Blackhawk 357

[oldgunsrule]

Sent my $10 to Ruger Records yesterday for the letter of authenticity. I'm not doubting anything, but, i think that is $10 well spent..( honestly, kind of surprised it was only $10. I think Colt's minimum is $75.)

I'm really curious if they have records of the actual ship date from the factory of s/n 89 and if they have records of where or to who it was originally shipped.

 

[contender]

I knew immediately the gun wasn't stainless & it was only the lighting.

The letter may surprise you a little. It may have been shipped very early,, OR,, at a much later date than expected. There is one easily changed part that is suspicious to me. The ejector rod button. With the early Type 1 .357's like that,,, the button is usually a serrated type,, with the second variation being round,, (like shown) but with a "dimple" in the face. The 3rd variation is a solid round button.
Possible explanations;
(1) Later ship date.
(2) Returned to the factory at some point for a repair, (such as a broken stud, and lost rod,)
(3) Someone at some time lost the rod & replaced it.
(4) Someone intentionally swapped it.

It's excellent that you sent the $10 for the letter. You will get the model info, (should be BKH3), the month of production & the month of shipping. Plus,, it will tell where it was shipped to. NOT who it was shipped to but where.
Ruger letters don't have as much info as many of us would like,, but the current ones give us a little more than they used to.

 

[Lt Choate]

Sent my $10 to Ruger Records yesterday for the letter of authenticity. I'm not doubting anything, but, i think that is $10 well spent..( honestly, kind of surprised it was only $10. I think Colt's minimum is $75.)

I'm really curious if they have records of the actual ship date from the factory of s/n 89 and if they have records of where or to who it was originally shipped.

Yes, very well spent.

The Colt minimum is $75. I have an original Colt Navy model 1851 that was used in the CW and they charge $300 for the letter of authenticity for those. I have all of the documentation as to who originally carried it but have not "pulled the trigger" on the letter, due to that high cost. Decisions, decisions.................

 

[Star43]

Colt charges that much ?? And Ruger charges $10.......That tells you a lot. Another reason why everyone on this forum likes Ruger so much. $10 is a very well spent price for this gun.....I still think it could of been an early Ruger sales rep sample....It will be interesting to find out.

 

[Lt Choate]

Well, to be fair, they have different levels. For a more modern revolver (ie. Python, Cobra, etc.) it is only $75. For the Single Action Army series, it jumps up to $200. But, for the really old stuff, like the 1851 and 1860 percussion revolvers, it is $300. Not sure if it is due to the age and difficulty to research the old records or if it is due to the value of the originals and they just figure they can get that much on a weapon that cost many thousands of dollars.

 

[oldgunsrule]

Colt charges that much ?? And Ruger charges $10.......That tells you a lot. Another reason why everyone on this forum likes Ruger so much. $10 is a very well spent price for this gun.....I still think it could of been an early Ruger sales rep sample....It will be interesting to find out.

I'll let you know what i learn. I did find this - it confirms what your theory:

Ruger Blackhawk .357 Cal. "Flattop"

Would # 89 be considered "high polish"? and, are the grips stock ?

Type 1 - Standard "dull" polish finish, long throw offset ejector rod housing, narrow land cylinder base pin, small square serrated ejector rod button, serrated narrow front sight base and blade, 4-5/8 " barrel. About 6,000 made.

Type 1 "High Polish"- Same as above, but with the very rare "high polish" finish. These guns usually have the larger concave or "dimpled" ejector rod button since they were all shipped about two years after they were made. All that I have ever seen were shipped in September 1957. Only about 100 or so believed to have been made. There is some speculation as to why they were held and shipped late. . . maybe they were intended to be presentation guns with a special high polish finish? Or maybe they were just held to see if the gun's blue discoloration problem (turning red, cherry, or plum colored) could be solved? Since low numbered guns were normally given to gun writers, Bill Ruger's friends, and other special folks it seems that either of these reasons could be true​

 

[Star43]

If only that gun could talk.....With a number that low, it is a good possibility that Bill Ruger himself handled that gun and gave or presented it him- self to a writer or friend and may have said: "check it out"....Either way, good old number 89 is certainly a conversation piece ....

 

[any ruger]

½Did anyone have number 89?

 

[Star43]

½Did anyone have number 89?

The original poster bought the Blackhawk with the serial number of "89".

 

[weaselmeatgravy]

The original poster bought the Blackhawk with the serial number of "89".

I think he meant whether anyone was a subscription holder to 89.

I know a Ruger employee had 89 in the later New Model years and I got ahold of a bunch of those when he cashed out. My notes from Chad say Charles Askins had the Hawkeye but no idea whether he had the general number (Askins did subscribe to #62).

One issue with letters on older guns from the 1950s is that Ruger suffered a flood that destroyed many older gun records, so it may or may not come back with useful info.

 

[weaselmeatgravy]

Would # 89 be considered "high polish"? and, are the grips stock ?

​

The grips are not factory. It would have shipped with black checkered synthetic grips with a black Ruger eagle medallion.

The high polish guns are not all in one consecutive cluster. If the area on the bottom of the cylinder frame in front of the grip frame looks nice and smooth as opposed to having moderate machining marks, it is probably high polished. It looks like it very well could be. I have a high polished BKH3 a few digits away from this one.

 

[Star43]

Mr. Gravy, that sure is a lot of information you have there. Hope that flood you mentioned didn't destroy those records. Please explain more about this "subscription" thing.??

 

[oldgunsrule]

Mr. Gravy, that sure is a lot of information you have there. Hope that flood you mentioned didn't destroy those records. Please explain more about this "subscription" thing.??

Star43, my sentiments exactly. "Subscription "? I would also like to know what you are referring to please mr gravy.

 

[oldgunsrule]

The grips are not factory. It would have shipped with black checkered synthetic grips with a black Ruger eagle medallion.

The high polish guns are not all in one consecutive cluster. If the area on the bottom of the cylinder frame in front of the grip frame looks nice and smooth as opposed to having moderate machining marks, it is probably high polished. It looks like it very well could be. I have a high polished BKH3 a few digits away from this one.

I am in awe of the information that is available on this forum. Thank you sir.

 

[Watertender]

I am in awe of the information that is available on this forum. Thank you sir.

It is amazing isn't it! Great group of people and most helpful

 

[Star43]

It is amazing isn't it! Great group of people and most helpful

I agree completely. The information here, and like Watertender said, it's the people here that is the most important thing. Personally, I can only say that I am glad I grew up when I did. We didn't have any smart phones or internet, or I pads or ear buds. None of those things. We actually made eye contact with one another and listened to what the other person was saying. Back then, I had a transistor radio which was hi tech then that had a range of about 30 miles.....till my uncle broke it "trying to make it better". Good old Uncle Walt. He was a good guy though. I will get off my soap box now.......Thanks for the info Mr. Gravy

 

[contender]

"Subscription guns."
Bill Ruger decided long ago to allow certain people the opportunity to "subscribe" to get the same serial numbered guns as they came off the production line. So, as a new gun was introduced,, those subscribers would get the exact same serial number to build their collection. Many of the early subscribers were friends of Bill or gun writers or such.
As time passed, the number of subscribers grew. It got to the point that as a new model was introduced,, they'd hold back making the first 500 guns until the gun was in the hands of others & field tested.
Many well known folks were subscribers.

The flood.
Decades ago,, the Ruger plant was just one of many places that experienced a flood. The result was that many of the earlier records were damaged. I can't recall the exact timeframe for the records info,, but often,, many of the rarer, older guns may not have much in the way of recorded detail.
Let's hope that this gun mentioned here has enough info that survived!

 

[Star43]

Thanks Contender, That explains a lot. I agree with you in hoping the gun mentioned, #89 has some info available. This is interesting.

 

[Lt Choate]

"Subscription guns."
Bill Ruger decided long ago to allow certain people the opportunity to "subscribe" to get the same serial numbered guns as they came off the production line. So, as a new gun was introduced,, those subscribers would get the exact same serial number to build their collection. Many of the early subscribers were friends of Bill or gun writers or such.

Great info. Yep, this is a grand forum for sure...........

 

[oldgunsrule]

"Subscription guns."
Bill Ruger decided long ago to allow certain people the opportunity to "subscribe" to get the same serial numbered guns as they came off the production line. So, as a new gun was introduced,, those subscribers would get the exact same serial number to build their collection. Many of the early subscribers were friends of Bill or gun writers or such.

Amazing sources of information - thank you my friend & neighbor.