Unfinished "blank canvas" FBI commemorative (GA-36) ????

[Terry T]

A while back I picked up an unusual GA-36. It has no "Ruger Security Six" on the right side of the frame and it does have a fat letter "RUGER" on the right side of the barrel after the '357 Magnum Cal' :shock:





My initial speculation was that it was a 'prototype' for the then soon to be released GP-100 which has the ser. no. on the right side of the frame and a similar fat letter 'RUGER' on the right side of the barrel.

Over the last few days I've come across photos of the FBI National Academy 50th Golden Anniversary Commemorative. According to RENE, these were made up in plain (no engraving) (reported 150 made?), with 1/3 coverage, and with 2/3 coverage with a gold FBI seal (reported 30 made).

A close look at these photos show the same lack of 'Ruger Security Six' on the right side of the frame and the same fat letter 'RUGER' on the right side of the barrel.

A "Plain" FBI comm. (no engraving beyond the FBI seal, etc.)


A 2/3 engraved FBI comm. with the gold FBI seal.




My current speculation is that Ruger made up a batch of these without the 'Ruger Security Six' on the right side of the frame and with the fat letter 'RUGER' on the barrel. They were then sent out to have the FBI seals, etc. added and then some to be further engraved.
I'm speculating that orders for the commemoratives were fewer than expected and the unfinished gun(s) were then sold.

I'm further speculating that the GA-34HT that RENE lists is either a 'prototype' or sample for the FBI Comm. or a 'mistake'.

The ser. no. for my 'blank canvas' is 161-40974, right in the middle of RENE's list of the known ser. no. range for the FBI Comm.

What say the forum members? Is this an unfinished FBI commemorative? :shock:
Terry T

 

[OldRugerMan]

I tend to beileve Terry that these were overuns of the FBI guns as the Lyman Cenntennial and California Highway Patrol come to mind, both unmarked. I'm sure the membership here can think of many others. Terry, you come up with some of the best and most unusual guns :!:

 

[rugerguy]

like so many other commemerative or specialty guns over the years, and so many did NOT sell or "fill" their orders,thus guns AND "parts" left over......gotta do something with it,,,,,sooooooo....you got one?? :wink:


Looks good to me.................. 8)

 

[Terry T]

Dan,
Yes, I have the 'unfinished' (or 'blank canvas' or 'overrun') piece pictured at the top.

Since Chad (RENE) had not (yet) identified these as 'overrun' FBI commemoratives, or even that they existed, I'm looking for some confirmation from the forum for my speculation.

The next step would be some idea of how many are involved and if anyone else has found one. :shock:

Their unique markings make them easier to identify, than, say, an unmarked, stainless 6" Security Six in .38 special (GA-86T) as a CHP overrun since the .38spl. was a cataloged option for the Security Six at the time.
Terry T

 

[T.A. WORKMAN]

I saw where you were already aware and on to it, if its the one on GB.
Nice Snag, I thought it was an over-run too.
Terry!

 

[Terry T]

Terry,
I picked up mine a couple of years ago. Is that the same one you're referring to? Or something more recent?
The question at the time was: Overrun to what?
Terry T

 

[T.A. WORKMAN]

Terry,
I picked up mine a couple of years ago. Is that the same one you're referring to? Or something more recent?
The question at the time was: Overrun to what?
Terry T

Terry,
I was referring to one that just sold on GB with-in the last week or so. Spitting image of your gun, I did not save it to my watch list as I thought Terry453 who opening bidder. FBI over runs as mentioned by street was my thought.

 

[Terry T]

Terry,
Are you referring to this sale?

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=350967641

It is the second image in my posting and is for a 'plain' or non-engraved FBI comm., but it does have the FBI seal, etc. The photos for the sale clearly show the 'fat letter' 'RUGER' on the barrel.

I'm looking for others that are 'unfinished', that is without the FBI seal, etc. :shock:
Terry

 

[T.A. WORKMAN]

Now I got ya!
Got slow down or read more carefully LOL!
Terry

 

[chet15]

Well, your gun is in the range of the FBI guns, so could very well be an unfinishe one.
What grips are on your gun? Target or regular? Not that it changes the status of your gun, but was just curious.
The only other scenario your gun could be would be that somebody at Ruger forgot to rollmark the Security-Six marking on the frame. But since your gun is in the same range as the FBI guns, the odds are pretty gun that your gun was made to be an FBI gun.
I can think of another interesting overrun gun that Ruger did once. Remember the Ruger & His Guns Vaquero in the Gold and Silver editions? Those Vaquero's were 7-1/2" and did not have flutes in the cylinder. Davidson's got one gun in with the correct KBNV-477AHL catalog number, but no extra plating and engraving. Somebody's probably unknowingly shot the heck out of that one!!
Chet15

 

[Terry T]

"Chet15",
Thanks for the feed back.
My gun came with the standard small Security Six grips but then I bought it second hand with no comment on it's history.

I think the key is the 'fat letter' "RUGER" on the barrel PLUS the lack of the "Ruger Security Six" on the frame. It's the two together that make it the FBI comm.

It's not that someone forgot to do something (stamp the 'Ruger Security Six") but that they DID do something - put the fat letter 'RUGER' on the barrel. The combination makes it a very deliberate set of markings, in my opinion.
And, as you mentioned, being in the known ser. no. range sort of clinches it.

Are we aware of any other such guns? Do we have any idea how many FBI Comm. guns were actually made?
Terry T


Terry T

 

[chet15]

Here at the Perry library at the moment, so I don't have a reference in front of me to see if there's anything in there about quantity.
But, the last of the Security-Sixes did have that fat "RUGER" rollmark on the barrel, not just the FBI guns.
Chet15

 

[Terry T]

"Chet15",
I think I disagree with your last comment that, essentially, all Security Sixs (adj. sight) after about Ser. no. 161-4xxxx have the 'fat letter' "RUGER" on the barrel.
However, I don't have examples to back up my position at this time. The hunt is ON!

What is the highest known ser. no. for a Security Six (adj. sight) ?

We know that the Six series double actions continued to about Ser. no. 162-547xx with a bias toward the fixed sight models at the end as the GP-100 adj. sight model production ramped up.
All my 162- prefix ser. no. Six series double actions are fixed sight.
Terry T

 

[XYooper906]

Hello all,

At risk of kicking up a dead thread, I stumbled across this thread out of curiosity about a Security Six I've owned since 1985. I bought it from a dealer at a Cincinnati area gun show back then. It was sold to me as new, and at the time the dealer told me that it was "made for the FBI" or words to that effect. I wasn't wowed by that sales line, but I knew that the barrel markings and lack of "Security Six" stamp were different from the other Security Sixes I had looked at prior to purchasing this one. The price was right, so I bought it, regardless of the story.

Mine has no FBI commemorative seal or other stampings, just the "fat letter 'RUGER' on the right side of the barrel" and aforementioned lack of "Security Six" stamp. It does, however, have the oversized Goncalo Alves grips, some additional pearling on the sides of the hammer, trigger, and cylinder flutes, and a Poly-Choke vent rib.

My suspicion after reading this thread, is that it may be one of the unfinished guns that were sold to dealers. My further suspicion is that it was then customized with the pearling and Poly-Choke vent rib, and sold to me as a new "customized" gun. My receipt from then makes no mention of the FBI reference.

If someone has the link to the S/N range for these FBI commemorative guns, please post it or PM it to me. Thanks!

 

[Terry T]

The known ser. no. range for the GA-36HT FBI Academy commeroratives is 161-24756 through 161-83046.

There is also a similar GA-34HT made up for the Alabama Sheriffs Association also without the 'Ruger Security Six' and with the large fat 'RUGER' on the barrel. Ser. no. range: 161-25783 through 161-58842.

I'd love to see a photo of your 'blank canvas' FBI gun. This would be only the 2nd to turn up.
Terry T

 

[XYooper906]

Well, then, my S/N falls within that range. It is 161-39XXX.

The only thing that I have "modified" is that I applied a tung oil finish to the grips to make them more weather-resistant.

Here is a link to the pics: https://www.flickr.com/photos/xyooper906/shares/w9m32k (Hope it works!)

 

[Terry T]

Thanks for the photos - I was able to see them. Yours is only the 2nd one I'm aware of.
My 'blank canvas' is ser. no. 161-40XXX so rather close to yours.

I would agree that the rib and 'pearling' were probably added after it was sold new. They do detract a bit from any collector value it might have. Still, a rare piece in my opinion.

Terry T

 

[XYooper906]

I would agree that the rib and 'pearling' were probably added after it was sold new. They do detract a bit from any collector value it might have. Still, a rare piece in my opinion.

Terry T

The nice thing about a stainless gun is that it's easy to polish out minor marks and match the original sheen from the factory. I suspect that if one wanted to remove the pearling swirl marks, it could be easily done. They're not very deep at all.

But I doubt that there will be a day that I would consider selling the gun. Hopefully it will stay in the family for a few generations or more, which is more than enough value for me.