Unique Vaquero with gold inlay and engraving

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vanhamlin

Bearcat
Joined
Jan 28, 2014
Messages
15
Hello Ruger fans, I am brand new to this forum, and had a question for those of you in the know.
I recently purchased a new style Vaquero at a gunshow here in Oklahoma, that I have questions about. I gotta start by saying, although I am a huge Ruger fan, the single action revolvers have never been my thing, but I knew enough about them to know this one was pretty unique, and I had never seen one like it, and after searching the web thoroughly, have yet to find one exactly like it. This one is a high gloss stainless in a .357 mag. caliber with gold inlay in beautiful engravings on the fluted cylinder, as well as gold inlay band around the cylinder, it also has a gold Ruger logo. I contacted Ruger, and after talking with a few different folks who really couldn't tell me much, I finally got a young lady who went the extra mile, and found that it had been made for a sporting goods place in PA. and that apparently only 50 of these were ever released. Now my question is, does anyone else out there have one like it, and any ideas what it might be worth?
as soon as I get this forum all figured out, I will try and post pics of the gun, it is as new, unfired in the original box with everything it came with.
 

Chuck 100 yd

Hunter
Joined
Mar 20, 2010
Messages
3,251
Location
Ridgefield WA
There were some limited runs of guns like you describe. I don`t think they have been bringing any extra dollars really. They seem to fetch the same as any other similar
Vaquero in the same condition but without the engraving and gold inlay. They may be actually a little harder to sell for the same price in some cases. Lots of folks don`t care for that stuff on their guns.
Welcome to the forum!!
 

vanhamlin

Bearcat
Joined
Jan 28, 2014
Messages
15
LOL ok, well it was unique to me, guess I should have said rare, or does 50 of them being made, disqualify them for that term as well.
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,138
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
Welcome to the Forum!
Certain guns, if they are dressed up, or whatever from the factory command a bit more IF certain things are met.
Condition.
Limited numbers, such as 50 guns.
Condition.
Completeness of the package.
Condition.
Desirable model by collectors, such as the Single-Actions.
Condition.
Ok, I'm pushing a point here. The condition of a gun is very important to collectors. As is the completeness of the package. Meaning the box, all papers, shipper if it had one, low production etc.
Next, many chase special serial numbers. Consecutive sets, or like numbered guns, (in the Old Models only,) also can be something to pay attention to.
So, to a collector of Vaquero's, your gun may well be desirable. If only 50 were done, and verifiable by the factory, and you have the complete package, and it's in excellent to NIB condition, yes, it is possible it'll bring more than a regular version.
 

6gun

Hunter
Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Messages
2,580
vanhamlin said:
LOL ok, well it was unique to me, guess I should have said rare, or does 50 of them being made, disqualify them for that term as well.

Not rare either see them often at the gun shows, way more than 50 were made, 50 was used as a example by two members neither one said that has total number made. :lol:
Perhaps the word scarse would be more fitting than rare.
 

vanhamlin

Bearcat
Joined
Jan 28, 2014
Messages
15
Thanks Ruger Guru, like I said, the gun is in like new unfired condition in the box with everything it came with, mostly I was just curious about the gun itself as I could not find one like it anywhere on the internet, although apparently "Hunter" from the previous post see's them all the time even though "Ruger" looked up the model/serial number and said there were only 50, maybe they were all shipped to his area LOL really doesn't matter, as I had planed to stick it back for for one of my grandsons (or grandaughter) anyway....it really is a beautiful pistol.
Gotta say as a new comer to this forum, other than "Ruger Guru" I kinda feel like I had taken this gun to a gunshow, and been talking to some of the dealers (your gun is nothing special, worth less than a plain Jane model, not rare, there every where ect.ect.) Kind of thought some fellow Ruger fans might be a bit more enthusiastic about a unusual (NOT UNIQUE) find. Oh well, as long as I like it, guess thats all that matters
 

Chuck 100 yd

Hunter
Joined
Mar 20, 2010
Messages
3,251
Location
Ridgefield WA
Enjoy it! They are great shooters. Many folks buy those kind of guns for an investment only to find out later that they can not sell them for even what they have into them. My old boss,back in the early 70`s, bought up a bunch of those Winchester commemorative`s as an investment. He found later they were NOT the investment they were made out to be. He enjoyed them so what the heck!
Shoot it. That is what they are made for.
 

SteelShooter

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
Messages
478
Location
Mora County New Mexico
If you have the box, there should be a sticker on the end with the model number. If you share this with the forum members, you'll likely get more information. If you wanted you could also advise the serial number.

Certain people here will give you a pretty definite answer with that info. Most are beyond helpful!
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,138
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
SteelShooter is spot on. Provide us with the model info such as; KBKH-1234XIZ or whatever. Do not use the box's "model number" such as "Model 1234".
With that, we can truly give you a lot more detail.

But, I like your comment. "Oh well, as long as I like it, guess thats all that matters"
 

vanhamlin

Bearcat
Joined
Jan 28, 2014
Messages
15
I don't have the model number with me here at work, but the model # on this gun was one of the things that the folks at Ruger had trouble tracking down, but I recall the cat.# was KNV-35-EN (the EN apparently indicating "engraved" I will try and remember to add that information when I get home. The serial number indicated that it left Ruger on 10/29/10 but apparently was actually mfg. in 2009 according to the information gathered by the ruger historian guy
 

street

Hunter
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Messages
2,456
Location
Vinton, VA
vanhamlin said:
Thanks Ruger Guru, like I said, the gun is in like new unfired condition in the box with everything it came with, mostly I was just curious about the gun itself as I could not find one like it anywhere on the internet, although apparently "Hunter" from the previous post see's them all the time even though "Ruger" looked up the model/serial number and said there were only 50, maybe they were all shipped to his area LOL really doesn't matter, as I had planed to stick it back for for one of my grandsons (or grandaughter) anyway....it really is a beautiful pistol.
Gotta say as a new comer to this forum, other than "Ruger Guru" I kinda feel like I had taken this gun to a gunshow, and been talking to some of the dealers (your gun is nothing special, worth less than a plain Jane model, not rare, there every where ect.ect.) Kind of thought some fellow Ruger fans might be a bit more enthusiastic about a unusual (NOT UNIQUE) find. Oh well, as long as I like it, guess thats all that matters
First let me say that with only 50 guns made then your gun is "RARE"! The fact that you didn't get very much of a response is because of two reason. One and I think is biggest reason is most of the members on this forum are "SHOOTERS" They could care less how rare a gun is or how much engraving is on the gun. All they care about is will it shoot? And there is nothing wrong with this as guns are made to shoot. The second reason there was no great response to this gun is because it is a New Model Ruger. Just about 99.999% of the collectors here are only interested in the Old Models and could care less about a New Model. And the 00.001% that do collect New Model Rugers are afraid to admit to it as they will receive a lot of flack from the Old Model collectors. :lol: It looks as if you have a very nice New Model Vaquero and one of these days when collectors start getting serious about the New Models your gun will be in great demand, if you keep it as new!!!

As for "Hunter". "Saying he see them all of the time." I think he has them mixed up with the Older Vaqueros as some of them were shipped from the factory with engraved and gold filled cylinders. Although it's been a long time since I have seen any there must be a lot of them at gun shows where he goes. Total production for these guns in stainless are as follows.KBNV-34IE less then 500. KBNV-35IE less then 700. As you can see these are some what rare and would be a good item to pick up.

Anyway congrats on finding a very rare Ruger and I hope you enjoy it.
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,138
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
More good info from Street!
Post the model info later & we'll look it up!
(Contender, who enjoys some NM's as well as his OM's!)
:D
 

vanhamlin

Bearcat
Joined
Jan 28, 2014
Messages
15
thanks guys, I will check the model # and add it in later, like I had originally posted, I was just curious if anyone else owned one or had seen one like mine, and its approx. value, although I will probably just keep it no matter what I find, like I said it is a beautiful gun, as far as firing it, I will leave that decision up to my grandkids when they get it someday, I have plenty of them to shoot that aren't collectors
 

6gun

Hunter
Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Messages
2,580
Who says there were only 50 made? anyone got any proff of that? no one even knows the model number of the thing, there was a guy on here with one of those guns a while back said he got it in a trade with some other guns and posted pictures everyone desided it was nothing specail back then.
 

street

Hunter
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Messages
2,456
Location
Vinton, VA
6gun said:
Who says there were only 50 made?
On vanhamlin original post he said he called Ruger and the young lady "FROM RUGER" who went the extra mile, and found that it had been made for a sporting goods place in PA. and that apparently only 50 of these were ever released. I would think that Ruger would know how many were shipped.
 

6gun

Hunter
Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Messages
2,580
street said:
6gun said:
Who says there were only 50 made?
On vanhamlin original post he said he called Ruger and the young lady "FROM RUGER" who went the extra mile, and found that it had been made for a sporting goods place in PA. and that apparently only 50 of these were ever released. I would think that Ruger would know how many were shipped.

I've seen quite a few of them just in my area, maybe they made a run of 50 for a sporting goods store but there were other runs of them that I've seen them way out west that weren't from a sporting goods store back east, I'm thinking the girl on the phone looked up the s/s number and saw how many were sent to one sporting goods store that don't mean thats all that were ever made in my book.
 

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