I have always been under the impression that the old (tube magazines), .44 carbines used investment cast receivers. However, on another forum, someone stated that the receivers of such were originally machined from a solid billet of steel, and the reason for its discontinuance was the cost of machining the receiver out of steel. Be that true or be that false? If true, that would be news to me...other than the Ruger .22 autos, I was under the impression that all early Rugers were investment cast.
I do not currently own a .44 Ruger, but owned two of those with the internal tubular magazines...the ones that looked like the 10/22. One burned in a fire, the other I had to sell, along with lots of other guns, to finance grad school. Other Rugers I have owned: .44 Blackhawk three-screw .41 Blackhawk three-screw Mini-14 ("Liberty Model") .357 SP 101 3 inch. .22 Standard Auto, 4 inch. .22 Target Auto (bull barrel, blue). .45 Colt Blackhawk 30-06 M77 Old Model (tang safety). .270 M77 Old Model (tang safety). .257 Roberts M77 Old Model (tang safety "Liberty Model") 30-06 Ruger #1, model B .375 H&H Tropical Rifle, #1 7.62 x 39 MkII
