Found, Lost A RST-6 200th Year & Found Another .........

[lovemydals]

Anyone that has read this post, knows that I had purchased a 200th Year RST-6 & it turned out to be a stolen firearm. There was a slight chance of getting it back from the victim, but so far that has not happened & I don't expect it to.

Well, last Friday while out & about gun shop touring in Nor Cal, I found one. Price was right & it included the original box. So, I bought it. The serial number, 13-80000, I find to be very interesting. All is well, that ends well.

lmd


Original post from July 2009:

At at gun show this weekend, I was able to turn a stainless Charter Arms Bulldog Pug .44 Spl revolver into a Ruger Mark I (RST-6) 200th Year, complete with box & manual with very little cash changing hands. Though, no shipper. The s/n puts it into the RST-6 with the normal (round) bolt stop variety. Not sure what the bolt stop is. Can someone post a photo? Once a have the RST-6 in hand (after the ten day wait), I will look through Chad's book & hopefully identify the bolt stop.

The pistol is 98%, but the box is damaged. It's been torn to allow the lid to be folded underneath the box for display purposes (dumb idea). Does anyone have a sure fire way to repair/restore boxes? I would like to avoid using tape to keep the box from tearing any more. Thanks!

lmd

PS. Saw a Standard Auto Type 9 Red Eagle without box in 98% condition for $725. Talked the seller down to $600, pending comparison to my Type 9. If his is an upgrade, I may pick this one up. Also, saw a OM Hawkeye Single Shot pistol. The asking price was $2200. Didn't see a box or asked if there was one. Don't know the s/n, but can find out. It's with the dealer that I used to transfer the RST-6.

 

[street]

The bolt stop goes through the receiver behind the rear sight. It is round about the size of a pencil, maybe a little smaller. What it does is stop the bolt, when it is pulled or shot, from going out the back of the receiver. Most of them are rounded off at the end, that's the end that you see at the top of the receiver. The tapered bolt stop variation will be tapered from the back to the front, not rounded like the other variations. The story was that they were cut off too short and knowing Ruger, don't waste anything, they were just tapered from back to front so they would work.

 

[lovemydals]

Thanks street! As I started reading you response, it didn't take me long to realize what the bolt stop was. Boy, did the light come on real quick & bright! Thanks again!

lmd

 

[chet15]

I actually think they are left over from prototype Mark I production of about 1950. Check out the pic of #X5 T678 on page 62/63 of Donnie's book "Bill Ruger's .22 Pistol" or page 61 of JD's new book (its the same factory photograph). I'm pretty sure it is pictured in Ruger's December 1950 Mark I advertisement as well. In those pictures note how the Micro type rear sight overhangs the bolt stop. I think Ruger tapered them down so they would clear the rear overhang of the adj. sight. To eliminate the extra grinding on the bolt stop, Ruger just moved the rear sight ahead a little.
Chet15

 

[street]

I actually think they are left over from prototype Mark I production of about 1950. Check out the pic of #X5 T678 on page 62/63 of Donnie's book "Bill Ruger's .22 Pistol" or page 61 of JD's new book (its the same factory photograph). I'm pretty sure it is pictured in Ruger's December 1950 Mark I advertisement as well. In those pictures note how the Micro type rear sight overhangs the bolt stop. I think Ruger tapered them down so they would clear the rear overhang of the adj. sight. To eliminate the extra grinding on the bolt stop, Ruger just moved the rear sight ahead a little.
Chet15

You would have thought they would have used them up before 1975-1976. Could be they cut them a little short on the prototype!!!

 

[lovemydals]

Unfortunate news for me regarding this RST6, 200th Year MkI pistol;

I received word from the transfer dealer yesterday that she is waiting for CA DOJ to come by her shop to pick up this pistol, due to it being a stolen firearm. CA DOJ placed a "HOLD" on it back in July 2009, pending an investigation. Well, it appears their investegation determined it was stolen. I contacted the seller to let him know & he said it's not stolen. Either way, it looks like I'm out $335!

lmd

 

[radicalrod]

Hey Dennis, why would you not be able to get your MONEY back from the seller? When this occurred with a gun I sold I gave the buyer his money back immediately.....and never saw the gun again.....I did call the confiscating PD and verified that they had indeed taken the gun into their pocession .......I had owned the gun for 12 years so was not able to remember where I aquired it.....bad deal for everyone.....mainly me as I lost the gun and the sale......see ya RR.

 

[circlergrugers]

Dennis, I think I would go back to the seller and ask for your money back and let him talk with the authorities about the gun. I believe you should be entitled to your money back.

 

[ddd482]

i don't see why you should be stuck-

 

[lovemydals]

Thanks everyone! For now, I have to wait for CA DOJ to actually confiscate the gun. Once that has happened, I will contact the seller & request a refund. My concern is that the seller isn't playing by the rules & will not be in a position to come through with a refund. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Chief 101]

Legally, the dealer should not be selling stolen property.

 

[lovemydals]

The seller used to have a FFL license. But, for some reason unclear to me, he no longer has it. He continues to sell & I suspect that he is buying as well (no proof of this though). Of course, anything he sells goes through an CA FFL holder as a private party transaction (required in CA since around 1989 or 1990). Now, I wait & see.

 

[lovemydals]

I spoke to the transfer dealer on Saturday about this pistol & when I asked about it being stolen, she didn't seem to know one way or the other. CA DOJ has not confiscated it yet. I'm beginning to wonder if it will stay in limbo for eternity.

 

[lovemydals]

I received a call from the transfer dealer today & I was informed that CA DOJ picked up my RST-6 (not mine now). I called the seller to advise & asked if he was going to make me whole. At first he resisted, but changed his tune when I said he would have to go back to the person he bought it from to ask for his money back. So, by Sat I should be reimbursed. Keeping my fingers crossed!

lmd

 

[Mtn Biker]

If he doesn't come through I would think small claims court would find in your favor no? Is the seller in Cali also?

VL

 

[lovemydals]

Yes, the seller is in CA. I think he will come through on Sat. Thanks!

 

[lovemydals]

The seller came through as I was hoping & refunded my money today. I spoke with the transfer dealer today & he said a detective from Santa Clara picked up the RST-6, which leads be to believe that it was a local jurisdiction (police or sheriff) & not California DOJ. He felt that the gun the detective thought was stolen was not this particular gun, as the s/n's didn't match. The gun in question is a prefix s/n gun (13-xxxxx) & the stolen one being a non prefix s/n gun, but both share the same five digit s/n. He thinks that once the detective sorts it out, he will see that they are not the same gun & that they will release it to me. I'm not holding my breath though. If that is the case & I do get it, as I told the seller, I will send him a check. Oh well, the search continues for a 200th Year RST-6. If anyone has one & it resides in Northern California, maybe we can do business?

lmd

 

[chet15]

He felt that the gun the detective thought was stolen was not this particular gun, as the s/n's didn't match. The gun in question is a prefix s/n gun (13-xxxxx) & the stolen one being a non prefix s/n gun, but both share the same five digit s/n. He thinks that once the detective sorts it out, he will see that they are not the same gun & that they will release it to me. I'm not holding my breath though. If that is the case & I do get it, as I told the seller, I will send him a check. Oh well, the search continues for a 200th Year RST-6. If anyone has one & it resides in Northern California, maybe we can do business?
lmd

Same five digit s/n? What are the odds of that? I bet it will turn out to be the same gun and have a Liberty rollmark on it to boot.
Ruger did do their first run of RST6's in the 96xxx and 97xxx range (about a thousand of them), so I suppose it is possible. But if I were a betting man (and I'm not) I would bet same gun.
Chet15

 

[lovemydals]

The s/n of the RST-6 I had, but lost is 13-87730. If indeed the stolen gun is s/n 87730, that puts it around 1954. Stay tuned?

 

[lovemydals]

And the rest of the story;

While getting ready for a gun show the first of this month, I discovered a copy of the paperwork from the police agency that confiscated this RTS6, along with contact info of the officer that took custody of it, in the gun rug that I used to store this RST6 in while it was at the transfer dealer (they returned it to me when the pistol was confiscated). After contacting him, I was told that indeed the s/n included the 13- prefix & that it had been stolen back in 1995. We made arrangements to ship the box to him & he will make sure it is returned to the victim. Just in passing, I explained to the officer why I purchased it (200th Year gun & if not in CA, I can't import it due to not being older than 50 years). The officer mentioned that the victim was an elderly gentleman & that maybe he would sell it to me since his kids have no interest in his firearms. I placed one of my cards in the box. Who knows, this may turn out in my favor after all. Keeping my fingers crossed! Stay tuned........

lmd