Redhawk Question

[Bear Paw Jack]

I have a 5-1/2" Redhawk. Looking at it, it doesn't appear to have a safety manual inscribed on the side of the barrel. It also doesn't appear to have been scrubbed off. It's a 1993 gun. When did they start putting the billboard on the side of the barrel? What's it worth? Prefix is 502-then there is 4 digets, BUT it appears there is a fifth diget on the rounded part of the grip and you can barely make out a number. It's off center. What I'm saying is worst case it's a 1993.

 

[trapperon]

BPJ--I believe Redhawks all had warnings from initial introduction. Ruger started the warning labels in I believe 1977 or 1978 and the Redhawk was introduced about 1980. I have seen prototype redhawks pictured in early advertising and gun reviews without the warning, however. I'll bet yours looks just great without the excessive verbage!!

Ron

 

[OldRugerMan]

I saw this gun this weekend. It is just as Bear Paw described it - no Warning. The general consensis is that unmarked guns are "lunch box" or employee guns. The Redhawk was introduced in 1978-1979 in the Police Marksman Limited Edition set, the only way to get one at the time. About 1980 the gun was readily available and all Redhawks should have the Warning. It would be interesting to get a letter on this one. Redhawk prices have been rising lately so I wouldn't be surprised if it brought $800 - $1000.

 

[contender]

Even if you get a letter, it will not say anything about the warning.

 

[GunHawk]

My Redhawk has "Read instruction manual" on the barrel.

 

[rugerguy]

What Contender said above, any letter will NOT tell you ANY of that information, and to ME, that is obviously been "rounded" grip POSSIBLY serial number "missing" ( NOT a good thing by the way) and MORE warnings have been REMOVED ,polished out ,milled off, than anyone can even imagine by the "new" owners.....
picture would be nice, BUT I'd first check as to that serial number, is NOT worth the "risk" ,sorry...been there ,done that..................... 8) :roll: :wink:

 

[chet15]

Everybody is correct, there isn't room in the records to say this gun or that gun left without a certain marking or with this or that part. There just isn't enough in any manufacturer's budget to spend time noting that kind of stuff.
So the gun in question was either a factory error in that somebody forgot to rollmark the WARNING statement on that gun (these are known), or it could have been a special police department or government contract order that specified the WARNING not be put on the firearm. Old time collector DK Hummel did order guns this way through his distributor...he was a LE guy.
Chet15

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

Sounds like the bottom line is there is no way to know??

 

[k22fan]

[...] I'd first check as to that serial number, is NOT worth the "risk" ,sorry...been there ,done that..................... 8) :roll: :wink:

Considering Washington's laws when the integrity of any gun's serial number is in doubt I won't even touch it. Consider your local laws as well as the Feds. With thousands of unquestionably legal guns offered for sale ever day the price discounts on guns with questionable legality are never big enough to be worth the worry. Be smart. Run. Run far and run fast.

 

[mohavesam]

Even if you get a letter, it will not say anything about the warning.

Before i knew about factory letters... I bought a blued 5.5" NIB from a wholesaler in Phoenix - with the factory scope cuts. Sometime in 1990. The front cut was only an inch or so from the muzzle, and I found out what cooking the scope meant. Fortunately it was "only" a low-priced Tasco 2x, but I foolishly swapped the Redhawk for an XP, needing the bolt pistol for 'yotes and such. Have never seen a 5.5" with the cuts since! Of course.

 

[Rainy Day Shooter]

"Cooking the scope" as in having it hang past the muzzle and catch spray?

 

[mohavesam]

yup. As in burn the coating off the lens, etc. Thought about some furnace tape shield rigger, but never tried it.