Ruger records say serial number 640-02272 was manufactured and shipped, on loan to an unspecified writer, in January, 1997, to Towsley's Gun Shop in Vermont and returned to the factory the same month. It was subsequently shipped to Rody's in October, 1997.
The writer was, obviously, Bryce Towsley, who wrote mostly for NRA publications. I have not been able to find his review of this gun, if one was published.
The story that came with this piece is that it was a gift from Bill Ruger to his close friend, Duncan Syme, co-founder of Vermont Casting. They allegedly met at a metal casting conference and remained friends. No documentation came from the Syme estate nor does any exist. Mr. Syme's son has provided this oral history and I am hoping he will take the time to write it down for me. Bryce Towsley has a presence on the internet but emails bounce back and the phone number is NLIS. Bill Rodeschin, Jr., might be able to shed some light on the situation and I have sent an email to the address I had for him. I hope he can help.
Besides the fiddle-back wood, it sports unique, hand-done checkering, a case color lever and sporter-style sling hardware. There is a mark in front of the SN that looks like a mis-struck asterisk to me, which would be consistent with used gun procedure at the time. The big question is where the checkering was done.
I wonder Duncan Syme first saw the gun at Towsley's and, after expressing his interest to Bill, it was tarted up at the factory for Mr. Syme.
If anyone has any information that supports this gun's provenance I would be most grateful for sharing. The Bill Ruger/Duncan Syme connection seems plausible to me. They were both huge influences on their industries and shared an adventuresome nature.
Here are some photos:
