I have a friend wanting to trade me a ruger blued with a skeleton stock and i have never seen one of these and was wondering the value of it. is it worth less or more than the stainless models considering it might be more rare. it is a 30-06 if that matters and thanks for any help you could provide

I don't think Ruger sold the "boat paddle" on anything but stainless. Still should be a good rifle, but not a collector. Somebody wanted a wood stock for their SS gun and switched them out. I did it myself once.

I'm actually thinking they did sell that combo in the late years of the skeleton stock. I'm not sure though. I could be wrong.....but I don't think it would carry a premium to collectors if they did.

There were quite a few blued boat paddled rifles put out. Some of them were special dealer runs.

I am not really thinking it would carry a premium price or anything like that i was just hoping that it would keep the same value as the stainless models and he did say he bought it new with that stock on it.

It just depends on the buyer. Some guys like all black guns some only like black and stainless. FWIW I would allow $450 tops for this combo ( gun + rings) but that's just me. As for you, depending on how bad you want, I'd say pay as much as you feel comfortable with. You only live once...

Are you going to collect it or hunt with it? I would not pay more for a blued with a boat paddle stock. IMHO the value is the same as if the rifle was stainless. Ruger stainless/synthetic sell for the same price as a blued/walnut.

Had a 7mm-08 blued in the skeleton stock that i bought new and know was factory issued. I ordered it after seeing it in a Ruger catalog.

I believe they used the last of the skeleton stocks in blue guns after they changed over to the black synthetic one. Had to do something with the left overs. My memory is that they were a shinier blue that typical. I don't see it as a collectable at anypoint. In fact I think they might have been a lower price point, to move. I'm sure that varied from dealer to dealer. Never appealed to me, but I do like the stainless with skeleton stocks.

Sounds like one of the runs Davidson's did a few years ago. I thought they were done about the time Ruger discontinued the skeleton stock. I had a blued/skeleton in 257 Roberts.

Dale

I also saw that combo chambered in 7.62x39. Looked pretty cool all black.

Ive seen a few. They were sold new at very low prices. I'm thinking it was a way to move the ones they had in inventory after changing over to the more conventional stock.

I stand corrected.

Jack is correct. I looked into these 77s a couple of times. They were less expensive than the other 77s, selling for $389, IIRC, in a couple of ads I saw at the time. I am not aware of them having become a hot item since their closeout days.

Dave