Another Conundrum. Oh to unseal or leave sealed

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winchester348

Single-Sixer
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I have a Ruger No 1A in 243Win made in the late 70s (132) prefix that has never seen day light since it left Ruger. The box still has the plastic band around it. What would the collector value be for it if left unsealed? I'm talking to a guy with a bore scope now and would at least like to know the condition of the gun before I sell it. I'm hoping by sliding a bore scope into the box so I can get an idea. I hate selling a pig in a poke. What would the value be if it were to be unsealed?
 

contender

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Use the bore scope or anything you can to inspect it w/o opening if possible. Even better,,, they make inspection cameras that can be tied to a computer. Use it to get pics & video. Use that as the selling points.
NIB,,, unbroken sealed guns do command a premium. I just have no idea on the values of the rifles like this.
 

steelshooterco

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Can you post a photo of the packaging, have never seen one that is unsealed as you describe and it would be nice to know what they look like for reference.

Thanks!
 

El Numero Uno

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I don't think a No.1 collector would buy it that way. I wouldn't. If it was a single digit, or 2 digit, rifle and the history was known; maybe.
I am not familiar with the packaging/sealing you describe.
A long time ago(20+years) there were some Flattops, or a Single Six that were found and sold this way. They were 2 digit revolvers and their history was known.And they were a steal on the 1st purchase. Lynn Laudise bought them and I was the 2nd place finisher! :cry: Still a gamble on condition. They did get opened and were pristine!
 
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I know of NO shop or FFL< dealer who would take in any firearm, and NOT inspect and copy the numbers off the gun, not the box, into their hardbound books, the factory shipped them to the distributor, then from there to a dealer, and finally put out for sale to a customer.......... the boxes, ( packaging) is ONLY for shipment, NOT for long term storage. 8) :wink:

( yes, we've gotten many over the years ,into our shop to be refinished due to rust, and improper storage) :roll:
 

steelshooterco

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Ruger Guy makes a great point on recording into a shops bound books. Is the sealing a plastic band, about 1/2" to 3/4" wide, stippled texture, that has a heat sealed joint?

If that is the case, it is a form of industrial banding/strapping that can be put on if you have the equipment in your warehouse. Place I worked at used to use it to bind boxes onto a larger cardboard. Ours was clear or white, but it comes in colors too.

Below is a link to what the joints look like (bottom 2) followed by the machine we used to tighten and seal it.

http://www.boompack.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cachets-plastique.jpg

http://www.dynaric.com/file/product/image/1/2/21/m_f92488f4f2f0182ebe7e64b435e8.png
 

chet15

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Dawson, Iowa
El Numero Uno said:
I don't think a No.1 collector would buy it that way. I wouldn't. If it was a single digit, or 2 digit, rifle and the history was known; maybe.
I am not familiar with the packaging/sealing you describe.
A long time ago(20+years) there were some Flattops, or a Single Six that were found and sold this way. They were 2 digit revolvers and their history was known.And they were a steal on the 1st purchase. Lynn Laudise bought them and I was the 2nd place finisher! :cry: Still a gamble on condition. They did get opened and were pristine!

I agree...same thing with the Don Black Guns when Munnell first saw them. Munnell asked Don how he knew the NIB with unopened shipper two-digit .357 and .44 flattops and Single-Sixes and Lightweight Single-Sixes weren't a ball of rust in those boxes. So Don opened a LW Single-Six of Munnell's choice and found an absolutely brand new unturned LW in there.
Also, with the way things are done at the factory, and the errors that are known to have been made in shipping, how would one know the gun inside is in fact a 1A in .243?
Chet15
 

winchester348

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kkZ08p8.jpg


I will be finding out tonight hopefully
 

radicalrod

Hunter
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Bowling Green, Oh
El Numero Uno said:
I don't think a No.1 collector would buy it that way. I wouldn't. If it was a single digit, or 2 digit, rifle and the history was known; maybe.
I am not familiar with the packaging/sealing you describe.
A long time ago(20+years) there were some Flattops, or a Single Six that were found and sold this way. They were 2 digit revolvers and their history was known.And they were a steal on the 1st purchase. Lynn Laudise bought them and I was the 2nd place finisher! :cry: Still a gamble on condition. They did get opened and were pristine!

Hey Lee, were these #59 BKH3 and RSS....if so they are opened NOW :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
I know that Lynn had them then Doc to Flattop to ME :D :D :D I added the BKH4, S47, & RST....RR
 

El Numero Uno

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That was them, I think. There were 4 Rugers in the deal; I recall 2 had not had the shipper opened. The Seller advertised in Gun List-"your choice-$500. Obviously, Lynn took them all. The Seller was a Principal of a big Florida Distributor, which I think by that time had closed.
 
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rugerguy said:
I know of NO shop or FFL< dealer who would take in any firearm, and NOT inspect and copy the numbers off the gun, not the box, into their hardbound books . . .

I'd believe this comment would be of considerable interest. I know a few FFL holders, and NONE of them would enter a serial number off a box label alone.

It has likely happened, though, as mentioned above.

JMHO
 

radicalrod

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Ale-8(1) said:
rugerguy said:
I know of NO shop or FFL< dealer who would take in any firearm, and NOT inspect and copy the numbers off the gun, not the box, into their hardbound books . . .

I'd believe this comment would be of considerable interest. I know a few FFL holders, and NONE of them would enter a serial number off a box label alone.

It has likely happened, though, as mentioned above.

JMHO

So do the distributors open every gun package they receive and check the serial number ????
The BIG GUYS must have a full time package checker guy...
Seems like a LOT OF HASSLE....BUT if you must.....RR
 
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I cannot say , except for the few distributors we knew and worked with and through, they , (the distributor) did not, and I would say "does not" BUT , the 'FFL' dealer, , and ALL I know , do exactly this as there are errors, not a real problem or issue with "new" made, from the factory ,but any transfers, for customers, whatever...BIG problem if you do not, and we've know and have seen dealers LOSE their license for even these simple "infractions" and lack of inspection...serial numbers are serious business...YOU do what YOU want,,I , will follow the proper procedure...........duh, it ain't rocket science boys and girls,j ust good ,common sense. 8)
 

Kanook

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FL
Back in 89 a gentleman came into the shop i worked at and wanted a NIB Mossberg 500, so we ordered one for him.

A week later UPS drops off a package for us. Inside a NIB Mossberg 500, serail # on invoice matches serial # on factory shipping box. Open box to verify # on shotgun only to discover no serial number.

Boss man wouldn't let me buy it.
 

winchester348

Single-Sixer
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Messages
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Georgia
steelshooterco said:
Winchester348

Looks like typical heat seal banding, could have been put on by anyone at anytime.
I would agree. Except the gun came from a friends shop that went out of business in or around 1982. I have the remaining inventory from the shop that I will be liquidating. I have multiple guns that were in stock that never hit the floor. This is the only one that still retains the band. I would find it strange for someone to have reband one and not the rest. When I was a kid it was my "task" to log in all new rifles. I have cut the bands off of an unknown number of new rifles when they came in from the distributor. During this time period we received most of our Rugers from either RSR, I believe they were out of Ohio and Chattanooga Shooting supply. I can not remember the color of the bands, but if it were the distributor that was re-banding them after "checking the serial number" I would find it, though possible but not probable that both distributors used the same bands and banded them the same way. Which brings me to the thought. Distributors relied on the serial number placed on the box at Ruger after an employee at Ruger verified the number. We would often receive several same model guns in duplicate calibers. Only one would be removed at the time of receiving to be placed on the wall as a display model. When a gun was sold often we would pull an unopened box and give it to the customer. At this time it would be opened and the serial number would be verified. I never seen one that was not correct. It worked for us in the 1980s before computer scanning .
Going back to the original posted question. Is an unbanded rifle have any premium over one without band intact?
The update is my buddy came over with a bore scope and we determined that in order to check condition with the scope we would have to compromise the box. So we are looking for an alternative. We may just film us opening the box and if someone wants to say they have a rifle that had not seen daylight since 1981 so be it.
 

chet15

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Dawson, Iowa
El Numero Uno said:
That was them, I think. There were 4 Rugers in the deal; I recall 2 had not had the shipper opened. The Seller advertised in Gun List-"your choice-$500. Obviously, Lynn took them all. The Seller was a Principal of a big Florida Distributor, which I think by that time had closed.

I still have the Shotgun News from 1958 or so that advertised those six guns, the 65's, 59's and #101 .357 flattop. All were New in unopened shipping sleeves....and apparently nobody wanted them until Lynn found out about them. To me that was the single greatest discovery of untouched Ruger SA's until the Don Black collection came up.
Chet1
 

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