Good points, but still flogging a 'dead horse' as we all know, and what the gist of this topic was, the grips, and condition of the gun in question, was asked by Mikey..........and obviously we ALL have our own opinions....and its all been hashed over and talked about and it still all remains "hearsay" ( or as I like to say about ALL the authors, " a story worth telling, until someone else comes along and writes another one..... :roll: ' I too cannot call the guys we talked with , Walt H and Jack B and others :"Liars" they too were THERE and have told a "story". many times to many of us, back years ago........right Splitz? as I said when I did my 'cutaway ' project' with help from the factory and some of the folks there at the time, they told us things too...but I am NOT an author, I trust what they said and put it away in the 'thought banks'...and yes it comes up many time over the years...too bad some of these new guys were NOT able to sit and talk with the MANY Ruger folks of the past.....but back to the question, the early days, things were NOT made in "mass" , the tool rooms , made up LOTS of stuff to be used in "production...and I agree, until they got the bugs out, the proper "look/location" they better have used some sort of jig...I know ALL of the grip makers do and Ruger threatened some of them over the years to "cease and desist" their installing of "medallion in their grips, wanted them to be "licensed" ( money paid ) and there were LOTS of makers and they all did it the way it worked for them , and sold "grips.....how many "samples" or makers sent grips to Ruger for "consideration"....how many 'sold grips "after the fact" ( aftermarket)?? for the Ruger guns out there ,new on the market in 1954..........no, I do not want to consider it ANY kind or type of argument, but just be realistic, and we all know, Mr Ruger did NOT write things, down, he told his people to do this and do that , and they did, or were GONE, and they all had comments to say about the "old man".....yes, he was indeed a legend,but sadly, for the most part, speculative and subjective, because of this "lack of documentation........." hell Im' glad and happy JD came up with LOTS more info, to "confirm some of this, but it still is NOT , nor will be the "final story......."mistakes still made and things not found.
Now as for "integrity" that too is very "iffy" for the most part, if someone has ANY item that is theirs and they want to make it "nicer" or restore it , or customize it.....thats THEIR business ( and yes, after owning 3 different gun shops and getting "paid": for this, I made money keeping these folks happy...now, what they do with it, and this is the "trouble" ( issue) is what deems things troublesome........you do it to "make money, perpetrate a fraud, hoax and fakery.then thats bad, and yes can be illegal, ask Larry Wilson, he went to prison for this.........now you swap out a housing, or any parts to display your guns, make them look better, thats YOUR business...as Dan says and Splits, those moments ( or years down the road...) caveat emptor baby, you better know what your buying, looking at and if its "right"....our grandchildren will be "fighting over this stuff....." it is Ruger lore.......
To me, its the things we saw over the years of "folks" pulling the wool over others eyes, purposely 'making "variations" , altering to screw someone ( and some of you know full damn well who we are talking about), thats the sad ,"lacking integrity" as Chad points out.........you are all 'grown ups' if you have the money, and YOU like something and YOU want to buy it, then go for it.......just remember,do your homework, buy the books, learn what it is you are getting your self into....and even the best of us have gotten burnt and fooled over the years, nothing new there, so as I said, I would NOT put a LOT of money into something that maybe "doubtful", so if I say it again, its the same thing over and over...
