Just bought a new Single Six Convertable, smooth, everything lines up perfectly, beautiful gun. It has the 4 5/8 barrel and I would like to make it a Sheriff's model, kinda. As far as I can see it will involve drill and tap sight and ejector rod housing attachment, plus shorten it of course. Have acess to mill and I have tapped and threaded a lot of metal. Cut off barrel in the mill too. Anybody see a problem or is this a fools errand?
Single Six Project
- Thread starter ftlupton
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JHRosier
Single-Sixer
Sounds like an interesting project.
Are you going to add the birdshead grip also?
Jack
Are you going to add the birdshead grip also?
Jack
sebtool
Blackhawk
It might just be me, but I'd try and find a beater/shooter to modify, rather than a new gun.
It sounds like a cool project, but I'd have a hard time cutting up a new gun! :shock:
I think I'd start trolling pawn shops, and put the word out that I wanted 1 in less than perfect condition. just my .02.
It sounds like a cool project, but I'd have a hard time cutting up a new gun! :shock:
I think I'd start trolling pawn shops, and put the word out that I wanted 1 in less than perfect condition. just my .02.
Yes on the birdshead, eventually anyway. Have to think this thing through for sure. I have cut up many many trap guns so this one should work out. I wanted my 870 trap barrel to shoot higher so I just bent it up until it shot where I wanted it to. Shot many great scores with that odd duck, now many do it. Nothing ventured nothing gained. The pawn shop idea is a good one and I may try that for a week or so. Good thoughts. I just love those birdshead grip models.
Hondo44
Hawkeye
ftlupton,
I applaud you, it's a great project. Been there done that. I don't see a need to find a klunker; this gun has no particular collectability that I'm aware of now that short barrels are a standard configuration. So you might as well have a still new looking gun when you finish. It won't need refinishing when done, just cold blue touchup on the muzzle. However, I'd pull the barrel, remove the warning and re-blue the barrel. If it's a very current version the warning stamping is on the bottom and won't show. But nothing looks more unprofessional than cut thru stampings. Or if you don't want to re-blue, and if the warning is on the left side, since you'll need to redrill/tap the sight and eject hsg holes anyway, pull it, adjust the shoulder and re-install the barrel turned 90 degrees so the warning is on the bottom. You save re-bluing but it's more work; lathe work. Unless you get one of Brownell's cool little barrel shoulder trimming devices. You'll need to check the barrel cylinder gap before shooting.
Another suggestion is to cut it to 4 1/8". Why? Because if you have a medium frame or large frame Ruger SA with short barrel as I do, it will be in proportion to it's big brother, which is very cool, and still meet your objective of a more 'packable' 22 Single Six.
You will lose a little travel on the ejector rod when you shorten it and not really a problem with 22 long rifles. But for the 22 WMRs, leave the ejector rod a little long so that when at rest, it's flush with the back end of the pass thru hole in the frame. From the factory the rod is about 1/8" short of that point when at rest.
If you need more reach you can cut a little off of the cylinder pin. For maximum reach cut a notch in the ejector housing even with the end of the cylinder pin so you can swivel the ejector rod head to the right to clear the pin and continue travel. You'll need to trim the spring length a little as well.
One small benefit of the shorter barrel is when you pull the cylinder pin to swap cylinders in the field, the pin will be captured by the ejector rod head and you don't have to worry about dropping it. You can gain this "capture" feature with any barrel length by chucking the pin in a drill press or power drill and with a Dremel tool, grinding a small annular ring in the back end of the cylinder pin to align with the crosspin retainer button when the end of the pin is flush in the frame hole so the cylinder just clears it.
The last suggestion is forget the all too common bird'shead grip anybody can do that, and go to the Vaquero style 32 Single six "short" version grip; either stainless for pizzaz or just blue. You can even round the sharp corners on the butt if you like. They'll look much better and another advantage is that you won't have to spend money on a new set of grips if they are wood; just shorten the originals and fit them better to the grip frame all the way around. Then it will not only be more packable but be in exact proportion to itself as well as to it's big brother!
I applaud you, it's a great project. Been there done that. I don't see a need to find a klunker; this gun has no particular collectability that I'm aware of now that short barrels are a standard configuration. So you might as well have a still new looking gun when you finish. It won't need refinishing when done, just cold blue touchup on the muzzle. However, I'd pull the barrel, remove the warning and re-blue the barrel. If it's a very current version the warning stamping is on the bottom and won't show. But nothing looks more unprofessional than cut thru stampings. Or if you don't want to re-blue, and if the warning is on the left side, since you'll need to redrill/tap the sight and eject hsg holes anyway, pull it, adjust the shoulder and re-install the barrel turned 90 degrees so the warning is on the bottom. You save re-bluing but it's more work; lathe work. Unless you get one of Brownell's cool little barrel shoulder trimming devices. You'll need to check the barrel cylinder gap before shooting.
Another suggestion is to cut it to 4 1/8". Why? Because if you have a medium frame or large frame Ruger SA with short barrel as I do, it will be in proportion to it's big brother, which is very cool, and still meet your objective of a more 'packable' 22 Single Six.
You will lose a little travel on the ejector rod when you shorten it and not really a problem with 22 long rifles. But for the 22 WMRs, leave the ejector rod a little long so that when at rest, it's flush with the back end of the pass thru hole in the frame. From the factory the rod is about 1/8" short of that point when at rest.
If you need more reach you can cut a little off of the cylinder pin. For maximum reach cut a notch in the ejector housing even with the end of the cylinder pin so you can swivel the ejector rod head to the right to clear the pin and continue travel. You'll need to trim the spring length a little as well.
One small benefit of the shorter barrel is when you pull the cylinder pin to swap cylinders in the field, the pin will be captured by the ejector rod head and you don't have to worry about dropping it. You can gain this "capture" feature with any barrel length by chucking the pin in a drill press or power drill and with a Dremel tool, grinding a small annular ring in the back end of the cylinder pin to align with the crosspin retainer button when the end of the pin is flush in the frame hole so the cylinder just clears it.
The last suggestion is forget the all too common bird'shead grip anybody can do that, and go to the Vaquero style 32 Single six "short" version grip; either stainless for pizzaz or just blue. You can even round the sharp corners on the butt if you like. They'll look much better and another advantage is that you won't have to spend money on a new set of grips if they are wood; just shorten the originals and fit them better to the grip frame all the way around. Then it will not only be more packable but be in exact proportion to itself as well as to it's big brother!
I like the idea of the XR3-RED short grip for this gun but you may have a hard time finding one. A stainless one polished bright on a blued gun adds a nice touch. Myself I would take the barrel down to 3 1/2". I have installed a blued New Vaquero type grip frame on a SS before and it work out very well and with a set of thin grips it's pretty compact. This thread makes me want to do one as a fixed sight SS Sheriff. Heres a shot of my frame change over.
Hondo44
Hawkeye
REP1954 said:
Hondo44 said"Ordered the XRN-3RED short grip in blue #XR00303 from Ruger for $115."
Hondo44 when did you order your XR3-RED grip frame from Ruger? I tried to order some about six months ago for future projects and was told by the lady there that they were no longer available. I think I will check with Brownells I just never thought they would carry these as it wouldnt be a big seller for them. They are great frames for small hands and if you deck them down you dont have to make your grips so thin.
Hondo44 when did you order your XR3-RED grip frame from Ruger? I tried to order some about six months ago for future projects and was told by the lady there that they were no longer available. I think I will check with Brownells I just never thought they would carry these as it wouldnt be a big seller for them. They are great frames for small hands and if you deck them down you dont have to make your grips so thin.
All good thoughts, I wanted it to be more packable for sure. Have thought about ejector rod length so the heads up is appreciated. On my gun the warning junk is almost on the bottom now, virtually under the ejector rod housing. Suppose someone at the factory feels the same as we do about this nonesense? Anyway the planning continues. About 2 weeks before I can access the mill, it is tied up in a production job.
M'BOGO
Buckeye
please post pics with progress...
Hondo44
Hawkeye
REP1954":exkqoasp said:
I ordered it Aug. '08, so I can understand if they are all gone now. It's XRN-3RED because it's the New Model version of the XR3-RED frame. To differentiate from the standard length frame, Ruger refers to it as the XRN-3RED (SHORT). The SSteel version is KXR3 (SHORT). The 32 'Vaquero' came with either the standard or short grip. Some people do not like the short grip. So if not available from Brownell's, you might consider getting a 32 with short frame and swapping out the grip frame with either the standard length or better yet, the new XR3 grip frame (both currently used and therefore still available) and reselling the gun. I've also thought about shortening a new XR3 grip frame 1/4" which would require welding but not that difficult to do and eliminate the need to mill deck down the width. That way it would be shorter front to back and in length as well, and already thinner.
Hondo44":1e9r3opo said:
I´m about to do just this and I wonder if the cylinder pin is solid at the end?
This is my little project..
Someone cut the barrel to 3,5" but did a lousy job welding the front sight in place, the ejector is too short also, but I think I can fix it.
When I got it (it was cheap) the barrel wasnt crowned properly so I re-crowned it first and then I test-fired it, it shot 1" groups at 25yards so it seems to be OK.
As you can see I have changed the grip frame, I have a NM 357 Blackhawk with alloy gripframe and when I swiched grip frames between the two both guns improved their balance.
Fortuneatly the "ears" on the two grip frames matched so it was an easy swap.
I still have a lot of work to do on the Single-Six, but in the end it will be a fun, little, high-polished .22.
Good luck with your project!
Hondo44
Hawkeye
[quote = I´m about to do just this and I wonder if the cylinder pin is solid at the end? [/quote]
You have a great little project: pick it up cheap and you can only improve on it. Yes, the new model cylinder pin is hollow on the end, however it has more than enough wall thickness to grind a retaining notch in it. You'll only need about 1/32" depth for the cylinder pin cross bolt retainer to grab it and stop your forward motion as you withdraw the cyl pin from the frame. If you try to withdraw the pin without pushing in on the cross bolt you'll feel how much tension it has.
[quote = Fortuneatly the "ears" on the two grip frames matched so it was an easy swap. [/quote]
If you ever want to swap to a new model XR3 flattop grip frame, you'll notice it no longer has the "ears" that index into the back of the cyl frame. The ears are no longer needed for strength with steel grip frames. I installed the longer XR-3RED grip frame on my stainless .45 New Vaquero because of the recoil of some of my loads and just ground off the ears. It works great.
You have a great little project: pick it up cheap and you can only improve on it. Yes, the new model cylinder pin is hollow on the end, however it has more than enough wall thickness to grind a retaining notch in it. You'll only need about 1/32" depth for the cylinder pin cross bolt retainer to grab it and stop your forward motion as you withdraw the cyl pin from the frame. If you try to withdraw the pin without pushing in on the cross bolt you'll feel how much tension it has.
[quote = Fortuneatly the "ears" on the two grip frames matched so it was an easy swap. [/quote]
If you ever want to swap to a new model XR3 flattop grip frame, you'll notice it no longer has the "ears" that index into the back of the cyl frame. The ears are no longer needed for strength with steel grip frames. I installed the longer XR-3RED grip frame on my stainless .45 New Vaquero because of the recoil of some of my loads and just ground off the ears. It works great.
Today I worked a little on my Single-Six, found out that the barrel is 3" not 3,5" as I said earlier.
The ejector was to short to function so I cut down the cylinder pin and the ear on the ejector.
This is how it looks now.
The ejector is now pushing just enough to get a grip of the case rim. :roll:
Well, anyway it works now.. sort of...
The ejector was to short to function so I cut down the cylinder pin and the ear on the ejector.
This is how it looks now.
The ejector is now pushing just enough to get a grip of the case rim. :roll:
Well, anyway it works now.. sort of...
This package has NEAT written all over it.
just thought. can you thin down the ejector rod handle too? Take the metal off the back side of it (the side that comes in contact with the base pin. Kind of make it "paper thin" to give you a bit more stroke.
Or is this even an issue at this point with the ejector rod spring bunching up preventing a longer stroke?
another thing that I think would look neat is swap out the front sight with one from one of the target model mark II's/III's. just something different.
and honestly......i like the two tone look with that grip frame.
edited to correct spelling.
just thought. can you thin down the ejector rod handle too? Take the metal off the back side of it (the side that comes in contact with the base pin. Kind of make it "paper thin" to give you a bit more stroke.
Or is this even an issue at this point with the ejector rod spring bunching up preventing a longer stroke?
another thing that I think would look neat is swap out the front sight with one from one of the target model mark II's/III's. just something different.
and honestly......i like the two tone look with that grip frame.
edited to correct spelling.
M'BOGO
Buckeye
You could make the slot in the ERH divert the ER button around the base pin, and stopping at the frame.
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