Dads44

Question for everyone.
What would be the best bang for my buck as far as getting a Collector's Ruger?

Open to anything but would probably lean more towards single action.

Iowegan

All the "Old Model" SA Rugers are quite collectible. There is quite a range of value due to the numbers produced, condition, and age. Also, there are some variations that are more rare than others. An excellent "collectible" would be a 357 Mag or 44 Mag Ruger Blackhawk "Flat top". These are 3-screw Old Models, not the New Model Anniversary guns.

Some of the Old Model Single-Sixes are priced much lower yet increase in value at about the same percentage as scarce models. All OM SAs are excellent investments

Amigo Will

Try for a Hawkeye

Dads44

The Super Blackhawk in my pic was made in jan 1960, It was my Dad's, now i am the caretaker of it.

It's cool to know that 3 generations have now fired it. It will never be for sale.

So maybe another 3 screw 44 mag? I'm looking for one that I can have the discipline not to fire, so I can just watch it incease in value.

blackhawkfan

Can't go wrong with those old flatops:

BRL

They are beautiful little works of art ain't they...(sniffle).

Dads44

I see a HAWKEYE on GB for 2800. Thats a little too steep for me. I will continue to look though.

Would any of the 50th anniversary models be a good choice? Does it have to be unfired?

Iowegan

Although I hate to use it as a reference, the "Blue Book of Gun Values" by Fjestad is about the only thing I can think of to help you out. This book does not do justice to Rugers but it's about the only common "value" reference available.

Here's the normal trend when buying new guns .... they depreciate to "dealer cost" as soon as you buy them. That's because a dealer can order a brand new gun for about 75% of list price. Each year as prices increase, your gun will go up in value at about the same rate .... 75% of what a new one would cost. In just 3 years, you hit "break even" where you can sell the gun for what you paid for it. Each year after that will increase the value where you can start making money. In addition to normal appreciation, you also have added "collector value" for some models, usually because of low production numbers but sometimes its the "just because" factor. An example would be the SP-101 chambered in either 9mm or 22 LR. These guns are not rare but were discontinued because there was very little demand for them and values were way under that of normal 357 Mag SP-101s. Soon after being discontinued, these two guns values started climbing. The guns themselves are no better than any other Ruger but because they were discontinued, collector interest increased and added at least $100 to the value.

Very few New Model Ruger SA revolvers have additional collector value and just appreciate with normal inflated costs. This includes the NM Flattops because thousands of them were made. At today's rate of return on CDs or savings accounts, you can do much better in the long term by investing in guns .... most any brand. If you buy used guns, get them bought for the right price, and hold on to them for several years, you can do quite well.

BTW, most collectors are fussy and want "museum grade" guns that are still new in the box and are willing to pay a slight premium for them. If you sell to a non-collector, NIB, box, manual, and origional factory condition is not as important.

Scarce Ruger models seldom bring much more than run-of-the-mill models, except in Old Model SAs and Ruger Standard pistols. As an example .... I have a stainless GP-100 that came from the factory with high gloss finish. It's catalog number is GKGP-141, not more than 500 were made in 1995. According to the "Blue Book", this gun is worth less than a standard stainless model. I look at it a bit different .... I would much prefer the scarce GKGP-141 than a common KGP-141 so I would value it higher than a new gun. Unfortunately, that's not what the book says so if I sold it, chances are I would not get any premium for scarcity.

Dads44

Thanks for the info.

If I ever find a nice collector I will post a pic.

blackhawkfan

You might consider an unconverted 3 screw Blackhawk in .45 Long Colt. They were only made three years and consequently fewer of them were made in both barrel lengths than the earlier .44 Mag Flattop Blackhawks.

Ale-8(1)

There are a few "holy grails" of Rugerdom. Here's a reference to one that just popped up . . .

RugerForum.com :: View topic - Nickel Plated 357 Blackhawk Flat-Top Information- PICS ADDED

Value? Who knows? Thou$and$ most likely.

RippinLipz

awesome!!!

454PB

I don't consider myself a collector, but I couldn't pass up this one. It's a 10" Ruger flat top .44 magnum, and only a thousand were made.

blackhawkfan

That's nice. It looks like its had some work and aftermarket grips installed since it left the factory. Has it been converted to the transfer bar safety system?

Ale-8(1)

The references I have show 1500 of the 10" Flattop .44's made . . . but it's still one of the "holy grails" of Rugerdom, surpassed only by the 700 or so 10" versions of the .357 Flattop.

By comparison, there were 3000 or so of the short-lived .256 Hawkeyes.

Great gun, 454PB!!