3 screw Blackhawk .357s

Help Support Ruger Forum:

MMichaelAK

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 24, 2009
Messages
361
Location
Alaska
Okay, a dealer I was in college with has a box full of 3 screw Rugers. The ones Im interested in are all blued, 7 1/2 inch barrel guns.

One is a 5 digit serial number, another is a 30 prefix, and I cant recall the last off the top of my head.

Not one is a collector. Its a crying shame the shape they are in. bores look good but externally, they have most the bluing worn off, one is missing the grips, the other two are walnut but the finish is shot. All three have enough rust to make you cry, but no deep pitting. The 5 digit serial number is currently jammed with the base pinn pulled out almost completely.

He hasn't set a price but has set all three aside for me so I get first crack at them. He's gonna do some research and find out what they are worth.

That's what this post is for.
Im looking for ballpark numbers so I know what to budget.

I know I wont get hosed on the deal as he's a stand up guy. I dont want to hose him either but I would like to come away with all three without breaking the bank.

For example, He had a very nice.357 BH 3 screw 4 5/8th inch in the case with an aftermarket rubber grip for $499. A 50 serial prefix as well. Some holster wear at the muzzle and front of the ejector housing.

I put $300 down and its now on layaway for $450.

Im just wondering what you guys think prices should be for all the above.
 

flatgate

Hawkeye
Joined
Jun 18, 2001
Messages
6,784
Location
Star Valley, WY
Some of your data is out of synch with the subject at hand. No 7-1/2" Old Model .357's were made. 6-1/2" were common, as were the 4-5/8" examples.

$450 for a OM .357 with holster wear and rubber grip? Not for me, too expensive......

50 prefix s/n's are .30 M1 Carbine chambered Old Model Blackhawks and they have 7-1/2" barrels.

The beaters are worth $250 or perhaps a few dollars more, depending on exact condition and what is salvageable and what isn't..... JMHO.

flatgate
 

Hammer

Single-Sixer
Joined
Oct 1, 2006
Messages
231
.

Thanks to the economy think prices are lower today than they were even a few months ago.


.
 

MMichaelAK

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 24, 2009
Messages
361
Location
Alaska
Box about the size of a file box.

Better than a dozen guns in it but the pick of the litter had been tagged by a guy who wasn't supposed to learn about them but the beans got spilled and he badgered the owner into letting him get first look.

They may have been 6 1/2 inch barrels. No tape on me when I was looking.

There is a stainless 44 mag SBH in there with the squareback trigger guard. Its been buffed with something so the finish isnt good. I like the squarebacked trigger guard but dont have much use for a 44 mag so, I dont know what Ill do about that one, but he's willing to give me a shot at whatever the PITA guy doesnt put cash down for.


Yeah, I thought $450 might be high on the blackhawk I put on layaway. That's the problem with impulse buys.
I do at least have a set of Walnut grips off an ROA that might do the trick and dump the rubber ones.

Live and learn.

Thanks for all the help guys, it's much appreciated.
 

Axehandle

Buckeye
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
1,427
Location
North Alabama
Yup..No stainless 3 screws..... Sound like a good opportunity to get some learning... Jammed up base pins and rust doesn't sound like a good place to spend a lot of money... When fixed you will have beat up shooters at best. We find cherry original specimins around here for $400 on a regular basis. Your time in a restoration may not be out of pocket money but it isn't free... Take the time to know what is there and pay a fair price...
 

MMichaelAK

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 24, 2009
Messages
361
Location
Alaska
This is what I wanted to hear. Information is a good thing, even if its not exactly what guy wants to hear.
I was 98% sure I saw three screws and not two pins in that 44. That being said, I tend not to bet on something Im not 100% sure of.

Yep, the rstoration wouldnt be cheap in time. Time is money, soooo... But this is our slow time of year so I do seem to have a bunch of it on my hands and shooters is what I was thinking of so I may do it just as an educational investment if the price is right.

Still dont know for sure as he's not burning down the house to find out what he wants for them. Until I know that little bit of info, I wont know if I want to jump in neck deep.
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
gotta "see" them and make a 'proper' evaluation, as the sounds of what you describe is beyond a simple restoration....................the rest is only "speculation" and would be very subjective to what is needed to "make them right"........Grandad called that, "a pig in a poke...." :wink:
 
Top