single six flat top age

[Papalote]

I just picked up 2 single flat tops. Ser no 489960 and 313042. 5 1/2 inch and 6 1/2 inch. need help with dates and stuff. Thanks

 

[hittman]

https://ruger.com/dataProcess/serialHistory/
There are no flattop Single Six's.
There are flatGATE Single Six's.
There are flatTOP Blackhawks.

https://www.rugerforum.com/threads/subscribe-to-the-red-eagle-news-exchange.30544/

 

[Papalote]

OK, I was going by what the were called on the internet. Sorry. These have the fixed drift rear sights.

 

[hittman]

Pics be great.

 

[Papalote]

I'll try to post pics when I get them cleaned up. The 313042 says ruger single six win. 22 RF mag.

 

[hittman]

They both should be on Ruger’s web site. Think that 22 Mag is early 60s.

 

[Papalote]

That's what I thought too. The other looks like 56 or 57.

 

[G2]

56/57…???
I get ,,,
313042- 1960
489960- 1967


Not all serials numbers (particularly ones shipped before records were kept electronically) are available via this lookup. For older records, please select a product line below to view it's approximate first serial number shipped for the indicated year or contact Customer Service.

Single-Six Magnum Model Revolver

Manufactured from 1959 to 1969 22 Magnum (Instruction Manual)
Serial	Year
300001	1959
305543	1960
318696	1961
331116	1962
351442	1963
380392	1964
409921	1965
434541	1966
475650	1967
490279	1968
824407	1969

 

[Papalote]

The 489960 is not a magnum. Regular single six.

 

[G2]

With a 6 digit SN# 489960, there is no way possible for that gun to be from 56/57.

I'm not sure but I think you have a LR/Magnum Convertible and your missing one or the other cylinder.

A call to Ruger might tell you,,, BUT $10 to Ruger will get you a letter with the details.


Single-Six Standard Model Revolver

Manufactured from 1953 to 1973 22 LR (Instruction Manual)
Serial	Year
1	1953
50	1954
10734	1955
31857	1956
55346	1957
88245	1958
122480	1959
151189	1960
171403	1961
187367	1962
20-00001	1969
20-39803	1970
20-77705	1971
21-16995	1972
21-53819	1973

 

[Papalote]

Ok. I see I was not counting numbers. What is the difference between the two I have. The 313042 has magnum on it and the 489960 just says single-six on it. I’m trying to learn something here. I have ever had that had the drift adjustable rear sights. I have another 3 screw with fully adjustable sights. I’m 72 and have been shooting since I was 7 yo. Still learning.

 

[rugerguy]

never too old to actually read the books and still learn,just what is wha,t and why...bottom line quickly is the #300000 serial number range guns are started when the 22 magnum caliber became ( was born) developed around 1959.......Ruger made the 6 1/2 in barrel version,, marked the left side with the 22 magnum rollmarking .....was another Single Six model in the different caliber ...in a short while mr Ruger figured out why make two different guns, just combine them to one, and add, or make available, the spare cylinder for the 22 caliber ( shorts, longs and long rifle) save time effort and money get the same thing done voila cost savings remove redundancy etc......., why not continue to make ONE revolver, the Single Six and add the 'Magnum cylinder to it,,,,,hhhmmm.he was always doing things like that, his mind always working the angles and be one up on the competition..............I for one respected that and loved to speak with him as to the whys and the wherefores, BUT he preferred to speak about 'family', with my wife Laura, we'll never forget when he, and my wife and Hank Williams JR., were sitting together at the NRA convention at the Ruger booth, along with Roy Jinks from S&W, and they talked about kids ( children) as at that time Hank was a "new " father and and I believe it was a little girl......everyone else there was wondering just what the hell they were sitting there and talking for the longest time and it was NOT guns, or business.........true story

 

[JAYDAWG]

So,
They were just people?? That's my favorite part
Thanks for the story.

Cheers,
JAYDAWG

 

[Papalote]

Well, I found out while cleaning them they both have the magnum cylinder in them I have a extra long rifle cylinder. How can I tell if it’s a new model or a old model. It is a hair longer than the magnum cylinder. I can get it machined to match the magnum cylinder.

 

[hittman]

Using the Search feature ….. maybe info in these will help you

https://www.rugerforum.com/threads/old-model-single-six-magnum-cylinder-question.175353/https://www.rugerforum.com/threads/missing-magnum-cylinder.285464/

 

[Bonasa]

That's what I thought too. The other looks like 56 or 57.

Nope; five-digit SNs back that early.

 

[Bonasa]

I just picked up 2 single flat tops. Ser no 489960 and 313042. 5 1/2 inch and 6 1/2 inch. need help with dates and stuff. Thanks

I would try here:

https://ruger.com/dataProcess/serialHistory/

 

[Randyzzz]

I have found these tables to be mostly accurate- but RENE tops all.

I have also been on the lookout for a WMR cylinder that does not have the last 3 of the serial inscribed into the face. eBay seems to be a plentiful source of cylinders, but also a plentiful source of inadequate or indirect descriptions. Maybe someone can confirm or disprove an observation-

New model cylinders seem to have a slightly smaller star wheel diameter along with a different cutting method. This appears to manifest itself as a slight notching of the star wheel on the OM cylinders that is not present on NM cylinders. All my OM cylinders show this notching, whereas my 2 NM cylinders and all online verifiable cylinders don’t.

This is the NM WMR cylinder. The cylinder shoulder is cut right up to the edge of the star wheel.

This is the OM WMR cylinder. You can see the slight crescent notch at the shoulder of each cylinder. The star wheel on the OM measures .6215, my NM measures .6210
I believe the notch is caused by different tooling as opposed to the slightly larger diameter- or maybe by a combination of the two.

Anyways- occasionally there are cylinders described as NM .22LR cylinders. But they have these “notches”. I’m guessing they are possibly OM WMR cylinders. Thoughts?

 

[rugerguy]

the the cylinders may have some numbers etched into the end of the cylinder, and the last three digits of either gun will match the cylinders numbers, possibly that will tell you which goes with what gun.....you know the one Mag cylinder goes with the 'Magnum ' marked Single Six and if it was a single cylinder gun, ( some later ones were shipped with the extra cylnder and in the case of the Magnum marked gun ( the#300000) gun the spare cylinder is a 22 cal ,short,long,long rifle,,,,and the other gun ( #400,00 serial number range) the spare cylinder is a "magnum", hope that comes across clearly..........most of us could tell you in a glance if we were holding ,looking at the two guns and all the cylinders...........

 

[Papalote]

Thank you. I will look at the cylinders tonight.

 

[Star43]

never too old to actually read the books and still learn,just what is wha,t and why...bottom line quickly is the #300000 serial number range guns are started when the 22 magnum caliber became ( was born) developed around 1959.......Ruger made the 6 1/2 in barrel version,, marked the left side with the 22 magnum rollmarking .....was another Single Six model in the different caliber ...in a short while mr Ruger figured out why make two different guns, just combine them to one,

Thanks for the story.......I have to ask, since you knew him pretty well, what were his favorite guns that he and his company made ? I would venture a guess that the Old Army was definitely one of them ?? Just wondering?? Thanks,

 

[rugerguy]

No , n ot well but he took the time to say hello, chat with me a bit but really took to the 'family' parts of things, like I said my wife,our kids and other kids ....seldom talked guns as he did that ALL the time but listening to him talk with my wife and her love of the Bearcats, Red Eagles, and the Single sixes ,her prides and joys I caught that he liked the them also as well as the No 1s and me being left handed was able to use them as well as the No 3........ it was simpler time back then, never got to see the way things have progressed?? to all this "black plastic" of today, bet he'd roll his eyes at the ways thing have become, and I know he really wanted a cartridge to be named after him, he hated he "had" to put their names of his competitors on his firearms, such as the rollmarking on the cylinders for Remington 44 mags or the Winchesters......bugged him, and his way of the early grips ,NOT calling the early "hardened rubber" of the 1953-54 Single Sixes " they are hard rubber, NOT plastic, they put plastic on cap guns", that is an actual quote of his....nice guy , and a very busy man but was nice to see him take time out that day of the NRA convention back in the early 90s, also at that time he was in a wheel chairm and I can see them sitting on the couch at the rest area? lounge with Hank W Jr on the one end, my wife Laura in the middle and Roy JInks all on the couch and Mr Ruger at the end in his wheel chair,,,and NOBODY dared come up to them , to bother them, except for ONE young boy, had approached Mr Ruger and asked him for his autograph, and he smiled ,patted him on the head ,signed it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,everyone else he said "go away , can;t you see we are busy..." see it like it was yesterday, and thats when I "knew the man" .........
just a side note he had a hard time signing his autograph it was all shaky and scribbled...........arthritis ?? his hands were knarly looking..........May he rest in Peace

 

[Star43]

Thanks much for writing that. Obviously I never had the opportunity to meet him, but the way you describe him and the things you noted, are pretty much how I thought he would be. Sort of like the photos of him in the catalogs. He smiled, but not too big, and just conveyed confidence and pride in his company and his guns. Thanks again.

 

[chet15]

I have found these tables to be mostly accurate- but RENE tops all.

I have also been on the lookout for a WMR cylinder that does not have the last 3 of the serial inscribed into the face. eBay seems to be a plentiful source of cylinders, but also a plentiful source of inadequate or indirect descriptions. Maybe someone can confirm or disprove an observation-

New model cylinders seem to have a slightly smaller star wheel diameter along with a different cutting method. This appears to manifest itself as a slight notching of the star wheel on the OM cylinders that is not present on NM cylinders.

The term for Single-Six cylinders as Old Model or New Model is really a misnomer. The firing pin groove for the LR cylinder was taken off of the cylinder at about 64-20000 for blue guns and the Mag. cylinder began to be unfluted and rollmarked at the same time. For stainless guns, both changes also occurred at the same time but at 64-70000.
That said, there's no way Ruger had 220,000+ "Old Model" LR cylinders and 220,000 "Old Model" Mag. cylinders on hand when they decided to make those changes. The changes were nothing more than a running line change. And as one thinks about it, there weren't any Old Model Stainless Single-Sixes, so the term Old Model stainless cylinder doesn't fit with that either.
As the diameter of the ratchet area... I can see that Ruger probably did make a change... because dropping the gang drill down onto that area would obviously send your bits off the side a little, unless you drilled from the other end.... and they really couldn't do that on a Mag. cylinder since the Mags are chambered. Yeah... Ruger probably mad the change... but when would be anybody's guess.... certainly not because of "Old Model" and "New Model"
Chet15

 

[Randyzzz]

Thank you for the explanation! As someone relatively new to this, I find the history fascinating.

What I was trying to determine, based on my observations- is that it appears that fluted .22WMR cylinders have that slight crescent cutout on the star wheel, whereas .22LR cylinders supplied with both OM and NM guns do not have that crescent. Likewise non-fluted WMR cylinders don't exhibit it. I have 7 OM, 4 with WMR cylinders, and 1 NM that support this observation. I realize this is a very small sample group.

Why I am interested in this is that I am postulating that if a fluted cylinder exhibits the crescent cutouts, it is likely a WMR cylinder. This would aid in identifying parts for sale online that might be described improperly.

I am hoping that others here would check their fluted WMR cylinders and their LR cylinders to verify if only the fluted cylinders have the crescent cutouts on the star wheel.

Maybe this should be moved to its own thread to get some traction?

 

[contender]

Ruger's website can help a little. But the best info,, with MUCH more detail, AND often more accurate is the "Red Eagle News Exchange" Reference Guide. (And it can also be more accurate than even the factory website info.)
That & if you spend the $10 for a factory letter to get some specific details.

But many folks fail to understand that in the early years of Ruger manufacturing,, record keeping, ESPECIALLY details,, was NOT done. It wasn't a priority. They did what was necessary to comply with the law, and to give themselves the minimums they needed for their own purposes.
Changes in a swappable part, (such as grips,) were rarely noted on any of the guns. Collecting or such was NOT even a serious thought, much less given any consideration.

For info on getting a copy of the RENE Guide & all, you can subscribe to the RENE via our member here; " chet15 " as he's the publisher. It's CHEAP for the amount of EXCELLENT info it provides.

 

[Star43]

That does make sense. Back when any company for that matter is just starting, they are trying to make their products to come out as best and as fast as possible to be successful and to basically also survive. So,, at that point, I don't think Ruger was thinking about collectability records...

 

[rugerguy]

..oh yes, we had heard back then when Mr Ruger said "he did not like, care for the 'collectors', and they making money on the secondary market",, he wanted us to "buy his Rugers , use them , wear them out and buy another...." yes I quote him on that.....

 

[Star43]

But isn't it hard to "wear out a Ruger" ... I can picture him saying that, as you say, even though I never knew him. And he made them so well, it's almost as he was like daring you to try to wear one out !!!!

 

[rugerguy]

....kinda how we took that ........he knew that my wife "collected" them, and that I worked on them, and was our bread and butter at the gun shop......