tazdevil777
Bearcat
3 screw blackhawk with serial number 00069
Whats it worth 3 screw low serial number blackhawk
- Thread starter tazdevil777
- Start date
OP
tazdevil777
Bearcat
Hello and thank you, both for your welcome and for the reply. Ill take some better pics later today but I believe its a 6inch barrel possibly 7 ill have to double check that as well. It wasnt converted i dont think. Minus some very minor scuffing Its in excellent condition all the original parts, no owners manual or box unfortunately but the guns really in great shape. Will get those specifics later on
OP
tazdevil777
Bearcat
contender
Ruger Guru
Welcome to the Forum!
A 2-digit gun like that is very desirable. However,, it's condition does hurt the value.
The turn line on the cylinder, the worn spots on the front of the cylinder, the ejector rod housing worn, (yes,, that could be replaced,) the left & right side muzzle wear, the edges of the rear sight wear, and the medallions in the grips missing paint,, all point to a gun that's not in excellent or even very good condition.
Yes,, collectors are picky! :oops: :rolleyes:
The gun's barrel should be measured as from the face of the cylinder to the end of the muzzle. The only factory issued ones had either a 4-5/8" or a 7-1/2" barrel.
The ERH, and the grips can be replaced with better ones. But the turn line, and the bluing loss at the points I can see are not easily corrected. If you had the gun re-blued,, it would hurt the collector value. But it's condition also hurts it. But most collectors wish it to have the original finish over a re-blue, even if it's got wear.
The RENE price guide puts the value of a normal .45 OM like that in excellent condition at about $850. A 2-digit gun like that IN EXCELLENT CONDITION is listed at about $2500.
Sadly,, that gun will not pass the excellent condition grading to a collector.
I'd offer a guess of value to a collector,, who wanted that 2-digit gun,, at around $1800-$2000 maybe. A collector would want to CLOSELY look the gun over to assure other issues are not present.
As we collectors say; "The devil is in the details.!" And it's especially true when you are looking at a serious purchase.
A 2-digit gun like that is very desirable. However,, it's condition does hurt the value.
The turn line on the cylinder, the worn spots on the front of the cylinder, the ejector rod housing worn, (yes,, that could be replaced,) the left & right side muzzle wear, the edges of the rear sight wear, and the medallions in the grips missing paint,, all point to a gun that's not in excellent or even very good condition.
Yes,, collectors are picky! :oops: :rolleyes:
The gun's barrel should be measured as from the face of the cylinder to the end of the muzzle. The only factory issued ones had either a 4-5/8" or a 7-1/2" barrel.
The ERH, and the grips can be replaced with better ones. But the turn line, and the bluing loss at the points I can see are not easily corrected. If you had the gun re-blued,, it would hurt the collector value. But it's condition also hurts it. But most collectors wish it to have the original finish over a re-blue, even if it's got wear.
The RENE price guide puts the value of a normal .45 OM like that in excellent condition at about $850. A 2-digit gun like that IN EXCELLENT CONDITION is listed at about $2500.
Sadly,, that gun will not pass the excellent condition grading to a collector.
I'd offer a guess of value to a collector,, who wanted that 2-digit gun,, at around $1800-$2000 maybe. A collector would want to CLOSELY look the gun over to assure other issues are not present.
As we collectors say; "The devil is in the details.!" And it's especially true when you are looking at a serious purchase.
The last one that sold on GunBroker - was not a low digit s/n though - was mint and new in box, got 14 bids and sold for $979.00. Another brought $855.05.
In my world it's a nice shooter grade gun. Pretty desirable cause only made them 3 years I believe.
In my world it's a nice shooter grade gun. Pretty desirable cause only made them 3 years I believe.
OP
tazdevil777
Bearcat
Thank you very much gentleman! If anyone is interested in buying her feel free to contact me
When you get enough posts or become a Supporting Member you can use our Classifieds
yes, only to the person, who may have the consecutive number, or like we did some years ago when Bob C was alive we got him the 357 flatop in #69 , , later we all got together and got him a "matching" box , here on the forum ( remember that one boys and girls) :unsure::rolleyes: aside from that, we sold one like yours, but a convertible and in the box, this past weekend at the Berea . Oh.,gun show for a guy and it went to another collector for $955,,,,so the deals are out there,,,,,obviously to me yours being a 2 digit number is the entire "catch" and yes can be cleaned up, detailed and made NICE with out a "refinish"......Good luck(y)(y)
Trigger.M77
Bearcat
Is this gun still for sale?
I wonder who bought it. The seller hasn’t been on the forum since the day after he made his original post.
GasGuzzler
Hawkeye
Surprised no one started the argument over a prefix counting as part of the serial number. It's worth $500 to be because it's so beat up.
contender
Ruger Guru
Collectors do not count the prefix of a Ruger serial number if the gun started with a prefix. The GCA of 1968 forced a change in the way serial numbers had to be. Hence,, no argument to be considered.
That gun is serial number 69.
And to a non-collector,, it may be "just a shooter" but to a collector,, it's a 2-digit, early gun to be desired. PLUS,, in Ruger collecting,, that is what we refer to as a "Subscription" gun. That means that there was a person, that had some special connection to Ruger,, and got ALL new guns with the same serial number.
THAT'S part of why it's worth so much more than "just a shooter."
And in general,, an OM .45 in that condition is worth more than $500 to most.
That gun is serial number 69.
And to a non-collector,, it may be "just a shooter" but to a collector,, it's a 2-digit, early gun to be desired. PLUS,, in Ruger collecting,, that is what we refer to as a "Subscription" gun. That means that there was a person, that had some special connection to Ruger,, and got ALL new guns with the same serial number.
THAT'S part of why it's worth so much more than "just a shooter."
And in general,, an OM .45 in that condition is worth more than $500 to most.
they were called both "subscription guns", or "low number" guns and went to folks, friends, dignitaries, employees, writers, whomever back then, and as I recall in our conversations of the No 69 gun I had gotten many years ago supposedly "given" or bought by a local friend who at that time sold the factory their machine .cutting oils etc and he got the "low number" gun as a 'gift'?? and Jack B., one of the sales reps told me he had number #68 and that the next number ( 69) was considered like a house gun, not assigned to any ONE individual, and went to whomever the old man designated at the time, or was gifted?? yessir MORE "Ruger lore"..........at least my wife and I were fortunate enough to get a few of the number #31 guns belonged to one of the plant managers many years ago,,,,but no, did NOT seek out to "get them all", a couple for her and a couple for me, its enough..........(y)(y);)
GasGuzzler
Hawkeye
$500 is a lot more than I would actually pay due to condition it's just the most I'd pay. I don't have room or money to collect guns in that condition. If it were 100 years old and looked like that OR was SN 69 from the first year of Ruger single actions (.44) it would be worth a lot more than $500 to me and everyone else. Opinions are freely owned and rarely agreed to but I still have mine. If it says 45-00069 then that's the serial number regardless of the difference value people have. Anyone that wants to pay more surely can.
Ruger made fewer 45 Cal OMs than they did the coveted 44 flattops.
Folks shouldn’t overlook this model ….. expecially the 4 5/8 variation and the Convertables.
NONE of this model were made without the prefix. Because of that, many give it a pass on the 2 or 3 digit definition.
Folks shouldn’t overlook this model ….. expecially the 4 5/8 variation and the Convertables.
NONE of this model were made without the prefix. Because of that, many give it a pass on the 2 or 3 digit definition.
contender
Ruger Guru
You really want a desirable OM .45,, look at the factory brassies.
GasGuzzler
Hawkeye
I must admit my error. The OP asked for the value and I instead posted what it's worth to me. Value and worth are not always the same.
I understand they made none without the prefix but that does not change the serial numbers or erase the prefix. It's there. One can say this gun was the 69th made but it's a far stretch to say it's a two digit just because collectors made up their own definitions. The ATF knows it's not a 2-digit. There's more than one definition of a collector too.
I understand they made none without the prefix but that does not change the serial numbers or erase the prefix. It's there. One can say this gun was the 69th made but it's a far stretch to say it's a two digit just because collectors made up their own definitions. The ATF knows it's not a 2-digit. There's more than one definition of a collector too.
Remember that the OM's were only made in .45 for four years to a total of about 23,000, of which only about 16,000 were of the 7-1/2" flavor. Yes, all were "45 prefix guns". Since they all wore only the 45 prefix this one is clearly a legitimate two-digit gun.
Scarcer than the .44 flattops, made for eight years for a total of about 30,000.
Scarcer than the .44 flattops, made for eight years for a total of about 30,000.
Last edited:
chet15
Hawkeye
Would depend on who Ruger says it was shipped to. I know Sigmund Davidson of Davidson's had the #69 subscription number, but not sure when he started receiving those.
Chet15
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