Gun supposedly presented to Bill Ruger?

[ArmedGinger]

Presented by Navy Arms to Bill Ruger" Top Ten" of 1974 outstanding American handgun ER award

Bill Ruger would be none other than William B. Ruger, as of Sturm & Ruger fame. In 1975 he won the Outstanding American Handgunner Award. So it is no surprise he would be in the "Top Ten" for the year previous. But is the gun real? If so, how did it get to Canada?

I've contacted Navy Arms as well as American Handgunner Magazine to see if they know more.

 

[Mike Casselton]

I'm gonna say the engraving screams fake.

No way in hell would the AH fellas allow that to be presented to Bill

 

[ArmedGinger]

I'm gonna say the engraving screams fake.

No way in hell would the AH fellas allow that to be presented to Bill

It might not have been presented by AH and just presented by Navy Arms themselves. But yeah I have no idea why someone would take something like this? I mean the OAHA only came about in 1973.

 

[Mike Casselton]

You might try asking on Gary Reeder's site.
Gary, John Taffin and Jim Taylor all hang out there.
Even Scott Boggs, AKA Waterboy would probably know the answer to your question.

 

[n2ishun]

If you're on a computer, zoom in on that back strap engraving.
It looks like ass.....and the grips fit like shit.

I'm going with the "it's fake" crowd here.

 

[Son of Dorn]

the grips fit like shit.

In fairness, if it's from Navy Arms in the 1970s, it's probably an OLD Italian-made clone of a Colt '51 Navy. Even with the newer ones by Uberti and them, the grips aren't always fitted great.

The engraving, though... it does kinda look like ass but at the same time it doesn't look too wrong for something done by hand into a brass backstrap. It seems to me that whoever engraved the text was trying to make it look like something you'd find on an authentic 1850s revolver. The engraving on the rest of the gun was probably done by machine and was just the default decoration of whatever model variant was used.

Just my two cents. I can't fathom why anyone would fake markings like that, but stranger things have come out of the Khyber Pass...

 

[ArmedGinger]

Originally I thought this was just some commemorative edition but I can't find another like it. I'm actually having a hard time finding another Navy Arms/Uberti 1851 with the same engraving. Then I was thinking that maybe it was something that was planned on being given to Bill Ruger but then wasn't and instead it found it's way being sold off.

I'm certainly not claiming it's real until there is hard proof for sure. Would be nice to fine another 1851 with the same style of engraving on the barrel.

Although the grip fitment isn't the best, I will say that the mechanics of this piece are WAY nicer than any other Colt Navy replica I own.

 

[ArmedGinger]

Well sadly Navy Arms closed it's doors in 2001. The Navy Arms that operates now just uses their name and has no records of the previous company.

 

[Bigfatcock]

The grips actually aren’t too bad, and show their age. Wood moves over time, so they could have been perfectly fit when made. They should have been fit to the backstrap and sanded with the frame prior to engraving since the brass could easily be polished out.

However, I believe it’s safe to assume that Navy Arms just slapped a set on. They really aren’t known for high quality.

 

[The King]

It was probably found in a trash can next to Bill Rugers desk that night.

Wrapped in a draft copy of the 1994 AWB and a bunch of US Constitutions covered in shit from the bathroom. He didn’t want to flush them because it clogged the toilet and the smell of shit wafting out of his trash can helped him focus mentally.

Also, fuck Bill Ruger. Just wanted to make sure that was out there.

 

[hlee]

It was probably found in a trash can next to Bill Rugers desk that night.

Wrapped in a draft copy of the 1994 AWB and a bunch of US Constitutions covered in shit from the bathroom. He didn’t want to flush them because it clogged the toilet and the smell of shit wafting out of his trash can helped him focus mentally.

Also, fuck Bill Ruger. Just wanted to make sure that was out there.

This took longer than I thought to get posted...

 

[The King]

This took longer than I thought to get posted...

I know, right?

I feel since the FBI sniper rifle thread we are diminished.