts' depends on what you have there; AND, of course the condition of each of the 'parts'.
Hope this helps.....
J.
Hope this helps.....
J.
contender
Ruger Guru
I haven't used the Blue Book as a reference on anything serious about Rugers for quite a while. So I wasn't familiar with the reference to "62.
And like most others around here, I too use the RENE as a much better source of information.
As noted above,, it's almost impossible to have had that gun shipped from the factory with a brass frame. It's an EASY thing for a person to take a gun, AFTER it left the factory and swap out a grip frame & grips. Happens a LOT.
And as johnnu2 has stated,, (and did pretty good too) the "gun parts" or "sum of the parts" etc is as follows.
A gun has a value if it's 'as shipped" from the factory. When original parts are removed & replaced,,, that value changes. A lot depends upon the brand of parts use & if the gun can be restored to "as shipped" condition.
So, let's say your gun, as shipped, would be worth maybe $700.00.
If the grip frame is a MR3DB,, that grip frame is worth about $350.00. If you have the matching wide trigger,, (think the same as a Super Blackhawk trigger,) it's worth about $35-$45.
Grips,, if real stag,, worth about $200-$350 depending upon the maker & type of stag.
As a package your gun could be worth $1300-$1400 with that sum of parts added if they are as described.
Now,, most folks won't give that much,, unless as noted,, you get a couple of hot bidders on GB or whatever.
Then,,, there are the people who want to gun configured "as shipped."
The correct parts for them,, will be a XR3-RED grip frame, a proper trigger, and a good set of period correct grips.
XR3-RED g/f will be $75-$100
A trigger, about $20-$25
Grips, about $75.
So, if you were to buy the correct parts to return the gun to an "as shipped" condition gun, you will spend about $200.
You can recover that expense by selling the brass g/f & grips & trigger AND pocket a profit on those parts. You'd most likely get $600 fairly easily for those parts,, making you $400 over the other parts.
And of course,, you'd get the money from selling the gun "as shipped".
I hope that helps clear up any confusion on the parts & sum of parts etc.
Collectors like to have a gun in as close to 'as shipped" condition as they can get. The box helps a lot. A shipper is really desirable. And of course,, all the paperwork that was shipped with the gun too.
And like most others around here, I too use the RENE as a much better source of information.
As noted above,, it's almost impossible to have had that gun shipped from the factory with a brass frame. It's an EASY thing for a person to take a gun, AFTER it left the factory and swap out a grip frame & grips. Happens a LOT.
And as johnnu2 has stated,, (and did pretty good too) the "gun parts" or "sum of the parts" etc is as follows.
A gun has a value if it's 'as shipped" from the factory. When original parts are removed & replaced,,, that value changes. A lot depends upon the brand of parts use & if the gun can be restored to "as shipped" condition.
So, let's say your gun, as shipped, would be worth maybe $700.00.
If the grip frame is a MR3DB,, that grip frame is worth about $350.00. If you have the matching wide trigger,, (think the same as a Super Blackhawk trigger,) it's worth about $35-$45.
Grips,, if real stag,, worth about $200-$350 depending upon the maker & type of stag.
As a package your gun could be worth $1300-$1400 with that sum of parts added if they are as described.
Now,, most folks won't give that much,, unless as noted,, you get a couple of hot bidders on GB or whatever.
Then,,, there are the people who want to gun configured "as shipped."
The correct parts for them,, will be a XR3-RED grip frame, a proper trigger, and a good set of period correct grips.
XR3-RED g/f will be $75-$100
A trigger, about $20-$25
Grips, about $75.
So, if you were to buy the correct parts to return the gun to an "as shipped" condition gun, you will spend about $200.
You can recover that expense by selling the brass g/f & grips & trigger AND pocket a profit on those parts. You'd most likely get $600 fairly easily for those parts,, making you $400 over the other parts.
And of course,, you'd get the money from selling the gun "as shipped".
I hope that helps clear up any confusion on the parts & sum of parts etc.
Collectors like to have a gun in as close to 'as shipped" condition as they can get. The box helps a lot. A shipper is really desirable. And of course,, all the paperwork that was shipped with the gun too.
If it were me, I'd spend the $10 for the letter from Ruger, and go from there. JMHO :mrgreen:
WOW! Thank you, gentlemen!! Talk about somebody "not knowing what they don't know!!"
I'll be getting a letter for this one…then maybe I can get some sleep.
I'll be getting a letter for this one…then maybe I can get some sleep.
NitroAcres
Single-Sixer
Mine was somewhat of a mutt and I dressed it up some, as I wanted it using some parts I had collected..It's just a shooter.
Nice guns…beautiful!! Are those wood grips what would have been standard? The Sanbars look really nice.
I'll try to figure out how to post a couple of pictures.
I'll try to figure out how to post a couple of pictures.
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