RCA
TULSA RUGER
COLLECTORS
DISPLAY SHOW
2006
by Bill Hamm
Photography by Matt Olivier
Joe
Wanenmacher’s Tulsa Arms Show, Tulsa, OK
October
21-22, 2006
The Ruger Collectors Association held its annual October
display show once again at the Wanenmacher Tulsa Arms Show in Tulsa, OK.
The show was well attended by Ruger collectors from all areas of the
country. Several collectors
attended for the first time and joined in the festivities.
We had an Awards Banquet on Saturday night with over 50 people in
attendance.
There were several tables of Rugers for sale and/or
trade. Lots of wheeling and dealing
was going on. Many fine and rare
guns were changing hands, sometimes in large groups!!
There
were twelve displays of some of the finest Rugers in existence.
Each of them is described and listed below.
(Click
Pictures for a Larger Version)
“RUGER-
50 YEARS”
Dale Dalbotten
Dale’s outstanding display consisted of four guns…all
serial number 997!! There was the
original Blackhawk .357 Flattop
#997, the New Model .357 50th
Anniversary Flattop #520-00997, the original Blackhawk .44 Flattop
#997, and the New Model .44 50th Anniversary Flattop
#89-00997.
All their original boxes were displayed along with period gun magazines
and advertisements. I don’t have to tell you that putting together this group
of Rugers is quite a feat!!
Author’s note:
The
man that owns Single-Six #997 was at the show and introduced himself
to Dale. I’ll bet these two will have some interesting conversations
over the next few months. Good luck,
old friend!!
“THE LAST
COWBOY”
Allen Daniels, won RCA Second Place Advanced
Allen’s well designed display presented examples of
the five variations of the Ruger Single-Six ‘mini Vaquero” .32 H&R
Magnum revolver. TALO distributor
group purchased the last 1,000 fixed Vaquero style sight .32s manufactured by
Ruger. TALO then had them engraved
and the blue guns gold inlayed with the “Last Cowboy” theme.
T Jeffrey, Tuenbull, CT, did this specialized work.
Allen’s display had an old barn wood backdrop with old barbed wire,
lariat, spurs, etc.
"STURM, RUGER
& CO., RARE AND UNIQUE PISTOLS, REVOLVERS, &
SUNDRY RELATED ITEMS"
John Dougan, won RCA First Place & Second Place Tulsa
Show
My words cannot adequately describe John’s display.
It was simply breathtaking!!
Displayed were the John Amber Gun, the Engraved .357
Blackhawk #100, the Spanish Engraved Sample Pattern guns #5003 &
5009, and
Charles H. Jerred’s Sample Pattern gun that he submitted to Bill Ruger along
with its presentation case & cardboard outer shipping carton.
Two experimental .256 Winchester Magnums built on the .44
Magnum Blackhawk and Super Blackhawk frames, an experimental Tool-room model
Hawkeye marked “X1”, a couple of prototype “X” marked Hawkeyes, and the
one of a kind .221 Fireball Hawkeye were all laid out in a row.
Included were a prototype Single-Six that was marked
“P”, prototype “X” marked .22 Magnum
Single-Sixes, a gold tone grip
frame 9-1/2” Single-Six, and a special order Single-Six with a 7-1/2”
barrel. There were the All Blue and
the Tri-Color Light Weight “S” marked guns and a one of a kind dual cylinder
Light Weight. A “Sample”
Alphabet Bearcat with a Square Back trigger guard along with a couple of
"Salt
Cod" early .22 autos with their boxes and the Chrome Plated #10000 Standard Auto were
displayed.
The extremely rare and unique sundry items were more than a
complete display alone! They
included a rare Ruger Quick Draw clock and one of the first Ruger gift ashtrays
with a handwritten letter from Paulina Sturm thanking Bill Ruger for the gift.
The original drawing for Bill Ruger’s Lightweight Machine Gun with hand
written notations on the drawings from Mr. Ruger and the Patent Letters for the
LW machine gun dated November 1945 were shown.
Bill Ruger’s personalized well-worn leather notebook, portfolio, and
wallets along with various documents were displayed.
I would like to personally thank John for bringing our
all of these extremely rare Ruger items for us to see and enjoy.
This was indeed a rare opportunity for all the folks who attended the
Tulsa show. All of John’s
awards for this display were well deserved.
“RUGER’S SPECIAL
'WRITERS' GUNS”
Bill Hamm
This display consisted of four guns owned by gun
magazine and book writers who were assigned special “subscription” gun
numbers by Bill Ruger. Elmer
Keith,
Guns & Ammo Guns Editor, Super
Bearcat #91-00015. Pete Kuhlhoff,
Argosy Guns Editor, #19 Blackhawk .44 Flattop and also his
#19 Super Blackhawk
.44 Magnum Long Frame. Jack O’Connor, Outdoor Life Shooting Editor,
#20 Super
Blackhawk .44 Magnum Long Frame. All
of these guns are new with their original boxes and have outstanding burled grip
panels. Examples of books authored
and magazines with their work were displayed.
“3 of 238”
Rod Kirian, awarded RCA Second Place Intermediate
Rod’s great display consisted of three of the rare
Charles H. Jerred factory engraved Single-Sixes in their factory presentation
cases. Two were consecutive serial
numbers…#50680 & 50681. The
other was a “chrome plated” RSSE #30823.
The original factory invoice for the consecutive set was displayed along
with a sign and stationary from Jerred’s shop.
A very unique Jerred hand carved soap stone pipe was also displayed.
Author’s note:
Guards were seen stationed by this display to help contain Dan Meigs’
extreme interest in the “chrome” RSSE!!
“THE RUGER
NO. 1 SINGLE SHOT RIFLE”
John Krukenberg
John’s displayed six of the finest No. 1s around!! Three
of them were factory engraved and some gold inlayed. Models 1-A, 1-B, 1-S, and 1-H were represented in a variety
of calibers. All had
outstanding wood!! Period copies of
the Gun Digest introducing the No. 1 were displayed.
“THE PLATING
SHOP”
Dan Meigs, Aka “The Sultan of Shine”, awarded RCA First
Place Novice
Dan’s unique “chrome plated” display included all
.357 Magnum & .44 Blackhawk “Flattop” barrel lengths, the
Single-Six RSS4,
RSS5, & RSS9, a Standard Auto, a Super
Bearcat, Blackhawks BKH34, BKH41,
BKH45 and a Super Blackhawk S47. His
display backdrop and stand was highly polished stainless steel!!
Congratulations to Dan on a 1st place in his very first outing!
“OLD MODEL 3 SCREW RUGER BLACKHAWK CONVERTIBLES”
Bob Nelson, awarded Third Place both RCA Advanced Class
(tied) & Tulsa Show
This complete eleven-gun display had examples of all the
old model Blackhawk Convertible variations. It included all barrel lengths and even the grip panel
medallion changes. Advertisements and pictures accompanied this fine display.
Examples of the various boxes and different cylinder boxes were also
displayed. Congratulations go to Bob on winning some of the show
promoter's $$$.
“RUGER NO. 1”
Lee Newton, awarded RCA Third Place Intermediate Class
Lee displayed ten of the rarest and finest No. 1 rifles
known!! Including:
S/n 10, Len Brownell’s rifle with a 24” “A” weight
barrel, the only one known.
S/n 13, Warren Page’s rifle, engraved with gold inlayed
initials by A. A. White.
S/n 18, Ruger Barlow’s rifle, engraved with gold inlayed
initials by A. A. White.
S/n 20, Jack O’Connor’s rifle, engraved with gold
inlayed initials by A. A. White.
S/n 21, Robert Chatfield Taylor’s rifle, engraved with
gold initials by A. A. White.
S/n 110, John Amber’s rifle with hooded front sight.
S/n 1674, Ken Waters' rifle.
S/n 3370, Larry Wilson’s rifle, gold monogram by A. A.
White.
S/n 3437, Engraved by A. A. White.
S/n 5250, Chester Hope’s rifle, friend of Leonard
Brownell with a 25” “A” weight barrel, the only one made.
All of these rifles but one had scopes.
Their famous original owners installed them.
The wood on these guns was of the finest XXXX grade!!!
J. D. Clayton’s No. 1 book and various interesting photographs were
also included.
“50 YEARS OF
FLATTOPS”
Matt Olivier, awarded RCA Third Place (tied) Advanced Class
Matt’s
fine display covered all barrel lengths of the .357
Magnum and .44 Blackhawk “Flattops”.
The three variations of the New Model 50th Anniversary .357
& .44 Flattops were also displayed.
Sets or original factory ivory and stag grips along with memorabilia, American
Rifleman original advertisements for the Flattops, a 1957 catalog, and Shooting
Times advertisements for the 50th Anniversary guns.
All guns with boxes except the 10” .357 Flattop.
“UNMATCHED PAIR/CONSECUTIVE NUMBERED / JERRED ENGRAVED
SINGLE SIXES”
Lee Sundermeier
Lee displayed a beautiful consecutive numbered pair of
the rare factory engraved Charles H.
Jerred Single-Sixes in their factory presentation cases. The two guns, # 30849 & 30850, were not shipped as a consecutive set but purchased and put
together later by the current owner. The
two guns demonstrate a change in the engraving patterns of the Jerred guns.
For example, one has a polished hammer and the other has a blued hammer,
one has a flat loading gate while the other has a round loading gate.
“RUGER FACTORY
SUPER BLACKHAWK”
Dave Whitman, awarded First Place Intermediate Class
Dave only needed one gun to win his class, an extremely
rare one of only three factory Super Blackhawks
ever made with a 10” barrel. Serial
number 1505 is well documented as a factory gun that was sent to Ralph
Shipley. Dave’s display
included lots of documentation as to the provenance of the gun.
The next RCA Display show will be held March 16 – 18, 2007
at the Bob Pope Gun Show in Smyrna, TN.
Be sure to make plans to attend. Build
those displays and bring out your favorite Rugers!!!
Bill Hamm
The Ruger Collectors' Association is the oldest organization
for the Ruger collector and/or enthusiast. Membership includes the Association's
sporadically-produced newsletter and invitation to members-only events. For more
information (or to apply for an annual membership), write to: Ruger
Collectors' Association, Inc., P.O. Box 240, Greens Farms, CT 06436
The Red Eagle News Exchange is a quarterly publication
filled with new information, updates, and articles about collecting Ruger
firearms and memorabilia. This is an excellent resource for the Ruger collector
and/or enthusiast, and the wealth of information sent to new subscribers as a
free gift with a paid annual subscription is alone well worth the money.
Highly recommended. For more information or to subscribe, write Red Eagle
News Exchange (Chad Hiddleson - Editor), 1945 Clover Avenue, Perry, IA
50220, or call (515) 465-2057.
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