Senior Citizen Ruger

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44caliberkid

New member
Just got this 3 screw Ruger flat top, 44 Magnum, made in 1957, the year I was born. It’s in great condition, no turn line. The loading gate has turned a lovely dark plum color and the grips have faded a little and warped, so I ordered a set of reproduction stocks to use while shooting. I’ve always liked the round trigger guard and fluted cylinder over the Super Blackhawk style. The coffee clatch at the LGS I had it shipped to were ooing and awing over it when I went in to pick it up. I’ve been buying a lot of “I always wanted” guns because now I can afford them. Sort of like classic cars.
 

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P

Pahoo

New member
Vintage !!!

Senior Citizen
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I prefer to use words like "Vintage" or "Classic" and you can probably guess why !!
Single action, flat top !!! how much better can it get. Lucky you and great find !!!

Be Safe !!!
 
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dahermit

New member
I had one of those .44 Magnum Flat Tops. Mine had a one inch shorter barrel than yours and had wooden grips. Sadly, it was lost to a house fire... melted the aluminum alloy frame.
 
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arquebus357

New member
dahermit said "I had one of those .44 Magnum Flat Tops. Mine had a one inch shorter barrel than yours and had wooden grips. Sadly, it was lost to a house fire... melted the aluminum alloy frame."

Can't tell if that's a true story or another version of the "my boat sunk" story. If true, I'm sorry for your loss.

Anyway...lovely piece. Ruger should have stayed with the 3 screws instead of going with the pins.

No Rugers on my birth date either.
 
4

44caliberkid

New member
Fired first shots today, using vintage ammo, when the factories loaded to 1400 fps. 240 grain, copper washed, SWC. Distance is 25 yards. I had forgotten how wicked the recoil is with the stock grip.
 

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dahermit

New member
arquebus357 said:
dahermit said "I had one of those .44 Magnum Flat Tops. Mine had a one inch shorter barrel than yours and had wooden grips. Sadly, it was lost to a house fire... melted the aluminum alloy frame."

Can't tell if that's a true story or another version of the "my boat sunk" story. If true, I'm sorry for your loss.

Anyway...lovely piece. Ruger should have stayed with the 3 screws instead of going with the pins.

No Rugers on my birth date either.
Click to expand...
I am not in the habit of making things up. Are you?

As I remember, I had a problem with that flat top. The ejection rod housing was held on with a screw at the front. Instead of the hole for that screw being threaded, they had pressed a threaded bushing into the hole in which to screw that screw into. That bushing ended up coming loose during recoil. My local gunsmith (Rex Pedersen's dad) tried soft soldering it back in, but soft solder was not strong enough and it popped out again. He ended up silver soldering it back into place which, due to the heat burned the blue off in that area of the barrel. Nevertheless, the bushing never came loose again.

Note: Rex Pedersen was a gun engraver of some note years ago.

Convinced of my veracity now?
 
J

jackmoser65

New member
I don't doubt the veracity of the story but they didn't make them shorter than that. There was a few 7.5's and 10 inch guns but not 5.5's.
 
4

4V50 Gary

Staff
I've never seen a photo of one and it's pristine. Never heard it called a senior citizen either and that's LOL. Those flutes sure make the gun look better than the newer ones too.
 
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dahermit

New member
jackmoser65 said:
I don't doubt the veracity of the story but they didn't make them shorter than that. There was a few 7.5's and 10 inch guns but not 5.5's.
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Looking again at the O.P.'s picture, I think you are right. The barrel length of mine likely was the same as his... it has been a long, long time ago.
 
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