If it makes any of the collectors feel better, I just made theirs worth more because I took mine out and shot it today. Of all the OM and NM SA Rugers I have owned, this one is the first I have not had half a dozen "tweaks" I would want to make on it. Overall, it's almost like they built it to my specs, except the skinny "rubber" grips, which is a disappointment, because I like the old checkered rubber ones. These are skinny and abrasive. The finish was nothing to brag about either but fitting was excellent. The trigger has more creep than any ten put together I have owned in the past but that's an easy fix. It has all the stuff I would have wanted to do to one other than that and it's going to be my number one shooter - because now that I finally have the Ruger I have always wanted, I don't need the others. Don't rush to the "for sale" sub-forum because they were all spoken for already. The last one to go was the .44 Spl. conversion on an OM that my Dad gave to me, and I gave that one back to him. Now we both have a Ruger .44 Spl. and they will both be shot plenty. I have never owned a Ruger revolver that I couldn't shoot the snot out of with no sign of wear anyway.
I only got a few minutes to use it but I put some "Skeeter loads" through it (7.5 gr Unique over a 250 LSWC). Being a bit unsteady on the front sight, I was amazed to watch 1 1/2" five-shot clusters form at point of aim, off-hand at fifteen yards. That's a far cry from the "one-ragged-hole" groups I have had other Ruger SAs do at twice the distance (off a rest) but it tells me this one's a winner out of the box with how easily it happened and with the first load tried and with unsteady hands (healing from recent injuries).
Recoil felt about like a small frame .38 with standard 159 gr. loads. This is by far the best .44 Spl. I have owned, to include the conversion, a Smith 624, Rossi, a couple Taurus DAs and about half a dozen Charter Bulldogs, which I still love as the Flattop will not fit in my pocket.
Medium framed .44 Spl. with a steel XR3 grip frame and ejector rod housing, Micro sight and five and a half inch barrel - what 's NOT to shoot?? This is the .44 Spl. I have waited for most of my life.
I think anyone who has any affection for the 'Special and for medium-framed SAs will quickly forget the fretting over whether to shoot it once they do shoot it. If the 'Special really is SPECIAL to you, as it is to so many who use it, you'll never look back. Besides, it's YOUR gun. Who cares if it's worth a few bucks more or less to the next guy? The "next guy" in my case is most likely to be some luck bird at my estate sale and I am going to make good and sure he gets one well-broken in shooter. Finding a collectible shooter is a better find anyway because, since they were all squirreled away in safes, no one ever got the pleasure to shoot one!
OK, I'll get off the soap box and go load some more 'Specials up for tomorow.
