Single Six mag cylinder

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hittman

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I should probably know the answer to this question but I don't so hope some here can help.

How again do I tell if a Single Six 22 Mag cylinder is OM or NM?

It's blued, fluted, no firing pin groove on the back side, no 3 digit s/n marks on it.

Thanks
 
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old model 22 mag cylinders have flutes, the new model are rollmarked "22 magnum "and are smooth...YES < they used left over old model cylinders in the first new model convertibles, till the new ones were available.....late 1973 ,early 1974 would have to do an EXACT serial number to figure out the cut off, and besides would be MORE the shipping date , than the serial number I'm guessing......they were more concerned with the lock work, than the cylinders.. 8) :roll: :wink:
 
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rugerguy said:
. . . they used left over old model cylinders in the first new model convertibles, till the new ones were available . . . :wink:

. . . in which case the cylinder would most likely have three digits marked on the face. :wink:
 

hittman

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A guy brought this into a local mom and pop store.

Gun belonged to Dad who is now deceased, gun was supposedly a convertible, gun was stolen "years ago" and this magnum cylinder is all that remains. So .... no other info like s/n etc is available.

Thanks for your help guys, I appreciate it.

The cylinder does have a minor ring on it and one small spot of surface gunk that will maybe clean up. Regardless, I think he's too high at $100.00.
 
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Well, another possibility is that the gun was a "magnum only" but had been fitted with an LR cylinder when it was stolen. The "original" magnum cylinder might not have had s/n digits on it.

Heck, for all we know the gun might have been stolen without a cylinder. :wink:

As far as prices go, RENE has 'em at $115.
 
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the serial number digits are NOT always where or when they should be on any given cylinder, as noted "usually" it is the "spare" cylinder that got the number but if the other was in the gun the first one or 22 cal got the number, then at times if it went back into the "system" at the factory they numbered BOTH cylinders to keep them together...I know we had to number MANY of the them over the years when we refinished any Rugers at our shops, and yes we too used the 'electric pencil', besides I wish I had a nickel for every cylinder that I refinished over the years and REMOVED the numbers, either way its been almost 57 years we were doing it... 8) :roll: :wink:
 

street

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The new model "BLUE" Super Single-Sixes used the fluted Mag. cylinders up to 1975. The Stainless Steel guns used the fluted cylinders up to 1976. The 200 year Stainless guns came both ways except for the 4 5/8 in. stainless. It only had the fluted cylinders. So far no 9 1/2 in. Stainless guns have been found.

As for the thought that Ruger used up the old model mag. fluted cylinders what about the fluted stainless mag. cylinders. There were no Old Model Stainless guns. Where did they come from????? :wink: :!: :?:
 

Hondo44

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A telling question!

Did they use up blued Old Model, old style cyls by shipping with New Model blue guns? Sure!

They weren't all left over old model cyls in blue: they were continued to be made in the old style design and began making them in stainless. In other words, the change in cyl design had nothing to do with the New Model change, it wasn't simultaneously introduced and not until after introduction of the New Model SA design!

You can call them "new model or new style cylinders" but they were not part of the "New Model line" of single action transfer bar safety gun re-design. They were a later and separate production design change.

Hope that helps,
 

chet15

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rugerguy said:
old model 22 mag cylinders have flutes, the new model are rollmarked "22 magnum "and are smooth...YES < they used left over old model cylinders in the first new model convertibles, till the new ones were available.....late 1973 ,early 1974 would have to do an EXACT serial number to figure out the cut off, and besides would be MORE the shipping date , than the serial number I'm guessing......they were more concerned with the lock work, than the cylinders.. 8) :roll: :wink:

The old model style lasted until about 64-20000 for the blue guns and to about 64-70000 for the stainless.
Calling them old model and new model though is not really correct and is where most people get confused about this... "that it has to be an Old Model cylinder or a New Model cylinder".
Ruger just didn't have 500,000 or so LR and Mag. cylinders laying around ready to be used.
The changes in the cylinders were a machining change that didn't take place until late 1975 for the blue Single-Sixes and mid 1976 for the stainless.
Same thing with the centerfire cylinders. New Model Super Blackhawk cylinders for example with a firing pin groove can be found up to about 81-40000. Ruger really didn't have 40,000 cylinders laying around after they got rid of the Old Model.
Chet15
 
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...had them, used them or kept making them, made no difference, they are found well into the "New Models" of the Single Six, , so you know that the "rollmarked 22 magnum" cylinder was /is ONLY the NEW models, and the fluted ones can go either way, New or Old model, and the compelling thing is whether it was "cost"??? the make the cylinder with the flutes??? or to NO flutes ,with rollmarking for the "Magnum" , to me, the FACT most people who used ,owned and shot the Single Sixes had NO clue which cylinder, was which till they tried the ammo....Ruger finally got smart and rollmarked them for the average, normal, user ( customer, make it easy to see in a glance which cylinder was which...hell even Colt marked their 22 magnum cylinder from the beginning after the development of the 22 Magnum cartridge, and built their Scouts........not certain but believe it was their 1962 version...its been a while........... 8) :roll:
Hittman,,,,, if ONLY the cylinder could talk....we'll never know for certain and the fact they want $100 is about market value these days............can be cleaned up too.;)
 
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rugerguy said:
Ruger finally got smart and rollmarked them for the average, normal, user (customer, make it easy to see in a glance which cylinder was which...) 8) :roll: :wink:

You know, for those who don't bother to read the manual. :wink: :wink: :wink: (Thanks to Carl for the reminder.)
 
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well we learned one thing today, the term "old model type" in the New models, well guess what, they are different, the OLD Models measure 1.390 in the body length, the fluted firing pin groove "early" new models are 1.410" , THEY ARE LONGER IN THE BODY,,,,the early fluted "new model" cylinder will not drop in fit the "old models" ,tried a half dozen of each one and NO go......well now 8) :roll:

"and so it goes......." RIP Wil Terry :wink:
 

Hondo44

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I did some random measuring of single sixes in my collection and the results are:

OM vs NM cyl body lengths:

"Early" OLD Models Lightweights and pre lightweights measure 1.390" +/- in the body length,
"mid" old models beginning about 1960 are 1.405" +/-,
"late" old models and those in new model guns are 1.410" +/-.
 
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