Original Ruger Magazine

[NH Rugerman]

I have owned this magazine for a few years now and believe it to be one of the original Ruger factory magazines for their .22 pistol series. The picture of the various magazines is from page 23 of our very own Chad Hiddleson's Encyclopedia of Ruger Semi-Automatic Rimfire Pistols -1949-1992 book, which I highly recommend!

My question is what is the value of this magazine, what say you….I have no idea how many were made, I have heard/read that they were manufactured by High-Standard for Ruger for testing purposes, but I cannot confirm that "story".

Thanks

 

[rugerguy]

I don't know if High standard made them BUT Ruger did use their magazine bodies thats why the small 'divot' ( crescent shape) in the bottom front as their mags were slanted and that was the "cutoff" point........I got some of this from Mr Bob Shea at High Standard when he was my "mentor" back in the early 70s, I trained under him.
He said Mr Ruger also used barrel steel cutoffs and rejected material of theirs and I believe Marlin Co. Cut 'em down to sizes 'needed'.......
......the early mag like that ,being 'crude' I thought was for the prototype guns that were numbered "X".............they settled on the "small button hole and the heat treated upper end ( lips) seen "in the white"..........
as for "value".........sky is the limit, and then the "pucker factor", my wife turned down 'hundreds' for hers......hhmmm

 

[golferboy426]

Thread hack warning I'm sure this is a 10/22 prototype mag but can't prove it. Who would ever try to make one from scratch as a fake?

 

[rugerguy]

why not....I saw pictures of some of the "stuff" MR Ruger had at his home down in Florida and when my friend Mr Grainger used to work on the 'teak' deckworks of the "Titania" he got to see almost all the "stuff" Mr. Ruger used to tinker, mold and change around while "on vacation", wish he had gotten into some of that "stuff".Lots of "stuff" that never made it into production................
God only knows what other "stuff" was around the 'tool room' back in the old days..

 

[golferboy426]

I suspect there are more than a few tool room experiments but not likely any by non ruger people. Why would you? When the guns were release you just buy a spare mag, especially the 10/22 which is somewhat complex

 

[NH Rugerman]

I don't know if High standard made them BUT Ruger did use their magazine bodies thats why the small 'divot' ( crescent shape) in the bottom front as their mags were slanted and that was the "cutoff" point........I got some of this from Mr Bob Shea at High Standard when he was my "mentor" back in the early 70s, I trained under him.
He said Mr Ruger also used barrel steel cutoffs and rejected material of theirs and I believe Marlin Co. Cut 'em down to sizes 'needed'.......
......the early mag like that ,being 'crude' I thought was for the prototype guns that were numbered "X".............they settled on the "small button hole and the heat treated upper end ( lips) seen "in the white"..........
as for "value".........sky is the limit, and then the "pucker factor", my wife turned down 'hundreds' for hers......hhmmm

My understanding is that this is a prototype magazine, and yes, probably misspoke when I said manufactured by High Standard, should have said manufactured FROM High Standard mags….thanks for the information and clarification, A few years ago, at Rody's, I witnessed one change hands for many "hundreds" as you state that your wife has turned down a similar amount and the gentleman who bought it thought it was more than a fair price!!

I have no idea how many are out there but it cannot be very many.

 

[CHEVYINLINE6]

I don't know the history of yours in the picture, but I have two that are the same as in the picture. Both are plain steel with a unplated zinc base plate. I have owned mine for at least 20 plus years are were bought at gunshows in the Northwest. They were bought at different times and have traces of dried oil or cosmoline on them both inside and outside which makes me think they have never been used. Maybe they are aftermarket ? Both are very crudely made. I always thought they were aftermarket, but maybe I just hit the jackpot. I will try to atattch some pictures soon. The two little fingers that support the front of the bullet are curved outward at the pointed tips on the ones in question, where ones I know to be real Ruger magazines are curved inward ?

INLINECHEVY6.

 

[eveled]

Its hard to believe someone thought it was worth making those from scratch. Especially the 10/22 one. Unless it was just for a challenge? Maybe it was a machinist class project?