T.A. Workman wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2025 4:40 pm
Jay,
That Tulsa Show and meeting The Radical One have you on a roll.
Outstanding packages. Good for you!!
Terry
Terry,
You are correct, BOTH are bad influences
Jay
I do not "own" these guns, I am but the next caretaker
T.A. Workman wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2025 4:40 pm
Jay,
That Tulsa Show and meeting The Radical One have you on a roll.
Outstanding packages. Good for you!!
Terry
Terry,
You are correct, BOTH are bad influences
Jay
Well you can use me as your excuse
I have been called worse
That #200054 Lightweight is the one that started all kinds of speculation and mystery!!!
In the late 1970's or early 1980's at a Columbus, Ohio gun show, Jeff Munnell was doing his usual scampering up and down gun show aisles looking for Ruger rarities.
One table caught his eye... a bunch of shipping sleeves that looked like Ruger shippers that had four different two-digit serial numbers on the side. They ended up being split shippers and the guns inside were two digit Single-Sixes, .357 flattops, .44 Flattops and Lightweight Single-Sixes. Numbers 49, 50, 53 and 54... most of the four for all four models... I believe one of the numbers was missing one gun. Also on the table were three flatgate Single-Sixes with milestone serial numbers, like 21000, 22000 and 23000, also new in unopened split shippers. Some of the .30 Blackhawks were also there with those four numbers as were a pair of different numbered 2-digit Bearcats, NIB.
So I imagine it was driving Munnell nuts because not one of those boxes had ever had the tape cracked and none of the guns had ever been out of those boxes since Ruger sealed the cartons. So being the lawyer that he is, while offering a bit of manipulation, Munnell asked the owner, "How do you know the guns inside those boxes aren't a pile of rust?" He managed to get the owner to open one box (probably at Munnell's urging of this example) of Lightweight #200054.
The rest of the guns remained in sealed boxes until a small Kentucky gun auction 10-15 years ago where they were all sold for amounts that completely flabbergasted the local crowd.
One of the last great treasures that was known to exist back in the day.
Chet15
Chet15,
Great history! Thank you for that.
Interesting that you mention the LW being the one opened long before the auction.
I had the #53 30 Carbine, #54 357, 44,& 30 carbine in hand before I sent them to their new caretaker. The LW box is the only one opened along the top split, the rest were opened from the end.
Here are some pics of the #54 LW box.
JAYDAWG
Attachments
I do not "own" these guns, I am but the next caretaker