SPF: XR3 Single Six 4-5/8" in Real Deal No Sticker RSS4 Box

Here is a 1960 vintage Single Six with the rare 4-5/8" barrel, model RSS4. The gun is really nice with a little holster wear at the left muzzle and tip of ERH, a little cylinder wear, and blue wear on the loading gate. It is not converted. The RSS4 first appeared in 1959 and this one is 1960. Convertibles started to appear in 1961. The 4-5/8" guns were made in fairly limited quantities compared to the 5.5" and 6.5" models due to the short barrel coming from scrap barrel stock leftover after cutting 5.5" and 6.5" barrels. WBR had a definite penchant for minimizing waste. I believe he first used the short segments for the 4-5/8" Lightweight and when that was discontinued in 1959, he brought out the RSS4 to continue to use up those short pieces of scrap barrel stock rather than waste it. Making this package extra special is that it has the ultra-rare RSS4 box that was actually printed as a RSS4 box, rather than the later convertible models that used a white RSS4X sticker over the end of a RSS5 or SC5 box. The condition of the box is not the greatest as seen in the pics, with corners blown out and some paper missing. The bottom of the box is fairly heavily taped with masking tape. The box could be improved by someone with restoration skills and some time on their hands. The box is not numbered to the gun but is very close, with the box numbered to a different 161xxx gun. There is a 1959 dated manual and a partial warranty card - the warranty card is numbered to yet another gun in the 192xxx range. There is also a piece of brown factory grease paper used to wrap the old models with for shipping. I tried to take pics of everything to give you a good idea of condition. I feel the printed RSS4 boxes are continually undervalued in the RENE consensus price guide and that they should really be more on par with a 10" or 7.5" flattop .44 Mag box for valuation. You just do not see these RSS4 boxes!

SPF $1200 shipped FFL to FFL

a rare pkg and gun............BTTT 8)

I believed that Ruger ordered one run of those boxes for guns that were made in 1959 to 1960. I would say probably around 500, maybe???? After they ran out, Ruger had quit making the .22 only model and was making the convertible only, for the 4 5/8 in. guns. Instead of ordering more RSS4 boxes they ordered stickers to go on their 5 1/2 RSS5 boxes. This would make this box very rare and pretty close to the rarity of the 10 in. Flattop boxes if not as rare.

The window of time when the printed RSS4 box was used is narrowed even further on the low end because the very earliest ones in 1959 were shipped in "no catalog number" boxes typically seen with the flatgates and early round gate 5.5" guns.

As I recall, the 9.5" guns are a bit rarer than the 4-5/8" guns. But the RSS9 boxes are far more common than RSS4 boxes since Ruger had to keep ordering those because the RSS9 or RSS9X would not physically fit in a common RSS5 or RSSM box.

I own a couple of RSS4 boxes......that said, the last one I received is the same dimension(s) as a/the RSS5 box. W/O digging, I thought the first variation of the RSS4 box was a bit smaller (shorter)than the RSS5 box..........due to barrel length of course. So, perhaps I am just wishing......I know the light weight box is the same size as the RSS5 box......PS........I have never cared much for the over labeled box(es) 8) SPLITZ