A New Old Model?

Cruising GunBroker I always check for improperly described and items I ran across a strange one. There is a 2018 manufactured New Old Model Single Six. It has 3 screws, the transfer bar, and from a serial chart I'd guess it's 1970. But if you enter the serial into Ruger's website, it comes up as an Old Model shipped in 2018. What gives? I'm intrigued and considering buying this one just because of the confusion…

Here's a screen shot of the Ruger info plus a couple pics from the auction. I thought the New Vaquero style grips looked interesting too.

Rugers web site is wrong. No surprise there.

Gun pictured is a Super Single Six shipped in 1970. Made from 1964 to 1972.

Buy it if you want one but the confusion adds zero value. Nobodys confused except Rugers web site.

Deduct $135.00 from value if it's been converted with transfer bar.

And it has the wrong grips too …..

hittman said:

Rugers web site is wrong. No surprise there.

Gun pictured is a Super Single Six shipped in 1970. Made from 1964 to 1972.

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That's what I was thinking. Looks to be in great shape.

I'm still thinking about those grips. It should be an XR3-RED grip frame on that year, yet the New Vaquero grips are the original XR3 profile. So it must have had the grip frame swapped at some time too. Definitely an Old Model grip frame.

its, an "anomoly", buy the gun,, Not the story....could be late shipped for whatever reason, we will never know, if only they could talk, ,,,,,,,,,

Do you have a box for that gun?
Before anybody says Ruger's information is wrong, bear in mind that going through a few early #1 serial numbers I found a 130-000xx gun that was shipped in 2022.
NEVER SAY NEVER!!
On the other hand... did Ruger record the ship dates of when a gun got the transfer bar and was sent back to the owner???
Good info on the model number, 0213 !! That proves Ruger had model numbers at least back to 1969.
Chet15

No, no box included. I haven't bought it yet, and I really shouldn't seeing as I've bought 3 in the last 4 weeks. But on the off chance it's legitimate it might be worth a shot. I'll see if it works out. If I do get it I'll be sure to get a letter…

So, just for grins and giggles, I tried a few numbers in the same sequence both up and down. This particular serial number is the only one that comes up in Ruger's online database.

Like Chet stated it probably was when the transfer bar was added.
Looks like it was reblued at the same time.

It could also be that it was a "hold back gun" that's been in the warehouse all these years. Ruger has been divesting itself of these guns for many years now.

contender said:

It could also be that it was a "hold back gun" that's been in the warehouse all these years. Ruger has been divesting itself of these guns for many years now.

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That's an interesting possibility.

yessir, one that got lost and never marked with a "U" or an "S" or for whatever reason, only the Man upstairs may know ,and he is not interested, He is quite busy with other issues............more 'Ruger lore'......

My guess is owner sent in the revolver for repair and/or re-blue, The factory updated the action to the transfer bar system, reblued and added new grips, which they usually do when they do a re-blue. The gun is then recorded in their system for return to owner which shows the 2018 ship date for FFL purposes and to prove that they converted the gun. the grip frame may have been replaced at the same time. I had the same experience with an Old Army I dropped off for a re-blue, they replaced the grip frame (easier than re-anodizing) and put on new grip panels….

All interesting. I have to decide if it's worth "more than" a similar "non-mysterious" model. If there was a box and paperwork I would probably bid aggressively. The bidding is already going up fairly quickly, so I'm afraid it will exceed my perceived worth before long. Who knows though, I'm not giving up yet.

It'd make a great shooter if the money is right!

hittman said:

It'd make a great shooter if the money is right!

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I'll agree with that, however the price seems to be climbing because of the potential novelty. I've bought 3 Single Sixes in the last month- the allure of this one is the possibility that the ship date miraculously be correct. But again, without the box and paperwork it's just a "cool story". Not worth a whole lot of extra coin to me. I paid a bit extra for the one that's coming tomorrow- it's my birth year with a box and paperwork. And I definitely paid extra for a beautiful plum 1965 last week. But I can't imagine one being smoother or more accurate than the 1955 I bought first, and it was the most attractively priced. All are 5.5" barrels. I'd like to eventually get a WMR marked one, and maybe one with a long barrel. Sorta trying to get a little Old Model collection.

I have a beautiful New Model Convertible that I did a custom grip frame on. But that's the only New Model I need.

A new model grip frame could not be put on an old model w/o some minor modifications which the factory would not have done. I've adapted several and they're easy to do but the factory does not modify parts. And Ruger having a new OM grip frame left in inventory, especially an OM XR3 frame from 1962, in 2018? Nope.

Also if an old enough gun to have an originally anodized alloy grip frame is sent to the factory to be refinished after they started powder coating alloy parts, the grip frame will be refinished with the powder coating.

Hondo44 said:

A new model grip frame could not be put on an old model w/o some minor modifications which the factory would not have done. I've adapted several and they're easy to do but the factory does not modify parts. And Ruger having a new OM grip frame left in inventory, especially an OM XR3 frame from 1962, in 2018? Nope.

Also if an old enough gun to have an originally anodized alloy grip frame is sent to the factory to be refinished after they started powder coating alloy parts, the grip frame will be refinished with the powder coating.

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Depends on who you know at the factory, you'd be surprised what you can get done when you have the right connections…..never say never with Ruger. There are many more unicorns out and about than you would believe!

contender said:

It could also be that it was a "hold back gun" that's been in the warehouse all these years. Ruger has been divesting itself of these guns for many years now.

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Yes.

I have a older 44 mag blackhawk . The stud holding the ejector housing on the barrel came off. Found a gunsmith in Central MN. He said he could send it to Ruger an have it done. He went to school with someone who works at Ruger good friends. All he charged was shipping . Came back just as I gave it to him barrel cut back to 5 1/2 and all the old internals still in it . My favorite woods carry gun .

Do not forget that a truckload or maybe more of old inventory was sent to Davidson's when the bean counters told the Board that old inventory was not an asset but really ( to them) liabilities. Short runs, special order over runs, three and four digit guns( some consecutive!) were part of the clean up. This was not in 2018, but some years earlier!

NH Rugerman said:

Depends on who you know at the factory, you'd be surprised what you can get done when you have the right connections…..never say never with Ruger. There are many more unicorns out and about than you would believe!

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I don't doubt that but it's not something available to an ordinary customer. And even in the case of knowing someone at the factory that they would modify and install a NM grip frame on an old model. Not even aftermarket gunsmiths do that.