Ruger Packer":knuvgvab said:
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??
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