Recent content by chet15

Yes, definitely re-barreled. I also see a Newport address on the barrel. Ruger didn't change the address to the bottom of the barrel until well after the New Vaquero was out. Only the older Vaqueros involved in the cleanup run have rollmarks on the bottom of the barrel (58-96xxx and up). Chet15

What model number did Ruger's serial number lookup page say it was? Chet15

Factory Ruger .17M2 cylinders will also have a caliber rollmark around the cylinder. Chet15

The two hole/three hole sight base variation comes from the earliest KMK678GC Government Competition slabside models. The earliest of these (all in the early 218- prefix) only had the two-hole receiver and two-hole sight base. Very tough to find!!! Chet15

As a further confirmation, all Ruger firearms expected to be shipped during 1976 were marked with the 200th Year of American Liberty Rollmark. Those can only be found between 13-52292 and 14-10337. Chet15

So your gun does have the rounded Carbine butt? Just verifying. Chet15

Sure, they are 100% real stag. But nobody today can tell if this set actually came out of the Ruger factory or not. It is impossible. As mentioned earlier, the unscrupulous are known have made fakes... ivory also. It is not hard to find a pair of vintage stag or ivory and use the right...

It would get a premium if there were any Mini-14/Mini-30 collectors out there, but there aren't... not beyond the occasional person/shooter who wants a Mini in .222 or a folder, or GB model. There are a couple others also that are desirable, but the serial numbering error probably doesn't trip...

It would get a premium if there were any Mini-14/Mini-30 collectors out there, but there aren't... not beyond the occasional person/shooter who wants a Mini in .222 or a folder, or GB model. There are a couple others also that are desirable, but the serial numbering error probably doesn't trip...

Looks like the out-of-sequence serial numbered Mini-30's run from 185-79176 through 185-80173, so nearly 1,000 guns. Then Ruger didn't number anything from 185-80174 to 185-80203, and began the regular Mini again at 185-80204. Chet15

My first thought on your gun is that you have one that was serial numbered "out-of-sequence" with the Mini-30 series. The earliest production Mini-30's were serial numbered 186-00501 to 186-02xxx (I have the exact serial number, but can't get to it on my work computer). These guns had Sporter...

Tis true. Even though WBR understood the collectibility of other guns, namely vintage well made guns as well as vintage well made cars. He had no problem spending $ on that kind of stuff... and artwork, etc. When the RST4S Signature auto came out in 1982 everybody was scampering to get one...

What is the barrel length on your gun? There are a lot of 9-1/2" Single-Sixes in the 164xxx block. Next, only a handful of guns in the 164xxx range were shipped as convertible, and as far as I know those were 9-1/2". Do you know for sure that your gun was shipped as a convertible? The reason...

I should probably reword that. Convertibles weren't cataloged until March 1961. So saying 1960 with 308310 is probably when that one would have normally been shipped had it not been a convertible. I will need to look at my notes to see if I have a ship date for 308310, but chances are it was a...

The term for Single-Six cylinders as Old Model or New Model is really a misnomer. The firing pin groove for the LR cylinder was taken off of the cylinder at about 64-20000 for blue guns and the Mag. cylinder began to be unfluted and rollmarked at the same time. For stainless guns, both...