HELP with 1959 Ruger Flat Top .357 BRASS FRAME

[bigmtnman]

I just brought this home today. Yes, the frame is real brass. I took it off the gun and it is heavy brass with no reaction to a magnet. It is not brass plated aluminum or steel. It is marked XR3 and Alcoa in the "usual" area. The frame differs in some aspects to a regular aluminum XR3 frame that I have (note the upper area under the hammer). Was this ever a factory option ? I am aware of the "Dragoon style" Super Blackhawk size brass frames, but this is not that for sure ! It came on a .357 4 5/8" bbl Flat Top serial # 21397 (1959). The wear on the frame matches the wear on the overall gun. Any enlightenment you can provide will be appreciated.

Link to pics. on the S&W Forum http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/606491-help-1959-ruger-flat-top-357-brass-frame.html#post140617626

 

[hittman]

Unlike other brands, Ruger charges a whopping $10 for a factory verification letter. You can find the form on their web site.

Only way to know anything for sure is to get the letter.

And to post pics here you need to use a third party hosting site like www.imgur.com.

 

[bigmtnman]

Unlike other brands, Ruger charges a whopping $10 for a factory verification letter. You can find the form on their web site.

Only way to know anything for sure is to get the letter.

And to post pics here you need to use a third party hosting site like http://www.imgur.com.

Thanks for the info. I'll be sending a letter soon.
Ken

 

[rugerguy]

well, being that the factory did not offer the brass frames until in the 70's, around 1972?? I doubt seriously that any 1959 model came with a brass frame.....others offered their own versions of brass frame, like 'Qualite' in this same time frame, I'd save the $10...just MY .02 cents

we put various frames on different models over the years when we had the shop and we bought the Ruger 'brass' frames, ( frame, trigger and grips) for around $7.50 and they had LOTS of them for sale back in 1973-74....... 8) :roll: :wink:

 

[NitroAcres]

Wow, those marking are "Interesting"...for sure.

Appears to be exactly the same as the Alcoa XR3...perhaps it was an early experiment..we have all learned to Never say Never with Ruger.

 

[NH Rugerman]

I would request the letter, may be a great investment!!!

 

[contender]

As noted,, Ruger didn't offer brass g/f's until the early 1970's.

A magnet won't stick to an alloy XR3 g/f.

Look at ALL the internal shapes of the XR3 g/f and compare them to the brass one. There are differences.

Have you tried to file a spot inside the g/f out of the way to see if it's a plated g/f?

And,, as noted,, a letter would be required,, WITH the info about a brass g/f to be verifiable.
And as also stated; "Never say never" with Ruger.

 

[hittman]

On a couple of occasions I've even included a photo or two and a cover letter with the Ruger request form. The folks there have always been very accommodating to me.

 

[NikA]

I'd be extremely skeptical of that frame being brass. 2 reasons: 1) The circular marks on the right side of the frame appear to be ejector pin marks from a die casting mold. Brass is typically cast at temperatures that are too high for die casting. 2) The grip location pin is also brass colored, and almost appears continuous with the rest of the frame. I would bet a magnet sticks to that pin; it looks to me like whomever plated the frame was unable or did not care to remove that pin before plating. I have never seen a Ruger grip frame with an integral grip location pin.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

There were several aluminum XR3 frames anodized in different colors way back in the day. A file would reveal this condition.

JMHO

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I'd be extremely skeptical of that frame being brass. 2 reasons: 1) The circular marks on the right side of the frame appear to be ejector pin marks from a die casting mold. Brass is typically cast at temperatures that are too high for die casting. 2) The grip location pin is also brass colored, and almost appears continuous with the rest of the frame. I would bet a magnet sticks to that pin; it looks to me like whomever plated the frame was unable or did not care to remove that pin before plating. I have never seen a Ruger grip frame with an integral grip location pin.

All true. However, I believe the ZAMAK grip frames on the new Wranglers has a cast-in-place grip location provision. That would be obvious though.

:mrgreen:

 

[street]

well, being that the factory did not offer the brass frames until in the 70's, around 1972?? I doubt seriously that any 1959 model came with a brass frame.....others offered their own versions of brass frame, like 'Qualite' in this same time frame, I'd save the $10...just MY .02 cents

we put various frames on different models over the years when we had the shop and we bought the Ruger 'brass' frames, ( frame, trigger and grips) for around $7.50 and they had LOTS of them for sale back in 1973-74....... 8) :roll: :wink:

Dan. Don't forget that Ruger shipped a few Super Blackhawks with a factory installed Brass grip frame, in the 28291 to 36411 serial number range. That would put it in 1967 to 1968. I bought a Super Blackhawk in 1965 serial number 19xxx and in the parts list it listed a Brass frame that you could buy and install it yourself. So I don't know when Ruger first offered the Brass frame as an option but it was offered as far back as 1965.

 

[NH Rugerman]

It sure looks like the grip frame was altered at the top compared to a standard grip frame of that era, your pics show that clearly, very interesting if it is indeed solid brass. But i dont believe Ruger would have designed it at the top like that....may be bubba'ed?

 

[Ale-8(1)]

A closer look at those pics on the S&W site would lead one to believe someone may have used a Ruger XR3 frame as a pattern to make a mold for brass castings. This would have included the Ruger markings. And if a solid locator pin were in place when the mold was made, that would have been included also. I'm agreeing with the comments in the S&W thread.

The removal of the web connecting front and rear portions of the upper end of the grip frame is interesting, too. As mentioned above and on the S&W thread, that might have been done to allow easier alignment and securing of the grip frame to the main frame. Can't tell if that area is "as cast" or if that web were removed later.

Interesting thread. :mrgreen:

 

[JStacy]

Century arms made some brass frames for three screw Rugers in the same time frame that Ruger was making the, The brass frame was an option on the black powder pistol. I know I took a brass grip frame off a BP gun and put it on my 3 screw 45 Colt. Nice gun should have kept. Guy who bought it claimed it was a century arms frame but I never gave in to that attempt to lower the price on the gun.
And BTW Ruger used a separate steel locator pin, not a cast in one.