OM Single Six 4 5/8

[Chance]

Found a nice RSS4, sn#161700, today. Has the thicker trigger, steel ejector rod housing, flat face ejector rod and XR3 grip frame. Downside is a set of what looks like Jay Scott mother of pearl grips. Has a light turn line and lightly worn anodizing on the outside front edge of the trigger guard. All in all a nice gun.

Looking through some old posts here, all the pics show walnut grips. At what point did Ruger change from the hard rubber to walnut? Also, any one have a box? Will call the nice lady's at Ruger tomorrow for a ship date.

 

[flatgate]

A Box? Hah! Harder to find that a set of Factory Stags! Nice Single-Six!

flatgate

 

[contender]

Nice gun!
I'd replace those "mother of toilet seat" grips with at least a set of walnut factories. My memory is fuzzy tonight as to exactly when they phased out the hard rubber in favor of walnut.

 

[Chance]

Oh well, figured it was worth a shot. According to RENE and Dougans pocket guide (that I had with me today) these are fairly rare. The pocket guide shows about 2000 produced with the XR3 frame.

 

[Chance]

You're right the grips have to go. Will call the Nice Lady's tomorrow and find out how the gun was shipped and then see about tracking down a set of the correct grips.

 

[chet15]

When you call the factory be sure to have them tell you whether your gun was shipped as RSS4R or RSS4W. That will tell you what grips it had on on it when it left the factory. Either model was available at the time, from March 1961 into 1962. When walnut became standard, a gun with hard rubber on it could be had for $1 less.
Yes, boxes are rare. Would have had the type of box with RSS4 actually printed on the end, no large end label covering the entire end.
Chet15

 

[Ale-8(1)]

While not exactly the coolest thing around, those XR3 MOTS panels are nice to have as representative of the accessories available to a particular period.

 

[weaselmeatgravy]

Also, any one have a box?

I know... I'm SUCH a smartass... :roll:

 

[radicalrod]

Hey Bob, smartass, jackass, whatever.....but that is a NICEASS complete package ya got there.....I sure wish I had one....see ya RR.

 

[flattop44]

Dang Bob, that is one of the finest packages that I have seen!! Just having a RSS4 in its printed end label box is almost unheard of and you have one in the shipper.....yep, a very Luckyass I do believe!!
Ft44

 

[Chance]

If that is an offer to send the box, WMG, I'll have to decline. Would be a shame to break up that beautiful package. But thanks anyway. :lol:

Talked to Ruger Records a few minutes ago and the gun was shipped in May 1960 as a RSS4R. Letter on the way. One interesting thing the nice lady said was the mother of pearls were an accessory available from Ruger at the time this gun was shipped.

Cobbed together AFTER pics:

 

[HAWKEYE#28]

8) Don't hold your breath awaiting any of those alleged factory accessoried mother of pearls(real pearl......)...........very few, if any documented. Perhaps some samples, but Very few..........Too fragile and broken in assembly attempts, we are told.........

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Would be interesting to have that "available from Ruger" mentioned in a letter . . .

 

[Chance]

Never even considered them being actual pearl just figured they were mother of plastic. Hope Ruger never put something like these on guns they shipped.

 

[Major E.A. Sterner]

I'm guessing here, but the fact that the back of the grips say "Old Model XR3" on them would seem to indicate that they were post 1973 manufacturer.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Actually, all it would mean is that they were made post late 1962, when the XR3-RED grip frames were released.

And "mother of plastic" is surely correct . . .

 

[Major E.A. Sterner]

They weren't called the "Old Model" in 1962

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Good point.

 

[Tucsonite]

kind of like the set on this single six?

 

[Chance]

The biggest difference Dan, is yours are nice looking and have the medalions

I know the my gun didn't come with those things on it, I was just commenting that when I told the Nice Lady at Records I needed to know if it was a W or R because of the grips I got it with she said that MOP was available back in 1960.

You going to be at the PHX show this weekend?