Oddball 357 3 screw

[AR_hillbilly]

At a gun show a couple months ago I bought a 3 screw 357, 4 5/8" bbl I think. A guy from another table came over and bought it. Next show I seen him at he wanted to know if I knew what I had sold him. No idea what he was talkin about but he showed me some weird things about it. It was 3 screw for sure, don't remember if it said New Model on the frame or not, and I can't remember if it had any type of transfer bar system or not. Behind the trigger there was a "lump" that I don't remember what he had figured out was for. But he had taken it home and looked up the serial # and said it was from 2002 or right around there. I didn't get any pics of it so y'all can see what it maybe was, but I'm hopin somebody has an idea? I told him if it didn't suit him to let me know and I'd make it right one way or another. He told me later he had sold it so no problem, and no chance of pics now.
Does anybody have any idea what we had? Thanks!

 

[nvbirdman]

Maybe somebody added a trigger stop?

 

[contender]

Either it was a 3 screw or a 2 pin New Model.
No 3 screw guns were made after 1973. In looking it up,, OFTEN,, the Ruger site is incorrect,, or people look in the wrong place.
If you owned it,, did you keep a copy of the serial number?

As for the "lump" behind the trigger;
(1) It could have been the trigger return spring plunger.
(2) It could have had a trigger stop added aftermarket.
(3) If the lump was part of the trigger guard,, I'd say it had a trigger stop.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Three Screws are not New Models. A 2002 gun is a New Model.

New Model triggers have a radiused extension on the upper rear side that is visible when the trigger is "at rest". It's the thing that the trigger return spring sits on. Is this the "lump" you are referring to?

Check this photo . . .

https://www.ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawkBlued/specSheets/0306.html

 

[AR_hillbilly]

Serial # on the gun in question is 31-1062x......seems to me that is an older ser# unless I'm mistaken
It was definitely a 3 screw, but he pointed out 3 or 4 things that just didn't seem right, and the lump in the trigger guard is the only one I can remember now. It's a real possibility that he got his wires crossed lookin up the #, he's as old as me and probly about as "tech savvy". haha I'll see if he can remember any of the other stuff that seemed different next time I see him.
Thanks y'all for any help!

 

[hittman]

Serial # on the gun in question is 31-1062x......

Old Model 1972 production courtesy of RENE.

I don't think serial number history on the older guns is on the Ruger web site any longer.

New Model serial numbers started at 32-00001 in 1973 also courtesy of RENE.

2002 serial numbers were 37-73673 to 37-76049.

 

[AR_hillbilly]

Thank you!!

 

[Hondo44]

My first thought is that someone installed a new model steel grip frame on the old model 3 screw. One easy way to accommodate the different style new model trigger return spring mounted in the grip frame is too add the "bump" on the back of the old model trigger.

Was a steel grip frame one of the oddities he mentioned? The only old model Ruger with steel grip frame from the factory was the Super Bleackhawk.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Many of the Old Army guns shipped with a steel XR3-RED type grip frame and a wide trigger. :mrgreen:

 

[Hondo44]

Good point, but actually the Old Army originally only had an alloy grip frame with skinny trigger (the standard XR3-RED old model grip frame) thru out the old model era and a decade into the NM era.

Not until the #XRN-3 steel grip frame beginning 1985 with wide trigger slot did the OA have a blue carbon steel grip frame. And it's the only OM 'style' GF made of steel and beginning after the OMs ended.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

This is true, but according to RENE there were "many thousand" of the steelies shipped, so they are out there even if not common on the market. And yes, I'd really like to have a couple -- several -- but likely couldn't afford them if the seller knew what he had. :roll:

 

[Hondo44]

Oh yeah! About 45,000 with blue steel grip frames from 1985 thru 2007, and that's only counting the adjustable sight model.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

If everybody subscribed to Chet15's Red Eagle News Exchange and received their Reference of Ruger Firearms, they wouldn't need Hondo and me to find all this interesting stuff (like we do).

All the above Old Army steel XR3-RED grip frame info comes right off of page 101 of Volume One of the Reference. All the OA serial numbers thru 2009 are on page 100. Thanks, Chad! :wink: