Old Model Single Six 22 Magnum

[Kevin]

I finally got it! First off, y'all are just terrible A few weeks ago, I asked about an Old Model Single Six marked Win .22 RF Mag Cal. I think it was Ale 8 who said buy it to round out a collection, then Contender said they are a niche gun. We are going to remodel our kitchen, (another topic altogether) so I sort of had to buy it, as this will be the last gun for a while...

It is a nice gun. No turn line at all, and very little bluing loss. Just at the tip of the muzzle. Lock up is nice and tight, and the grips! Wow. I was going to get some after market grips, I was thinking some Buckeye Burl, but I don't know. These are pretty nice, just some minor handling marks. You can see in the pictures. I might get a set of grips for another single six.

Oh, and a note about the pictures. My camera battery was dead, so these, believe it or not, are with my Apple 6 Iphone. Direct sunlight. The trick is to firmly brace the phone against the table...

Oh, and it's a 6 1/2 inch barrel by the way.

 

[Kevin]

I just checked with a magnet, the grip frame is aluminum but it does have a steel ejector rod housing. Is this original to the gun? I though OM revolvers had aluminum ejector housings also.

 

[rugerguy]

Kevin, nice gun, and very nice pictures, that gun is seen very little use or wear SOOOOOOO try and not keep going in and out of that leather holster you can and will "wear" off the bluing on the gun, on the touching surfaces, leather just loves to eat up and take away bluing........... 8) :roll: :wink:

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Nice.

All of the magnum-marked Old Models were 6-1/2" guns, catalog number RSSM.

A handful of the later ones had steel ER housings, along with XR3-RED grip frames.

As Dan says, DO NOT store the gun in the holster.

Enjoy.

 

[Kevin]

Thanks Ale, I don't know very much about the history of the old models. This is only my second one.

And Rugerguy, thanks for the tip about the holster. I don't actually use holsters at all. It's just for the picture. I'm pretty boring. I mostly only shoot paper targets at the range and use those soft padded cases going back and forth.

 

[hittman]

..... I sort of had to buy it

..... this will be the last gun for a while .....

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Yeah, we've heard that before.

 

[flattop44]

Nice gun, single cylinder, XR3 walnuts and with an Eagle logo barrel too. Pretty scarce variation, I think only about about 3700-3800 or so were made. Good score for your 2nd Old Model.

FT44

 

[Kevin]

Why thank you Flattop44. I didn't even notice the eagle on the barrel. It's too bad it didn't come with the box or anything.

 

[street]

All Early Single-Sixes and Lightweights had Steel ejector rod housings. Somewhere around serial number 357,000 They started using the alloy ejector rod housing and continued through the end of the Old Models. Some of the "S" Lightweights may have been shipped with Alum Alloy ejector rod housing as they were shipped in the early 1960s. I think about 1963 or 1964.

 

[Kevin]

Kevin wrote:
..... I sort of had to buy it

..... this will be the last gun for a while .....

hitman wrote

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Yeah, we've heard that before.

No! This time I mean it...

kind of... Last year I only bought three guns....this is my third so far this year....

But, luckily for me, my wife's new love is cowboy boots.

 

[contender]

NICE one there Kevin!
Now,,, we need to figure out what you need next,,,,!

 

[GunnyGene]

Nice wheel gun. Just a suggestion, but see if you can find somebody with a chrono and check the muzzle velocity against what it says on the bullet box. Most .22wmr is advertised at around 2000fps, but that's out of a rifle usually, and it's always good to know what the numbers are for your own guns.

 

[SPBhawk]

That's a nice one, I like it !

 

[steve1701]

Nice score. I've been looking for one of those for a while now.

 

[mike campbell]

Nice wheel gun. Just a suggestion, but see if you can find somebody with a chrono and check the muzzle velocity against what it says on the bullet box. Most .22wmr is advertised at around 2000fps, but that's out of a rifle usually, and it's always good to know what the numbers are for your own guns.

Waaaaay back when I had a Single Six in .22mag (35 years just flew by) I remember it chronoed about 1250-ish. I remember because what stuck was the idea that a .22mag out of a 6" revolver was about the equal of a .22LR at the muzzle of a rifle barrel. That gave me a gut feel for what it could do.

 

[Fox Mike]

What is the first number of the serial number? It looks like a"9" and I know that can't be right.

 

[WMB30]

Look to me like the bottom half of first number just has crud in it. Could be a 3 as it should be but can't make it out for sure even when magnified.

Bill

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Has to be a 3.

The magnum-marked guns ran from 300000 thru 398349 . . . a series unto themselves.

 

[street]

Sorry Ale-8(1) but the Mag. marked frames only went to a few hundred over 340,000. There were Mag. only guns made with the 6 1/2 in. bl. but they were marked Single-Six .22LR. The Single-six marked frames that were .22 Mag only are very rare and a factory letter is a must.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Hey, you're right. I just re-read Chad's data. From 339389 to 340086 there were about 700 made with XR3RED grip frames, and after that they were marked "Ruger .22 Cal. Single-Six" . . . and they were darn few. Most of the late numbers were of the convertibles, beginning in late 1962.

First digit still needs to be a "3" though.

:wink:

 

[Kevin]

This is all very interesting, Thanks to all for the info.

The serial number is 3300xx

I paid just a shade over $500. To me it felt fair, and I just didn't know when I'd see one for sale again.

 

[Beauetienne]

Sweet revolver !

 

[Kevin]

The Single-six marked frames that were .22 Mag only are very rare and a factory letter is a must.

Street: Do you mean this gun or are you talking about another single six? Should I request a letter anyway on this gun? I know they're $10.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Nope. Yours is the "everyday" magnum Single-Six per the markings on the frame.

Mr. Street is referring to the magnum-only rarities marked "Ruger .22 Cal. Single-Six".

That said, a letter is always nice.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Just for a reference . . . a nice early one with the "black plastic" grip panels . . .

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=251819

 

[street]

The Single-six marked frames that were .22 Mag only are very rare and a factory letter is a must.

Street: Do you mean this gun or are you talking about another single six? Should I request a letter anyway on this gun? I know they're $10.

As Ale-8(1) stated yours is a framed marked Mag gun. The one that I am talking about is one that is marked Single-Six .22LR on the frame and shipped as a single cylinder Mag. only gun. One thing about your gun It has the Ruger bird stamped on the barrel and most so marked are convertibles. Anyone that is serious about collecting Ruger Single-Sixes would love to find a Mag marked single cylinder gun with the Eagle on the barrel. Yours is a great find, and a very hard gun to find. Any Old Model 6 1/2 in bl. box would work for your gun as they didn't change through out the Old Models. The box will have RSSM 6 1/2 in. bl. marked on it. The paperwork will be dated 1959.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Mr. Street, you aroused my curiosity so I dug mine out to check . . . nope, no "bird" on the barrel. Guess it's not surprising seeing as how it's a 1959 gun.

 

[Kevin]

many thanks!

 

[gtxmonte]

After reading this thread this morning, I thought that's pretty cool, wouldn't mind having one of those. Headed to town to pick up my girl for a day out. Was a little early, so I stopped by the gun show at the fairgrounds this weekend. Always a small show, same guys, same overpriced stuff, but stopped anyway. First row, 3rd table, mag RF marked 3 screw Single Six with the eagle on the barrel. A twin to the one shown here and in easily as good of shape. It followed me home for $400 cash. Serial is 328xxx

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Cool. Not too many of that serial number range, and perhaps 5000 or so were convertibles, having the "extra" .22LR cylinder added. A "letter" would be a good idea.

:shock: :mrgreen: :shock: