Need info on Super Blackhawk *PICS ADDED*

[collectormzornes]

I have a line on a 5 digit serial numbered Super Blackhawk it has a white box with it and the owner claims it is original but I am not sure was wondering if someone could help out. The serial number is 103xx and it appears to be a high gloss in the pictures and has paper work and looks to be in amazing shape. The white box is also in good shape with no issues that I can tell from the picture. Any help is greatly appreciated. I am going to look at it in person tomorrow and just need some more info. Thanks

 

[flattop44]

Sure in the correct serial number range and should be good package . Ask him if it has the white sleeve that the box went in, it was serial numbered to the gun. That way you would know if the box is original to the gun. High polish it right.
FT44

 

[street]

Chances are that gun will have non eagle barrel. White box Supers in the 10,000 range are somewhat rare and if they have a non eagle barrel which makes it another variation of only about 600 guns. That's a nice find.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

It's my understanding that the "white box" Supers received the "high polish" to make up for the lack of the fancy wood presentation cases after the supplier's facility burned down.

 

[street]

It's my understanding that the "white box" Supers received the "high polish" to make up for the lack of the fancy wood presentation cases after the supplier's facility burned down.

Yes! That's the story that I have heard before. After they started doing the high polish there were a few high polish supers that was shipped in the wood presentation case!!! Maybe there were a few wood cases left in the factory or someone just found some that was saved back, of maybe a late shipment was received by the factory after they started the high polish guns. I guess we will never know why some of the high polished guns were shipped in the wood presentation cases.

 

[collectormzornes]

Well I went ahead and picked her up the gun is basically flawless as far as shape goes. The box is nice but does have tape on one corner. I will try and get some pictures up soon. When I get the pics up I will post the purchase price as well I think it was a good deal.

 

[chet15]

It's my understanding that the "white box" Supers received the "high polish" to make up for the lack of the fancy wood presentation cases after the supplier's facility burned down.

Yeah...that's the story, but not sure that's the reason for high polish Supers.
High Polish Supers start showing up by 8/29/60.
White cases don't show up until April 1961.
I was thinking there was an Ed Nolan letter that was sent to Distributors telling of the fire at the mahogany case manufacturer, and that it also says Super Blackhawks would then be sent with a nice corrugated white box.
I think the date on that letter is well after 8/29/60....its well into 1961 if I remember correctly. Don Findley may have a copy of that distributor letter.
Chet15

 

[radicalrod]

Well here is my white box.....RR




And a Mahogany box.....

 

[RugerHound]

It's gonna be real interesting to find out what this gun really is! Glad you snagged it collectormzornes!

 

[Ale-8(1)]

It's my understanding that the "white box" Supers received the "high polish" to make up for the lack of the fancy wood presentation cases after the supplier's facility burned down.

Yeah...that's the story, but not sure that's the reason for high polish Supers.
High Polish Supers start showing up by 8/29/60.
White cases don't show up until April 1961.
I was thinking there was an Ed Nolan letter that was sent to Distributors telling of the fire at the mahogany case manufacturer, and that it also says Super Blackhawks would then be sent with a nice corrugated white box.
I think the date on that letter is well after 8/29/60....its well into 1961 if I remember correctly. Don Findley may have a copy of that distributor letter.
Chet15

My point was that it's quite possible that a high-polish Super can be found in a white box . . . not necessarily that a white box MUST contain a high-polish Super or that a high-polish Super MUST only come in a white box.

:wink:

 

[street]

All White Box Supers that I have seen were high polish. With Ruger never say never but in my 40 years of collecting I have never seen a white box super that wasn't high polish.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

All I know is what I read in "the books" and even those don't always agree. This is what makes the hobby interesting. I guess the possibilities are . . .

1. Normal polish in normal box.
2. Normal polish in white box.
3. Normal polish in mahogany box.
4. High polish in normal box.
5. High polish in white box.
6. High polish in mahogany box.

Some of these are likely never seen, and some likely always seen. But as Street says "never say never (or always)". That said, it appears that 1 & 5 are the most likely. Anybody seen any of the others?

:)

 

[SteveRuger]

White Boxed Super serial #9 is a dull finish & a long frame, White Boxed #1648,#3850,#6565,#7519,#7580,#7581,#10101 & #10946 are very high polished.
J/S

 

[street]

Serial number 9 must have been a late ship. Do you have a shipping date on it.

 

[street]

All I know is what I read in "the books" and even those don't always agree. This is what makes the hobby interesting. I guess the possibilities are . . .

1. Normal polish in normal box.
2. Normal polish in white box.
3. Normal polish in mahogany box.
4. High polish in normal box.
5. High polish in white box.
6. High polish in mahogany box.

Some of these are likely never seen, and some likely always seen. But as Street says "never say never (or always)". That said, it appears that 1 & 5 are the most likely. Anybody seen any of the others?

:)

#1 would have to be an early serial number gun during the dull polish and mahogany box period, and keep at the factory and shipped after the mahogany and white boxes were over. This would not be common at all.
#2 an early gun held at the factory and shipped with a White box. This would not be common at all
#3 normal way it should come in the mahogany box.
#4 Most common for a high polish gun.
#5 most common for a White box.
#6 Not common but a few were shipped this way.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

All I know is what I read in "the books" and even those don't always agree. This is what makes the hobby interesting. I guess the possibilities are . . .

1. Normal polish in normal box.
2. Normal polish in white box.
3. Normal polish in mahogany box.
4. High polish in normal box.
5. High polish in white box.
6. High polish in mahogany box.

Some of these are likely never seen, and some likely always seen. But as Street says "never say never (or always)". That said, it appears that 1 & 5 are the most likely. Anybody seen any of the others?

:)

#1 would have to be an early serial number gun during the dull polish and mahogany box period, and keep at the factory and shipped after the mahogany and white boxes were over. This would not be common at all.
#2 an early gun held at the factory and shipped with a White box. This would not be common at all
#3 normal way it should come in the mahogany box.
#4 Most common for a high polish gun.
#5 most common for a White box.
#6 Not common but a few were shipped this way.

Man, I'm confused. Help me out.

#1, a common old normal-polish gun in a common old box is NOT COMMON AT ALL?
#4, a high-polish in a normal old box is more common than in a white box? Did they drop the white box but continue to do high-polish guns?

:?:

 

[mike722]

Here's my take on it...maybe this will make it easier..
A "white box super" is simply any super shipped out when they ran out of mahogany boxes and had white cardboard..a short time frame prior to the familiar black and red cardboard style..so, you can have serial 9 that shipped in a white box because it left the factory later than it normally would..and you may see a 9xxx gun in a black/red box that shipped late and missed out on a white box it should have been in..

 

[street]

All I know is what I read in "the books" and even those don't always agree. This is what makes the hobby interesting. I guess the possibilities are . . .

1. Normal polish in normal box.
2. Normal polish in white box.
3. Normal polish in mahogany box.
4. High polish in normal box.
5. High polish in white box.
6. High polish in mahogany box.

Some of these are likely never seen, and some likely always seen. But as Street says "never say never (or always)". That said, it appears that 1 & 5 are the most likely. Anybody seen any of the others?

:)

#1 would have to be an early serial number gun during the dull polish and mahogany box period, and keep at the factory and shipped after the mahogany and white boxes were over. This would not be common at all.
#2 an early gun held at the factory and shipped with a White box. This would not be common at all
#3 normal way it should come in the mahogany box.
#4 Most common for a high polish gun.
#5 most common for a White box.
#6 Not common but a few were shipped this way.

Man, I'm confused. Help me out.

#1, a common old normal-polish gun in a common old box is NOT COMMON AT ALL?
#4, a high-polish in a normal old box is more common than in a white box? Did they drop the white box but continue to do high-polish guns?

:?:

#1 By the time that the normal cardboard boxes came around for the Super Blackhawks, all of the Supers were "High Polish". So a dull polish gun in a cardboard box would not be common at all. That gun would have been made early with a dull finish and kept at the factory and shipped out after they started shipping Supers in the Red & Black cardboard boxes. If this happened at all then those guns would be counted on your fingers. And probably only on one hand.

#4 Once they started applying the High Polish finish to the Super Blackhawks they continued on into the New Models. All Old Models from Aug. 1960 through the end of the Old Models were "HIGH POLISH" finish. So White Box Supers would be somewhere around 5000 to 7000 made while the High polish guns in the regular box would be some where around 90,000 made. So a High Polish Super in the regular Black & Red cardboard box would be much more common then a White Box Super.

You have to remember, only the first 2000 to 3000 Old Model Super Blackhawk were dull polished. After that all Old Model Super Blackhawks were High Polish, no more dull polish guns were produced.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

That clears it up. Thanks.

:)

 

[flattop44]

Oh my, Radical showed us two almost unique "complete "cased Super packages. Simply the best of the best!
FT44

 

[collectormzornes]

Well here she is let me know what you think as far as worth. The pictures are not that great I took them with my phone and I am not the best with it. I think I did ok for the package even if it was wrong the price was good at $475 out the door. Thanks everyone for the help.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Holy cats!! What a nice package!

And IMHO you made out exceedingly well on that transaction. Congrats!!

:) :) :)

 

[mike722]

Heck yeah! The box alone is worth more...

 

[Danjet500]

You owe the seller a dinner!!!!!!!!!! Or two! :)

 

[radicalrod]

YUP, I hate it when people over price their guns....why $275 would have been plenty :lol: :lol: :lol: RR

 

[collectormzornes]

Ok everyone thanks for the support on this, I love this forum and how helpful everyone is I wish more were like it. I will spill the beans about how I came about this gun. My Dealer whom is somewhat a friend called me and was asking me info about it, it's worth and what he should ask for it. It had been consigned to him and the consigner said they want $450 for it so I asked my Dealer friend how much if I wanted to buy it after telling him that it was worth way more than that and he said give me $25 over the consigned price and it's yours so I could not turn it down even if it was just a plain jane Super Blackhawk. The consigner was also fine with getting the $450 they wanted even after being told it was worth more. They said they had it in the family when their dad was a dealer and they had no interest in it so they moved it along to someone who did.

 

[Danjet500]

Right place at the right time. Congratulations.

 

[radicalrod]

Well ask WES about the #1555 SUPER in the mahogany case with the shipper story :roll: :roll: :roll:

It is a great story.....RR

 

[jussbad]

Correct me if I'm wrong but don't all of the white boxes have that tape on the one corner? Either way very nice score. You did real well.

 

[SteveRuger]

VERY NICE! Thanks for sharing.