Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Never have paid much attention but several other threads have mentioned prefixes of "53" or "54" when calculating values on Old style vaqueros. What are some of the differences? Mine are all stainless and have a prefix of "58" and my NM Vaqueros have a prefix of "510". Just curious Regards Gateway Kid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 It simply shows the year they were made. They started making them, in 1993, with prefix 55, #1, and went to #99999. This took about three years. Then they went to prefix 56, #1, and again went to #99999, which also took about three years. All your prefix 58 numbers mean is they were made sometime in the last four years of production - 2002 through 2005. http://ruger.com/service/productHistory/RE-Vaquero.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Ron Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Howdy, The odds of you having some high priced collectable are about zero. People talk about such rare rugers, mostly just idle chatter. Rugers have to be in very low numbers and in near perfect condition to command big bucks. Shoot em, enjoy em, let your grandpuppies worry about values like that. And its always a guess as to which will be valuable. At one time Colts with mixed serial numbers were shunned. No extra value. Then someone decided that the mixed guns were cool and they got bid up at auctions. Maybe someday guns used in REAL SASS matches will be collectable???? naw, no way.... Best CR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 I thought 55 was made in 2000...but I could be wrong. I'd look it up but the nice PC IT folks here where I work won't let me look up the sight that I found my info on. I am not going to complain about the internet access because they might block this one. Regardless, what Chili Ron said pretty much sums it up. Rugers are tough guns and made to take a lickin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life Posted October 14, 2016 Author Share Posted October 14, 2016 Thanks all for the helpful replies! Wasn't looking to see if they were collectible as they have been worked for CAS and engraved. In fact their only real value is in my memories of this game, just had not heard of prefixes in the 53/54 range. Regards Gateway Kid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sawhorse Kid Posted October 15, 2016 Share Posted October 15, 2016 Here is a link to Ruger serial numbers. http://ruger.com/service/productHistory/RE-Vaquero.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted October 15, 2016 Share Posted October 15, 2016 Thanks Saw Horse Kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 There were some differences in the early 55-, 56- and 57- OM Ruger Vaqueros, especially in .44-40 guns. The earlier guns in this caliber had variations in the chamber and throat dimensions that made them difficult to handload for. Ruger use the SAAMI standard for cartridge dimensions, including a bullet diameter between .424 and .427", but use barrels with .429"! Chambers also weren't uniform. Eventually, they opened the chambers up so you could load .430" bullets in the thinner Winchester brass, but left the throats .425"! Unless you used hard cast bullets, or opened the throats, accuracy would suffer. Personally, with commercially-cast hard bullets (BHN 17+), I left the throats alone, and get great accuracy from mine. Somewhere in the 57- range, they opened the throats to .429. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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