Rare Liberty Stainless Single Six

[lowhighlander]

Picked up this rare KNR4 convertible LIberty single six with firing pin groove on 22LR cylinder and fluted non roll marked magnum cylinder. RENE says less than 300. Love finding complete packages in the box.

Frank

 

[contender]

SWEET!!!!!!!!!

All too often,, many rarer variations slip by folks because they are "New Models" or look like a current production variation.

 

[flattop44]

Great score, I love those complete packages.
FT44/Bill

 

[hittman]

Nice one ….. congrats!

I’m thinking this was also fairly early on in Ruger’s making stainless guns. Wasn’t it 74 or 75 that stainless first showed up on Rugers?

 

[T.A. WORKMAN]

You snagged a good one, good for you!
Now you need to find a KBN-36X, to go along with your KNR-4 Liberty, only 300 of each model made.
Both early SS revolvers.
As an after thought do not pass up a NR-4 Liberty also, they are a sleeper only 2000 made.
Good Hunting,
Terry

 

[RPM Enterprises]

Very nice that is a rare one. Fortunately I have one in my collection. In all my years of collecting I've only seen about 5 of them. Nice score and nice pictures

 

[rugerguy]

You done good.......doesn't get much better than that with a "New Model"

.....good pictures too ,nice job

...wonder how long the firing pin groove was machined into the stainless LR cylinders?? I knew the blued ones there was an overlap into the New models, but not the stainless ones even having it..never paid attention or recall seeing that...neat

 

[jbowjm]

Does the box that this came in have KNr4X or is there no X ?

 

[lowhighlander]

No X

 

[jbowjm]

I have one just like it with no X . I guess maybe they didn't use the
X to designate convertible yet . Thanks

 

[lowhighlander]

I have one just like it with no X . I guess maybe they didn't use the
X to designate convertible yet . Thanks

The star guns in 1975 were the only 22LR only guns, all the rest were convertibles so I don't think they designated boxes with an X. They just had a different catalog number.

 

[contender]

Unless I'm mistaken,, the boxes didn't denote the "X". Just the shippers,, when it made a difference. And in the case of the .22's,, the dual caliber info was on the shipper. But I may just be thinking of the centerfire guns.

 

[GasGuzzler]

Is it the combination of fluted WMR cylinder, stainless, and 1976 that make it rare?

 

[T.A. WORKMAN]

lowhighlander,
Don't forget the single cylinder Arrow revolvers of 1985.

GasGuzzler,
Only 300 sets made.
But beware of fakes. I almost bought another one a few years ago but when I called Ruger Records it shipped as a KNR-5.
Now that we no longer have that service altered guns are going to be harder to establish.
Terry

 

[lowhighlander]

For sure unhandy to not have the records department. Now we have to rely on Chad's notes and a prayer. Fortunately this one falls in correct SN range and has the matching correct numbered and catalog # box. I guess that could all be faked as well but it would be a much larger undertaking.

I'm trying not to go down the Arrow rabbit hole, I'm telling myself no warning guns to try to remedy that.

I have all the stainless star guns and the 5.5 blued, I haven't tried real hard on the blued because I know sourcing the S4 would be next to impossible and pricey.

Frank

 

[contender]

"I know sourcing the S4 would be next to impossible and pricey."

All it takes is a willing seller & your money!

 

[T.A. WORKMAN]

From a shameless enabler.... "There are only 4 revolvers in the Arrow & all blue"
A lot easier to find those than an S4.
Good Hunting
Terry

 

[Hondo44]

The first new stainless .22 I found for sale was a KNR4 and I told the sales clerk I'll take it! Than he said it only had the LR cylinder and I found the star. I said than it must be cheaper, wring it up! OOPS Correction KS-4

The week before I bought an NR4 with both cylinders new in the box. Before I paid for it I checked both cylinders, they were numbers matching to each other but not to the gun! Both fit the gun perfectly. The box # matched the gun #. I asked if he had sold another gun recently or if he had any others in stock. He hadn't sold any others but brought one out from stock; it's cylinders matched the gun with them. They must have been switched at the factory. It was also a puzzle that both cylinders were numbered instead of just the magnum. Weird.

When the liberty models came out I bought one each of a KNR4 and a KNR5.
All four guns above have the original style cylinders; both the LR and Mag.

The cylinder style change had a transition period of course but generally corresponded to the Liberty guns period.
I've seen guns with new style LR cyl and original style mag cyl and visa versa.

 

[lowhighlander]

My KS-9 is new in box and still has plastic ring in firing pin groove

 

[hittman]

Nice box too

 

[GasGuzzler]

GasGuzzler,
Only 300 sets made.
But beware of fakes. I almost bought another one a few years ago but when I called Ruger Records it shipped as a KNR-5.
Now that we no longer have that service altered guns are going to be harder to establish.
Terry

I still have the same question. I understand 300 is rare. I asked why it was rare or more importantly how it is rare. What's the difference in it and other stainless Single Six New Model convertibles?

 

[lowhighlander]

I still have the same question. I understand 300 is rare. I asked why it was rare or more importantly how it is rare. What's the difference in it and other stainless Single Six New Model convertibles?

Barrel length

 

[Hondo44]

I still have the same question. I understand 300 is rare. I asked why it was rare or more importantly how it is rare. What's the difference in it and other stainless Single Six New Model convertibles?

Combination of:
Liberty Model
BOTH cylinders old style: firing groove on LR cyl, fluted Mag cyl.
And yes primarily, the 4 5/8" at 300 could be less, is the rarest of the 3 barrel lengths (no 9 1/2"). The next lowest quantity is the 5" at 3000.

 

[LDB]

Picked up this rare KNR4 convertible LIberty single six with firing pin groove on 22LR cylinder and fluted non roll marked magnum cylinder. RENE says less than 300. Love finding complete packages in the box.

Frank

That's a beauty! Where did you find it?

 

[chet15]

You snagged a good one, good for you!
Now you need to find a KBN-36X, to go along with your KNR-4 Liberty, only 300 of each model made.
Both early SS revolvers.
As an after thought do not pass up a NR-4 Liberty also, they are a sleeper only 2000 made.
Good Hunting,
Terry

I know where there is one...
Chet15

 

[bstrongTO]

How can you tell the difference between the models of 200 year Liberty stamp. Per lowhighlander’s information the serial numbers is large range.
Is it only the length? I don’t have access to the boxes right now, would that give any other clue?
sorry if this question was already answered.

 

[T.A. WORKMAN]

How can you tell the difference between the models of 200 year Liberty stamp. Per lowhighlander’s information the serial numbers is large range.
Is it only the length? I don’t have access to the boxes right now, would that give any other clue?
sorry if this question was already answered.

In 1976 all Ruger firearms were roll-marked,
Made in the 200TH year of American Liberty

 

[hittman]

How can you tell the difference between ……..

RENE is my answer!

 

[bstrongTO]

Thanks for info. Now to add to my stupidity 64-, is for new model 22 made in 1976. So it is either a NR4,5,6 ,9 or KNR 4,5,6. How do you tell the difference between old model cylinders and new? If 64-64789 falls in KNR4 serial number range that doesn’t guarantee anything. What’s even worse of a question is ‘Not all .22s are convertible?

 

[lowhighlander]

Thanks for info. Now to add to my stupidity 64-, is for new model 22 made in 1976. So it is either a NR4,5,6 ,9 or KNR 4,5,6. How do you tell the difference between old model cylinders and new? If 64-64789 falls in KNR4 serial number range that doesn’t guarantee anything. What’s even worse of a question is ‘Not all .22s are convertible?

The only non convertibles have a star, I just posted another thread with them. Here are the 2 different magnum cylinders.