Factory Engraved Vaquero Set
- Thread starter prowler
- Start date
jgt
Buckeye
The one's I have seen that were referred to as engraved were ...............machine engraved in between the flutes on the cylinder only and then filled with a gold filling. Rather cheezy looking up close. Most I have seen were also wearing the faux ivory grips with the ruger logo schrimshawed on the lower part of the grip. Some seller try to ask a premium by touting the engraving but I would tend to pay less for a gun like that.
chet15
Hawkeye
prowler said:
The model jgt is speaking of is not the same model as the guns you have. The KNV-455E and KNV-455EC were machine engraved, then finished up by hand. Things like the six pointed stars and engraving on the recoil shield ball were completed by hand. These guns did not have gold filled engraving at the front of the cylinder.
When these first came out, they were offered as a single or as a matched pair, and they had hard rubber panels at the time. They were priced at $1,000 for a single gun or $1,950 for a matched pair...these did not come with a case, although at the time I suppose a case could have been purchased for this pair (don't remember). Then, like a year later, Ruger decides to start marking these "1 of 1,000" and offered them as a matched set with simulated ivory panels in a wood glass topped display case (I think Ruger messed up on the earlier price of the rubber gripped model....either that or they messed up on the 1 of 1,000 price because they suddenly went to $3,863 for a price!!!). Ruger didn't sell many of the rubber gripped engraved guns, and for some reason they sold more of the simulated ivory guns...but they still didn't sell the whole 1,000. I don't know how many were eventually produced, but TALO ended up getting the last 143 of those that had machine engraving only (not finished with hand cutting) and sold those out as a Last Cowboy model.
There is also another engraved model similar to that above that was a 1 of 50 issue with 4-5/8" barrel and sold through Lipsey's to Cabela's outfits around the country. They also had a glass topped wood presentation case and were marked 1 of 50 on the grip frame.
Chet15
Chet15,
Thank you for the information, I have one of my customer want to trade me with SASS set and certain amount of cash. I may end up with them.
Anyway, how can I get your magazine? Please PM or send e-mail for information.
Thank you for the information, I have one of my customer want to trade me with SASS set and certain amount of cash. I may end up with them.
Anyway, how can I get your magazine? Please PM or send e-mail for information.
street
Hunter
jgt said:
I think all of the engraved cylinder guns, the ones with the gold colored filling had the regular faux ivory style grips, with just the eagle medallion at the top of the grips. They were made in .45, .44 Mag. and .357 Mag. Only the .22 cal "Baby Vaqueros" had the Faux ivory grips with the eagle schrimshawed on the lower part of the grips. This only pertains to the original shipments. I don't know what they did on the clean up guns.
The reason some of the dealers ask a premium is because of the collector value. If one was trying to collect a set of these it's not an easy thing to do. Not too many of those were made, and they did cost more from the factory when they were new. And yes a lot of people thought they were cheezy, and a lot of people didn't. But we get that reaction any time some one shows an engraved gun. Some people love them, and some people don't.
Similar threads
