Ruger 96 with desirable serial number?

Evening everyone. I recently came across a Ruger 96 in great shape and I may be a bit nerdy about numbers so I wanted to see what the collector's/enthusiast's thoughts were. I know market is driven by desire but any ballparks would be greatly apprecaited. I have a Model 96 in great shape with a serial number of 96. That's 620-00096. I almost didn't pay attention to the serial number at first but am I wrong to think this could be highly desirable?

I can't say about the 'desirable' but it's certainly 'unique'.
I used to buy AR15 (gutless) lowers and assemble them to my specifications. I didn't pay much attention to serial numbers until one batch had consecutive numbers and one was my birthday. What's the chance of THAT?

im_pilot said:

Evening everyone. I recently came across a Ruger 96 in great shape and I may be a bit nerdy about numbers so I wanted to see what the collector's/enthusiast's thoughts were. I know market is driven by desire but any ballparks would be greatly apprecaited. I have a Model 96 in great shape with a serial number of 96. That's 620-00096. I almost didn't pay attention to the serial number at first but am I wrong to think this could be highly desirable?

Click to expand...

I think a fair number of collectors appreciate early or low-serial-number guns; for example, "one of the first 50 made" or "one of the first hundred". The low serial number matching the model number might be especially attractive to one of those folks!

Ruger had a program for decades called the "Subscriber" program. An individual was assigned a serial number,, (say 96) and had to purchase ALL of the new models with that number. I believe that program ended AFTER the 96 came out.
So, you likely have a "Subscription" gun.
Someone who collects those,, or prefers low serial numbers do have an interest.

I wondered about that as in conversation with Jack Behn, years ago he had told us he had #95 and I had gotten a #96 flatop from a guy who sold the factory cutting oil for their shop operations, and Jack had told me and Laura that #96 was a "gift" gun number, no one had claim to it and they used that number when giving a "gift" to people who came to or dealt with the factory???? yessir more "Ruger lore" I passed that gun on to Rich Machniak years ago at the OGCA, he had taken it to the NRA convention the following year and I believe displayed it with the RCA guns and got some sort of NRA Medal for it, he put on stag grips....... early,mid 90's..........
and the odd thing was Bob Campbell had comeupon #69 shortly after that.......Neat

Wow that's some interesting information and thank you for sharing. I love the stories like that. Unfortunately they go unspoken way too often. I'll try to get a picture up and share it. It's neat if nothing else.

WOW, the stuff a guy learns here!!!

there are always instances where one comes across a number that "means" something, birth year or date, as noted above Bob Campbell also had serial number #357 , on a .357 mag flatop, ".....and so it goes..."Wil Terry RIP as well as our friend Bob C

im_pilot said:

Evening everyone. I recently came across a Ruger 96 in great shape and I may be a bit nerdy about numbers so I wanted to see what the collector's/enthusiast's thoughts were. I know market is driven by desire but any ballparks would be greatly apprecaited. I have a Model 96 in great shape with a serial number of 96. That's 620-00096. I almost didn't pay attention to the serial number at first but am I wrong to think this could be highly desirable?

Click to expand...

A Ruger 96 is very desirable!!! No longer made. I'd sure like to have one. Or 3.

Interesting serial number history.

I am always liking it when I find a serial number that's "symmetrical" or low. My HK45 has a 3 digit serial. But my favorite is one I requested on a custom AR lower from a new manufacturer. It's serial 1776. I had them engrave "American Patriot" on the side too.

That's cool! A low number, the model number, potentially a subscription or give away number? I think its worth a little more.

Always neat to find an interesting number, but most don't add value. Best one I have is a J frame model 60.

ABR XXXX

My dads birthday is April xx,19xx

If the B was a P it would be his birthday perfectly. I still think its neat.


When the SR1911's came out and were still super hard to lay hands on. My local shop got a shipment.

Out of curiosity I asked if any were consecutive? I don't know was the answer.

Its a busy shop, he went to get me a gun and was gone a long time. Came out all smiles. He found me a set! He was so happy. Thing is I didn't really want 2, I only asked out of curiosity. But felt obligated to buy both. I decided to ear mark them for my 2 sons.

One of them has the Ruger double stamped. I made a thread at the time. Does this add value? Got the complete range of answers, from its neat but no value change to return it.

I never returned it, but thought to myself which son will get the defective double stamped one?

Then one day my youngest son a budding coin collector came to me and asked if I'd ever heard of a double struck coin?

I said "Wait till you see what I have"!!!!!!

Funny how things work out.

"Then one day my youngest son a budding coin collector came to me and asked if I'd ever heard of a double struck coin?

I said "Wait till you see what I have"!!!!!!
Funny how things work out."

Karma!!!!!!!!!!

He thinks it's awesome!

You never told us what caliber it is? Some of us 96 owners would love to know.

You are absolutely correct. I have been trying to do some more research so I forgot. Here is a photo of the serial number and it's a 22 Mag. I also picked up a 10/22 in 22 Mag at the same time.

So contacting Ruger gave me little information as most of you already know. I did think it was odd that they said the rifle was manufactured in April 1997 and it shipped in March 2006. Seems like a long time to sit unless it was being held for some reason. I may go ahead and get the letter from them since it's so cheap but looks like no new official information is going to come out of it.

That time lapse is really not unusual with Ruger.
They may have found the receiver ( and others ) stored away in some obscure place and decided to complete the guns and move them along.
Heck, I have a GP100 I bought NIB from a local retailer that was around 12 years late in being shipped.

hittman said:

That time lapse is really not unusual with Ruger.
They may have found the receiver ( and others ) stored away in some obscure place and decided to complete the guns and move them along.
Heck, I have a GP100 I bought NIB from a local retailer that was around 12 years late in being shipped.

Click to expand...

Great to know. Thank you.

im_pilot said:

So contacting Ruger gave me little information as most of you already know. I did think it was odd that they said the rifle was manufactured in April 1997 and it shipped in March 2006. Seems like a long time to sit unless it was being held for some reason. I may go ahead and get the letter from them since it's so cheap but looks like no new official information is going to come out of it.

Click to expand...

Ruger had a habit at the time of holding back the first 500 or so serial numbers of a particular new introduction in order to be sure those involved with their "low serial number program" would get their example of that gun. They waited until they were sure any unforseen problems were well out of the way so they could make sure those writers, employees or other special friend of the factory would receive premium examples with their number on it.
Through the years, a lot of those "subscribers" passed away or simply gave up their number. But Ruger continued to hold them until they decided to nix the "low serial number program". Bunches of early numbered guns remained in their storage until they decided to start purging them finally. Most left in the 2006 to 2010 period.
Chet15