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Ruger
presents the “NEW SUPER BLACKHAWK”.
View of the first advertisement from the American Rifleman
magazine September 1959. |
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Standard
frame Super Blackhawk s/n 10. This
gun is unfired from the factory. #10
was manufactured in Jan. 1960 but not shipped from the factory until
Aug. 1974 !! |
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 Close-up
view of Super #10’s serial number. |
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 Cylinder
frame roll mark, found on the Super’s left side. |
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Example
of the standard trademark “Eagle” logo barrel address found on the
majority of the Supers. |
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View
of Super #10’s barrel address. It
is the rarer Blackhawk address without the Ruger trademark Eagle logo. |
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View
of Super s/n 10’s fine figured standard size grip panels. |
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This
is the very unusual “Odd” white cardboard box for s/n 10 Super
Blackhawk. This box has a
mahogany case “Makers” label attached to its top.
I imagine it is a result of #10 being shipped in August 1974 with
no mahogany case available. |
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Close-up
of the serial number in red ballpoint ink on Super #10’s “Odd”
box.
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Super
#19 & #20 are both rare
“Long Frame” guns. Both
guns are new in their respective mahogany display cases.
#19 has the non-Eagle Blackhawk barrel address while #20 has the
standard Super barrel address with the trademark Eagle logo. |
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 Close-up
view of Super #19’s serial number.
Pete Kuhlhoff, Argosy magazine’s Guns Editor, originally
owned this gun. Pete was
also an author of some gun and shooting books. |
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 Close-up
of Super #20’s serial number. Jack
O’Connor, Outdoor Life magazine
Shooting Editor, author and big game hunter originally owned this gun. |
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Close-up
view of #19’s & #20’s beautiful “long frame” grip
panels. The grip frame and
grip panels are 1/10” longer than the standard grip frame and
standard panels. (Ed.
Note: See Bill's earlier
article on Ruger Grip Frames) |
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 Another
rare NIB “Long Frame” Super, #221, pictured on top of its mahogany
box. |
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Close-up
view of #221’s serial number. |
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“Long
Frame” Super #593 pictured on top of its properly numbered extremely
rare outer brown cardboard shipping carton for its mahogany display
case. These complete packages are quite unique.
(Note: shipping carton shrink-wrapped for protection). |
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Close-up
view of Long Frame Super #593’s serial number. |
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 Super
#3307 is an early standard frame mahogany boxed gun with the Blackhawk
Flattop “Eagle-less” barrel address.
The factory letter states that it has the “high polish”
finish applied. |
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 Close-up
view of Super #3307’s serial number. |
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Super
#3307’s outer brown cardboard shipping carton.
These shippers are extremely rare and unique, most were thrown
away. (Note: shrink-wrapped for protection). |
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 Close-up
view of the “S47 SUPER BLACKHAWK” ink stamp found on the outer
cardboard shipping carton. |
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 Picture
of the extremely rare outer cardboard shipping cartons for mahogany
boxed guns #593 and #3307 and the White Box gun #8405. (Note: Glare is
due to all shipping cartons being shrink wrapped for protection). |
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 Advertisement
for the mahogany boxed Super Blackhawk from inside the early 1960
catalog. Retail price $120. |
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Top
view of a Super Blackhawk mahogany display case. |
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 Front
view of a Super mahogany case showing the two brass latches. |
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Interior
view of an empty opened mahogany case. |
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 “Makers
Label” found on the inside of the mahogany case’s top. |
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Mahogany
case rear view showing the two brass hinges. |
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Mahogany
case outside bottom view. |
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 Close-up
view of the “Genuine Mahogany” words
pressed into the outside bottom of the majority of the mahogany
cases. |
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Close-up
view of the interior cutout for a Standard grip frame at the bottom. |
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Close-up
view of the interior cutout for a Long grip frame at the bottom.
Normally about 3/16” of wood is removed at the bottom of the
grip frame area to accommodate the longer grip frame. |
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 Examples
of the standard “brass” hardware (top box) versus the rare
”nickel” plated hardware (bottom box) found on the Super Blackhawk
mahogany cases. |
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 Early
“High Polish” mahogany boxed Super, #3526, without the Eagle logo in
the barrel address. Fairly
rare early high polish gun. |
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 Left
side view of high polish Super #3526, with its “Eagle-less” Flattop
barrel address. |
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 Close-up
view of Super #3526’s serial number. |
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On
the left is a view of the inside of the 1960 catalog advertising the
Super Blackhawk with its mahogany box at $120.
On the right is the inside of the late 1960 catalog or 1961
catalog advertising the Super at its $116 lower price without the
mahogany case. |
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The
words from the early 1960 catalog telling about the mahogany box.
Look toward the bottom of the “specifications”. |
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Advertisement
from inside the late 1960 or 1961 catalog without the mahogany box after
the box factory burned. The
retail price was lowered to $116 effective November 29, 1960. |
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The
mid-1961 bulletin, probably a catalog insert, which among other things
explains about the factory that made the mahogany boxes burning and the
replacement of the wood boxes with a white cardboard box. |
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 Example
of the “White Box” guns packaging…box and slip-sleeve with the
properly penciled serial number 10103. |
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Top
view of Super #8405’s White Box slip-sleeve. |
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View
White Box Super #10103 with rare Blackhawk “Flattop” barrel address
without the trademark Ruger Eagle logo lying in its box. |
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 Close-up
view of Super #10103’s serial number. |
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View
of Super #10103’s “Eagle-less” Blackhawk barrel address. |
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 Picture
of an extremely rare documented “Prototype” wooden display case that
was submitted to Sturm, Ruger & Co. as a possible replacement for
the Super’s mahogany case after the mahogany box factory burned. |
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View
of the inside of the prototype display case.
The cutout for the gun is covered with a loose fitting red velour
type material. |
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 View
of bottom inside showing the recess cutout for the gun to be laid with
its barrel pointing to the left. |
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Another
view of the inside of the prototype case.
If you look closely, you can see the recessed cutout for the gun
and a cylinder. The gun’s cylinder could be put in this cutout or and extra
cylinder stored here. |
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 Picture
of the outside bottom of the prototype case.
It is covered in a purple velveteen material. |
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