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Help with Ruger Bearcat serial number

playthingsplaythings Member Posts: 168 ✭✭
in Ask the Experts

Have a Ruger Bearcat that was purchased used approx. 50 years ago. It has wood grips with no medalian, steel ejector rod housing, dimpled ejector rod button and is stamped on right side of frame 1666. The Ruger website serial number search indicates "number does not exist". A Gunblast article indicates serial numbers 1000 to 1999 were made in 1960 and are extremely rare. Can anyone give me a little more information on this Bearcat serial number range and date?

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Comments

  • shootuadealshootuadeal Member Posts: 5,296 ✭✭✭✭
    Screenshot_20240406-193559_Chrome.jpg

    A little confusing but I'd guess 1958.

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  • nmyersnmyers Member Posts: 16,892 ✭✭✭✭

    I bought Z025 (used) around 1963-64. (It was stolen from me.) Looks like Ruger ran through the alphabet in the first position of the serial number, then switched to all numeric.

    Neal

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  • playthingsplaythings Member Posts: 168 ✭✭

    I have sent a request and payment to Ruger requesting information for this serial number. Their turnaround time is approx. 2 weeks for such requests.

    Will post answer that I receive from Ruger.

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  • GrasshopperGrasshopper Member Posts: 17,019 ✭✭✭✭

    They will send you a nice letter in an 11x8" envelope. And it does come quick.

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  • playthingsplaythings Member Posts: 168 ✭✭

    Received the letter from Ruger today and am still confused. The Letter states, "Our records indicate the Ruger Bearcat revolver with serial number 1666 was produced in February 1959 in our Southport, Connecticut facility."

    "The revolver is designated as a model BC-4 and is chambered in .22 Long Rifle. It was shipped to L. H. Kurtz Company in Des Moines, IA in February 1959."

    The Ruger website indicates the year 1959 started with serial number F483. My Bearcat does not have an alpha prefex, it is a plain 1666.

    What am I missing or don't understand?

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  • Ruger4meRuger4me Member, Moderator Posts: 3,835 ******

    Trust the letter you paid for and received, the chart is more of a ball park reference. I don't believe it shows the first serial number of a particular year, only that the numbers shown were in a particular year not necessarily a specific day of a year.

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  • waltermoewaltermoe Member Posts: 2,359 ✭✭✭✭

    Ruger4 me is correct. I have read and seen where the numbers from a year manufacturing column don’t always match. An example I seen with Mauser. That they would issue a serial number to a rifle before the rifle was built.

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