Last night, I was browsing in a gun shop and saw a Vaquero in .45 LC. It had a short barrel (3 5/8") and pearl grips with no Ruger insignia on them. I bought it, and I confirmed with Ruger this morning that it is an "old" model, made in 2003. It was new, never fired, so I don't know where it has been all this time but it is mine now!
I took the grips off, and they are marked "AJAX" on the inside...and they appear to be out of business now.
Was this gun produced with these grips? Or were they added on afterward? (The owner wasn't there, and the sales person didn't know anything about the history...other than it was a "new" gun, not a used/trade.) I want to get some wooden grips with the Ruger insignia on them, but of course the Ruger website only sells the ones for New Vaquero. I also like some of the aftermarket grips that I have seen...I just don't care for these faux pearl grips (like Patton said about pearl handled revolvers!)
Do you think I should keep these pearl grips in the box, even if I put on wooden grips, if that was the way it was originally made? If not, I can sell them or trade them, if there is no real reason to keep them with the gun .
I took the grips off, and they are marked "AJAX" on the inside...and they appear to be out of business now.
Was this gun produced with these grips? Or were they added on afterward? (The owner wasn't there, and the sales person didn't know anything about the history...other than it was a "new" gun, not a used/trade.) I want to get some wooden grips with the Ruger insignia on them, but of course the Ruger website only sells the ones for New Vaquero. I also like some of the aftermarket grips that I have seen...I just don't care for these faux pearl grips (like Patton said about pearl handled revolvers!)
Do you think I should keep these pearl grips in the box, even if I put on wooden grips, if that was the way it was originally made? If not, I can sell them or trade them, if there is no real reason to keep them with the gun .