Rescued a Single-Six wreck--$75.00

[1894c]

Hi--I rescued a Single-Six wreck for $75.00. I always feel that a good Single Action is a great compliment to a levergun--so here's my story. The LE Agency I work for had an auction where they sold items from the evidence locker. They had an assortment of handguns and long-guns, most of them were junk or in pretty bad shape, but some of them were in amazing condition, don't even want to talk about the Colts that were there, just to say that another LEO bought a Colt Cobra .38spl. in almost new condition for $200.00 (I personally never seen one that looked that good--lucky). My goal was to find something useful for under $100.00, don't really need another revolver or auto.

Any ways, as I looked over the assortment of crime-scene relics I came across a really old Ruger Single-Six (see my lousy cell-phone photos for details). Cosmetically, it's in bad shape, no rust, finish is gone, definitely has seen better days. The interesting thing is that the gun is tight, locks up well, no transfer bar, and kind of clicks light a Colt SA when you pull the hammer back. I was told that the gun may date back to the late 1950's (serial #115987). The grips aren't original, who knows where they came from.

I thought about chopping the 51/2" barrel down to 4", but I like the balance of the bigger tube (I have a stainless Single-Six with a 51/2" bbl. so the feel of that length is familiar). I think I'm going to re-blue this gun it at least deserves that. This SS will will definitely go deer hunting since it is already been broken in, probably more than once...I'll rehabilitate it from its criminal past and make sure that it walks the straight and narrow... :)

--Something interesting the ejector rod housing is steel not aluminum, that surprised me...taking
it shooting this weekend--hope it goes bang...

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[shooter]

Congrats! I love project guns. Though I may have more money in them when done than I would have spent on a new one. There's something to be said for a labor of love. With the clicking like a Colt SA and the lack of a transfer bar, it sounds like you got an "Old Model" Single Six. Here's an article with a little info about them in case you want to read up or learn a little. Good luck with your project!

http://gunblast.com/Hamm_Old_Model_Single-Six.htm

[buckeyeshooter]

I'd send it back to Ruger for refinish, bet they would make it look new again.

[olyinaz]

I'd send it back to Ruger for refinish, bet they would make it look new again.

If he does they'll return it with the safety modification no?

Oly

[Hobie]

I'd send it back to Ruger for refinish, bet they would make it look new again.

If he does they'll return it with the safety modification no?

Oly

Yes. My understanding is that they no longer return the original parts. I would not send it to Ruger but to a good Ruger smith outside the factory.

[Mossyoak1957]

I kinda like it the way it looks now.

[damienph]

I like the way it looks, too. I also like the grips.

[.45colt]

I would change the grips,clean Her and just enjoy the "patina". looks like it's a hundred years old.Have Fun.

[Tycer]

I like the looks too. I'd antique the grips.

[veeman]

I'd leave it just the way it is, maybe add some stag grips, if you can find them.

[Blaine]

It's beautiful. Clean her up, and enjoy

[JerryB]

I reckon that I'll put my vote in too. Just give it a good cleaning and love it for what it is, I am sure it will serve you well.
Last week I cleaned up and old Single Six for a woman friend of ours. It had the .22mag cylinder in it. I called the Ruger phone number and left the serial number. The next day a woman called with the date, January,1969. The gun looks like new, she won't sell it now but maybe later. It is a blue 5 1/2 inch with both cylinders. Enjoy yours for what it is.

[Pitchy]

Nice, just the way it is.

[J Miller]

I would not:
>send it back to Ruger for any reason
>reblue it
>cut the barrel
>alter it in any way

I would:
>clean it thoroughly
>put on a set of OEM grips
>shoot and enjoy it

Ruger does return the original parts, that has not changed. However occasionally the parts that come back are not original to the gun and some have not come back.
So - simply remove the original lock work and send the gun in without it. I am not suggesting that anyone ever send an unaltered OM back to Ruger, but if you must, that's the way to do it. That way you know you still have the original action to put back in.

That little old Ruger has character, leave it that way.

JMHO

Joe

[gak]

+1 leave it alone, looks great! Some of us go though a lot of effort to make our guns look like that

[Dave]

That gun has a lot of soul. I wouldn't reblue it. You can buy blue but that gun earned it's appearance.

[Rube Burrows]

My grandpa went a very old Ruger that had been in a boat for years. Ruger said it was not fixable and sent him a cupon for $$$ off his next Ruger purchase.

Lets just say that he was TICKED off. He would have rather them just send the broken gun back and let him put it up rather than keep it and him loose a gun that had been in the family for many years......even if not well taken care of.

He was old school and it was a tool to him.....so its care was not always best but it still possessed value in his own mind worth more than the voucher they sent.

[Hillbilly]

Nuthin' wrong with it the way it is. I'd leave it alone and use it.

[shooter]

For some reason the pics didn't load for me when I looked at this thread last night. I agree, I'd just leave it as is and shoot the heck out of it. No work needed if it functions properly and smoothly.

[Rusty]

Don't reblue it

As it is it has class, character, A STORY TO TELL. If you refinish it, it will be just another Single Six.

[Pisgah]

I guess we're all sorta weird, but put me in the "as-is" bunch. Of course, it is your gun to do with as you please, and you surely have a small-enough initial investment to justify purty-ing it up a little -- or a lot! Have fun!

[kimwcook]

I've got one just like it, but not with as much mileage. I vote to leave as is, give it a good cleaning and enjoy it.

[rimrock]

I most definitely would have bought that gun for $75. If you must refinish it to suit you, consider rust bluing. I'd find some grips to make it personal, and smile every time time I was packing it! If it was mine, Ruger wouldn't see it. YMMV

rimrock

[pokey]

isn't the rebated cylinder the one for magnums?

looks okay from here.

[1894c]

isn't the rebated cylinder the one for magnums?

looks okay from here.

POKEY--Checked out the cylinder before I bought it--it only takes .22cal--this SA is marked "RUGER .22 CAL. SINGLE-SIX"....but thanks for asking... :)

GENTLEMEN--I have come to a decision (your comments told me what I already knew, hard to argue with "right"). I'm going to leave it as I found it, no re-bluing and I'm going to keep the grips (I like the notion that they may have come off of some ancient Colt SA)--just cleaned it up--will take it shooting tomorrow--hope it goes bang, if not I have a gunsmith standing in the wings. By the way I really like the sound that this old Single-Six makes when you cock the hammer back--sounds like history--or a good camp-fire or hunting tale--I will remember to carry it on an empty chamber when I take it woods loafing, and I also like the half-cock and the way you need to pull the hammer back to the first click to make the cylinder rotate--this is the best $75.00 I have ever spent...on a gun... :)

[Ysabel Kid]

I'd send it back to Ruger for refinish, bet they would make it look new again.

If he does they'll return it with the safety modification no?

Oly

Yes. My understanding is that they no longer return the original parts. I would not send it to Ruger but to a good Ruger smith outside the factory.

+1 I've heard they will modify the gun no mater what. You don't want that.

[Griff]

And a friend of mine was complaining that all he found were $500. I told him to look harder! Although he scored a box of CBC 12 guage brass shotshells for me! Probably paid too much, but hey, he was footin' the bill!

[1894c]

UPDATE: I took the ancient Single-Six out to shoot yesterday (2.3.12)--shot 200 rounds of Remington Big-Box cheap stuff--that old criminal shot great, well at least minute-of-soda can and clay pigeon @ 25 yds (even was able to hit the smaller parts of the clays). I like the balance, really like the clicks when you pull the hammer back, love the old style sights, like them better than than the fully adjustable they have now. My shooting bud like the SS too--offered me $150.00 for it--go figure... :)

[1894c]

And a friend of mine was complaining that all he found were $500. I told him to look harder! Although he scored a box of CBC 12 guage brass shotshells for me! Probably paid too much, but hey, he was footin' the bill!

Have him look on gunbroker.com--I've seen one at a pawn shop that was my vintage for $300.00--they're out there... :)

[damienph]

UPDATE: I took the ancient Single-Six out to shoot yesterday (2.3.12)--shot 200 rounds of Remington Big-Box cheap stuff--that old criminal shot great, well at least minute-of-soda can and clay pigeon @ 25 yds (even was able to hit the smaller parts of the clays). I like the balance, really like the clicks when you pull the hammer back, love the old style sights, like them better than than the fully adjustable they have now. My shooting bud like the SS too--offered me $150.00 for it--go figure...

Don't be tempted, your chances of getting into another one at twice what you paid is slim. Enjoy it!!

[Charles]

A few years back I saw a 1958 Ruger SS in a hock shop for $100.00. It had no finish and a sprinking of fine pits. The grips were in good shape. I bought it and sold the XR3 frame and grips on Ebay for more than I paid for the pistol. I put on an XR3-RED frame and walnut grips I had in my parts box. I hand polished off all the pits and had it given a matt black Gun-Kote finish. It looks great and will out shoot my K-22. When I was through, I had about $40.00 in the pistol.

[pokey]

isn't the rebated cylinder the one for magnums?

looks okay from here.

POKEY--Checked out the cylinder before I bought it--it only takes .22cal--this SA is marked "RUGER .22 CAL. SINGLE-SIX"....but thanks for asking...

right you are , checked mine and the rebated cylinder is the short/long/l.r.
the mag cyl. is not rebated. those cylinders are floating around if you want
to create a convertable.

[win7094M1]

Wish we could buy our confiscated or unclaimed firearms - all ours go to be destroyed. There is a de cent Model 94 and a S&W 4" Model 10 heavy barrel in our safe that is destined to go to the recyclers......

[gak]

Wish we could buy our confiscated or unclaimed firearms - all ours go to be destroyed. There is a de cent Model 94 and a S&W 4" Model 10 heavy barrel in our safe that is destined to go to the recyclers......

A crime all on its own--even if "understandlable" at some liability/administrative level.

[Mutt]

I'd leave her the way she is. Love the grips . And the rest of the gun . eep her as she is and enjoy'