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A 3 screw Blackhawk that went to Vietnam in 1964

5.8K views 39 replies 30 participants last post by  HNDLDR  
#1 ·
So I have this Ruger 3 screw 357 Blackhawk, s/n 54731, that I grew up with. It has had the recall done sometime in the early 70's IIRC. Family lore was that when my father returned from his 1st tour of Vietnam as a FAC, he told my grandfather that they sent him up with nothing other than smoke rockets in an L-19 - not even the pictured carbine. He was a fighter pilot recruited as a FAC. Family lore continued that my grandfather promptly bought him the Blackhawk, and that my father smuggled it back to Vietnam in his flight helmet under his flight gloves. There are dings in the wood handles that, according to my father, were caused getting into and out of the L-19, and later F-4's for tours 3 and 4. I had a photo (that I've lost) of him standing next to an L-19 with an M-16. On the back was written "something new in flight gear." My father is now 90 and has moved into an independant living apartment for seniors. I belived the story, but have found proof. I found the below photo in one of his albums. I asked him where this was taken and he said the A Shau Valley. I would like for Ruger to hear this, but their "email the president" function has been disabled. Hope you found this as interesting as I did.
Gary
 
#3 ·
That was a rough fight in the A Shau. I am sure good work by FAC's getting ordnance on target saved many American lives. If that little plane got hit he'd need every bit of that firepower to stay alive. He'd want to get away from the plane and hide, but the carbine, handgun, and grenades would make me feel better.
 
#6 ·
So I have this Ruger 3 screw 357 Blackhawk, s/n 54731, that I grew up with. It has had the recall done sometime in the early 70's IIRC. Family lore was that when my father returned from his 1st tour of Vietnam as a FAC, he told my grandfather that they sent him up with nothing other than smoke rockets in an L-19 - not even the pictured carbine. He was a fighter pilot recruited as a FAC. Family lore continued that my grandfather promptly bought him the Blackhawk, and that my father smuggled it back to Vietnam in his flight helmet under his flight gloves. There are dings in the wood handles that, according to my father, were caused getting into and out of the L-19, and later F-4's for tours 3 and 4. I had a photo (that I've lost) of him standing next to an L-19 with an M-16. On the back was written "something new in flight gear." My father is now 90 and has moved into an independant living apartment for seniors. I belived the story, but have found proof. I found the below photo in one of his albums. I asked him where this was taken and he said the A Shau Valley. I would like for Ruger to hear this, but their "email the president" function has been disabled. Hope you found this as interesting as I did.
Gary
I had a customer that carried one there, his daughter was selling them to our shop telling us he passed away Ave left them to her and 6 months later said I’m not dead I’m right here, that was one of them and luckily since he wouldn’t put charges on her the customer that got it was a good friend of the shop and let the guy have it back. Sad story but that’s the only one he really cared about.
 
#16 ·
I think this thread is a winner. The best part of it is the soldiers who carried these with them.............returned with them!
 
#20 ·
So I have this Ruger 3 screw 357 Blackhawk, s/n 54731, that I grew up with. It has had the recall done sometime in the early 70's IIRC. Family lore was that when my father returned from his 1st tour of Vietnam as a FAC, he told my grandfather that they sent him up with nothing other than smoke rockets in an L-19 - not even the pictured carbine. He was a fighter pilot recruited as a FAC. Family lore continued that my grandfather promptly bought him the Blackhawk, and that my father smuggled it back to Vietnam in his flight helmet under his flight gloves. There are dings in the wood handles that, according to my father, were caused getting into and out of the L-19, and later F-4's for tours 3 and 4. I had a photo (that I've lost) of him standing next to an L-19 with an M-16. On the back was written "something new in flight gear." My father is now 90 and has moved into an independant living apartment for seniors. I belived the story, but have found proof. I found the below photo in one of his albums. I asked him where this was taken and he said the A Shau Valley. I would like for Ruger to hear this, but their "email the president" function has been disabled. Hope you found this as interesting as I did.
Gary
Had a few exciting conversations with FAC's. At least I was excited, there may have been one or more expletives at the time.
 
#23 ·
So I have this Ruger 3 screw 357 Blackhawk, s/n 54731, that I grew up with. It has had the recall done sometime in the early 70's IIRC. Family lore was that when my father returned from his 1st tour of Vietnam as a FAC, he told my grandfather that they sent him up with nothing other than smoke rockets in an L-19 - not even the pictured carbine. He was a fighter pilot recruited as a FAC. Family lore continued that my grandfather promptly bought him the Blackhawk, and that my father smuggled it back to Vietnam in his flight helmet under his flight gloves. There are dings in the wood handles that, according to my father, were caused getting into and out of the L-19, and later F-4's for tours 3 and 4. I had a photo (that I've lost) of him standing next to an L-19 with an M-16. On the back was written "something new in flight gear." My father is now 90 and has moved into an independant living apartment for seniors. I belived the story, but have found proof. I found the below photo in one of his albums. I asked him where this was taken and he said the A Shau Valley. I would like for Ruger to hear this, but their "email the president" function has been disabled. Hope you found this as interesting as I did.
Gary
GARY: You have a Died In The Wool Family Treasure in your hands in that Old Ruger Blackhawk. That belonged to and was carried by Your Father while He was a FAC Pilot and Fast Mover Pilot in the 1970`s in Vietnam. You should Treasure Your Dad also, for He is very special. He served His Country Well and with Honor. Treasure Him and the things He did for Our Country. When You see Your Father the next time give Him a hug on the neck for me. And tell Him for me I am very proud of Him for the many Dangerous and Deadly Missions He Flew and for His Personnel Courage and Service to Our Country. Tell Your Father also for me, I am glad He made it Home safe . And that I hope He had a good life. For He darn sure deserved it. Tell Your Father that for me.
ken
 
#25 ·
I especially like the small fracture in the right grip panel which authenticates its worn in service to your father and our country. What an heirloom!!!
 
#28 ·
I Bought a S&W 66-3 2.5” a couple of months ago.
I asked the guy if he had the box and he said “No, but I’ll throw in an old box from a Model 10
that I picked up at a yard sale”.
Inside the box was the original receipt for the Model 10 dated 1963, price of $51.80, sold to a captain in the U.S. Army, Advisory Team 7, APO San Francisco. The store was Polak, Winters & Company, San Francisco.

Also in the box was the application to the U.S. Embassy in Saigon Vietnam for a gun permit.
There were also a couple of cleaning rods that came with the gun.
 
#29 ·
I own two 3-screw Rugers, a Super Blackhawk 357 and a Super Single Six. When I received orders to Vietnam in F-4's, I considered taking a 9mm and several clips. A clunky revolver in an F-4 was unthinkable and in my mind, highly impractical. I can , however, see the psychological value. I'm sure Gen Patton's Ivory handled 45's had no practical purpose. Anyway, I decided not to take a 9 since the prospect of employing it against the NVA or Cong would probably tend to really piss them off! Our squadron had a collection of well-worn 38 revolvers. Mine was very worn, but seemed adequate to dispatch any snake likely to be encountered, if I were unlucky enough to find myself in the jungle. I studied many Intel debriefs of surviving aircrews shot down from the mid 60's to mid 70's. I don't believe there was a single instance of a shot-down aircrew attempting to utilize his handgun against the enemy.