Ruger Red Medallions

[Alte Schule]

This is my grandsons SR 1911. I bought the elk stag grips and Bianchi Black Widow holster for his birthday next week. I've been told that the Ruger red handgun grip medallions are for blue steel handguns and the silver medallions for stainless steel models. Does anyone know if this is true?
I don't think he will give a darn one way or another but I'm kind of obsessive about getting things right especially when accessorizing firearms.

 

[someguy2800]

No idea. Red looks better. Great gift!

 

[Varminterror]

Unless there is some VERY recent modification/addition to the Ruger medallion history, there has never been a correlation between steel color and medallion color. The red, black, and silver backgrounds have all corresponded to production eras, not steel color.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Ruger red medallions are for any darned gun you please!

Seriously, hand wringing over nothing. Those grips look fantastic on that gun and I predict one happy grandson in the near future!

 

[bannockburn]

Alte Schule

As I recall the original Sturm Ruger medallions were colored with a red eagle on a silver background. When Ruger's partner, Alexander Sturm, died in 1951, Ruger had the medallion color changed to black with a silver background. Since then there have also been silver eagles on red or black backgrounds. All of my Rugers have a black eagle with the silver background. I don't think the colors have anything to do with the gun being blued or stainless steel.

That's one beautiful looking SR1911 with those stag grips! Your grandson should be ecstatic no matter what color the Ruger medallions are!

 

[Sistema1927]

When the first Ruger Standard pistols came out they wore red label medallions. When Alexander Sturm passed away, Bill Ruger changed them to black in memory of his friend and co-founder.

 

[Sistema1927]

bannockburn beat me by one minute.

 

[Alte Schule]

Thanks to all. The reason I thought that what I was told may be true was that the original grips had the silver with black background. I got to admit the stag grips do look good.

 

[LoneGoose]

My birthday is this month.

 

[bannockburn]

Alte Schule

I got to admit the stag grips do look good.

Au contraire sir...they look great!

 

[Alte Schule]

My birthday is this month.

 

[dirtman]

Alte. that is one gorgeous gun.... Really dressed it up nicely with those elk grips...

 

[theotherwaldo]

I believe that there was a limited production of red medallion guns around 1999 - 2001, the fiftieth anniversary of either the creation of the company or the death of Alex Sturm (I've heard both versions).
Reproductions of the red medallion are fairly easy to find.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I agree with posts 5, 6 and 7.

 

[Saleen322]

On our MKII Competition (stainless pistol) model the medallion is silver eagle on a red background. I know that was factory because I bought the gun new.

 

[AlexanderA]

You can make a side hobby of collecting nothing but Ruger medallions. The red-silver-black colors have varied over the years. Also, the monogram changed from a stylized "SR" to a plain "R," but even there, there were variations in the font.

There were also variations in how the medallions were installed on the grips. At various times, they were just on one side, then on the other side, then on both sides. In the .22 Mark series, the orientation of the medallion was changed in the Mark IV to be perpendicular to the bore rather than parallel to the grip as in previous models.