Unusual Single Six?

[rdf009]

Yesterday, in a pawn shop in Georgia, I saw a used NM Single Six that struck me as being extremely unusual. It was a NR-5F (blued, 5.5" barrel, fixed "Vaquero" style sights). It was .22 cal (not .32 mag.....I checked and then double checked). The unusual thing was that it had a CCH frame and steel grip frame. And it was a standard length XR3-RED grip frame, not the short frame that was used on the blued .32 mag fixed sight single sixes.

I don't think I've ever heard of a blued .22 cal Single Six with a CCH frame and steel gripframe. I know I've never seen one. I've seen many of the fixed sight models, but the blued ones all have blued frames and aluminum grip frames. And, again, this gun was a .22 .....not a .32 mag.

Anybody know about these? Limited run maybe?

He had it priced at $499, which put me out of the market immediately. Even if it had been priced at $299 I couldn't have bought it, since I live in Ohio and this shop is in Georgia. And he refused to ship any guns to an out of state FFL (even though I had a copy of my dealer's license in my pocket). Too bad, because he had a few guns that I would have bought if he would've shipped them for me.

P.S. The grips on this gun were the fake ivories with the black Ruger logo laser engraved into the bottom (no medallions). Not sure if they were the original grips or not.

 

[flatgate]

Look in your RENE guide. Unfortunately I don't see mention of "finish" with these guns in the listing, but, in my haste I've perhaps overlooked that info.

flatgate

 

[Hondo44]

That was a Davidson's Exclusive from 2002 # BNV-225-SI. They also had an equal amunt of 4 5/8" barreled same models.

 

[street]

That was a Davidson's Exclusive from 2002 # BNV-225-SI. They also had an equal amunt of 4 5/8" barreled same models.

I think that you are correct and I believed they were .22 LR only. Not too many made. A little over 600 of the 4 5/8 in barrels made. A little less of the 5 1/2 in barrels made.

 

[gak]

Sounds like a great gun! My .32 of same configuration is one of my very favorite guns.
Btw:

The unusual thing was that it had a CCH frame and steel grip frame. And it was a standard length XR3-RED grip frame, not the short frame that was used on the blued .32 mag fixed sight single sixes.

It is a popular misperception that all such .32s were the short gripframe. It is true that ultimately many were, but many also were "regular" XR3-Red,...for awhile sold, confusingly, right alongside the shorties (but with ignorant counterfolk being--or acting--none-the-wiser). Even some gripmakers make the mistake of this overgeneralization regarding .32 Vaquerito gripframes in their online descriptions. However, it IS true that only .32s were shorties...just not all.

Regarding the steel grip and CCH, maybe Ruger just used spare basic .32 grip and cylinder frames for these. They would then only have to add the Single Six .22's cylinder and barrel, and the 22's own, unique "firing pin"/transfer bar and timing arrangements of course. (As an aside, interestingly no fixed sight "Vaquerito" style .32s were ever made in 5.5", only 4-5/8"...and the recent, limited 3+" John Waynes.).

 

[rdf009]

Thanks for the replies. I was pretty sure that it had to be a limited production gun. And it makes sense that it was .22 LR only because I didn't see a magnum cylinder with the gun at the shop.

I told the shop owner that I thought he had an unusual Single Six. He replied, "Yeah, I know...you don't see many of them with the pearl grips" :?
So then I tried to explain to him that the grips had nothing to do with it. I told him that almost ALL blued single sixes have aluminum grip frames, and that I had never seen one with a case hardened frame. I don't think he believed me, though, because he kind of acted like I didn't know what I was talking about. Ticked me off a little bit. Not sure what his deal was......I was just tryin to help him out. Maybe he didn't like having a Yankee handling his guns. 8)

 

[Hondo44]

Btw:

The unusual thing was that it had a CCH frame and steel grip frame. And it was a standard length XR3-RED grip frame, not the short frame that was used on the blued .32 mag fixed sight single sixes.

It is a popular misperception that all such .32s were the short gripframe. It is true that ultimately many were, but many also were "regular" XR3-Red,...for awhile sold, confusingly, right alongside the shorties (but with ignorant counterfolk being--or acting--none-the-wiser). Even some gripmakers make the mistake of this overgeneralization regarding .32 Vaquerito gripframes in their online descriptions. However, it IS true that only .32s were shorties...just not all.

Yes, just one - different in the cat #; ended in -S-I on the short grip model for short and ivory. The standard grip ended in -SI for scrimshawed ivory IIRC. I always wanted one in 4 5/8" and I too would install the short grip frame to match my 32.

 

[Hondo44]

Thanks for the replies. I was pretty sure that it had to be a limited production gun. And it makes sense that it was .22 LR only because I didn't see a magnum cylinder with the gun at the shop.

I told the shop owner that I thought he had an unusual Single Six. He replied, "Yeah, I know...you don't see many of them with the pearl grips" :?
So then I tried to explain to him that the grips had nothing to do with it. I told him that almost ALL blued single sixes have aluminum grip frames, and that I had never seen one with a case hardened frame. I don't think he believed me, though, because he kind of acted like I didn't know what I was talking about. Ticked me off a little bit. Not sure what his deal was......I was just tryin to help him out. Maybe he didn't like having a Yankee handling his guns. 8)

Don't think it had anything to do with being a Yankee. Shop owners just naturally seem to get defensive when they run into a customer that knows something that they don't. It's just a shop owner syndrome, I'm the seller, don't try to tell me about my business! Of course they are not all that way, it's usually the ones that know the least about guns. :roll:

He's probably trying to figure it right now so he can justify raising the price.

 

[street]

Here are a consecutive pair of the 4 5/8 in guns. They are "New in the Box" Safe Queens.

 

[Hondo44]

Oh man! Not just one but two and in my preferred barrel length :shock: !