Single Six question

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Nov 20, 2007
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Just picked up a hand full of Single Sixes. RSSMW, RSS5W, and RSS5. 2 of the 3 have no indication of the last 3 numbers of the serial number on the front of the cylinder. Would this provide a hunt that they may be 22 lr only or is it meaningless?
Thanks! Dave
 
Never say "never" where Ruger is concerned, but in almost all cases, only the magnum cylinder was marked with the last three digits of the SN. It's very common to encounter Super Single Sixes with no magnum cylinder. Same story for the Single Six Convertible.... but the Single Six was rarely, if ever, marked, as it had only the LR cylinder.
 
I agree with 'wwb' and as you noted yourself, it is about "meaningless" UNLESS, any numbers were NOT the last three of THAT gun.........no numbers, OK..later yes, the 'spare' cylinder, ( in this case the spare would have been a magnum cylinder)..................so as long as the cylinders, "fit, and function" and have THE numbers or none at all, I would not be overly concerned...............besides the fact, after all these years, and the many "countless" cylinders that our shop alone have marked or "re marked" for customers, it could be 'endless' and the "fly in the ointment" for any and all historians to consider...(besides, it drives collectors NUTZ !!!) 8)
 
As a rule, most single cylinder guns don't have the last 3 digits of their serial number stamped or scratched on the front of their cylinder. Notice I said most. I have a RSS5W that letters as a single cylinder gun that has the last 3 digits of it's serial number scratched on the front of the cylinder. That being said when Ruger first started making the convertibles they stamped the last 3 number of the serial number on the front of the extra cylinders. That means the .22 mag. cylinders were stamped on the RSS4X, RSS5X, and the RSS9X,, and the .22 L.R. cylinder was stamped on the RSSMX, as that was the extra cylinder. This went on to about serial number 360361 for the RSS4X, 5X, and 9X. and serial number 360532 for the RSSMX. After that Ruger starting scratching the last 3 number of the serial number on the front of the extra cylinders. Shortly after that Ruger started scratching both cylinders with the last 3 numbers with the serial number and continues to this day.

As a general rule and probably 99.999% of the time if you have a RSS,4,5,9,M with a cylinder that has the last 3 numbers of the serial number scratched on the front of it, then most likely it is a convertible, and I would say 99.9999%. :? :? :? One other thing to add. Once Ruger started the convertibles all Old Model Single-Sixes with 4 5/8, and 9 1/2 in. bls. were convertibles
 
Heliman...just remember though, there are a lot of rare .22 LR only or .22 Mag. only guns out there that folks have not taken the time to letter. These could always prove worth the time to Ruger for verfication of what it was originally shipped as.
After more than 30 years, there are still only 12 or 13 .22 Mag. only Single-Sixes out there without the Mag. rollmark on the frame...and these 12 or 13 exist in 4 different variations!! To have a full collection of them is a nearly impossible feat as most collectors only have 1 of the four (I know of only one collector who has 3 of the 4).
Chet15
 
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