Ruger single six cylinder question.

[popeye]

I'm about buy a single six stainless used from a private party. It will be a face to face transaction and I've only seen pics of the gun. It comes with both the .22lr and .22mag cyls.. The pic shows the gun with the .22lr installed and the mg cyl. beside it. The mag cyl is fluted and otherwise plain. I've owned a couple single sixes in the distant past and the mag cyl was always unfluted with an engraved line around the cyl just beyond the lock up notches. Any online pics I find have the same type cyl I design as in the last description sentence. Does this seem O.K. to you?

 

[Milt1]

Popeye, it may be fine! Since this is a face to face I'd take a .22 long rifle and .22 mag cartridge and ask if the current owner would mind if you insert (or if he would insert the cartridges) in the respective cylinders (while they are out of the revolver). If the cartridges fit then you're on your way. One other thing too do is get permission to install the mag cylinder (unloaded of course) in the revolver to make sure there's no binding and that it cycles and locks up ok. Do the same with the .22 LR cylinder. Also the mag cylinder may have writing on it that designates it as the mag cylinder. Good luck as that's a great revolver.

 

[bannockburn]

popeye

I have an older three screw Single Six and a few years back I picked up a .22 Magnum cylinder from a Ruger collector at a gun show. The cylinder I bought was also fluted with no other designation that it's for the .22 Magnum. I have also seen non-fluted cylinders from the same time period. In the same way I have come across newer Super Single Sixes that have either a fluted or a non-fluted .22 Magnum cylinder. Have no idea when Ruger changed the design of the auxiliary cylinder.

If you get a chance also make sure the .22 Magnum cylinder fits in the frame and that it indexes properly.

 

[Big7]

It's fine. Not much in the way of "after-market" cylinders. No money to be made there.

It SHOULD be a Ruger cylinder and good to go.
Tolerances on first quality arms are so close, it would not even matter if it came off another revolver. (which I highly doubt it did)

If you don't see any evidence of misuse you will have no problems.

 

[popeye]

Thankyou Gentlemen,
I'll bring both .22 cal ammo types and make sure the cyls fit and indexes. And so goes my new years resolution to not buy any guns for 6 months.
Thanks, Jim

 

[Varminterror]

Not much in the way of "after-market" cylinders. No money to be made there.

Tell that to Al Story...

 

[Big7]

Tell that to Al Story...

http://brcrifles.com/gunsmith.htm Didn't see anything about cylinders. Just real expensive stuff
any decent smith can do?

What's your point? OP should spend a few grand on a $400. revolver? OK then.

 

[Rom828]

On the front face of both cylinders should be electro-penciled the last three digits of the revolvers serial number if everything is original from Ruger.

 

[Varminterror]

Didn't see anything about cylinders.

Didn't look real hard, and obviously don't know much about Story cylinders for Ruger revolvers. He's been making money by making Ruger cylinders for many years.

Story Cylinders at the website you overlooked

 

[Big7]

Didn't look real hard, and obviously don't know much about Story cylinders for Ruger revolvers. He's been making money by making Ruger cylinders for many years.

Story Cylinders at the website you overlooked

Still didn't see one like one the OP. So, are we still talking about major money on what is obviously a factory Ruger cylinder?
And why would you spend that much money? You wouldn't. Bet OP wouldn't either.

Didn't see one with a single flute. Did you? Maybe I missed that too.

Good as he may be, ANY smith with a shop can do all that. Matter of fact, ANY good toolmaker can do that.
If buddy's making money, more power to him.

 

[popeye]

Well, I bought the gun. According to Ruger's serial # info 62- prefix puts it as '73-'74 mfg.. Up close the gun looks as 95% or better. Both cyls. are marked with original factory serial# designation, and both index correctly. Grips are great with no chips or dings. Original pics don't do it justice, and there's no slot cut in the hammer pin which was a great relief (kinda looks that way in pic). Thanks to all for info and verification suggestions.

Jim

 

[slowrider]

It's fine. Not much in the way of "after-market" cylinders. No money to be made there.

It SHOULD be a Ruger cylinder and good to go.
Tolerances on first quality arms are so close, it would not even matter if it came off another revolver. (which I highly doubt it did)

If you don't see any evidence of misuse you will have no problems.

Ruger cylinders are fit to each gun and can vary in length.

 

[bannockburn]

popeye

Way to go! Sounds like you got a real nice Super Single Six there! Range report when you get a chance.

 

[JohnBT]

The early blue Single-Six Convertibles had fluted mag cylinders, but I don't recall when the they stopped - probably in the mid-70s. I bought a blue Convertible in 1972 and both cylinders are fluted. I think they've made some fluted mag cylinders since then, too.
The stainless Convertibles had fluted cylinders from '73 to '76 iirc.

John

 

[Big7]

Ruger cylinders are fit to each gun and can vary in length.

They are not fit to each gun. They have a tolerance, just like everything else mass produced.
Sure, If you want to have one "fit" or "printed" that's doable.

Go buy 5 or 50 Rugers, Smiths or whatever. The parts will drop right in.

I understand this is not the case for "custom" whatever's but on production it is.

 

[Gaucho Gringo]

Ruger cylinders are fit to each gun and can vary in length.

If that is true it sure shoots to hell the theory of precision interchangeable parts pioneered by Eli Whitney and others in the 1830's.

 

[Varminterror]

Ruger cylinders are fit to each gun and can vary in length.

This is not accurate. Ruger does not hand fit the cylinders by any stretch. The variance is coincidental, and mostly inconsequential in swapping cylinders.

I've swapped cylinders among Ruger revolvers for many years, literally dozens of swaps in original Vaquero 44mags alone, to convert them to non-fluted SBH cylinders. I've done Bearcats, Single Six's, Blackhawks, Super Blackhawks, Vaqueros, New Vaqueros, SP101's, Redhawks, and Super Redhawks, and am planning a GP100 soon. By and large, any variance in timing alignment and lengths are coincidental and most often, you'll find revolvers coming off of the line with worse alignment than any swap you might do. You might occasionally find a long cylinder/short tenon revolver or a short cylinder/long tenon revolver, and of course, these will have some issues, but usually the short cylinder will be within Ruger spec for B/C gap (large as it is), and the long cylinder will drag on the barrel tenon, but it will roll. I have over 40 44mag Ruger single action revolvers and can swap ALL of them to function and time properly.