It's a Ruger .44 Carbine. 1967
Used with know dings and a few scratches. Blueing about 70%.
What was not known were the three seriously large cracks in the stock! I believe they happened in transit since I closely examined all the pics and they would have showed.
That, and they look fresh with no grunge or crud and they're very crisp. There's a 7" one in the forend, a 4" one thru the side of the pistol grip rearward and another on top in the tang. Those in the back also have radiating stress fractures.
It looks like it was run over by something.

I had my dealer start the process with UPS and I contacted the seller and sent him pics.
The bad part is the carton is not damaged. That might be a problem dealing with UPS and insurance.
The seller is not happy and neither am I.
So far, I refused receipt of it and told him I'm returning it.
He swears it didn't leave his place like that and he packed it.
I believe him.
Sorry to bore everybody with my problem here.
I smell trouble ahead!

Dang! That really stinks. Those are terrific carbines - such a shame. I hope you can work it out somehow.

I see so few of those. They were a neat gun and there are many in the hands of shooters who simply do not ever sell them. Tells you how loyal a fan base the gun has.

I always recall the shot of Bill Ruger with a GORILLA he shot with the .44 Carbine that was an AD for that rifle. Horrible photo IMHO. Looked as though he'd shot a human and hung it up for the photo.

Good Luck with your shipping issues. I had a Freedom Arms damaged between the Seller and me, years back. It was a mess.

That's a real shame and heartbreaker as that is one of my favorites. Wonder if it got thrown around? Don't blame you for returning it. I would too. Many times we are forced to buy from elsewhere as quality used guns seem tougher to come by now unlike years back when the LGS had a better selection. Hope things work out somehow.

I had one of those Rugers about ten years ago. It was light to tote, easy to maneuver in the woods, and powerful at short distances. My son and daughter did not like it, so I sold it and bought a Bushmaster AR.


Aftermarket stocks were available then, did you check on a replacement?

I think I'd go for a partial refund and keep it. I bet you could find a stock somewhere. Boyds has them listed for 75 bucks.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

Twer it me, I might be inclined to keep it and fix it or swap it myself if I really wanted the gun. As mentioned, these are getting harder to find.

That stinks.

I would be tempted to keep it & ask for a partial refund as someone mentioned. The problem is the seller doesn't have much motivation since he has to file a claim with UPS to recoup his money.

I've had a number of bad experiences with UPS and will not use them. The once left a gun on my dad's front porch prominently marked as such.

Please show your pictures here.

Also, be sure to take a picture of the packaging. Since you said that it was not damaged, might be good for the seller to determine if it is the original packing he used!

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

I lost a nice full stock .62 caliber flintlock to a broken stock to UPS years ago. Same situation, no damage to the box....UPS paid my claim in about 3 weeks.

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OGCA Member.

I thought about keeping it but we couldn't find a stock for the older model.
I'll check Boyd's, thanks. The only ones we're seeing is for the rotary magazine ones.
A pic of the worst crack:

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Here's another

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Boyd's is showing a partial inletted stock which takes 10 to 14 days to make. $75.
If I can work it out with the seller or insurance to cover that and the finish work, I'll keep it.
Thanks Sigp220.45, I was running out of options.
Hopefully, this may work out well yet.

Submitted claim to UPS, now its a waiting game. The seller said he would take it back if insurance won't cover it.
At least I won't be out the money with a broken gun. I won't be hunting with it this year for sure.
To be continued....,.

IIRC they caught a UPS driver purposely damaging firearms a while back by placing a hidden camera on his truck, Story goes that he was driving the UPS truck over the package prior to delivery...maybe he just got transferred to Virginia instead of being fired.

I have seen the Boyds stocks on their website and pretty sure they make them in batches as needed , Will have to check their site again but IIRC they either didnt come with a buttplate or it was a plastic Boyds replacement one that kept me from ordering one a few years ago....
Cant quite recall but the factory one did not fit the new stock IIRC.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress and what is required to fit the stock as I like the idea of having a modern replacement stock so can keep the OEM stock in original condition.

I have a vintage .44 and love it. If you can get a deal favorable to you involving a stock swap go for it!

You can not hardly find a gun like this for sale here, and if you do its not cheap and normally not negotiable in price!

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

That's exactly what it looks like happened.

One more pic...this crack runs from the tang, thru the comb and either ends or originates at the deep ding above the pistol grip.

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Look at both ends of the box for compression damage. A short fall from a shelf or a loading dock, with the package landing on the end, could cause that type of damage. I have seen the same type damage on a USGI .30 carbine that was poorly wrapped and shipped in a weed eater box.

I think this was more than dropped, but then, I'm not a detective.
Looks like it was run over by something.

What a disappointing situation for both you and the seller. I hope it gets resolved in a quick and satisfactory manner.

Have you thought about posting up in the Ruger forum with a WTB thread? There are some very helpful members over there who may point you in the direction of a useable stock.

I tried to join that forum but it won't allow my AOL address. Maybe AOL is not particularly gun friendly? I don't know.
I've found a stock now through Boyd's so I think I'm covered there.

It is amazing what some people use to ship a firearm in isn't it?
I had one come in a generic box wrapped in socks and sweater sleeves that were cut off at the shoulders.
It worked, so I'm not complaining, but my FFL had a good laugh.

I didn't know that was Bill Ruger himself. I never cared for that picture myself. Kinda felt sorry for the gaping mouthed ape.

I was in my LGS a few years ago when he opened a package.Out came a purple and pink shirt wrapped around an old single action revolver and yep,it was loaded...

Wow! You never know, do you?

Its an interesting hobby

I have actually seen another Ruger 44 carbine with the same crack through the tang above the pistol grip like the one pictured above as that is their weak spot especially if the receiver nut is over torqued as it tightens through a hole in the buttstock kinda like an FN FAL.
I wouldnt toss the old stock on the firewood pile just yet as with some skill it probably can be repaired without any external evidence.

BTW there was a member that advertised a very early 44 carbine in our forum a few months back that I dont think sold for those looking for one.
He was in NW Florida and IIRC it was a first year gun in high condition made just after they dropped the Deerstalker stamp.

This was more than that one spot. The usual cracks occur in the fore end ahead of the cartridge loading port. The wood is very thin there.
Inspecting the pre buy pics, there were no cracks. I looked closely.
And yes, if I keep it I will repair the original as best as I can. I don't know if its doable, but I'll try.

I hate to hear that, a very nice weapon.
I believe your fighting an uphill battle that is going to be time consuming and cause you alot of stress you don't really need.
If were me, I would probably accept, try for a partial refund, then try to fix it myself on my own time schedule
And then either keep and enjoy as originally planned or trade for something else I want more
Good luck

I hear ya. This is one I want. I will not take it as a loss though. If the insurance doesn't cover it, it goes back to the seller and I'll continue my search.

Just to keep the facts straight it was not Bill Ruger in the famous ad depicting a hunter holding a 44 Carbine next to a dead gorilla shot with the same. The hunter was Frank Delano. The photo is a bit garish and not how most professional hunters/guides would choose to display their kill today. But in the context of it's time it was an effective ad and fired the imagination of a lot of hunters young and old alike.

The 44 Carbine really is a gem of a rifle and something Ruger should consider bringing back to the market. It was an expensive gun for Ruger to make compared to other products but it has such a cult status now that they could probably charge a handsome price for such a classic.

I didn't think that was Bill Ruger. Thanks for the clarification.
I agree that it would be a seller today.

In the interest of carrying on the conversation here's a quick photo of mine. Nothing unusual - an early example from the second production model (1975 - 1985). Mine has seen some use with it's fair share of dings, nicks and scratches in the stock plus a few spots of bluing loss and pitting on the barrel. But it still shoots great and is much easier on recoil than the Ruger 77/44 I had.



I've mentioned the story here already but I really lucked into this one. I did some electrical work on a boat for a guy I know one Saturday this past spring. In the end we traded a few hours of my time for this old 44 Carbine. As they say, nice work if you can get it.

Maybe I should add that to my business cards: "Will work for guns."

You guys are really making me jump through the hoops to make this happen.
I really don't need the prod though. Like I said, its one of my bucket list guns.

Darn. I didn't realize how much those look like my 10/22. Now I think I "need" one of those.

The person shipping the gun has to make the damage claim with the shipper since it was he that contracted them to deliver it.

I know FedEx will not leave a package unless an adult signature is obtained if specified. The only way they would leave it is if you had a signature release on file. I'm sure UPS is the same way.

The FedEx delivery person who delivers where I live would leave a new born baby on your front porch during a hurricane.

The UPS "investigator" showed up at my FFL. He wasn't impressed with the lack of damage to the box( surprise, surprise) indicating a poorly packaged firearm.
This could still go south, but we'll see. I've determined that I'm not putting another cent into this, so if the insurance doesn't cover it, it goes back where it came from.

Update to this fiasco;
Insurance has refused to pay anything. Says it was not packaged correctly.
Seller said to return the gun and he would refund everything including shipping. That's a relief, but disappointed in not getting the gun.
I gave him an option and dollar figure to cover getting a new stock and doing the final fit and finish myself.
No answer yet, but the gun is boxed, labeled and ready to ship back.
***!

Thanks for the update...been wondering what became of this.
Let us know if he accepts your offer.

Wondering if you ever placed the order for the Boyds stock ?

Ruger 44 Carbines still pop up for sale so dont give up hope yet, Just need a keen eye as they do resemble 10-22's.

I wanted one ever since bought my first 10-22 in 1976 , finally found my first about 7 years ago for around $350....Be advised they can tend to multiply in the safe as just found my 3rd locally with perfect blueing but needed the stock refinished , only other issue has Weaver scope mounts screwed to the barrel and receiver mounting points ,
eventually those will be removed after locating the 4 factory filler screws .

FWIW, if I ever have to repair a vintage gunstock, I'll head straight for my favorite guitar shop. I was there when a woman came in to pick up her previously broken Martin dreadnought. The headstock had been snapped completely off. After the repair it was impossible to see the repair line in broad daylight. I've seen similar examples of their work.

The seller accepted my offer, so it looks like I have a winter project. Actually, I'm looking forward to it and am watching the 'stock refinishing' thread with interest.
I just have to decide between boiled linseed oil and tongue oil which I already have.
Which would give the deepest walnut finish?

I found the screws, I think it was at Numrich. I remember they were pricey at about $4 each.
And yes, I just ordered the stock.

...tung... (not an answer to your question.)

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Not in jail.

Yes, you're right...I got Tung tied

Jessie
I am of the opinion to get out from under that one.
If it was damaged that bad i wouldn't want to trust
just putting on a replacement stock and hoping for the
best.
I know these are hard guns to find at a decent price but
you do see them come up for sale all over.
My advice would be to get your money and start your
search over for another nice "shooter".

Chuck

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They hold no Quarter

I refinished my OEM stock by first sanding out all the blems followed by 2 or 3 coats of Birchwood casey True Oil,
sand smooth with very fine sandpaper followed by another coat of True Oil, finished with steel wool to give a smooth satin finish.

I hear what you're saying and agree with it. I voiced the same concern with my gunsmith and he checked the gun over and said it was ok except for the stock, so I'm going with his recommendation.

Was that for a Ruger carbine? The non magazine fed early one, and how close was the stock to being finished when you got it? As far as fit goes.