Currently working on a deal with a gentleman in my area to get a red eagle Ruger .22. I'd say 85-90% condition, beautiful gun. IIRC the serial number is in the 22,000 range. He also mentioned that he has a red eagle NIB-not for sale. Just wondering what it would be worth if it was.
He wants approx. $500 for the used one, and I don't really want unfired anyway as it won't stay that way if I own it. The condition of this one is good enough that I want it but worn enough that I figured occasional gentle use won't hurt anything.

Also, what changes were made from the red eagle to the MK I and MK II? Was the MK I simply the black eagle variant, or was that when they added the bolt hold open? If the BHO was in the MK I, what was the difference between it and the MK II?

Now that I have a chance at an original red eagle I wish I still had my 50th anniversary MK II

Got the pistol today, traded a shotgun and $50. I figure with the money I had in the shotgun plus the $50, I got it for $425.
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i have a couple rugers.  the red eagle you mention and a Mk 2 govmt.  ive shot the red eagle, but not the mk 2, so im not sure whats different.  i havent even opend the box to the mk2 since got it.  im thinking  the mk1 didnt have the slide release, only the safety.

iac as to the value.

if you can, find a copy of the Blue Book.  the 30th ed is out now, but usually the values dont vary alot between consecutive issues.

for your red labe, the value will vary with condition. since you dont give the bbl length, i will assume the "standard version"


95% - 500
90% - 400
80% - 265

you may want to check the gun auction/selling sties and also check the "sold" items too. then i would print some out and if you can find some with similar conditions or ones that bracket the condtion you have. i would also show them to the seller so if you decide to make a lower offer, it will show youre not trying to screw him.

btw, if youre going to buy used guns you should get a copy of the blue book.  even a used one.  it give you alot of info and vaules.

I do not know what about the "Red Eagle" Ruger makes it so pricey. ETA: Ah. I did some research and found out that the Red Eagle guns were the early Ruger Standard pistol. Nice pistol.

I have a 1988 Mark II that looks very similar, except that it has the Silver Eagle and the scallops at the bolt knob.

Looks good !!!

"Red Eagle" just refers to the grips, I believe.  Later Rugers (until the mid-90s) used black eagles.  Something about Bill Ruger mourning  his dead partner Jacob Marley Sturm.  I believe it is nothing more than a MKI with those grips.  I would personnaly value it at $150-200.   You can get a very nice MKII for around the same price.  $300 worth of grips doesn't interest me.

I believe the premium comes from the fact that only the first year or two had the red grips before Bill Ruger's partner died and he changed them to honor him. There are some very nice examples of this early Ruger Standard .22 at a local funshop and the prices are up there a bit.

This. Based on serial number, it was made approximately 1000 pistols before the switch to the black eagle(mine is in the 24000 block, somewhere around 25500 were made according to one online source, waiting on word from Ruger as to actual numbers). The silver eagle ran from I believe the 1970s to 1998. Changed to silver eagle with red background in 1999 for the company's 50th anniversary. Not sure of the exact difference between the Standard and Mark 1, other than the model marking and scallops in front of the bolt handle(that may be the only difference). As far as model markings, the Standard simply says Ruger .22 automatic pistol.
For those who don't think the red eagle is worth the extra money, good. That makes it slightly easier for those of us who do. From the Standard to present Mark 3 somewhere over 2 million of these have been produced. With 25000 produced with a  red eagle on the grip that makes one percent of the total production. I have seen exactly three, and the other two were in the $500 range six years ago.

I wasn't saying the gun wasn't worth $500 to someone; it just isn't worth more than $150 to me.  The Ruger MK series are inexpensive, highly functional pistols, not works of art.  The grips and collector interest add nothing to a .22 pistol.

My apologies. That wasn't meant to be rude, I thought by saying you didn't see the extra value(over a MK1 or 2) you were saying you didn't say the difference other tahn the eagle. I misunderstood.