RugerSociety.com

Serial # 4504 S47
I've had this one for a couple years. Not really a big area of knowledge, but I bought it because it was cheap and the local gun store owner called me when it came in since I'm "a Ruger guy" in his words.
Doing some research in RENE & JD's book, how does one tell it this is a long frame or regular?
It sure looks "high polish" to me?!?!!
No box of course, but is there a way to tell if it's a white box gun or mahogany box gun? Would a factory letter shed more light on this?
Just trying to expand my knowledge, and no better place than here on the ROCS forum.
See the pic.

Cheers,
JAY

That's a good looking Super!
It looks like it might be a dull polish to me, just with a nice coat of fresh oil. Wipe some off the frame with a cotton cloth and compare the polish with a normal Blackhawk or Single-Six. A high polish will almost have a mirror finish on it, as long as you aren't looking at an oily surface.
As near as we have been able to determine, the highest known dull polish Super has a ship date of 9/7/60. The earliest high polish ship date that is known is 8/29/60, so I really believe that cuts it pretty close.
As to boxes, mahogany cases are known to have been shipped with guns to April 1961. The first shipment of white boxes left for Ruger on April 8, 1961 and the last shipment of white boxes left for Ruger on February 26, 1962 (this last bit of info courtesy John Dougan). However... it took until at least October 1962 for Ruger to finally use up the last of their white cases... probably the 10xxx range guns.

Chances are, your gun is not a long frame. Each grip panel on the long frame gun will be stamped with a "C" on the flat surface of the panel. I can always tell a long frame also by the front toe of the grip frame. The front toe of a long frame is noticeably pointed. A short frame has a nice rounded front corner.
Chet15

Jay,
Most likely it is a 'White Box ' gun is my guess.
A factory letter would shed more light when it shipped, most of the Mahogany Cases were gone and switching to the White Boxes.
It is a standard frame Super Blackhawk, if it was a 'Long Frame ' when you remove the grips it will have a 'C' that is about 3/16" is height stamped on the in side of both grips also about 3/16" longer than the standard Super grips they also flare out at the bottom of the grip toward the front of the gun.
Donnie has a picture of a set of 'Long Frame' grips for sale in the classifieds showing the 'C' stamp and the flared out at the bottom.
Feel free to call me if you need more information my card is in the back of the ROCS Digest.

I just realized I posted this in the WRONG area. If a moderator can put it in the single action 53-73 section please do.

Chet, Steve,
Thank you for the replies.
Looks like a letter is needed to get the ship date. Hopefully Ruger will get folks back to the brick & mortar soon.
No "C" on the grip panels, so definitely a regular frame. Thanks fir that info.

As for the finish, I wiped it down with some alcohol, and I pulled a trick an old coin collector taught me regarding
the luster on silver dollars. He said a person should be able to read the newspaper in the reflection of the coin
to consider it having "proof like" luster. Used my ROCS card instead of a paper
See the pics.
Easier to see if in hand, I know, but The OM is quite clear in the reflection and the NM difficult to see clearly.

JAY

If the gun in question is the one pictured at the bottom and then at the left, it is definitely high polish.
Both guns are actually high polish as all Super Blackhawks had the better finish once they changed in 1960, right up through to today.
Chet15

Just got the letter back on this one. Shipped Dec 1961.
The interesting part to me is that it was shipped to George Lawrence Company.
Did they maybe use this one as a template for making a holster for the S47's???
No way to know, but fun to speculate.......

Cheers,
JAY

Beautiful old SBH! I got one, but not near as nice as yours.

The white case was used from April 1961 through October 1962, so this gun was probably shipped in the white case.
Chet15

Jay,
What attracted me to the Super Blackhawks many tears ago was the 'Beautiful High Polish Finish' and being all steel until the 12XXX range when the switch to the Aluminum ejector rod housing. Still one of my Favorites!