Stainless Old Model Flattop .44 Mag

[TENFAN]

Someone explain this one to me. Is it real? A stainless steel 3 screw Flattop .44 Mag with a Super Blackhawk grip frame
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/943292405

 

[T.A. WORKMAN]

I sent him a message, asking him if he has requested & received a letter from Ruger on it.
It falls in the Type IV category - 1959, and there were some interesting things (RENE) going on with the .44 Mag. FT during that time frame.
Regardless it is a beautiful piece IMHO.
Terry
Note - He replied back that he has not.

 

[Cholo]

I'm sure others more knowledgeable than I am will chime in. If I were to SWAG it I'd say it's "in the white" meaning the bluing was buffed off, the barrel was shortened, and a SBH grip frame was added. Also, could it be satin nickel?

The rear sight wear (photo 15) doesn't match the gun.

 

[TENFAN]

I was thinking nickel or some other finish

 

[contender]

I see several things on this one that points to a "custom" job.
The chopped bbl, the wrong wood grips, the stripped grip frame, and the most obvious,, the date of the gun via the serial number.
Nobody in the gun business had figured out making stainless guns in that era.

I'd say someone has had it customized to look like that. Not hard to do.

 

[hittman]

Folks like Rugerguy may recognize the finish for sure.

 

[Xrayist]

Looking at the address on the barrel, it looks to have been polished, and not very well. There were quite a few finishes in the 70's and 80's such as Metaloy, Armaloy, etc. that looked exactly like stainless. This needs a letter from Ruger.

 

[rugerguy]

yessir, without seeing the gun, I'd bet it is "Mahovsky Metalife", our shop back in the 11970s, used to have this finish done by Ron Mahovsky in Reno,Pa..... a chromium finish, like 53 on the Rockwell C scale..lots of guns we did for LE ,,looks just like stainless steel and actually wears BETTER....I KNOW there are a few old model RUgers out there we did, gotta be driving the collectors nutz.........so yes, the stainless Rugers did NOT come about until the early 70s with the "new models" and Old Armys, again, buy the gun , NOT the story...........

here are two of mine from 1968 and 1974 and NO , neither is stainless.........

Ron M.,did really nice work , the Hi Power we built at our shop and Tony Tuscano did the oak leaf pattern engraving............The DWA 15-2VH6, I built when working for Dan Wesson back in the mid 70's............

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Many years ago my local gunpusher had ordered out several Ruger Old Models, including a SBH. When he opened the box and pulled it out, he discovered that they had shipped him a completely assembled gun IN THE WHITE! He contacted Ruger and they fell all over themselves trying to get him to return it ASAP. He decided to keep it as a conversation piece, which it certainly was. He kept it wiped down with oil to prevent rust, and was glad to show it when asked. I don't recall if he ever got a "letter" on it.

Yes, the serial number on the box and invoice matched the number on the gun, and all the usual "paperwork" was included. I don't know whatever happened to it. He didn't try to sell it.

 

[David Lee Valdina]

Someone explain this one to me. Is it real? A stainless steel 3 screw Flattop .44 Mag with a Super Blackhawk grip frame
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/943292405

Please put a magnet on it. That will tell you something. And for comparison, try the magnet on a blue steel gun. Report back please. Thank you. David

 

[rugerguy]

a magnet will stick to gun alloy versions of stainless steel. no, does NOT stick to the aluminum alloy metal used in the grip frames , so they are usually just "polished" off to the bare metal, and brightened up with a fine grit polish.......

 

[Onty]

yessir, without seeing the gun, I'd bet it is "Mahovsky Metalife", our shop back in the 11970s, used to have this finish done by Ron Mahovsky in Reno,Pa..... a chromium finish...

They are still in business http://www.mahovskysmetalife.com/ .

 

[Hondo44]

I agree with other posters that it's a carbon steel Old Model in the white. The bluing was stripped off not polished off.. And very nicely done. I've done a few for friends. The best thing about it is that they don't rust. Polished surfaces prevent rust from taking hold in the metal pores with normal care and cleaning.

The biggest giveaway is that Ruger's stainless guns had a blued steel front sight that was pinned to the base.

It's also been retrofitted with the transfer bar kit. Notice the hump on the back of the trigger for the trigger return spring plunger. That's what the receipt is for. Also notice the stamp on top of the box:
"NOTICE PARTS LOCATED UNDER FLAP". Ruger started doing that when some sent their gun in for retrofitting and complained they didn't get their old model parts back because they had thrown them away with the box!

 

[Rclark]

I agree with other posters that it's a carbon steel Old Model in the white.

Yep. Agree. Interesting what some will try to pass off to the unsuspecting. Seems like I remember Ruger SS revolvers first started to appear in 1974... New Models (well, other than the Ruger Old Army which is technically an Old Model ) . Still someone did a good job on the gun for those that like the unfinished look .

 

[Cholo]

The bluing was stripped off not polished off.. And very nicely done.

Those unsightly 2 out of 3 dished out screw holes tell be it was buffed/polished out. Other than that, I agree it was very nicely done.

With that said, you know a whole lot more about these things than I do

 

[Dan in MI]

You all know far more than me on this subject, but that is not a flat top box.

Also, has anyone compared how a magnet sticks to a SS versus blue gun? I'm guessing there may be a difference in how much pull/attraction there is.

 

[Daryll (Macbullet)]

"Someone explain this one to me. Is it real? A stainless steel 3 screw Flattop .44 Mag with a Super Blackhawk grip frame
[H3] RUGER 44 MAGNUM BLACKHAWK STAINLESS 4 5/8 W/ BOX - RARE MINT - Revolvers at GunBroker.com : 943292405 [/H3]
Buy RUGER 44 MAGNUM BLACKHAWK STAINLESS 4 5/8 W/ BOX - RARE MINT: GunBroker is the largest seller of Revolvers Pistols Guns & Firearms All: 943292405
www.gunbroker.com"

Received this from Ruger:

Thank you for contacting Ruger Customer Service.
Your Customer Service Issue # is 10348767


.44 Blackhawk serial number 17244 is a BKH-46, .44 Magnum, blue, 6 1/2" barrel, walnut grips, manufactured and shipped in June 1959


Ruger Customer Service

 

[Hondo44]

Those unsightly 2 out of 3 dished out screw holes tell be it was buffed/polished out. Other than that, I agree it was very nicely done.

With that said, you know a whole lot more about these things than I do

Your right, I was only referring to how the was removed. Had to be stripped to get all the bluing out of all the nooks and crannise. The screw holes are wallowed out some. And we do occasionally see that on old models from the factory.

 

[Hondo44]

You all know far more than me on this subject, but that is not a flat top box.

Also, has anyone compared how a magnet sticks to a SS versus blue gun? I'm guessing there may be a difference in how much pull/attraction there is.

No it's not, you're right. But it is the box Ruger used to return guns in after the transfer bar retrofit which that gun has had done.

 

[Hondo44]

Received this from Ruger:

Thank you for contacting Ruger Customer Service.
Your Customer Service Issue # is 10348767


.44 Blackhawk serial number 17244 is a BKH-46, .44 Magnum, blue, 6 1/2" barrel, walnut grips, manufactured and shipped in June 1959


Ruger Customer Service

Yes it's been established that the gun was made in in 1959 and did not come with a 4 5/8" barrel. The original barrel has been cut. Did you call them or get the letter?

 

[hittman]

So, we have a gun re-barreled with the finish scrubbed off, advertised 24 years newer than it really is and in A box but not THE box. What’s it worth? $600?

 

[Daryll (Macbullet)]

Well excuse me hondo 44...I can read, and I was aware of what everyone here said about it, my intent was to see what Ruger had to say about it rather than a lot of speculation. They sent an email and answered my questions.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

If it was earlier, the GB ad no longer says "stainless" anywhere that I could find. Maybe he corrected that part. There's nothing especially rare about it, in terms of it's original configuration. It was a flattop . 44 that's been cut down, polished out and/or plated, and had a Super gripframe added. It's purely a shooter, IMO - If you like the mods. And worth about $500 - $600.

 

[T.A. WORKMAN]

Well excuse me hondo 44...I can read, and I was aware of what everyone here said about it, my intent was to see what Ruger had to say about it rather than a lot of speculation. They sent an email and answered my questions.

Daryl,

Welcome to the Forum!
Trust me Hondo 44 meant you no disrespect, I have followed him on this forum for years and that is just not his style! He is a wealth of knowledge and shares it freely!
Unfortunately that's the problem communicating with a keyboard vs talking to one another, I plead guilty myself from time to time.

Thank you for sharing the info you received from Ruger!
Best
Terry

 

[Snake Pleskin]

If it was earlier, the GB ad no longer says "stainless" anywhere that I could find. Maybe he corrected that part. There's nothing especially rare about it, in terms of it's original configuration. It was a flattop . 44 that's been cut down, polished out and/or plated, and had a Super gripframe added. It's purely a shooter, IMO - If you like the mods. And worth about $500 - $600.

I think it would sell for more. I see them on GB every day and not nearly as nice. A lot of people like semi custom types, and shooters, not some safe queen that sits in a box for 20 yrs doing nothing . IMHO

 

[contender]

Daryl,, I'll second what Terry wrote. Hondo is a super nice gentleman. Typing can often NOT convey feelings correctly.

 

[beentheredone]

Please put a magnet on it. That will tell you something. And for comparison, try the magnet on a blue steel gun. Report back please. Thank you. David

This old chestnut again.

Yes, there are non-magnetic alloys of stainless steel. No, they are NOT used in guns, but in such things as refrigerator bodies. A stainless handgun will attract a magnet exactly the same as a blued steel one.

 

[Daryll (Macbullet)]

If it was earlier, the GB ad no longer says "stainless" anywhere that I could find. Maybe he corrected that part. There's nothing especially rare about it, in terms of it's original configuration. It was a flattop . 44 that's been cut down, polished out and/or plated, and had a Super gripframe added. It's purely a shooter, IMO - If you like the mods. And worth about $500 - $600.

I contacted the seller on GB with the info I shared here from Ruger, that the the gun shipped from the factory as a 6 1/2" BLUE Super Blackhawk and is not a "rare" S/S model, along with the box & grips being incorrect. He has since dropped the S/S description, but that's all. Not trying to bust his chops, but rather thought he might have better luck with his sale if he listed it correctly.
I put "Super" in there by mistake... sorry. As quoted from Ruger's reply to me it is a "Blackhawk", not a "Super Blackhawk.

 

[hittman]

Ultra rare?
Not at all. Many Bubba kitchen table guns in this world.
Each are usually worth only the sum of their parts.

 

[Snake Pleskin]

Ultra rare?
Not at all. Many Bubba kitchen table guns in this world.
Each are usually worth only the sum of their parts.

Not rare but it is still a viable firearm and possibly good shooter etc. Who cares if it i not original or has a box? Who shoots the box? No one. I would never pay more for a firearm because it has a box. If you send a firearm to Cylinder & Slide, Clements, Bowen or Trumbull, does that make it worth more or less? If the work is done well, that is what matters. IMHO