Phantom Single Six

[RODSMITH1]

Good morning to all. im a new member here and a bit foggy on these threads to boot. Anyway, Been trolling about trying to find out some info on a single six that seems to have no origin. I ran the serial on the Ruger site and it came up empty. the closest it could find (after adding some zeros and a hyphen) was a synthetic 10-22. I am absolutely sure that this pistol looks nothing like my 10-22's so i thought i would add a pic to this post. as you can see, its a 3 screw model with a windage sight only. stamping on opposite side of pic reads "RUGER .22 CAL SINGLE SIX. What i am trying to find out is the Mfgr date and the possibility of giving it a bump up to the .22 WMR cylinder conversion. any help here would be appreciated.

 

[hittman]

1959 according to Ruger’s web site.

Serial Number Lookup

ruger.com

 

[RODSMITH1]

i dont understand. clicked on the link left above and typed in my sn and again it gave me an unable to locate message. ill take your word for the 1959 date and let it be. thanks hittman. .

 

[Chance]

I got the same thing and it is because that link seems to only give New Model Info. Yours is an Old Model and Hitman hit it 1959.

 

[hittman]

Put in your s/n hit enter.
Then scroll down near the bottom of the page and it tells you about entering in “other” numbers. You have to select WHAT your gun is, enter that, then your number.

 

[contender]

Sometimes even the factory serial number stuff isn't "accurate."
Most of us use the RENE Guide to get a correct date of shipment.
The posters above are correct,, 1959.

And to answer the other question, that gun was made with a smaller bore before the .22 magnum guns came out. As such,, I wouldn't risk any potential damage or other issues by trying to add a magnum cylinder.
Ruger didn't offer the larger bore sized barrels until approximately serial number 150000.

 

[hittman]

I got your 1959 date info from the link I posted.

 

[KIR]

I purchased my Single-Six in 1967, so the serial # is higher than yours. It is a great gun. I usually fired it with the .22 Mag cylinder in it. I am not all that partial to .22 LR. I took my oldest son out shooting with it when he was about 13 and I guess he really liked it because when he came to visit me he picked the gun out as something he wanted to remember that time I took him shooting. Many years have passed and I have since then purchased many other firearms, but a Single-Six has always been in the back of my mind. Recently while at a LGS there were several but only one that had the extra cylinder. It was priced at $300 which is not bad as my first one was $78. I couldn't resist and although it had not been cleaned, it looked in good condition with the exception of a worn spot where it must have worn from a holster, on the left side just behind the cylinder. I took it home, cleaned it up and look forward to shooting it. I have purchased a few other firearms from this LGS who usually charges MSRP prices for his new guns, unlike the other LGS' and high prices for his used ones, but this particular time, I think I just might have gotten a great deal. Previously I gave my youngest son an old Bearcat that was too small for my hand, for him and my G'daughter who both loved it. Someday soon, they will get my latest Single-Six and enjoy it too. Good shootin' to y'all!

 

[G2]

The shank of the 7/32" drill bit wll JUST slip into the muzzle of the "improved" barrels,,, but not the early .22 LR-only ones.
improved barrels are good to go for magnum.

 

[Hondo44]

It's true that your gun is earlier than when the compromise bore size changed to shoot both 22 LR and the slightly larger 22 Mags. However, it's not as critical as it might seem nor unsafe to install a Mag cyl to shoot .22 mags. Your smaller bore may create a slightly higher pressure when shooting 22 mags, but look at the SAAMI Piezo maximum pressure standards:

.22RF Long & LR	24,000
.22WRM	24,000

The 22 LR pressure is the same as 22 Mag anyway and both well within the limits of the overbuilt robust single six cyl and frame. However Ruger customer service people can't tell you it's OK for legal reasons in our litigious culture because they didn't build that gun that way. And you'll have the additional benefit of being able to shoot the old 22 WRF (Winchester Rim Fire) which is currently available again, almost as powerful as the 22 WRM, and usually less expensive to buy!

If you obtain a mag cyl (Ruger won't sell cyls) on the used market (Ebay, Gunbroker, etc.) just make sure the overall length is at least as long as your 22 LR cyl. The overall lengths can vary. Better to get one a couple of thousandths too long than too short because you or a gunsmith can stone down the front hub to fit your frame. The action timing with the replacement mag cyl will be correct virtually 100% of the time.

Let us know what you decide to do,
Jim

 

[SATCOM]

The shank of the 7/32" drill bit wll JUST slip into the muzzle of the "improved" barrels,,, but not the early .22 LR-only ones.
improved barrels are good to go for magnum.

G2, where did you get the term "improved” barrels? In all my years associated with Sturm Ruger guns, I have never heard that term. I know exactly what you mean by "improved” barrels and why they SR changed dimensions but I highly doubt SR ever used the term. Having read every book printed regarding old model SR handguns I can not remember that term. Is "improved” barrels a made up term, to describe the dimension changes needed for .22 WRM to be used safely with SR Super Single Sixes and some Single Sixe? I post this only to warn against giving those new to SR OMs a false lexicon of SR history. JMO SATCOM

 

[rugerguy]

...ah once again, the English language rears its confused head, "improved"? which th e larger bore diameter barrels were after the developement of the 22 magnum caliber, so the barrels are "Updated", made "newer" , "better" to work with safer pressure levels of the larger ,bigger 22 magnum, so please forgive us old "Phartes" for saying things like "new" or "improved"...............or we'll get into mags and clips, Ford and Chevy, and on and on............

....."and so it goes...Wil Terry " may he rest in peace