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Coogs wrote: ↑Wed Apr 09, 2025 5:51 am Some names involved with #98 Randy Smith a Kansas Ruger dealer/collector and the other one are just initials "KM" who was a Ruger employee.....

I don't believe subscriber numbers that high had been assigned by the time that lightweight was shipped. In fact, I will bet the #98 Lightweight left the factory pretty early, March/April 1956.
Chet15

Thanks, Chad.
According to Linda D, it was shipped in May of 1958, which seems consistent with the notes on the shipping of early Lightweights in your Reference.
What's your advice regarding replacing the barrel?
I asked about the box - no dice.

Owen,
Maybe when you get it in hand, some steel wool & oil will clean up that barrel & ERH ?......maybe.
Send them in for a reblue??....it would be obvious.
IMHO the best route is, IF they will not clean up, is cutting down a 5 1/2 inch barrel from another single six, and if a good donor gun is used, the ERH will work also. I think that would give you the best chance at looking original.
The cylinder looks way above average for an aluminum cylinder, as far as chipping goes, and the rest looks to be nice and original. Not much to upgrade.
Once in hand, some decisions to be made.
Fun stuff
Keep us posted!!

JAYDAWG

Well too bad Dan and Walter don't do work on these anymore.....both could make it look like new....

yessir did quite a few of them LWs over the years, few guys took the chance to try and pull the barrel on a LW, things can go "FUBAR" all to easy with them soft LW cylinder frames ...piece of cake to redo the barrel, too bad you are not closer by here, I could show you a few 'tricks' as we always said a bit of "TLC" and they come out quite nice....yours is a very nice gun...seems I recall from talks with guys at the factory many years ago some of those later,double digit guns were "extra" as I had gotten the number #96 flatop from the guy who sold the factory cutting oil for the shop, and he was "given" the gun, it was right after the #95 guns who the sales guy ,Jack Behn had,,he was a hoot....good memories.....

I really appreciate the input.
The seller had a smith remove and arrest the rust so just some pitting remains - probably cold blued.
I was concerned about damage to the aluminum frame occurring with a barrel switch and, after rugerguy's comments, I may just leave it alone. I'm not set up to do it and, as noted, few smiths have LW experience. I suspect heating the frame would be required. I do have a decent RSS4 that could be a donor but...
Has anyone ever seen an all blued hammer like that come out of the factory?
Seeing it has been delayed until next week, unfortunately.

Finally brought this one home.
I think I will just replace the ERH and leave the barrel alone for now. Pitting could be worse.
The hammer is heavily stained, not blued, as I thought - not pitted, though.
May have been fired but not much.
No box, unfortunately.

Pull the hammer and polish it with some emory paper it will look like new.....

Thanks Rod. Tempting. I've gotten pretty good at it and have the right tools but I might just have to leave those unturned screw heads alone. It does have that going for it. Maybe, though.

If you don't want to remove the hammer like Rod suggested, you can do a pretty good job with it still in the gun. Pull the hammer back full cock. Use fine grit emory paper carefully and you can polish about all that can be seen.

Good Luck, Bill