Bearcat serial numbers on cylinder..usless answer from Ruger

Help Support Ruger Forum:

Joined
Nov 17, 2009
Messages
11,835
Location
Webster, MD.
Spoke with Ruger this morning and asked when they started inscribing the serial numbers on the face of the Bearcat cylinders. The answer I got was less than useful. The say that 'There is no start or stop time. It depends on how many they were doing in a run." So I still do not know when they started. I could NOT get across to her that they 'started' at some point since none of the older models had the numbers there. I have 93-xxxxx without and 93-xxxxx with, so they sure started somewhere.
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
I would say with the advent of the convertible, thus early on #93 prefix,BUT with any service work or refinish, they will put the numbers on the cylinder, and that was done even much earlier, with the old models........
 
Joined
Nov 17, 2009
Messages
11,835
Location
Webster, MD.
Let me rephrase what I am attempting to find out. Not supposition but fact. At what serial number did Ruger start inscribing the cylinders of Bearcats? If you own a Ruger Bearcat and check and find that it HAS a number on the cylinder please let me know what that number is... by PM. I will then start a list.
 

DPris

Buckeye
Joined
Dec 20, 2003
Messages
1,343
You can't seriously expect the CS people who answer the phone to have any idea whatever on a question like that.

They're not an information service & they're not the Ruger Historical Department.
Nor are they going to have the time to research it for you.
Not their job.
Denis
 

mohavesam

Hawkeye
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
Messages
5,847
Location
Rugerville, AZ
I would guess that at some point, some newbie parts handler dropped a basket full of matched parts all over the floor, and the shift supervisor loudly proclaimed "UNTIL I SAY DIFFERENT, I WANT EVERY CYLINDER NUMBERED TO THE MATCHING FRAME! -AND I AIN'T KIDDIN' NEITHER!" or such.

I doubt strongly that the machine shop intended some collector interest in how they re-mated parts during or after the finishing processes.
 

RSIno1

Hunter
Joined
Sep 17, 2013
Messages
2,858
Location
Southern California
I doubt Ruger would know that answer. There may have been a memo at one time to start adding serial numbers to cylinders but does it still exist? Also, they don't build them in order so there is no fixed start number.
 
Joined
Nov 17, 2009
Messages
11,835
Location
Webster, MD.
The bottom line is that no Bearcats, up to a specific serial number, ever had the cylinders inscribed. If none had it, then suddenly they DO have it, then there IS a start point. What I am attempting to ascertain is "WHAT WAS THAT NUMBER"?
 

Cordite

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 22, 2009
Messages
256
Location
Southeastern Michigan
mohavesam said:
I would guess that at some point, some newbie parts handler dropped a basket full of matched parts all over the floor, and the shift supervisor loudly proclaimed "UNTIL I SAY DIFFERENT, I WANT EVERY CYLINDER NUMBERED TO THE MATCHING FRAME! -AND I AIN'T KIDDIN' NEITHER!" or such.

+1. I have worked in manufacturing production (not at Ruger) and it's funny how things come to exist. Not everything originates out of the engineering department and production has their own set of issues they are expected to solve.

"...some newbie parts handler dropped a basket full of matched parts all over the floor.." I wonder if the shift boss issued a dope slap to the newbie.... :D
Makes for a good story anyway.

Cordite
 

T.A. WORKMAN

Hunter
Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
4,266
Location
MANSFIELD, OHIO USA
Fox Mike said:
The bottom line is that no Bearcats, up to a specific serial number, ever had the cylinders inscribed. If none had it, then suddenly they DO have it, then there IS a start point. What I am attempting to ascertain is "WHAT WAS THAT NUMBER"?


Frank,
Sorry to see that you too have become afflicted with "Numberitis" :) :wink:

I as well as most Collector's get where you are coming from, and feel your frustration on trying to find a certain serial number which marks a starting point. :wink: One suggestion would be to have the Mod's make your post a "sticky" and ask the members to share their numbers there with you, that will allow you to build a "serial # range" and you can pare it down from there.

Once you have a high and a low, hit all the gun shows & auction sites, and search, search, and keep searching! 8) I wish you the best in your search!

Terry
 

steelshooterco

Single-Sixer
Joined
Sep 24, 2014
Messages
315
Location
Shawnee, CO
Fran,

My guess is that you may become frustrated with "consistent inconsistencies" the addition of the Sn to the cylinder may occur and then stop over time, until it restarts, for the same or other reasons!
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
back to my comment above, up until the 'convertibles' there was NO reason to "have to, need to" UNLESS it was for a service, refinish or other some such event needing to "keep the parts" together for any particular gun...all the fitting was normally done at the "fitting " bench, pick up parts from a bin, fit them, and build a gun. test fire and ship it out...IF there was any issue problems, or need to go back through the system and to "keep the parts together" they would be marked, possibly, may not..................
unless even owner of every bearcat out there called in and reported their particular guns, much like Chad has been doing and trying to do, you'd be able to come up with a dividing line, base line......remember the vast majority of Ruger owners are NOT collectors, do NOT belong to any collecting group, either the RCA or ROCS, let alone subscribe to Chads RENE to even be concerned or care about the "scratches" ( numbers on the end of their cylinders, heck we see them ALL the time at any given gun show, and the cylinder in the gun does NOT "match" that gun, especially in the case of convertibles, they ONLY care that is feeds,fires and functions.......
I've looked at THOUSANDS over the years , guns shows as well as owning ,working at 3 different gun shops that "serviced" firearms, and I could not even tell you ,except in the case of an "obvious refinished" gun ( they usually are marked) and if the gun was a 'convertible" in the first place.................today the "new"??? Ruger company, and its various models in the course of assembly /fitting mark them , same went for the grip frames for a while, expecially for the Vaqueros,??? why ??? my guess would be as the frame was steel , and possibly had to be polished together as a unit, ?? other wise, as the aluminum frames were already made and finished to size, it would be a waste of time, effort and time to any production unit is 'money' 8)

Good luck and a nice try to possibly come up with a time frame , but many of us would be wondering as to "parts" or production changes, and some ,like S&W add a "dash" for any important production change within a model, ala model 10-5, etc. :wink:

one caveat is, if I, over the years have numbered , both with hand stamps, as well as electric pencil untold number of cylinders ,in any and all calibers and I was just ONE gunsmith , among untold, countless smiths, as well as kitchen table gun plumbers, which ones are factory and which one is MINE,,, or someone elses, yikes scary thought and throws a monkey wrench into ANY legitimate data table :roll:
 

DPris

Buckeye
Joined
Dec 20, 2003
Messages
1,343
Understand what you want, just saying Ruger's phone people would have no clue on something like that.

The fact that they don't is no reflection on them, it's a matter of unrealistic expectation on your part, as you began this thread.
No need to be frustrated with them. :)

They are at some distance from policy people, production people, repair people, marketing people, shipping people; have little contact with them, and if it's not in their computer they're unlikely to know much of either Ruger history or Ruger technical info.
Denis
 

street

Hunter
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Messages
2,456
Location
Vinton, VA
Fox Mike said:
The bottom line is that no Bearcats, up to a specific serial number, ever had the cylinders inscribed. If none had it, then suddenly they DO have it, then there IS a start point. What I am attempting to ascertain is "WHAT WAS THAT NUMBER"?

What you need to understand is that Ruger doesn't assemble their guns starting at serial number 1 , then 2, then 3. It is possible that they may assemble serial number 1000 before serial number 100. It is more then likely that there will be lower serial numbered guns with the serial number on the cylinder and higher serial number guns without. The reason as stated above because of the way that they are assembled. I would do as Mr. Workman stated and you will get some idea as to where the serial numbers start. And as I said you will probably see that there is some over lap.
 

radicalrod

Hunter
Joined
Jan 9, 2004
Messages
3,567
Location
Bowling Green, Oh
Chad has been taking notes for YEARS and still has to make educated guesses on such things....

The records never noted such things...no need to...get a notebook and start taking notes at the gunshows...

Welcome to the world of NUMBERS....RR
 
Joined
Nov 17, 2009
Messages
11,835
Location
Webster, MD.
radicalrod said:
Chad has been taking notes for YEARS and still has to make educated guesses on such things....

The records never noted such things...no need to...get a notebook and start taking notes at the gunshows...

Welcome to the world of NUMBERS....RR
I am guessing that is going to be my answer. Don Quixote and I will both be on our quests. I just won't have to worry about windmills; just Bearcat. :) :roll:
 

5of7

Hunter
Joined
Sep 22, 2010
Messages
2,296
Location
SW. LOWER MICHIGAN
rugerguy said:
I would say with the advent of the convertible, thus early on #93 prefix,BUT with any service work or refinish, they will put the numbers on the cylinder, and that was done even much earlier, with the old models........

There are Bearcat convertibles?
 

street

Hunter
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Messages
2,456
Location
Vinton, VA
5of7 said:
rugerguy said:
I would say with the advent of the convertible, thus early on #93 prefix,BUT with any service work or refinish, they will put the numbers on the cylinder, and that was done even much earlier, with the old models........

There are Bearcat convertibles?
No! But because of the reasons that rugerguy stated the .22 LR cylinders of the Bearcats would be marked sometimes, so as not to get lost or put into the wrong gun when work was done on them at the factory..
 

Kanook

Buckeye
Joined
Aug 7, 2009
Messages
1,123
Location
FL
street said:
5of7 said:
rugerguy said:
I would say with the advent of the convertible, thus early on #93 prefix,BUT with any service work or refinish, they will put the numbers on the cylinder, and that was done even much earlier, with the old models........

There are Bearcat convertibles?
No! But because of the reasons that rugerguy stated the .22 LR cylinders of the Bearcats would be marked sometimes, so as not to get lost or put into the wrong gun when work was done on them at the factory..
Yes, there are Bearcat convertibles.
 
Joined
Nov 17, 2009
Messages
11,835
Location
Webster, MD.
rugerguy said:
I would say with the advent of the convertible, thus early on #93 prefix,BUT with any service work or refinish, they will put the numbers on the cylinder, and that was done even much earlier, with the old models........
I would agree except, my unmarked 93 serial number is after the block on numbers of the convertibles, then my stainless IS marked and was prior to returning it for work, and my new 'sighted' model has not had repairs but is marked. I'll just start a list as I see other 'cats' and look at them and see if I can come up with some kind of idea as to when.
 

street

Hunter
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Messages
2,456
Location
Vinton, VA
[/quote]
Yes, there are Bearcat convertibles.[/quote]
Sorry but no Factory convertible BEARCATS were made. Only NEW BEARCATS were made with an extra cylinder. New Bearcats which came from the Factory with transfer bar systems are not BEARCATS! They are NEW BEARCATS

There are 3 Major changes to this revolver.
(1) Bearcat, 1958 to early seventies
(2) Super Bearcats, 1971 to 1974
(3) New Bearcats, both blue and stainless. This is the only one made as a convertible.
 

Latest posts

Top