Stags, OEM or aftermarket

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Blackhawk41
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Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2023 9:35 pm

Stags, OEM or aftermarket

Post by Blackhawk41 »

Good afternoon, new member here. While certainly not being new to guns (including Rugers) I'm less knowledgeable about single-actions, especially the 3-screws. A little over a year ago I found my first 3-screw (1972 4 5/8" .45 Colt) and it' sort of started a bad habit.
A few weeks ago I brought home this 1959 .44 flattop with these stag grips. Not knowing the history of the gun I have no way of knowing if they are original Ruger stags or aftermarket. After asking questions from others it's my feeling that they are indeed OEM but was wondering if anyone can confirm this by the picture below since there is a lot of expert knowledge on this site. The pictures don't show it clearly but the bottoms of them are indeed ground at a beveled angle similar to other original grips, not flat. The left medallion was a little loose and I was able to rotate it with my fingertip as closely to being straight as the picture shows, but that's as good as I could get it and I obviously didn't want to use any tools that might damage it.
What do you guys think?

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RoninPA
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Location: State College, PA

Re: Stags, OEM or aftermarket

Post by RoninPA »

First, welcome to the forum.

Second, it is NEVER a bad habit to buy and collect Rugers, no matter what genre they are. So like the rifles, some (like me) collect the double action revolvers and a lot of folks collect the single action revolvers. But no matter what you like we are all one BIG family.

The best way to determine if the Stags are OEM would be to query Ruger via the Ruger Letter venue. Go here: https://www.ruger.com/dataProcess/serialHistory/ and then click on the highlighted Request for Letter of Authenticity. Give them as much info as you can on the form and for only $10 they can tell you when it was made, who it was originally shipped to and the original configuration. If it came with the stags it should tell you.

This is a great forum and you can ask and answer whatever you want.
Ron
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rugerguy
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Location: NE OHio

Re: Stags, OEM or aftermarket

Post by rugerguy »

they look pretty good to me all proper in the back side and as for the :looseness" that often happens when they do NOT "stake" them hard and tight, so as to NOT break them as often happened in the early days, andwhy you will see so many "Non matching?" pairs......Nice gun ;)
Blackhawk41
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2023 9:35 pm

Re: Stags, OEM or aftermarket

Post by Blackhawk41 »

RoninPA wrote: Mon Jan 16, 2023 4:55 pm First, welcome to the forum.

Second, it is NEVER a bad habit to buy and collect Rugers, no matter what genre they are. So like the rifles, some (like me) collect the double action revolvers and a lot of folks collect the single action revolvers. But no matter what you like we are all one BIG family.

The best way to determine if the Stags are OEM would be to query Ruger via the Ruger Letter venue. Go here: https://www.ruger.com/dataProcess/serialHistory/ and then click on the highlighted Request for Letter of Authenticity. Give them as much info as you can on the form and for only $10 they can tell you when it was made, who it was originally shipped to and the original configuration. If it came with the stags it should tell you.

This is a great forum and you can ask and answer whatever you want.
I agree, and to be honest my first preference when shooting handguns is double-action revolvers. I really enjoy using my 5.5" Redhawk .41 Mag for deer hunting.

My $10 Ruger letter of authenticity arrived in our mailbox this past week. I had included those above pictures with my mailed request and specifically asked if they appeared to be an original Ruger item. All they told me in the letter was "we have no record of which grips shipped with this gun". Well, I didn't ask THAT, Ruger Customer Service, I asked if the grips were likely OEM based on the pictures. Kinda disappointed that they just blew me off in that regard.
Ruger8r
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Re: Stags, OEM or aftermarket

Post by Ruger8r »

Welcome to the forum. Where else can an obsession become investments? Made myself laugh.
Love your stags. My undetstanding is that early Ruger revolvers were almist never shipped with stag grips. I say almost never because Ruger. They were, most likely, added later. The staking doesn't look right to me. And if the stake indentation is not a bowl shape (ball milled?) they are not Ruger. Still nice looking stags and collectable. I have two pair of knock-offs and even those are getting hard to find. Others might have a different opinion.
"My greatest fear is that, when I die, my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them." Anonymous Collector
Hawkeye28
Posts: 310
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2014 4:17 pm
Location: Near North Woods

Re: Stags, OEM or aftermarket

Post by Hawkeye28 »

I suggest you refer to Dougan's last book the observe his treatise on the stag panels. To our best, Ruger never placed their stag grips on the single actions in NORMAL sales distribution firearms. I question the staking(lack of) in your panels.
flattop44
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Re: Stags, OEM or aftermarket

Post by flattop44 »

They are really great looking stags but I don't think they are factory stags. All factory stags had the threaded eschushion in the right panel. It looks like the slotted screw head is shown in the right panel in your picture with the stags on the gun. I too also question the staking. JMHO. Still a great set and fine looking flattop!
FT44
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RoninPA
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Re: Stags, OEM or aftermarket

Post by RoninPA »

Sorry about the grips part of my answer Blackhawk 41. Seeing as I do hang around a lot of the SA collectors (trying to learn more all the time), I probably should have known that Ruger might not say (or know) what grips went out on a particular revolver. They are nice looking grips though. Oh, and your '72 .45 Colt is a great looking gun also.

Have fun on the forum, we all do. If you get the chance to get to a show where ROCS has been invited, do it, and you'll see Rugers that you never though you'd see and get the back story on how they got them.
Ron
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Blackhawk41
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Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2023 9:35 pm

Re: Stags, OEM or aftermarket

Post by Blackhawk41 »

Carbineguy wrote: Mon Jan 16, 2023 9:24 pm Welcome to the forum. Where else can an obsession become investments? Made myself laugh.
Love your stags. My undetstanding is that early Ruger revolvers were almist never shipped with stag grips. I say almost never because Ruger. They were, most likely, added later. The staking doesn't look right to me. And if the stake indentation is not a bowl shape (ball milled?) they are not Ruger. Still nice looking stags and collectable. I have two pair of knock-offs and even those are getting hard to find. Others might have a different opinion.
Yes, it was my understanding that they didn't typically ship with the stags but that wasn't what I was insinuating. Rather simply wondering if they are OEM Ruger stags, regardless of what the gun originally shipped with.
Is there any chance you might have a picture that shows a comparison of Ruger's staking indentation compared to others?

flattop44 wrote: Tue Jan 17, 2023 8:50 am They are really great looking stags but I don't think they are factory stags. All factory stags had the threaded eschushion in the right panel. It looks like the slotted screw head is shown in the right panel in your picture with the stags on the gun. I too also question the staking. JMHO. Still a great set and fine looking flattop!
FT44
Oh, from something that I had read (somewhere) it was my understanding that the escutcheon arrangement was opposite of what you're saying. You're right; the screw head is in the right panel.

While it would be great if they are OEM I'll still enjoy them even if they're aftermarket.
flattop44
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Joined: Tue May 06, 2014 2:31 pm
Location: Alabama

Re: Stags, OEM or aftermarket

Post by flattop44 »

The factory stag and ivory eschushions are located on opposite sides as the factory wood and black rubber grips panels. Their threaded one is in the left panel.
FT44
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