"Old Model" Single Six Questions

[Retired W4]

I would like to identify this Single Six I purchased recently. Here are the particulars.
Serial number: 512080
Barrel: 6 1/2"
Frame: XR-3 RED, 3 Pin, Round gate
Sights: Adjustable
Marked on left side of frame: Ruger .22 CAL., Single Six, and logo
Marked on cylinder: None, except last three of sn. on face of cylinder (electric pencil)
Barrel markings: Ruger address on top of barrel
Walnut grips
The gun is all steel except for grip frame, trigger guard, and ejector rod shroud

I believe it is a Super Single Six (adjustable sights) but is not marked as such. I don't know if the SSS's were marked that way.

This gun is a real tack driver, shooting 1" groups at 25 yards off a rest. A better shot would be able to do better, as I have head and hand tremors pretty bad.

I'm looking for the specific model name and date of manufacture. I can post pictures if this site has that capability

 

[WIL TERRY]

THAT IS A COMMON Ruger Super Single Six made by the thousands in that barrel length. Mine is only a 6M away and was made in 1965....on a tuesday....right around 200PM...
They NEVER were marked Super Single Six as they're nothing but a Single Six with adjustable sights. The best selling BBL length was the 5 1/2" model with the 6 1/2" right behind, and the rarest by far was the 4 5/8" model. THE RAREST of all were the few nickle plated models made.
And so it goes...

 

[Retired W4]

2PM on a Tuesday? That narrows it down pretty well. I'm guessing the 1965 was a little more on the serious side. Thanks for the reply.

 

[contender]

Welcome to the Forum!
Well, you got your info, so I can't help much except to say your gun was produced in 1965 by the serial number. You can contact Ruger & get a letter on the gun & they will give you the model, the month & year of mfg. (His comment about a Tuesday & 2 pm was in jest! Ruger doesn't have that exact data, and if they did, they don't get that detailed.)
A letter from Ruger will cost $10 per gun, and can take from 4-8 weeks to get.

I really like your avatar pic. My brother served under that patch in Nam.

 

[Retired W4]

1965 was about what I was looking for, all the jesting aside. My avatar is the patch I wore on my left shoulder in Vietnam 1969-1970 as an assault helicopter pilot with the 187th AHC and 190th AHC, and my right shoulder for the following 30 years. I knew there was not much of a chance that my Single Six was really collectible, but I thought getting an expert opinion might be a decent idea. Although I own several Rugers, I don't know much about them, just that they are great weapons, and I have never had a lemon in the 40 years of owning them. One always hopes that a new acquisition has something not COMMON about it, but that will always be a long shot. As I remember writing, this gun is dead accurate and is right up there with my 1950's K-22's in that area, which I think of as a benchmark for .22 caliber revolvers. Thank you for the input, and the welcome.

 

[contender]

The 187th huh? Please check your PM's. You may have met my brother.

 

[SATCOM]

Retired W4,

Welcome to RF from Augusta and another US Army retiree. All years in VN were bad but your tour was a very busy time!

Contender,

Please review my explanation of what gun Retired W4 has.

I think it is 1965 era SC6X missing a cylinder. The last three of serial number engraved on cylinder make it convertible (or less likely returned to Ruger at some time in past). It appears the .22 cylinder is marked, as it shoots well with no extraction or case problems. Retired W4 Is it a .22 not .22 magnum?

Could it be a SC6 with .22 cylinder marked because of return to factory for repair?

The Super Single Sixes never had the magnum as the primary cylinder so the .22 cylinder was not marked like the early convertible Single Sixes.

Now that I type this and look through the books, I am pretty sure I don't know what model it is!! Letter from factory required but interested in what cylinder is in gun ATT.

SATCOM

 

[Retired W4]

That's a pretty detailed run down on the possibilities on my revolver, SATCOM. The cylinder in it is the .22, not .22 magnum. There was another Single Six, new model, with both cylinders at the same auction, but it went for more than what I was willing to pay. $10 for a factory letter is a small price to pay for my own edification. While the gun is as accurate as anyone would expect, it does have one chamber that is a little tight, especially with Fiocchi 22 short super match. That should be easy to fix.

 

[street]

Retired W4,

Welcome to RF from Augusta and another US Army retiree. All years in VN were bad but your tour was a very busy time!

Contender,

Please review my explanation of what gun Retired W4 has.

I think it is 1965 era SC6X missing a cylinder. The last three of serial number engraved on cylinder make it convertible (or less likely returned to Ruger at some time in past). It appears the .22 cylinder is marked, as it shoots well with no extraction or case problems. Retired W4 Is it a .22 not .22 magnum?

Could it be a SC6 with .22 cylinder marked because of return to factory for repair?

The Super Single Sixes never had the magnum as the primary cylinder so the .22 cylinder was not marked like the early convertible Single Sixes.

Now that I type this and look through the books, I am pretty sure I don't know what model it is!! Letter from factory required but interested in what cylinder is in gun ATT.

SATCOM

The Super Single-Sixes were from the start convertibles, so they never used the "X" in the model number. Model numbers were SC5, SC6, SC4. All were convertibles. Also at this time in Ruger history both cylinders were stamped with the last 3 numbers of the serial number. That being said, "NEVER SAY NEVER WITH RUGER". Although there was a few SC6, and maybe some SC5, factory seconds that was .22 only. I think maybe a few of the Nickle and or Chrome plated guns that were sold to factory employees and normal distributors were single cylinder .22 LR only guns. And there were 15, SC6M, .22 Mag. only guns made. Only one found serial number 555430.

As you can see, by and far just about all Super Single-Sixes were convertibles except for the few noted above. Factory letters are needed to verify any of the above variations. All information comes from the RENE.

 

[SATCOM]

Street,

Good to have your input.

In Dougan's last book on the last page of chapter 6 lists 183,880 Super Single Sixes production broken down into SC4X, SC5, SC5X, SC6, SC6X, chromed SC6/SC6X and D marked guns.

I also remember Chet's description of "S" sights and "C" convertible plus barrel length i.e. SC5. He also indicated from the beginning all Supers were covertable. So most all Supers are convertibles as you said.

What did Dougan mean?

Thanks

SATCOM

 

[street]

Street,

Good to have your input.

In Dougan's last book on the last page of chapter 6 lists 183,880 Super Single Sixes production broken down into SC4X, SC5, SC5X, SC6, SC6X, chromed SC6/SC6X and D marked guns.

I also remember Chet's description of "S" sights and "C" convertible plus barrel length i.e. SC5. He also indicated from the beginning all Supers were covertable. So most all Supers are convertibles as you said.
What did Dougan mean?

Thanks

SATCOM

I don't know where Dougan got the SC4X, SC5X, SC6X as all of the paperwork I ever saw didn't have the X shown. Maybe he got mixed up thinking about the regular Single-Sixes as they all had the X to show convertibles. I have included 4 pictures that I copied out of his book "Ruger Single Actions The Second Decade 1963-73". These pictures are a schedule derived from Ruger trade price sheets. As you can see the first two pictures are dated Jan. 4 1965, the first time the Super Single-Sixes show up and the last 2 pictures are of Jan. 1972. It too shows only SC5, and SC6. Nowhere in the price list does it show SC4 as those 200 guns were a mistake and were un-cataloged.

If anyone has any paperwork, to show SC5X or SC6X, such as a shipping box or any factory paperwork please show a picture of it. As of now I have not seen any.

 

[chet15]

Street,

Good to have your input.

In Dougan's last book on the last page of chapter 6 lists 183,880 Super Single Sixes production broken down into SC4X, SC5, SC5X, SC6, SC6X, chromed SC6/SC6X and D marked guns.

I also remember Chet's description of "S" sights and "C" convertible plus barrel length i.e. SC5. He also indicated from the beginning all Supers were covertable. So most all Supers are convertibles as you said.
What did Dougan mean?

Thanks

SATCOM

I don't know where Dougan got the SC4X, SC5X, SC6X as all of the paperwork I ever saw didn't have the X shown. Maybe he got mixed up thinking about the regular Single-Sixes as they all had the X to show convertibles. I have included 4 pictures that I copied out of his book "Ruger Single Actions The Second Decade 1963-73". These pictures are a schedule derived from Ruger trade price sheets. As you can see the first two pictures are dated Jan. 4 1965, the first time the Super Single-Sixes show up and the last 2 pictures are of Jan. 1972. It too shows only SC5, and SC6. Nowhere in the price list does it show SC4 as those 200 guns were a mistake and were un-cataloged.

If anyone has any paperwork, to show SC5X or SC6X, such as a shipping box or any factory paperwork please show a picture of it. As of now I have not seen any.

I think JD may have made his error by referencing the day books. Since the entries there depend on how it was written by the employee, it wouldn't surprise me if some of those day book entries are marked as SC6X or SC6, even though all are truly convertibles anyway.
On the other hand, I think the nickled Super Single-Sixes are entered as SC6X or SC6 LR only, since that's how those were shipped out.
But when he said there are SC4X and SC4 models, in his words meaning some some of them letter as SC4 then surely JD must have thought those were LR only???
Remember that Ruger was making RSS5W and RSS5X models at that time, so the person doing the entries could very easily have written SC4X or SC6X etc., even though the SC series were all convertibles anyway and the X was not needed in factory identification on the Supers.
There are a couple of exceptions of course, but I'm not going to confuse anybody by giving those....since such "exceptions" had special circumstances (the "S" marked "seconds" for example).
JD's research through factory records has always been impeccable! But...oftentimes the "hands-on" approach from actual guns in hand can tell a more complete story (i.e....knowing an SC4 letters as "SC4" instead of "SC4X" but yet knowing all SC4, SC5 and SC6 left as convertibles anyway......the "C" in the catalog number).
Chet15