new to me single six

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proven

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i've been searching for a while.

after a cold day hiking in the woods with my dog, i decided to stop by the local shop to browse. low and behold peering through the glass case that held the wheel guns, i spied a a pair of used single sixes.

both having 5.5" bbls, rosewood grips, and adjustable sights, one blued and one stainless. being a fan of blued, the fact that it came with the original box and papers, was cleaner and had been shot very little, i decided to bring it home with me.

it's clean as a whistle and the magnum cylinder had never even been taken out of it's packaging.

before heading out to orient myself with it later this weekend, i figured i'd pick the collective brain that is THR and get the lowdown.

as i understand it, it will consume an .22 under the sun. cb caps, short, long, long rifle, and of course winchester magnum with the magnum cylinder. any opinions on what works best for just plinking?

i've also read that carrying with the hammer down on a loaded chamber is safe. this won't be a carry piece, of course, but for field use, would this be advisable.

and lastly, what if anything should i know about the single six? i'm quite thrilled to have finally acquired one.

any suggestions on holsters or other kit that you folks have found useful?

thanks plenty.....next on the list is a marlin 39d to be it's companion. :D
 
A "New Model" Single-Six is safe to carry with six rounds but an old model or "three screw" model is not unless it has had the transfer bar safety upgrade.

Look at the side of the gun, are there two screws visible or three? If two then it's a "New Model", three and you'll have to investigate further.

Single-Six is hands down my favorite handgun and a pure joy to own and shoot. I have four right now and am sure there will be more. :)
 
I love my Single Six, but I don't shoot it enough. I have never shot it for accuracy, just for fun. But at 50' it did put a cylinder of CCI 22 mags in a group I could cover with a quarter. And that was just standing and plinking at an old fridge.
 
Congrats...I'm sure the two of you will be very happy together. My Single-Six and I have been together for 33 yrs. Her grips are scratched and scarred from use/abuse. Her lines have become noticably rounder and smoother from holster wear. The miles have faded her complexion. I was too young to really appreciate her back then....I cruelly fanned her hammer until I had learned how to make her spit lead. I carelessly dropped her to the floor while I mastered twirling her. I forced her to ride untold miles in saddlebags and gloveboxes. I left her hanging on my hip through rain and snow, then shoved her into the darkest corner of the gun cabinet without so much as a drink of oil.
Through all this and more....she has never failed or dissappointed me.
 
For plinking I vote 22LR unless noise is a issue. I have shot 22Mag but can't tell difference for
plinking. I have shot CB longs and they are much quieter but out of my 9.5 in barrel the velocities
of 5 were only 453, 518, 440, 491, 561. 22LR was 1100fps + and 22MAG was around 1500fps.
Your barrel being shorter the velocities would be lower. The biggest is cost 22LR
is the lowest cost of all your choices.
 
It sounds like you have a newer model with the transfer bar ignition. If so, then it's safe to carry all six chambers loaded. I have an older, unmodified one with the 6.5" barrel and fixed sights. What will work best for plinking is whatever will work best for you. Try as many different kinds and brands as you can find and see what you like best. I just use whatever is laying around. The only ammunition I'll warn you about is Remington Thunderbolts, because they're inconsistent; at least, that's my experience.

My Single Six is wicked accurate too, much more than I am. I was coaching at a Women On Target shoot and a tall young woman from Northern Virginia was shooting my revolver, first time ever handling a single action. She did everything exactly the way I told her, and when we went to check her target, she had put four out of six rounds inside a 2" x 3" target box at a range of 25 yards. She saw the look on my face and asked, "Is that good?" and I said, "I can't do that, and it's my gun!" She was very pleased with herself. I suggested she go to the NRA range in Fairfax, VA and join a shooting team if she really enjoyed it.

Anyway, you have a well-made, tough, reliable and accurate revolver that will give you many hours of shooting pleasure. I recommend looking for Ruger brand holsters that are designed for the Single Six.
 
any suggestions on holsters or other kit that you folks have found useful?
Click to expand...

From the Ruger shop.

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(Be advised this holster carries with a muzzle rear rake, not straight up and down.)

About $40.00 from the Ruger webpage.

There's a reason the 22 magcylinder has never been used. Stick with 22 LR. Whatever brand you like best, but personally I prefer any copper washed ammo.

These are old model "three screw" Single-Six's. The one pictured above is a "New Model".

100_0078.gif

Note the three screw in the sideplate. If your gun is like these, you'll need to look between the hammer and the firing pin and see if there is a transfer bar (A lot of old models have been converted to T/B. One of the two in my picture has been). If it has, it's safe with six rounds. If not, you can either send it back to Ruger to be converted (free) or you can (preferable IMHO) simply carry it with an empty chamber under the hammer.
 
I consider my 30 some yr old Single Six to be the best all around 22 revolver on the market and is more accurate than most shooters.
 
Great choice for a rimfire revolver! I've owned mine (5 1/2" stainless) for over 11 years now and during that time probably fired it more than any other gun I own. I rarely fire the 22 mag cylinder. It truly shines with the 22 lr cylinder - less noise , cheap to shoot and surprisingly accurate.
 
Congrats on the new toy.

And I hope you don't mind that I add on that I just bought an older 3 screw Six of my own. Just waiting for the transfer to be done but I should be able to swing into town and pick it up a bit later this week.

Mine only comes with the .22 cylinder and fixed sights. It also has a well used but not AB-used patina of blueing wear.

If there isn't one already we may need to start up a "Ruger Single Six Owner's Club" thread... :D
 
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