Help with a 3 screw single six

[mcferran24]

I was just given a Ruger 3 screw single-six. serial # 61-010XX, 4 5/8" barrel, walnut grips. It came with the 22 mag cylinder that is marked with last 3 of serial # with what appears to be an electric pen. I am just trying to find out a little more info on it as I can't find this serial # listed on ruger's website.

Can anyone out there give me a manufacture year and an approximate value? Gun is 90% condition with light holster wear.
No intention of ever getting rid of it, I would just like to know exactly what I have.

 

[mcferran24]

I forgot to mention it has NOT been converted

 

[GasGuzzler]

1972 starts with 60-81XXX (near the end of 60- series) and Ruger made (very loose guess) approx 20K each year so I'd say it's likely it's from '72 since you have 61-01XXX (barely over into the 61- series).

Someone else here knows a lot more than me, I'm just using logic and guessing.

 

[street]

Please re-check the barrel length!!!!! If your gun is a 4 5/8 in Single-Six and it has a serial number with the prefix 61 and if it will letter from Ruger as a 4 5/8 in bl. then you have one very very RARE gun. Remember to measure the barrel from the edge of the cylinder! :?

 

[mcferran24]

I rechecked barrel and it is 4 5/8" from tip of barrel to cylinder

 

[mcferran24]

I will post a pic if I can figure out how to after I get off work tonight

 

[mcferran24]

Here are some pics of the wheelgun if it helps anyone get me some good info on it. I greatly apprecitate any bit of wisdom you guys can share with me about this. Serial # 61-010XX

 

[Hondo44]

It's a very nice gun and gassguzler is correct on the date, 1972 which started at 60-81278 and ended with 61-04XXX.

However, because there were so very few made with factory 4 5/8" barrels, hundreds of them have been cut to 4 5/8". Yours is one of those. The original factory front sight on the 3 screw Super Single Sixes was a Patridge sight. The ramp sight was not introduced on the 22s until 1973 on the New Model 22s.

Your front sight is the larger ramp sight used on the centerfire old models and the hole for the attachment screw is drilled further back than for the original correct sight.

If by chance it is one of the very rare factory original 4 5/8" barrelled guns but just had the sight changed, there is an extra unused screw hole under the sight, in front of the hole used to hold the current sight on.

Let us know what you find because your $300 gun could be worth a lot more. The original short barrelled guns are worth in the 4 digits.

 

[jbtardy]

I have a three screw 4 5/8" Single Six with the mag cylinder and the original box. It is the standard or
flat top, fixed sight model and has not been converted. The serial # prefix is 21 which dates to 1972
according to the chart. The box label says it is cat. no. RSS4X which I believe is correct for the 4 5/8"
convertable. I haven't seen too many of these around so I know they're not common but I don't know
if it's rare or just uncommon. Anyone know?

 

[flatgate]

Well, w/o digging through my books and calling Ruger for info my initial response would be "not in the same group as the Super Single-Sixes" discussed in the post by "Street".

The above images depict the "real deal". The barrels on a small batch of Old Model Super Single-Sixes were shortened after a mistake was discovered. The front sight hole was drilled too deep and the "quick fix" was to shorten them down to the 4-5/8" length even though that barrel length was never offered on the Super Single-Sixes. :shock:

flatgate

 

[Hondo44]

I have a three screw 4 5/8" Single Six with the mag cylinder and the original box. It is the standard or flat top, fixed sight model and has not been converted. The serial # prefix is 21 which dates to 1972 according to the chart. The box label says it is cat. no. RSS4X which I believe is correct for the 4 5/8" convertable. I haven't seen too many of these around so I know they're not common but I don't know if it's rare or just uncommon. Anyone know?

Yours is a drift-adjustable-for-windage-only Single Six and they are uncommon in 4 5/8". There are no flat top .22s or fixed sight Old Models .22s. But The most uncommon are those made in 1959 thru 1961 with the XR3 grip frame. Yours has the XR3-RED grip frame which is 3/16" longer horizontally from front to back.

 

[mcferran24]

Ok, so after removing the front sight there was not an additional screw hole - so I guess that means it was cut at one point and time. I have requested a letter from Ruger to verify the specs on this serial #. Here are the best pics I could get of the barrel - It does not "APPEAR" to have been cut - but then again I'm not a talented machinist either. Thank you all so far for your help. You guys are a GREAT resource!

 

[contender]

There wouldn't an additional hole in that barrel. The mistake Flatgate was talking about was where a hole was drilled too deep, so the barrel was cut off & re-drilled & tapped. Good idea on getting the info from Ruger as to exactly which model it was shipped as.

 

[street]

mcferran24, We just need to wait on the letter from Ruger to be sure what model and barrel length you have. Just a little bit of a suggestion. It would help if you would take a little more effort and focus your camera on the barrel of your gun instead of the table it is setting on. With your pictures it is really hard to tell about the end of the barrel. If your gun letters as a 4 5/8 in gun then it's value would be in excess of $2000. And that would be a starting price, as I think you can count the number of those guns with a 4 5/8 in. bl. and a digit prefix on one hand. :P :P :P

 

[Hondo44]

The above images depict the "real deal". The barrels on a small batch of Old Model Super Single-Sixes were shortened after a mistake was discovered. The front sight hole was drilled too deep and the "quick fix" was to shorten them down to the 4-5/8" length even though that barrel length was never offered on the Super Single-Sixes. :shock: flatgate

flatgate,
That's a great shot of the muzzle on the "real deal". I don't know if they are all the same but no other Ruger I have ever seen has tool marks like that on the muzzle. It definitely went thru a different process when Ruger shortened them back to 4 5/8"; probably because the barrels were already mounted in the guns and not turned to final length on a lathe.

 

[Hondo44]

There wouldn't an additional hole in that barrel. The mistake Flatgate was talking about was where a hole was drilled too deep, so the barrel was cut off & re-drilled & tapped. Good idea on getting the info from Ruger as to exactly which model it was shipped as.

contender,

It has the wrong sight on it and clearly cold blued and added after the factory which required a new screw hole further to the rear.
So my point was that if it is one of the very rare factory original 4 5/8" barrelled guns but just had the sight changed by a former owner, there would have to be an extra unused 'factory' drilled screw hole under the sight, in front of the hole used to hold the current sight on. Since there isn't, it can't be the "real deal", the barrel has obviously been cut after it left the factory.

 

[mcferran24]

Sorry "street", that was the best 3 out of about 30 pictures i could get my camera to take - tried really hard to get some useable photos - guess im better at pulling a trigger than closing a shutter.

 

[street]

Sorry "street", that was the best 3 out of about 30 pictures i could get my camera to take - tried really hard to get some useable photos - guess im better at pulling a trigger than closing a shutter.

That OK! Some cameras won't focus that close. The letter from Ruger will trump any photo or opinion. We are all hoping it comes back as a 4 5/8 in. gun.

 

[Hondo44]

I don't mean to be the one to rain on your parade, but it can't be the "real Deal" for the reason I gave above.

There's one floating around out there that looks just like yours, #527112, that I gave to my nephew which was stolen from him. I cut it down from a 5 1/2" barrel and used the same large caliber ramp front sight as yours. Because the ramp blade is longer than the original Patridge ramp shown on Flatgate's gun below, the screw hole had to be drilled farther back just like yours.

You can get the New Model ramp sight that comes blued like this and have a new hole drilled for it: