Gun show finds..............

[rugerguy]

from this past weekend , we went to the Maumee Valley gun show with our friend Don W, had to stay close to home ,missing Tulsa, BUT as usual did bring back a few nice old models........




the RSS9 is in the #163,000 range, and the T514 is an early #75,000 gun, the flatgate is our #10,000 gun, , as there were at least another half dozen 'flatgates, for sale at the show, and NONE of them sold, anywhere from $400 to $750 in price range...oh well..had a very good time with Don & Bev. :wink:

 

[radicalrod]

Hey Dan, nice stuff.....

Bring them to OGCA so we can see them next weekend.....RR

 

[rugerguy]

Hey, Radical, welcome home, hope you guys had a nice 'meet'.... alas, I have cancelled my 3 tables for the OGCA show, and will be doing the Medina show instead, staying near home for the time being. Besides, the Mark I T514 is already spoken for. Could use a RSS9 box or an 'uncatalogged' Single Six one........... 8) :roll: :wink:

 

[wizofwas]

I've also got to quit going to gun shows. The last one I went to, I picked up a RSS9X and the box to go with it.

 

[rugerguy]

getting the box for those older ones is quite a 'find", there was a couple of RSS9X guns at the Maumee show, but no boxes.............................the RSS9 pictured above may have been made BEFORE they came out with the "convertible" ( spare cylinder)

 

[wizofwas]

I thought getting a box was a good find also, even if it's not in the best of shape. A couple of broken corners and the paper cover looks like it's gotten wet at least once. But I did get the brown paper and the warranty card with it. The red bag for the spare cylinder has seen better days also. After I get it home and check it out, I see that I have the wrong grips on it. According to Chad, with a SN. of 21-24XXX I should have the Silver Eagles and I have the Black Eagles on mine.

 

[martyj]

Nice T514 to could of used one of those.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I see that I have the wrong grips on it. According to Chad, with a SN. of 21-24XXX I should have the Silver Eagles and I have the Black Eagles on mine.

Well, when you trade for the "silverbirds" you should come out ahead.

 

[rugerguy]

left over grips?? who knows, after all these years all too easy and common to have folks swap out, buy new (replacement) grips at any given time,,,yessir as Ale-8 notes the ones on the gun ARE worth more....though the "silver" ones should be the "squashed chicken" type, mushed silver eagle , and the grip screw and escutcheon,are all blued..........

 

[wizofwas]

Thanks for the info, it's good to know that I did good on the grips. I'm still learning lots on the art of Ruger collecting. Dan, I was thinking the same thing on the grips. Although it seems unlikely that these are leftover grips from the factory, it is indeed possible, from my understanding of the way things used to be at Ruger. And now for the dumb question. All things being the same, why are non-prefix revolvers worth more than the prefix ones? Thanks again.

 

[golferboy426]

nice finds

 

[bigbore45colt]

Nice guns, Dan. Ralph K had an RSS9 box for sale at the Tulsa show last weekend. $135, I think, which I thought was fair. Give him a jingle if you want to get it.

BB44C

 

[rugerguy]

Wiz, basically it is a matter of older, lower numbers versus "newer" the prefix guns are all after the GCA 1968 and Ruger assigned 'prefix' numbers to all the guns in their line,,, in Jan 1 ,1969 these were started.......sooooo, lower numbers, makes the early ones more valuable??? many collectors just call these early guns 'straight line' numbers, no dashes, no prefixes...to me it is still a matter of condition FIRST, then any "packaging" box, papers, shipper,etc,,,this adds to the real value, and if 2 or 3 digit serial numbers, then the values really skyrocket.....
BB45C thanks for the info, but I am just going to sell this anyway, so no need to "add" more to what is in it,,,,,let the new owner have the "thrill of the hunt..."
Makes me think back to the days when Karl M. had an entire collection of the RSS9, all boxed and all variations....wow, like to have those today !!!!

 

[wizofwas]

Thanks for the info Dan. I'm with you on the condition first stuff. I can see why the 2 and 3 digit serial numbers are worth more, just didn't understand the difference between the big number non-prefix and the prefixed ones. Now I understand that it's just the collectors whim and that can change at any time. Thanks again

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Any time there's something that easily distinguishes one variant from another the hobby assigns a "relative value" to one variant over the other . . . even to serial number ranges and styles. It's associated with the perceived value of all the variations, even those so minor that Bob C referred to them as "picayune variations" even though they are pointed out in all the various books catering to the Ruger enthusiasts. I see it as being the "I have one of these and you don't" syndrome, although it's usually a good-natured thing. The more variants, the more difficult it becomes to acquire "one of each" for one's collection and the more personally rewarding when all the missing pieces are accounted for.

Serious collectors drive the overall hobby, though, and we need that perception of "rarity" and/or "scarcity" to give us all a picture of the playing field. It's no different with the Colt collectors or the Winchester collectors or the Corvette collectors or the Mustang collectors or the Beanie Baby collectors or the Star Wars collectors. . . tiny differences can drive the perceived value.

All depends on how serious you are about it.