Had dings in the alloy gripframe that Marko joked were probably caused by when it got chucked out the passenger window of the car along with the dope. Needed the notch on the hammer welded up and re-cut, because someone had made a slipgun out of it, lord only knows why.
One of the odder choices of criminal firepower I've seen, that's for sure.
It's second from the right in that picture of Ruger single-actions, none of which I own anymore, but all of which have one story or another attached to them...
A slip gun? I thought that was only in old crime novels from the 30's.
ReplyDeleteHad the trigger been removed/sawn off?
It could have been more bizarre, what if it had been a Ruger Blackhawk slip gun?
Color me jealous. A Bearcat is on my list of "get one someday" revolvers...and your whole case there is elegance in a box. Any sellers' remorse?
ReplyDeleteStill have mine. Found it listed in Gun List decades ago in a shop up in Idaho. Cute as a bug, and perfect for small hands when my kids were growing up.
ReplyDeleteMurphy's Law,
ReplyDelete"Any sellers' remorse?"
Not really.
Windy Wilson,
"Had the trigger been removed/sawn off?"
Nope.
"'Any sellers' remorse?'
ReplyDeleteNot really."
One of the many ways I envy you, Tam.
I have a little bit about everyone I have ever let go. Even that piece of crap Raven .25. I should have held onto it for the novelty.
Nice little collection there... And that is one gun I've never cared for... they give me Ruger knuckle... sigh
ReplyDeletei have a soft spot in me old heart for old model Ruger single actions, that i do. it can be a sickness.
ReplyDeleteMight be an utterly stupid question, but how did Ice-Bubba* manage to bypass Ruger's transfer-bar safety? Did he tie the trigger back, or didn't this model come with one? And if he could just tie the trigger back, why monkey around with the hammer notch at all?
ReplyDelete*You might remember him from his early '90s hit, "Ice Ice Bubba", in which he sang about bitches and Dremel tools. According to Wikipedia, he was also responsible for the brief fashion for afro-mullets amongst inner-city gunsmiths.
Micki Mahoney,
ReplyDelete"Might be an utterly stupid question, but how did Ice-Bubba* manage to bypass Ruger's transfer-bar safety? "
Excellent question!
The "Old Model" Bearcat pre-dated the lawsuit-induced transfer bar, and was unconverted. (As was the dual-cylinder Single Six on the far right in the photo.)
The transfer bar Bearcats are pretty recent actually.
ReplyDeleteI just gave my nephew one of those original Bearcat .22 Rugers that belonged to his grandfather.
I’ve never had occasion to poke around in the innards of an old model Ruger single action that had been returned to Ruger to be converted post lawsuit. I’ve handled two Single Six guns that had this done, and on both the cylinder bolt was plowing a furrow around the cylinder. I’m curious if you have observed the same.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteRobin,
ReplyDelete"The transfer bar Bearcats are pretty recent actually."
1974? Ish? That's a long time to yr crrspndnt. ;)
RHT447,
I had not noticed that, but I'm not anything like super-knowledgeable on old Rugers.
Robin,
ReplyDeleteAh, I get what you're saying. Yeah, they discontinued the Bearcat in the mid-'70s and didn't bring it back until the mid-'90s, and those had the transfer bar.
Cheers for the explanation -- I always thought that all Ruger single-actions had them from the word go.
ReplyDeleteI'd really like to have that Bisley Vaquero, especially if it was a .357.
ReplyDeleteGot a soft spot for them, just a bit.
When we moved, we had a couple of hundred old evidence guns to destroy.
ReplyDeleteWe were looking at the pile, and one of the other assistants said, "If only they could talk."
I said, "If they could, every one of them would say
"Gimme the money, motherfcker!'"
No, every one of them would say, "It wasn't me, it was the nut behind the trigger!
ReplyDelete