[Harbinger]

Hey guys, having a brain cramp, and the books are too far away from the computer. ;) When was the last year the flattops were made? Wasn't it around the early '70's?

[Old Fuff]

357 Magnum 1955-1963
44 Magnum 1956-1963

[maytom]

Here's a neat article on one of those very Flattops!! ;)

http://www.gunblast.com/Clements.htm

[Harbinger]

Thanks guys, I was way off base.

[Jim March]

That Clements gun is NOT a flat-top.

Three-screw, yes, but not a flattie.

OK, from the very beginning until '73, Ruger SAs were "three screw", also known as the "old model" action. From the factory, there was no transfer bar so it was a five-up carry situation. It also loaded from the half-cock like a Colt.

The earliest ones had "flat-top" frames. There were no "ears" at the rear of the topstrap jutting up and protecting the rear sight. The rear sight was hence lower in the frame. Looked a lot like the Colt New Frontier I think.

Flat tops also had the old XR3 grip frame, which is basically near-identical in size and feel to a Colt SAA.

After '63, the frame changed to the non-flat top, but still a three-screw. XR3 grip frames on the 357-sized models were still seen as late as '65 if I remember right. After that, the grip went larger, to the XR3-RED size which is still seen on standard BlackHawks and Vaqueros and the two shortest barrels of SuperBlackHawk.

Not sure, but I think that Clements gun is set up with XR3-RED grips, which means it's a '66 - '72 era unless stuff was swapped around.

Old models on the 357-sized frame are too small to handle 44Mag. They can be re-chambered in 44Spl safely, but not Magnum. In theory, you could set one up in 45LC but no reputable gunsmith would do that - if someone later tried "Ruger ONLY!!!" 45LC+P made for the New Models (which are basically 44Mag frames every one), it could grenade the gun.

(After the New Model action shipped, Ruger began a free transfer bar update program for Old Models, so you can't tell what you're looking at just by the transfer bar.)

[Harbinger]

Thanks, Jim. You be a wealth of knowledge. I figure I'll be all set if I just throw out all my gun books and perch YOU on my bookshelf. :D

[maytom]

He did mention a Flattop revolver in his article and I assumed that was it, but I can now see that it isn't. I re-read the post and looked at the pic's, your right!! Whoops.:rolleyes:

[Erich]

This thread made me get John Taffin's Big Bore Handguns out last night, just to drool over the photos again. God bless John Taffin!