mill428
Bearcat
Hey guys,
I recently bought a single six at a gun show. I had been looking for a shooter so I wasn't all that concerned about the condition. The one I found was at a table clear in the back and I got it for what I thought was a great deal. It is a 6.5" barrel OM, three screw, and it's unconverted. The finish is thin in areas and you can tell it has spent some time in a holster. But it shoots perfectly. Exactly what I wanted.
When I got it home, and was cleaning it up, I noticed the serial number had a D prefix. The D was different than the rest of the numbers. Appeared to be hand stamped. The serial number is D502XXX. When I researched it, I found very little information about it other than it may have been made during a run in 1968 where Ruger inadvertently numbered a few Single Sixes using already used serial numbers for Super Single Sixes (I hope that makes sense). To remedy the situation, they stamped each one with a D in reference to the duplicate serial number. In any case it doesn't sound like many of them were produced before they noticed the mistake.
This is only information I have come to understand using primarily the internet so I may be way off base, but this is my dilemma. I usually refinish/modify my handguns - just to make them my own. I am not a huge fan of the longer barrel lengths and was planning on either cutting this one down an inch or finding another 5.5" barrel. I would have bought one with a shorter barrel in the first place but I have had a heck of a time finding any of the OM Single Sixes (which I prefer) in my area. Since there were a few nicks on the grip frame I was going to polish it as well and make some new grips.
My question is this...is this something that I should do to an OM SS that has a relatively unique serial number? I know some don't care those kind of things, but I would hate to deface something that someone else would consider collectable. I am not a collector - just a shooter. Would I be better off trying to trade it for a short barrel OM - to someone who valued it more for the collector value?
I realize it may be nothing unique, but I though I would run it by you guys before I did anything drastic with it. If I do end up keeping it I would like to find an OM fixed sight 5.5 inch barrel to install rather than cutting the existing barrel.
Thanks for your insight.
Craig
I recently bought a single six at a gun show. I had been looking for a shooter so I wasn't all that concerned about the condition. The one I found was at a table clear in the back and I got it for what I thought was a great deal. It is a 6.5" barrel OM, three screw, and it's unconverted. The finish is thin in areas and you can tell it has spent some time in a holster. But it shoots perfectly. Exactly what I wanted.
When I got it home, and was cleaning it up, I noticed the serial number had a D prefix. The D was different than the rest of the numbers. Appeared to be hand stamped. The serial number is D502XXX. When I researched it, I found very little information about it other than it may have been made during a run in 1968 where Ruger inadvertently numbered a few Single Sixes using already used serial numbers for Super Single Sixes (I hope that makes sense). To remedy the situation, they stamped each one with a D in reference to the duplicate serial number. In any case it doesn't sound like many of them were produced before they noticed the mistake.
This is only information I have come to understand using primarily the internet so I may be way off base, but this is my dilemma. I usually refinish/modify my handguns - just to make them my own. I am not a huge fan of the longer barrel lengths and was planning on either cutting this one down an inch or finding another 5.5" barrel. I would have bought one with a shorter barrel in the first place but I have had a heck of a time finding any of the OM Single Sixes (which I prefer) in my area. Since there were a few nicks on the grip frame I was going to polish it as well and make some new grips.
My question is this...is this something that I should do to an OM SS that has a relatively unique serial number? I know some don't care those kind of things, but I would hate to deface something that someone else would consider collectable. I am not a collector - just a shooter. Would I be better off trying to trade it for a short barrel OM - to someone who valued it more for the collector value?
I realize it may be nothing unique, but I though I would run it by you guys before I did anything drastic with it. If I do end up keeping it I would like to find an OM fixed sight 5.5 inch barrel to install rather than cutting the existing barrel.
Thanks for your insight.
Craig