NM BLKHWK ODDITY

[DeadEyeDick]

I was going over and cleaning my pair of NM BlkHwk's and noticed that their wasn't any stamped information/warning on the barrel of one. Normally there is the info as to maker,ect. stamped into the side of the barrel, it wasn't there. On further inspection the stamped info was discovered almost completely under the ejector housing and spring. I assume they are stamped prior to assembly and in order to get proper barrel fit/headspace ect. and extra quarter turn was necessary. Doesn't seem to be a problem and its the only one of the 4 wheelguns I have from Ruger fitted this way.

 

[Sugar River]

They've been doing them that way on purpose for some time now, a couple of years at least.


Pete

 

[Chief_10Beers]

They've been doing them that way on purpose for some time now, a couple of years at least.


Pete

Yes they have, but my 50th Anniversary 44M BH has the warning under the Barrel and it was shipped from Ruger in 2008........................

 

[JimMarch1]

As far as we can tell the under-barrel warning started some time in 2007.

On a mid-frame gun (New Vaquero, Montado, 50th Anniversary 357Mag Blackhawk, all the 44Spls) it's purely a cosmetic issue. On a large-frames it means you got a bonus: the under-barrel guns have a revised cylinder making process adapted from the mid-frames. It means your cylinder chambers were done one at a time with the same bit/reamer set in sequence - all of your chambers are uniform. The previous process involved six going at once, which led to a lack of uniformity. Average accuracy with the new process went up. The mid-frames had this from 2004 forward.

There's a single exception: the 50th Anniversary 44Magnum Blackhawk Flattop of 2006 (the one NOT marked "Super") had a side-barrel warning early on, but all had the new cylinders. It was the first large-frame with that upgrade.

 

[Meeko]

My wonderful Wife bough me a Single Six for my B day in 2004 that has the warnings on the side of the barrel. I purchased a Blackhawk convertable in 2011 that has the warnings under the ejector rod housing. It never bothered me but I must say if it has to be there I do prefer it under the ejector rod housing but wouldn't pass up buying one either!

 

[T.A. WORKMAN]

They've been doing them that way on purpose for some time now, a couple of years at least.


Pete

Yes they have, but my 50th Anniversary 44M BH has the warning under the Barrel and it was shipped from Ruger in 2008........................

The very first 89 prefix guns up to around 89-039XX had the warning on the side of the barrel, these are refered to as "Newport Issue" guns.

Production was switched to Prescott (Prescott Issue) and the remaining 1200, 89 prefix guns were assembled with the rollmark on the bottom of the barrel.
These 89 prefix guns (both variations) NIB or LNIB are drying up and down the road will be sought after by future collectors of the NM FT's. JMO

Note} After those frames were used up the serial #prefix was changed to 870-XXXXX, and rollmarks are on the bottom.