akhooters7
Single-Sixer
What is the Easiest way to tell the difference...
And what would you call this one ?
And what would you call this one ?
high polish vs non high polish
- Thread starter akhooters7
- Start date
collectormzornes
Blackhawk
Not one of the experts but it looks to be a regular polish to me.
radicalrod
Hunter
It is just what you would think.....HIGH POLISH is REALLY almost OVER POLISHED.......I would say yours is standard finish as are my 96 and 97 guns....HP guns radiate the colors and almost look florescent.....well that is what I think....YMMV.....See ya RR.
Here is my 265 gun...I call it HP....well in person I might give yours gun the Hp label.....
Here is my 265 gun...I call it HP....well in person I might give yours gun the Hp label.....
RugerHound
Hunter
The difference is similar to that of flat black (std bluing) and gloss black (High Polish bluing) paint. The S47 Super Blackhawk Old Models are high polished finish, so if you have one of those laying around then you can put it side by side with the gun in question and you'll immediately see the difference.
As RR said, they look different in person than in photos unless you happen to be a professional photographer!
Where you'll really see it is on the barrel (even on rough gun) if you have a HP finish. The gun in the OP (#771) is standard finish IMO.
As RR said, they look different in person than in photos unless you happen to be a professional photographer!
Where you'll really see it is on the barrel (even on rough gun) if you have a HP finish. The gun in the OP (#771) is standard finish IMO.
OP
akhooters7
Single-Sixer
Well I wasn't sure so I thought I would throw it out there.
I knew it did not fall into the serial range but was close.
I knew it did not fall into the serial range but was close.
tommygun
Single-Sixer
IMHO, you also can look closely at screws and pins. At first you may think the gun has been reblued. I have been told that the old .357's were polished to resolve coloration problems with the blueing and that he gun may have polished by more than one person. As a result lots of high spots were rounded etc.
Here are a couple of pics of a nice .357 Flattop High Polish for viewing. This one was held back and shipped in August 1957.
FT44
FT44
Nice gun, Bill! Very similar to a non listed SN 367 that I owned, NIB. Went to Friend Tucsonite and may be out on the West end of the Country now. Gary? 8)
RugerHound
Hunter
Man that's a beauty Bill!!
tommygun
Single-Sixer
RR, it is interesting that Dougan does not list this gun as a high polish????
tommygun
Single-Sixer
Bill this #16? It also is not listed as high polish by Dougan. What gives here?
Perhaps the list is incomplete or these guns were not recorded.........Remember: RECORD KEEPING WAS NOT A STRONG SUIT AT STURM RUGER............Part of Ruger Lore, is what some of us call it. 8)
chet15
Hawkeye
When JD's list was published in his latest book, it was surmised that the serial numbers listed there were all high polish since they were shipped late. This is not the case!
The guns were shipped late simply because they were held. Maybe it was because of the purple colored frames, maybe it was for some other reason, but not all the guns listed on that list are high polish. And not all the high polish guns that were made are listed.
The list only shows .357's that were shipped late.
Take it one step further and think about how those guns would be listed in the records. Ruger did not mark these "HIGH POLISH" in the records. The only thing of relevence that went in the records is the model number, serial number, the inspect (testfire) date (also called date of manufacture by collectors), the ship date and who the gun was shipped to. There was no reason to put finish changes or parts changes in those records as how a gun got to its final state of manufacture. You are only interested in the final product.
The logistics of doing their records any other way would be nighmarish! With all the employees that touched that #16 for example, would the employee in the shipping department care what parts or finish were put on it?? It would be different if it had a plated finish.
Maybe we collectors get caught up in the type of records that Winchester kept, with all the special order features that were available on their lever rifles. But with all regular production being STANDARD, you're going to see the STANDARD entry in Ruger's records.
Chet15
The guns were shipped late simply because they were held. Maybe it was because of the purple colored frames, maybe it was for some other reason, but not all the guns listed on that list are high polish. And not all the high polish guns that were made are listed.
The list only shows .357's that were shipped late.
Take it one step further and think about how those guns would be listed in the records. Ruger did not mark these "HIGH POLISH" in the records. The only thing of relevence that went in the records is the model number, serial number, the inspect (testfire) date (also called date of manufacture by collectors), the ship date and who the gun was shipped to. There was no reason to put finish changes or parts changes in those records as how a gun got to its final state of manufacture. You are only interested in the final product.
The logistics of doing their records any other way would be nighmarish! With all the employees that touched that #16 for example, would the employee in the shipping department care what parts or finish were put on it?? It would be different if it had a plated finish.
Maybe we collectors get caught up in the type of records that Winchester kept, with all the special order features that were available on their lever rifles. But with all regular production being STANDARD, you're going to see the STANDARD entry in Ruger's records.
Chet15
mike722
Buckeye
tommygun said:
I believe that gun is #46
Yep, Mike is correct, this one is #46, not #16. I bought it from the original owner. It was purchased new in a Fairbanks, Alaska hardware store in Dec. 1957 and was carried on the "DEW"/Defense Early Warning Line during 1957/58.
Bill
Bill
mike722
Buckeye
that is one fine gun...especially to have been carried/used in that neck of the woods, and still look good! very neat history on that gun...
tommygun
Single-Sixer
Good stuff guys, thanks
tommygun
Single-Sixer
So the high polish guns listed in Dougan's book would be the only ones he was able to confirm.
Blackhawk30
Single-Sixer
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2011
- Messages
- 114
Are there any high polish .22 autos of any generation?The only ones I can think of are the 6 inch standard models that were nickel plated and used in that display wheel.
chet15
Hawkeye
tommygun said:
As mentioned earlier in this thread, the list in JD's book, bottom of page 347 which he lists as "Super Polished" .357's....the guns listed there are not all high polish as several on that list have been observed with Ruger's standard polish. Likewise, not all of the "Super Polished" guns made by Ruger are on the list as there are several collectors who have high polish .357's that are not listed there.
Ruger did not put "Super Polish" or "high polish" notations in their records. There was not room in the records to note parts or finish changes since everything was "standard" from Ruger, and such an option was not available.
Although JD's list states the guns were "Super Polished", I believe he assumed they had that finish since the guns were shipped late.
But the list means nothing more than guns that were shipped late.
Chet15
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