I would appreciate any information you can give me

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RxRuger

Bearcat
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
6
Location
Tennessee
A relative passed away recently. We are going through her estate and found a Ruger single six revolver in her personal property. We are trying to figure out its worth (if anything) and decide if we should keep it or put it up for auction when her estate is sold. On the left side of the gun it says "Ruger .22 cal. single six" and on the right side is the number "5020". The barrel is 5 1/2 inches long. It is a 3 screw model and does not have a flat loading gate. It was found in a leather holster with brass snaps that say "Brauer Bro's MFG. CO. St. Louis". The holster is a little moldy, but the gun is in good shape, very clean, with some scratches. Can anyone tell me anything about this gun, its worth, or anything else. Thanks for your help.
 

BlkHawk73

Hunter
Joined
Dec 30, 1999
Messages
4,460
Location
Maine
It's an OM Single Six serial # 5020. I'll let the OM afficionados fill in the rest.
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
26,784
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
That gun is an OM Flatgate Type 2 that someone has swapped out the loading gate. Still it's a desirable gun. Serial number range for the Type 2 is from 2026 to 24703. With it missing the correct loading gate,, & with what little you've described,, I'd place that gun's value between $400 & $500 approximately. It's all about condition, and completeness. Pics would help a bunch! (Forget the holster as it doesn't add much to the value.)
 

RxRuger

Bearcat
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
6
Location
Tennessee
If someone can tell me how to post a picture or where on the forum this information is, I will try to post a pic. Thank you both for your replys. You have given me much more information than I had before. It some how helps me connect to a part of my Aunt's life that I did not know.
 

RxRuger

Bearcat
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
6
Location
Tennessee
I will see if this works. Here are some pics (maybe).
IMG_1057-Copy.jpg

IMG_1060-Copy.jpg

IMG_1058-Copy.jpg

IMG_1059-Copy.jpg

Sorry about the last 2 pics. They are kind of blurry.
 

DGW1949

Hunter
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Messages
4,308
Location
Mississippi
That is a real-common barrel length for a Single Six. Then there's the rust on the hammer, a turn ring, and shiny spots where the bluing oughta be.

Good news is.....It is an early, 4-digit gun, the grips and grip frame look good and it still has the original (skinny) trigger. Them items alone will fetch about $240, if taken off and sold for parts.
So, everything considered.....My guess is that that particular gun would bring $350-$375 around my neck of the woods...if cleaned up, and if sold on the retail level. If you try to sell it to a dealer, you won't get near that much. Estate auction?....heck, who knows?...and there's fees and commisions attached to that sort of thing too.

What I'm saying is....
How much you can get is going to depend on which part of the market you go after. Some of us here have been at this sort of thing long enough to know how to make do. Often times though, a non-FFL has a heck of a time with figuring out how to tap into the right market, how to arange shipping so's it don't kill a deal, etc.
So it might not come down to what you know. It may come down who you know.

If you'll put your location in your profile, could be that someone here is close by and could give you some better pointers.

Good luck with your sale.

DGW
 

flatgate

Hawkeye
Joined
Jun 18, 2001
Messages
6,784
Location
Star Valley, WY
Methinks you have a nice old Single-Six! It has been retrofitted with a "round" loading gate. The first 60,000 or so of the Single-Sixes were produced with a "flat loading gate".

PremierLR.jpg


This image shows an "aftermarket" loading gate, a Ruger round loading gate and an original flat loading gate. The flatgates are out there and I'd certainly search for one if it was my Ruger. Of course, what do I know? Shucks, I'm even called flatgate around here... :D

flatgate
 

RxRuger

Bearcat
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
6
Location
Tennessee
Thanks to all for your replys. This has been very informative and just plain fun reading about this gun. I makes me wish I had asked her more questions about many things we have discovered before she passed away. I will probably end up keeping the revolver myself and not letting it be sold with her estate. The lawyer handling the estate just needed some idea of its value and you all have provided that to me. If anyone else has any other comments or suggestions, I would be very interested in hearing them. You all are a great group of people and have really helped me out.
 
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Messages
12,256
Location
Kentucky
That's why we all come here. To learn stuff and help each other out.

We also buy, sell, and trade with each other.

See if you can find the box for your nice gun. It'll be about 1-3/4" x 6" x 12" red and black and say "Ruger Single Six" on one end. It's worth quite a bit itself.

:D
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
26,784
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
Glad we could help. Hang around,, we are a good bunch of folks. PS; that flat loading gate would be my first parts swap. As for the box,, if you can find it in her stuff,,,,, it's worth $50 to $150 average depending upon condition. The original manuel,, can add $25 to $50 itself too. Go to hunting,,!
 

Dusterman

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Messages
149
Location
Moreno Valley, CA.
Keep it and hand it down through the family, shoot it every once and while with the family to add history to it and it will be something everyone can enjoy and share, my 2 cents,dusterman
 

RxRuger

Bearcat
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
6
Location
Tennessee
We found two more guns today. One is marked Dreyse on one side and 46751 on the other side.

IMG_1071-1.jpg


IMG_1068.jpg


The other is a Smith & Wesson revolver. It has wooden grips.

IMG_1069-1.jpg


IMG_1070-1.jpg


Once again, any information you can give me on these two guns will be appreciated. This family mystery just gets deeper.
 

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