WTK: Ruger Single-Six LW Ejector rod?

[Valmet]

I've have two LW Tri-colors that have different ejector rod heads...a 1956 2020XX with a rod-head with serrations and a 1957 (2038XX) rod head that is smooth. Is one of these "incorrect?"

 

[JCW64]

They both are correct for the time period. Ruger changed to the round ejector rod head in early 1957 so your 2038xx would be correct.

 

[Valmet]

10-4. Thanks!

 

[SATCOM]

Valmet,

My 1956 serial # 2020XX and has small grooved head.

My 1957 serial #2038XX and has second variation head.

The gate on the 56 is flat. Yours?

The gate on the 57 is round. Yours?

Coincidences on serial #s? There are only 99 different numbers possible for each pair of XXs. (I think.)

SATCOM

 

[Valmet]

SAT-

Sounds like the rod variations on our tri-colors are consistent but the gate on my 57 is flat as it is a very early 57 tri-color.

 

[street]

The round head ejector rod for your gun should have a dimpled face ejector rod button for the end of your finger to fit in as you eject the empties. The flat faced round ejector rod button started showing up around serial number 206,XXX.

 

[contender]

+1 to Street. The round heads of that era must have a dimple.

 

[Valmet]

My 2038X does indeed have dimples ejector rod.

 

[SATCOM]

Nobody dislikes my #20383X being round loading gate? Years ago RF discussion was very strong that it should have been flat. Easy to replace, easy to acquire, and dislike of flatgate being the reasons. I went along with the consensus that mine was wrong but I didn’t care. It was my first lightweight, came from Mike Stewart, and one grip had faded to a yellow brown color matching the cylinder.

I just forgot about it until Valmet and I exchanged PMs.

SATCOM

 

[street]

Don't think that 38383X is a correct serial number for a Lightweight. Must be a typo.

 

[SATCOM]

street,

You are correct as usual 20383X Lightweight.

SATCOM

 

[chet15]

SATCOM...it all depends on when your 20383x Lightweight was shipped. If it was shipped any earlier than March 7, 1957 the gate would be suspect.
With Premier Weapons company offering a round loading gate (and ejector rod with large crescent ejector head), a lot of these guns with flat loading gate sat at the dealer because of the flat gate....they didn't sell. To get rid of their stock, a round loading gate was fitted in some cases. Ruger also did this with the engraved Single-Six and even converted the Jerred engraved flatgate RSSE they had in their inventory and changed them to round engraved gates before they were shipped. Contoured loading gates that Jerred engraved are also known to have been shipped to dealers that still had flatgate RSSE in their stock...they weren't selling.
There is also good enough evidence in John Dougan's latest book that came out a few years ago for when the contoured gate would not be seen by as far as date.
Chet15

 

[Hondo44]

I've have two LW Tri-colors that have different ejector rod heads...a 1956 2020XX with a rod-head with serrations and a 1957 (2038XX) rod head that is smooth. Is one of these "incorrect?"

Your # 2038XX with flat gate and dimpled knob is just into the correct serial # range of 203597 -205250 with only about 1500 made, and is definitely the scarcest of your two.

The tri colors with round gate and dimpled knob are extremely rare.

 

[Valmet]

Thanks Hondo- was unaware of that. I haven't branched out into Single-Sixes that aren't Tri-colors yet but I'm sure that is in the cards.