ruger Single Six Flatgate

[Colorado1]

I recently picked up a SS Flategate 3-screw with a serial number under 2,000. I am the second owner and have never fired it. It's in near new condition except that to the trained eye, it looks like the previous owner or his gunsmith could have used a little more care removing or replacing the three screws. It's possible this happened when the transfer bar was installed. It also comes with the original Ruger box, manual, paper that was used to wrap the gun and the original receipt. It has the transfer bar, but Ruger returned all the origional parts. I also have the Ruger box that Ruger sent the gun back in (1983). There are no wear marks on the gun and it still has that rich blue color. Black grips are original as well.

So, I have several questions.

Are the three screws available as replacement parts if I wanted to go that direction? If so, where can I find them? Ruger doesn't have them.

If I wanted to sell it, any idea what I could get for everything? With a low serial number and 95+% condition, and the other original materials, it seems collectable. Ruger sent me an email and said it was shipped in August 1954. I've not seen a nicer looking single six.

Thank you,

Colorado1

 

[Olevern]

Congratulations on a nice find. Sorry I can't answer your questions, but I know if it was mine and had all the requisite original parts, I would have the transfer bar removed and original parts re-installed.

Love to see a picture.

 

[SAJohn]

Brownell's still shows all frame and two of the three action screws still available as shown on the Old Army.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=0/sid=21/schematicsdetail/Old-Army

 

[flatgate]

two of the three action screws

Hmm, the trigger pivot screw and the cylinder latch screw are identical. The hammer "pivot screw" is much larger.

flatgate

 

[flatgate]

The early Single-Sixes did NOT have the "hyphen" between the word Single and the word Six on the side of the cylinder frame.

Their front sights are not "serrated", either.

One other attribute sets the earliest guns apart from the "standard" adopted after s/n 2000 or so. The profile of the breech face changed from a flat surface to one with a "step". Sorry I've not recorded images of these changes.

We'd sure like to see pics!

flatgate

 

[Colorado1]

Not exactly sure how to post photos yet, but if you send me an email address I can forward a few to you.

 

[SATCOM]

Colorado1,

Sounds like a very nice early SR Single Six. Replacing lockworks screws is easy enough to do and find but to find screws that are just like yours will be much harder. Look at the heads, older ones have "milling marks" concentric circles. Early screws are just different.

Repair/touch up is an option. Leaving them as is of course is another option. If you sell it, leaving it alone is best. If you do want to sell it, I am interested. Send me a PM (Private Message) or e-mail (it's in my profile) and could discuss all matters of your gun.

SATCOM

 

[rugerguy]

Satcom, brings up a very good point, many of the early guns ,the screw heads were "rough" as he said the 'concentric circles" ( actually cut off marks from the tooling), and being these guns were built in a barn, they are what they are and as such , are 'correct' see too many folks swap out these screws for "shiny, smooth' ones and this is just 'wrong' to me, look like they are ( and were ) reblued...............as I said in your other post these screws can be made correct and proper, a little TLC as long as the slots aren't 'boogered", then they would need to be 'requalified' ( redone)
We would really need to "see" them up close, in a picture even..........

 

[rugerguy]

got the pictures ,thank you, fine looking gun, and I'd leave the screws "as is" let the new owner (if you decide to sell it) worry about them when they put the old lockwork back in,,,,NICE "package"