Ruger Single Six revolvers manufactured and sold with only cylinder

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Sirdutch

Bearcat
Joined
Jul 6, 2022
Messages
53
Location
Huntington Beach, California
Want to confirm your Bore… a 7/32" drill bit will fit and slide in a Bore that will handle both 22lr/22WMR.

IF the bore is 22lr only, it will not fit.

SIMPLE

Suggestion; use the BUTT end of the drill bit, ;).

The 6.5" Bisley 22lr introduced ~1984/85 were not built as convertible's, however I have successfully added a WMR cylinder and the gun really likes it. Notably more accurate vs the 22lr.

Here is a thread (way back) that might be of interest to you. At this time I had a stainless MAG cylinder, Now I have a blued cylinder.

 

Sirdutch

Bearcat
Joined
Jul 6, 2022
Messages
53
Location
Huntington Beach, California
This is my beautiful new (for me) Single Six with a 6 and1/2 inch barrel. A little discoloration on the hammer and a slight ding on the bottom of the ejector housing. Not bad for a 1975. The spring inside the button you push to pull the cylinder housing had a tinge of rust but it came off with some WD-40. Cleaned and lubed it and it's ready to go. Hasn't been used for some time. Very little fouling however.
 

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loiblb

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 11, 2010
Messages
385
Location
Texas
My Ruger is never failing to shoot like a dream with both cylinders
 

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Sirdutch

Bearcat
Joined
Jul 6, 2022
Messages
53
Location
Huntington Beach, California
Nice revolver! My recently purchased Ruger started out as a "Star" revolver in '75. I bought a just like new .22WMR cylinder and am thinking about sending it in to Ruger for fitting. They haven't responded to my email yet so I'm thinking I need to call em. Someone posted that if one can easily insert a 7/32 drill bit, shank first, then my star can accommodate either cylinder. Thanks for posting that picture.
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
the cylinder you bought, just may fit the gun as it was "fitted" when installed to its original gun,,,as long as the overalll length is the same, it just may drop in, check the 'feel" ( lock up _)) of each cylinder as you rotate it....if it does NOT "drop in" due to being too long, a little of the front gas ring ( stud) would need to be filed or stoned, yes if a decent machinist, even "milled" most of us would have it done and fitted before you could "set up " the milling machine, it ain;;t rocket science.....if the cylinder is too short, bad head space, etc, fail to lock up, then that requires a bit more attention, shims or weld to build up, then recut...don't know with out seeing and actually trying, and testing.....good luck.....you could have tried to drop it in if you have not already ":tried"....good luck and you got a very nice gun......:cool:;)
 

Sirdutch

Bearcat
Joined
Jul 6, 2022
Messages
53
Location
Huntington Beach, California
Thanks for the nice compliment!

I tried installing the .22WMR into my Single Six tonight and it fits beautifully! It turns the cylinder smoothly when cocked and when I've got the loading gate open it feels the same as my other .22lr cylinder!

I've always leaned towards the safe side with firearms. When I installed a bent bolt on a Mosin Nagant some time ago, I sandbagged the rifle to pull the trigger at a distance even though I used a go/no go gauge to confirm the head spacing. Some friends called me overly paranoid. Perhaps I am. I do the same with all my curio/relics as well before I put my face in close proximity to firing it for the first time.

Is there a home test to accurately confirm that the cylinder bores lines up with the revolver's barrel or should I just lighten up? Lol!

Thanks!
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
bottom line is if the cylinder "locks up" as your are cocking the hammer back ( On an 'empty' gun), and the cylinder is firmly "locked in place, at or just before the hammer is all the way rearward, with the hammer cocked back, try and wiggle the cylinder, do this on each and every chamber, if it locks up, on all six your are good to go,,yes, there is a 'plug strike' gauge for each and every caliber to "see" ,check if the chamber actually align with the bore, but in most revolvers this alignment is to check if there is 'bullet shaving" gas blow by etc, the forcing cone of the barrel is tapered and when the the cartridge is fired, the bullet "Jump" from the cylinder , to the barrel into the forcing cone aligns the shot,,,folks try a light etc, and all too often just "see" a shadow...if all the chambers 'align' then try and shoot it, see what happens ,how the shot and point of aim ( impact)go .......
you can take a piece of white poster board ,, thin cardboard like they used to put in 'dress shorts' when they were 'new' and at the range on the shooting bench just loop , the cardboard over and around the gun, like a "tent", and if there is blow by , lead splatter etc., it will appear on and around the gun onto the carboard with each shot when fired..again you will get "powder" splatter, "blackened" a bit on any given shot but you do NOT want bullet (lead) shaving.....back to the 'alignment', when checking for the cylinder "lockup" if it does NOT lock up, and you can slightly turn the cylinder that last tiny bit till it goes "click",locks in place, THEN you have a timing issue and it would need to be looked at for a new pawl ( hand) , same goes for when you cock the hammer back and it spins "past" goes by the lockup , the pawl ( hand ) is too thick or 'long'....lastly when the cylinder is in the gun, see if you have "end to end " movement, does the cylinder move any on a front to back basis...then you can look , see measure the "gap" in between the front face of the cylinder and the rear of the barrel, this B/C gap should be in between 4 to 10 "thousandths", I use a .006 " feeler gauge to check as thats about average.......again, not a big deal as once a cylinder has been "fitted" to another, "like, same model" gun, all the fitting and ratchet cuts have been done,,,, then its a case of how long your cylinder actually is, and so it does NOT rub against the rear of the barrel,,,if it did ,it most likely would NOT have dropped in place, for you in the first place....any doubt, have an "expert" take a look at it, check it out for timing/headspace........the proof in the pudding is actually firing it, good luck:cool:;)
 

chet15

Hawkeye
Joined
Jan 22, 2001
Messages
5,993
Location
Dawson, Iowa
Want to confirm your Bore… a 7/32" drill bit will fit and slide in a Bore that will handle both 22lr/22WMR.

IF the bore is 22lr only, it will not fit.

SIMPLE

Suggestion; use the BUTT end of the drill bit, ;).

The 6.5" Bisley 22lr introduced ~1984/85 were not built as convertible's, however I have successfully added a WMR cylinder and the gun really likes it. Notably more accurate vs the 22lr.

Here is a thread (way back) that might be of interest to you. At this time I had a stainless MAG cylinder, Now I have a blued cylinder.

Great tip!!!
Would be a great way to test those different barrel lengths prior to 150000 to see when the .22 LR only barrel stock ran out for the different barrel lengths.
Chet15
 

Sirdutch

Bearcat
Joined
Jul 6, 2022
Messages
53
Location
Huntington Beach, California
I bought a 12 inch 7/32 aircraft drill bit (which none of the big box stores or Ace Hardware even carries in stock) and after testing the .22WMR cylinder and how it lines up on each chamber I've concluded that it lines up perfectly and the timing is spot on. I'm thinking it safe to shoot. I guess I just got lucky with the magnum cylinder. I checked the .22lr too and that's great too.
Thanks for all the help and suggestions by everyone here on RugerForum.com
 

Springer2

Bearcat
Joined
Aug 6, 2022
Messages
42
Location
Florida
This makes sense. I was shooting silhouette in the 80s-90s and I wanted to get a 22 revolver for that class. The experienced guys said if you want a Ruger, get a 22 LR only in 9 1/2". I looked but was not able to find one so I bought a new 22 LR-22 Mag. They may have been right as that revolver shot okay but never great. I found a Dan Wesson 8" later and it always shot better than the Ruger when testing them at 100 yards.
 

larryofcc

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 2, 2016
Messages
69
I have three "Stars". 9 1/2" blue. 9. 1/2' stainless, and the elusive 4 3/4"stainless. Big Larry
 

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