22Mag Single Six

[stubbfarmer]

The Single Six Magnum Model Revolver was produced from 1959 to 1969. My Question is were these sold as convertibles or Magnum only? Seems to me Ruger already had the regular Single Six Standard Model and the Super Single Six and my understanding was they are both mainly convertibles. It seems strange Ruger went to the work to roll mark the frame 22 Magnum and market it as it is the same gun as a regular convertible Single Six. Maybe that is why they were dropped after a few years. I guess my question is which models came as convertibles and which were single cylinder from the factory? Maybe Ruger solved it all with the New Model and made them all convertibles. Thanks

 

[Danjet500]

The magnum models were offered both as magnum only and as convertibles. The first magnums were magnum only. When Ruger realized how many owners were requesting magnum cylinders for their LR only Single Sixes and LR cylinders for their magnum only gun, they came up with the convertible. Convertible models appeared in April 1961 at approximately serial number 318400. By serial number 323470 about 95% were convertibles.
Information is from "Ruger Pistols & Revolvers, the Vintage Years".

 

[contender]

When Ruger first introduced the Magnum marked Single-Six, it was soon after the caliber was introduced, in 1958. Yes, the first ones were in 1959. It was discovered that they could make convertibles out of them, so for a while, they offered the magnum marked guns with an extra 22 LR cylinder. Then in 1964, they dropped the magnum marked guns & made the Single-Six convertible.
The only way to verify if the magnum marked guns came with an extra cylinder is to get a factory letter. If they were convertible, the model will be RSSMX.

 

[radicalrod]

Well original 22 mag Single sixes (RSSM's) are all 6 1/2" barrels....that was the only way they were offered....

This is a confusing time in RUGER collecting...I can never get it totally strait :lol: :lol: :lol: RR

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Yeah, and to further the confusion after they quit making the "Magnum only" guns, Ruger continued to call any 6-1/2" Single-Six an RSSM without reference to the barrel length like they did the RSS4, RSS5, and RSS9.

Ain't it fun?!

 

[rugerguy]

I think that Ruger ,much like Colt did with the Scouts, when the 22 magnum was introduced, they BOTH wanted a gun, that was just that , 22 Magnum, ONLY, but as history has shown us the customer wanted versatility, and /or the companies felt it was cheaper AND easier (why make two different barrel diameters, and roll mark different guns, when they are actually the same?) to just combine the calibers, make one basic model, vary the barrel lengths....................

 

[HAWKEYE#28]

The 22 LR cylinder for the convertible version should have the last three digits STAMPED on the face of the cylinder in the first of the 22 magnum series..............be careful here, as 22 LR unmarked cylinders were added to some originally 22 mag only guns............. 8)

 

[UmpquaCharlie]

My two are marked 22 Magnum and did not come with the extra cylinder. One is boxed and it too is 22 Magnum.

 

[chet15]

For the Magnum Single-Six model, everybody has to go back to 1959 to understand Ruger's thinking on these.
March 1959 Ruger introduced the Magnum Single-Six series
At this time they also had the Single-Six series (.22 LR only).
Then more and more people decided they'd like to send their gun back to Ruger and pay the small fee to have the extra cylinder fitted to it.
So Ruger got the idea...lets offer a Single-Six Convertible and a Magnum Single-Six convertible...basically the same gun, except in the minds at Ruger they were still two different model "series". This was a first in the gun industry for a .22 cal firearm to have interchangeable cylinders.
Then in 1962 because 95% of the Single-Sixes being ordered by their distributors were convertible models, Ruger's thinking changed and they decided to merge their production of both "series" into one and just call all of them "Single-Sixes". This is the point at 340xxx where Mag. marking on the 6-1/2" guns were changed to the standard Single-Six rollmark.
Yes...Magnum-only Single-Sixes continued to be produced on special order and these were not cataloged after 1964.
In fact, the highest known Mag. only Single-Six (fixed sights) we know of was produced in 1964 (398349) and we do not know the existence of any other Mag. only fixed sight guns after this point.
However....Ruger does still show the Magnum Single-Six model as continuing through 1968 so it does make me wonder if they did indeed continue to produce very small runs of RSSMW into 1968.
It is known that they did produce at least a very small quantity of at least 15 Super Single-Sixes with adjustable sights in 1968 that were Magnum only, but again on special order (Model SC6-M).
Chet15

 

[Ale-8(1)]

It's of particular interest that, as revealed in Chet15's Reference, the .22LR only and .22 Convertibles were produced in the same serial number range from 1961 thru 1973 . . . another area where only a factory letter can determine how any individual gun was shipped. So many guns have been retrofitted with "extra" cylinders post-shipment that the mere presence of such a cylinder is not necessarily proof of factory originality . . . even if the extra cylinder appears correct and is numbered to the gun.

 

[any ruger]

Other than the known engraved 22's did Roger ever send any other models out to be engraved ? The reason I ask is I have a magnum gUN gothat letters as RSSME. Engraved. But the gun is not engraved .

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Care to share at least the first part of the serial number? Might help with the discussion.

From the Reference . . .

"Note that s/n 313730 was shipped from the factory in April 1960 as the model RSSME although it was never engraved (factory letter says it was part of a group of .22's that were to be engraved)."

Interesting, eh?

 

[any ruger]

So could anybody ordering a gun could ask for it to be engraved?

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I don't think so . . . as far as I know engraving wasn't a "special order option".

I could be wrong about that, though. "Friends of Bill" could probably get whatever they wanted.

 

[any ruger]

So hown could this be explained as a. RSSME engraved ?

 

[Ale-8(1)]

So hown could this be explained as a. RSSME engraved ?

Wild guess . . . there were a number of guns shipped as RSSMW to indicate walnut grip panels instead of the black plastic ones . . . and "E" is right next to "W" on your keyboard; perhaps a typo on a letter??

Your gun isn't engraved. Chad15's Reference mentions a gun lettered as engraved, but wasn't. If it happened once it could happen more than once.

I dunno.

 

[any ruger]

My gun has the black grips .

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Grips can be changed.

I give up.

 

[chet15]

So hown could this be explained as a. RSSME engraved ?

Wild guess . . . there were a number of guns shipped as RSSMW to indicate walnut grip panels instead of the black plastic ones . . . and "E" is right next to "W" on your keyboard; perhaps a typo on a letter??

Your gun isn't engraved. Chad15's Reference mentions a gun lettered as engraved, but wasn't. If it happened once it could happen more than once.

I dunno.

Correction...the reference says the factory lists it as engraved model RSSME. But the reference says it was never engraved.
My guess on this one is that Bill Ruger was tardy as ever in getting his guns ready for the NRA show display and probably thought about doing an engraved RSSM. The gun was probably shipped to an engraver, too late to be done for the NRA show, and then was returned to the factory, only to be shipped out again as a normal RSSM.
It would be intersting to know which engraver this went to, because it evidently wasn't Jerred...even though Jerred was still doing an occassional gun for Ruger into 1960 and even inscriptions on .44 Carbines into 1962.
What showed up at the 1960 NRA show was an extensive display of plated Single-Sixes and flattops in .357 and .44 with most barrel lengths present.
I imagine showing a bunch of plated guns would have been easier when all he had to do was take them across the street and have them plated (Super plating).

So to answer your question, somebody failed to erase the "E" designation in the daybook, from when it was originally entered in there.
Chet15

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Clarification to the Correction:

The Reference says "Note that s/n 313730 was shipped from the factory in April 1960 as the model RSSME although it was never engraved (factory letter says it was part of a group of .22's that were to be engraved)."

I believe that's the same as " . . . the reference says the factory lists it as engraved model RSSME. But the reference says it was never engraved" and "Chad15's Reference mentions a gun lettered as engraved, but wasn't." Should have said Chet15's . . . sorry about that.

I qualified my speculation on the reason for this as a "wild guess" and obviously defer to Chet 15's speculation.