mavoris
Bearcat
Ruger Hawkeyes were not always in demand as they are today.
In the mid to late 60's, I worked at a gun and athletic supply store in Fremont, Ohio. Ruger had discontinued the manufacture of the Hawkeye and closed out the last produced to various supply houses. One day I went to work and found eight of the Hawkeyes needing inventoried. The store cost for them was [email protected] I marked them for sale at [email protected], retail being $87.50. They were slow movers. It took a while to get rid of them.
I did take one home for myself. I got some ammo and went to a local shooting spot to try it out. The Hawkeye would not fire reliably. The hammer fall was lack luster and I believe the ammo was primed with rifle primers. I did not reload at that time and finding the Hawkeye not to be reliable, moved the it down the road. I remember that it lacked the heft of a traditional single action revolver.
In retrospect, do I wish that I would have kept the one that I took home let alone the other seven. I sure do. But!
To put things into perspective, though, a brand new in the box Colt Single Action Army could be had for $125.00.
I do remember the last of the Ruger 44 Mag Flat tops, made from the last existing parts, being available in the later 60's. We never got any at the store that I worked but a store called Wassermans had at least one. Can't remember what they were asking for it. I handled it but opted for a Super Blackhawk instead.
Marty
In the mid to late 60's, I worked at a gun and athletic supply store in Fremont, Ohio. Ruger had discontinued the manufacture of the Hawkeye and closed out the last produced to various supply houses. One day I went to work and found eight of the Hawkeyes needing inventoried. The store cost for them was [email protected] I marked them for sale at [email protected], retail being $87.50. They were slow movers. It took a while to get rid of them.
I did take one home for myself. I got some ammo and went to a local shooting spot to try it out. The Hawkeye would not fire reliably. The hammer fall was lack luster and I believe the ammo was primed with rifle primers. I did not reload at that time and finding the Hawkeye not to be reliable, moved the it down the road. I remember that it lacked the heft of a traditional single action revolver.
In retrospect, do I wish that I would have kept the one that I took home let alone the other seven. I sure do. But!
To put things into perspective, though, a brand new in the box Colt Single Action Army could be had for $125.00.
I do remember the last of the Ruger 44 Mag Flat tops, made from the last existing parts, being available in the later 60's. We never got any at the store that I worked but a store called Wassermans had at least one. Can't remember what they were asking for it. I handled it but opted for a Super Blackhawk instead.
Marty