wetidlerjr
Single-Sixer
M'BOGO":3e8q37ak said:
They must have given me your 5.5 incher to me as I ordered a 4 5/8" one but took the 5.5 rather than none at all.
Mine shoots and looks great but I really wanted a 4 5/8" barrel.
SERIAL NUMBERS 44 SPECIALS
- Thread starter WARD
- Start date
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They must have given me your 5.5 incher to me as I ordered a 4 5/8" one but took the 5.5 rather than none at all.
Mine shoots and looks great but I really wanted a 4 5/8" barrel.
Sorry, no computer this weekend. Ordered mine on December 14th!
Ruger Packer
Buckeye
I got one last week from a dealer that listed 4 of them in the classifieds here on RF. A 4 5/8". Serial # is: 520-155XX. The envelope with the fired .44 Spl case is dated 9/24/09.
I'm hearing that given this serial # that this was in the range of the .357 50th guns.
Interesting??
I'm hearing that given this serial # that this was in the range of the .357 50th guns.
Interesting??
I picked mine up last week also. Got it from a dealer here on the forum
Was told it is near the last of the run. # 520-17596 fired case dated 2-27-09 Kind of strange?
Eric
Was told it is near the last of the run. # 520-17596 fired case dated 2-27-09 Kind of strange?
Eric
chet15
Hawkeye
Ruger Packer":3p99e8m1 said:
Yes, the highest reported 50th Anniversary .357 flattop is 520-16828 (probably produced into 2006 or early 2007 to match up with the .44 flattop for "matched sets"). The earliest reported .44 Special until now had been 520-16831....as far as we know produced early 2009.
To have a gun in the 520-155xx range would seem that Ruger re-worked a .357 into a .44 Special, maybe to get rid of that old stock for something that would sell. Or might Ruger have serial numbered frames sitting there without any other rollmarks, and awaiting barrels???? Not sure why they wouldn't put the .357 rollmark on the cylinder frame at the time though when they surely didn't know at that time that they'd have to be sitting on them.
Yes, very interesting. So does it appear that any of the markings on the cylinder frame were ground off???
Chet15
chet15
Hawkeye
HEY!!!, Now that I think about this a little deeper....what are the chances you won the lottery and got a prototype of the Special??? Remember that the special was rumored for at least a couple years before they made it.
What say everybody??? I can't see Ruger not fully marking their cylinder frames when they have the chance to do so, nor can I really see them re-working a gun to make it into something else....not in these days....and why haven't other "earlier" guns shown themselves as well??
Chet15
What say everybody??? I can't see Ruger not fully marking their cylinder frames when they have the chance to do so, nor can I really see them re-working a gun to make it into something else....not in these days....and why haven't other "earlier" guns shown themselves as well??
Chet15
M'BOGO
Buckeye
Well, right now the serial number range is about 2500ish. It looks like the original 2000 are out the window. Hopefully this pans out for everyone, and everyone gets the one they want.
chet15
Hawkeye
M'BOGO":3lf9jxpy said:
The highest # I've noted so far is 520-19809, which says that at least 2,979 have been built.
Chet15
Ruger Packer
Buckeye
chet15":knuvgvab said:
If its been ground off, then it was a very neat job. On another note, I did notice that the caliber designation... .44 Special.... seems to be of a different font style than I am accustomed to seeing. But I can't find a picture on the RF to compare mine to. I would take a picture of mine, but, I misplaced my digital camera.
chet15
Hawkeye
Here's another early .44 Special just reported...520-15463. I don't know the bbl. length, but is within the .357 50th Anniversary guns again.
Chet15
Chet15
chet15
Hawkeye
OK, here's the scoop on those 520-15xxx range .44 Specials.
There are probably around sixty of them. The 4-5/8" ranges from 520-15504 to 520-15561 (random numbers...the others are probably 50th Anniversary .357's) and the 5-1/2" ranges from 520-15462 to 520-15511, mostly all of the 5-1/2" Special, but there are a few 4-5/8" Specials in there as noted and there are probably a few 50th .357's in there as well.
This all brings up an interesting manufacturing question. The 520-15xxx range Specials are evidently not pre-production guns...there are too many of them. But apparently, Ruger had some left over unbarreled frames with serial numbers only that they finally used by putting .44 Special Barrels on and rollmarked .44 Special.
That's a long time I.M.O. for a sn'd cylinder frame to sit in limbo, but it just goes to prove that Ruger doesn't just barrel these cylinder frames right away (they don't have to). These 520-15xxx range cylinder frames have been sitting at Ruger for the better part of 4 years!
Chet15
There are probably around sixty of them. The 4-5/8" ranges from 520-15504 to 520-15561 (random numbers...the others are probably 50th Anniversary .357's) and the 5-1/2" ranges from 520-15462 to 520-15511, mostly all of the 5-1/2" Special, but there are a few 4-5/8" Specials in there as noted and there are probably a few 50th .357's in there as well.
This all brings up an interesting manufacturing question. The 520-15xxx range Specials are evidently not pre-production guns...there are too many of them. But apparently, Ruger had some left over unbarreled frames with serial numbers only that they finally used by putting .44 Special Barrels on and rollmarked .44 Special.
That's a long time I.M.O. for a sn'd cylinder frame to sit in limbo, but it just goes to prove that Ruger doesn't just barrel these cylinder frames right away (they don't have to). These 520-15xxx range cylinder frames have been sitting at Ruger for the better part of 4 years!
Chet15
OldRugerMan
Blackhawk
BTT I have 4-5/8 44 spl. sn 520-20944. Nothing on the Ruger website about them. Lipsey's are not listed. I think it was shipped in 2009 but no box or paper work.
mhblaw
Blackhawk
Bisley FT 44, 5.5" January 2010, 520-20051
mikewriter
Blackhawk
I bought a .44 Special flattop, used, last year. Serial # is 520-26014, barrel is 4 5/8.
It is "special" to me, at least!
Mike
It is "special" to me, at least!
Mike
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