Ruger 3 screw flat tops?

[jmjmaintenance]

New to the forum!
I have a serial# starting with 19*** 357 black hawk type 2 I believe its 4 5/8 barrel great condition. How do I tell if its been factory updated and whats it worth?

[44man]

It is hard to tell value. Ruger has made so many changes and made so many collectable guns over the years it can drive a guy nuts.
Updated will have a transfer bar.
The best thing about early Rugers was the Micro sight. Ears, no ears, the worst thing they did was to use a cheaper sight. Guns have all been good.
Aluminum grip frames were finally made from steel but for a collector, original is worth more.
Ruger will stop production and years later bring them back. The Bearcat and the Hunter. Then the flat top.

[454PB]

I've posted this pic before, it's a 10" Flat top that was factory converted to the transfer bar system, but I have all the parts that were replaced. It has a strange feel to those of us used to the heavier Rugers like me. I started my love for Rugers with a SBH back in 1973.

This gun was used in a homocide and was held as evidence for about three years before it was returned to the guy I bought it from.

[IMG][/IMG]

[Martin 1940 D28]

I bought a three screw Ruger 44 magnum Blackhawk in 1963, fired it three times then traded it off. Today I'm looking for one in my waning years, much smarter and casting my own and reloading with 7.5 grains of Unique, knuckles are still in good shape. Jay

[fivefang]

Contender 1, good reading, my 6.5"3 screw#11114, IT SAW A STEADY DIET OF 215 GR. Thompson gc.OVER 27.5 GR 2400 YES I DID CRACK THE CYL BUT NOT WITH LOAD MENTIONED, NOW I HAVE A 7.5" 3SCREW FT. FOND MEMORIES, fIVEFANG

[quasi]

gee I forgot all about this thread. I can't believe it is 5 years old. It is a 7 1/2" barrel, I will see if I have a picture to post.

[keyhole]

just to add my thoughts to this thread...
I am a shooter, not a collector, of the OM Rugers. After having owned and shot one each in .357, .41 Mag, and .30 carbine, I looked for a .44 Mag 3-screw. A few years ago I picked up a .44 Mag with serial no. 7xxx, which I understand means it was made in 1958. Not to offend anyone with differing taste, but to me the unfluted cylinder and square back trigger guard don't look quite right. To my eyes, the original FT version, with fluted cylinder and round trigger guard, has the right look. I realize this is all a matter of taste and respect anyone who feels differently. I do not know the history of my gun, but it has the crispest trigger pull of any single action I have ever fired. Maybe it was worked on by someone- I don't know. I have fairly large hands and curl my little finger under the trigger guard, yet find it very comfortable to shoot, including max loads of H110 and Lyman 429244 gas check.

[contender1]

An old thread to be sure,,, but still has good thoughts.

The old Ruger Flattops are desirable to many. Some of us,, as collectors,,, chase the old ones in excellent shape & with the boxes & such. When we find used,, but good condition ones,,, we buy them to shoot,,, or if in a rarer variation, (such as the 7-1/2" & 10" 44 mags,) we get them until we can upgrade our collections with better specimens. And the true shooters,,, we enjoy as well.
To many, the "improved" 44 mag,, with the Dragoon g/f, & square backed trigger guard,,, wasn't an improvement. But,,, overall, to others,, it was.
The Ruger FT 44 mag was rushed into the market,,, built on the same frame size as the 357. Sadly,, many have suffered failures to where they become paperweights. A steady diet of heavy loads, over time,, caused issues for some. The Super Blackhawk addressed some of the strength concerns,,, as well as allowed for the changes that handgunners of that era convinced old Bill were needed to make the gun better.
Some like them, some cuss them.
I have found,, that for shooter guns,, a proper set of grips that fit each shooters hands to be the best way to compromise the handling issues some experience. Knuckle busting,,, not fun but it doesn't happen to everyone.
With modern ammo, newer powders,, and worst of all,,, inexperienced reloaders many fine old guns are damaged or destroyed. I'm amazed at the number of folks who get on the internet looking for load data,,, WITHOUT going to the companies who print the manuals,,, do the testing,,, and make sure things are safe for the shooter & the guns. To me,,, one of the most important things on my loading bench are my manuals.

With proper, safe loads,,, even the old workhorses, such as the FT's are FINE shooters.

I own an example of all of the OM 3 screw SA revolvers. (With exceptions for the many sub-variations out there,) From the 22's, on to the 45's. I have shooters & collectors. I also own many NM SA Rugers,, and in my hands,, the OM actions are much nicer than the NM ones, as issued.
But both can be super sweet if properly tuned.

[keyhole]

Mine is definitely in the "shooter" category. I believe it is unaltered but it has noticeable holster wear and scratches here and there. It is fed almost exclusively a diet of 429421 and 9.0 gr Unique. It will survive me and then get passed on to someone who appreciates these old single actions.

[keyhole]

As stated, it is definitely a shooter, not a collector piece. The grips do have nice figure to them. But it shows nearly 60 years of handling and holster carry. The old girl still shoots just fine if I do my part.


Here are a couple of cherry-picked targets. One on the left is 25 rds at 55' using 429421 and 9.0 gr Unique. Right hand target is 29 rds of 429244 g/c with 22.3 gr H110. Both targets were fired offhand using 2 hands.

[wildcatter]

I thought I would add a little copy paste to go with contender1 excellent history, he does know his Ruger's, but I did not read every post in this thread, just wonder if there was any mention of the New Model 44 special, Flat Top frame size?

Here is a copy & Paste for reference on the smaller frame dimensions of the 357 size frame if anyone would be interested.

[kidmma]

I recently bought an OMSBH. Made about 1971. worn a bit, but has a great trigger. It got a Magnaport job along the way.
It was just under $400.