matching serial numbers

[smlake]

I am posting this warning to all who purchase a revolver with two cylinders. This past Saturday, I purchased a NIB new model stainless steel Ruger .22 single six with two cylinders, the .22LR and the .22 Magnum, from a FFL dealer at a gun show. After getting the revolver home, and prior to cleaning or shooting the gun, I began looking through the owners manual. The manual emphasized to be sure to check to make certain the last three digits of the gun's serial number corresponded to the three numbers that are etched on the front of each cylinder. There was a match with the .22LR but not with the .22 magnum cylinder. I contacted Ruger and the dealer and there is no issue with either, although I will not be able to get a replacement for about 2 weeks due to the dealer's schedule and my travel schedule. I write this post to caution readers to be sure check for those matching serial numbers prior to going out shoot your new gun. That could result in a disaster. The cylinders of one gun will not necessarily fit another gun and the two cylinders of a Ruger single six have to match the frame. Please check before you shoot your gun!! Reading the owners manual prior to shooting is also good advice.

 

[rugerguy]

smlake, welcome to the Forum....bottom line, does BOTH the cylinders "fit" your gun?? do BOTH cylinders "lock up ( index) when you rotate ( cock the hammer)?? on each and every chamber?? if they do , then you probably do not have a problem except for the fact the numbers are not "matching".....yes, of course, if the 'wrong' numbered cylinder does NOT fit or index, then you have a problem.....maye they are the first 3 digits, or another digit may have been added in front or behind,...really have to see it, but all too often we come across and finds cylinders that do NOT "match" the numbers but fit and work just fine..............
as always, "safety first"....... but no, I wouldn't 'worry' or waste the time & effort (shipping costs ,etc...) the sky is not falling .................helps to keep the 'correct' parts together.........if it fits, you can always 'redo' the numbers on the end ( sometimes they are on the opposite end, or rear ...saw two new models this past weekend, marked that way.)

 

[smlake]

I did not try the magnum cylinder as you suggested. The Ruger manual said explicitly do NOT use the gun. When I called Ruger in NH, I was told not to fire the gun, period. The dealer said definitely not to fire the gun as he will swap it for a new one. They are concerned about liability. I recognize that you may very well be correct. However, there could be issues if my son, who will inherit this gun, ever went to sell it. Most people probably would not want to buy it. It the gun ever did fail or had a safety issue, I would then be at fault, not Ruger. It is just not worth it. I really do appreciate your comments and input. However, those 3 digits on the magnum cylinder do not match in any way the serial number on the frame.

 

[rugerguy]

when in doubt, rest easy and do it as you said...we just get them in all the time, with just this sort of issue....so many years of "fixing" them,(besides being cheaper, less costly, as I wonder if the dealer or Ruger would "pay" for the return postage???) So easy for us, kinda makes one take this for granted............good thinking

 

[smlake]

Ruger will make arrangements to have the gun picked up at my house and they will pay all shipping costs. I just did as you suggested. I removed the LR cylinder and put the magnum cylinder in the gun and tried it. It would lock up at all lockup points. I removed the magnum cylinder and tried the LR cylinder again and it would also lock up as expected. I then again removed the LR cylinder and tried the Magnum again. The cylinder went in and would lock up at first. However, something has happened. Now, the gun has locked up. The hammer can not be cocked with either cylinder. If I remove either of the cylinders, the gun can be cocked and indexed with neither cylinder in the gun. If I then put either cylinder back into the gun, the hammer cannot be cocked with either cylinder. If I open the loading gate, both cylinders can be rotated. When the gate is closed, the hammer cannot be cocked or rotated on either cylinder. That is where I am now with this gun. Any ideas, besides returning the gun.

 

[MCPO]

My shop ordered mine and I was present when it was delivered (UPS). Shot about 400 rds (LR and Mag) before I discovered that the cylinder digits DID NOT match the guns last 3 digits.

Called Ruger, at first they wanted me to pay for the fright back to Ruger as they found it hard to believe it left the factory that way. Cylinder digits were 'engraved' sloppily with an engraving tool/pen and that seemed to be the reason they finally agreed to issue a UPS call tag.

Mine was gone exactly 7 days and came back with 2 new cylinders with stamped digits vs the engraving pen.

They listed some additional work: transfer bar, bolt and loading gate. Shoots as good now as it did before, but nice to have the new cylinders properly marked.

 

[rugerguy]

aside from making sure the center (cylinder) pin is all the way
in" and latched, sound like 'something ' went amiss internally, oh well now you have an even BETTER reason for having them pick it up and go over it, them willing to "pay" seals the deal to us............was just 'thinking' as to the "lock up" were you slowly lowering the hammer, and moving the trigger but noit actually "dry firing" (allowing the hammer to drop/hit)??make sure sure the gun is "empty" , and cock it back and drop the hammer a couple of times,maybe the strut/plunger hung up??? never can tell, we've seen guys actually "fool or trick" their guns into locking up ( hanging up)....very hard to "tell/see' with out it being in front of us, may be someting very obvious,but YOU certainly should NOT have to "take the gun apart" to remedy ANYTHING, aside from the pin being "seated"...............

 

[resident]

Without a range-rod for the caliber it is not possible to check accurately if a cylinder is properly aligned with the bore when it locks up. Just because a cylinder will index...just because it will lock up... does not mean it is aligned with the bore correctly. That is why cylinders are identified by the fitter at the factory and engraved with the last 3 digits of the SN.
I agree that the best solution is to return the firearm to the mfr for proper fitting of cylinders. (And this is why I am incredulous of the other discussion about "drop in" cylinders from an aftermarket seller.) :roll:

 

[flatgate]

One must realize that Ruger's Single Actions are NOT fitted like a custom gun. Parts are, by design, rather generic and the tolerances are NOT very stringent.

In the OP's case, YES, I'd return the convertible to the Dealer or the Factory and request that the gun have "proper" cylinders.

FWIW, most Ruger S.A. rimfire shooters have utilized "non-original" cylinders a time or two over the years. I know I have. Dan probably has more experience with this situation than most!

JMHO,

flatgate

 

[edlmann]

When I called Ruger in NH, I was told not to fire the gun, period. The dealer said definitely not to fire the gun as he will swap it for a new one. They are concerned about liability.

If the dealer had more than one in stock, that may be where the swap occurred. Sounds like everyone is cooperative, so it's good you can get this one fixed.

 

[edlmann]

Cylinder digits were 'engraved' sloppily with an engraving tool/pen . . .

That's the way all of mine were done, going back to the mid 70s.

 

[smlake]

In my discussion with the dealer, he checked to see if he had a Ruger single six in his inventory, going back 5 years, with a serial number similar to the miss-numbered .22 magnum cylinder. He said that he had not had such a gun in his inventory and was convinced the switch-up problem lay with Ruger. I did try the cylinders again as Dan suggested above. The center pin may have not been pushed in hard enough. After I removed and reinserted it several times, I could get the hammer and trigger to "unlock". Nevertheless, this pretty pistol is going back to Ruger. The dealer says he will swap this one for a new one which is fine with me.

I have a .357 Blackhawk that I bought from a friend about 25 years ago. It is a 3 screw model and was built in 1968 or 1969. It is much smoother than this new single six. Unfortunately, I sent this 3 screw model back to Ruger and had the transfer bar and other replacement parts installed by Ruger. I regret doing that now but I still have all those original parts that Ruger returned to me in that little plastic bag with the Ruger logo on it. I wish I knew a local gunsmith to put the original pieces back into my 3 screw Blackhawk. I do not want to ship it off because I fear it getting lost or stolen in transit.