WTK: Ruger Single-Six LW Ejector rod?

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Valmet

Single-Sixer
Joined
Oct 9, 2016
Messages
410
Location
Richmond, Virginia
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

Single-Sixer
Joined
Aug 4, 2005
Messages
467
Location
Louisiana
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.
 

SATCOM

Blackhawk
Joined
Oct 10, 2002
Messages
823
Location
Augusta, Georgia
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

Single-Sixer
Joined
Oct 9, 2016
Messages
410
Location
Richmond, Virginia
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

Hunter
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Messages
2,455
Location
Vinton, VA
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.
 

SATCOM

Blackhawk
Joined
Oct 10, 2002
Messages
823
Location
Augusta, Georgia
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
 

chet15

Hawkeye
Joined
Jan 22, 2001
Messages
6,017
Location
Dawson, Iowa
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

Hawkeye
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
8,056
Location
People's Republik of California
Valmet said:
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

Single-Sixer
Joined
Oct 9, 2016
Messages
410
Location
Richmond, Virginia
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.
 
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