Anyone ever heard of this model of 357 flat top NM?

[azrugershooter]

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displ ... &oh=216543

This guy claims it is 1 of 1 and his gun shop has it? :roll: Something doesn't add up about it? Maybe I'm wrong????

 

[Cholo]

I hope it's the only one as that's one ugly gun! The box looks good though! I don't think Hopalong Cassidy would have worn that thing...

 

[azrugershooter]

Yeah I was thinking it was more liberace goes cowboy! I thought it was butt ugly also. It seems to be the talk of several gun message boards as to wether it's real or just bs! I thought it was odd that if it is so RARE why no one has bid on it???

 

[Cholo]

If a '76 Pacer was the only one painted gutshot gold, would you bid on it? :wink:

 

[SBH4628]

Hmmm, 1 of 500 I think :?

 

[BlkHawk73]

As with ANY "rare" item, especially 1 of 1 :roll: without documentation...well, it's just another fairy tale.

 

[azrugershooter]

As with ANY "rare" item, especially 1 of 1 :roll: without documentation...well, it's just another fairy tale.

Exactly!

 

[azrugershooter]

If a '76 Pacer was the only one painted gutshot gold, would you bid on it? :wink:

Well I would like to think the a black hawk even one that liberace or elton john would drool over would be more desireable than even the greatest pacer. :lol:

 

[Richbaker]

SN is clearly visible, has anyone called the factory?

 

[Papa]

The Vice President of my gun club has one. I think he said it was one of fifty?

Here's some pics I took of it a couple of months ago...

Papa

 

[chet15]

As SBH4628 said earlier in this thread, the gun link at the beginning of this thread appears to be the 1 of 500 model NVB-34-50G, not one of one and certainly not a prototype as the auction seller claims.
I'm not sure about the gun that papa has...but it is different. If there were only 50 of those I'd certainly like to hear the circumstances of how they came to be made (factory engraved, or ????). Whatever this second gun is, it doesn't have the butt ugly selective gold layering of the first gun.
Chet15

 

[Papa]

I'll contact Butch and ask him for some more details....

 

[JimMarch1]

The piece in the first post looks "plausibly Ruger original" to me. The engraving may be cheesy, but it's pretty obviously a laser process. Which isn't something a lot of small-time shops have. Gary Reeder has one but...this isn't his work.

Ruger for damn sure has one. And the style of engraving looks just a wee bit like some of the black "engraving" on white plastic we've seen in some limited-production Ruger grips (oversize eagle comes to mind).

It might just be an astonishingly bad idea that was killed after one specimen . So...hmm. Dunno.

 

[RaisinRiverRon]

Had one of those at my LGS. Took forever to sell, just plum ugly.

 

[chet15]

It might just be an astonishingly bad idea that was killed after one specimen . So...hmm. Dunno.

Well, it was a bad idea I.M.O., but it is still one of 500 and if there was a pic of the bottom of the grip frame on that auction it is also marked 1 of 500. Ruger doesn't have the equipment to do that "selective gold layering" either....all their work is sent to Baron Technologies, the place where most of Ruger's engravers went to after their Studio of Art and Decoration was dropped.
Here's what I have on it from my reference:

NVB-34-50G. Special “1 of 500” model of the New Model .357 flattop. Features selective gold Lantuch style engraving at the rear of the cylinder and between the cylinder flutes with an entwined “SR” in the scrollwork. It also has scrollwork on the backstrap with a “50” within the selective gold layering. Other features include a gold plated hammer, trigger and grip medallions and a selectively gold layered “1 of 500” on the butt of the grip frame. This work was contracted by Ruger through Baron Technologies. The model was shipped in a special red 50th Anniversary Blackhawk box with the addition of a silver sticker about the size of a quarter with “ENGRAVED” printed on it in black. Known s/n range 520-09632 to 520-16722.

Anybody else here on RF got one of those to show pics for comparisons??
Chet15