Six Single Six

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Yeah, I hate the UPS/USPS blend called Surepost. UPS tracking seems accurate enough, but the handoff to the USPS means "good luck" and "it's not our fault".

My last Midway USA order was shipped that way, but made it here okay. Ordered and shipped on Nov. 13 and made it to the local USPS mail box locker by Nov. 19 (yesterday).

Still makes me stress as I've lost an envelope and a package going both outbound and inbound thanks to the USPS in the last 18 months. Plus the fact that the closest physical Post Office is not "my" Post Office . . .
 
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BigBlue 94 said:
Ugh Midway why do you ship USPS!? I want my grip frame!

Usually i get my midway shipments from UPS next day since im a mere 4 hours west of them. But when they ship USPS it takes a week or more, even pre-covid. Ups would've had it here yesterday at the latest. My package is still sitting in the post office in Columbia, MO waiting on acceptance. No hazmat or orm-d items. Hasnt moved since they got it from midway.

Just irks me off!
Click to expand...

The USPS is sorry about your package. They are probably too busy rounding up more mail in ballots to count. Sorry, I couldn't help it.
 
Well last night at like 730 I checked and it still said awaiting acceptance in Columbia. 9am this morning the mail man dropped it off! Darn tracking that doesnt update irritates me.

The birdshead grip looks great and even without grips, feels good in the hand. The walnut Hogue grips are beautiful, but are a redish color. I want em more brown and a bit darker. Good thing I work at a paint and stain store.
 
Sheesh give a guy a chance eh!? Lol

I did some fiddling last night. I can now fully disassemble and reassemble a Ruger Wrangler lol. I hadn't previously noticed how heavy the barrel is. Its a full 45cal outer profile with a teeny 22cal bore!

They finally got the banner placement right! Nice and out of sight.

20201118_182158.jpg

A nice Before Shot

20201118_182339.jpg

My helper, Tom, who is currently laying on my lap.

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The Naked Gun 22

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Two halves of a Wrangler

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And the first view of what is going to be a sweet little gun.

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Grip difference: mostly on the rear of the grip, but also slightly on the extreme lower front as well. Line of sight in the pic isn't perfect...

20201121_190228.jpg

When i ordered this frame, I was still considering doing the conversion on my 50th model so I bought a stainless cylinder pin and loading gate and was gonna polish all the stainless. As of now, im still undecided on how to finish the grip frame since im using the wrangler.

The stainless doesn't clash with the cerakote, but it doesn't do it any favors either, like the black does. Im pretty well thinking ill cerakote the grip myself. And up until i was typing this i was thinking of matching the gray it is, since I match paint for a living anyways. But now im thinking black would look sharp and follow with the black already on the pistol.
 
I understand completely. I'd rather have an intentional contrast than a failed attempt at matching. The reason I ask is that single actions, Rugers in particularly, are often done as a two tone with the grip frame in a contrasting color. Either polished bright on a blued gun. Bead blasted like the Carryhawk below, or bead blasted aluminum on matte hard chrome like the custom below that.

007b.jpg

IMG_7120e.jpg
 
I plan on polishing it up at least part way to see if I like it that way or not. And id rather not remove the factory finish at this point.

If all else fails, black to match the cylinder and pins... Its gonna be two tone at the least, plus walnut grips.

I really like that 3 screw you show! The difference there is acceptable. I have an OM single six myself. No way am I sending it in for a transfer bar. My custom is a NM BH in 45.

index.php
 
Well I spent a few hours with the files and sandpaper this morning. Its coming along nicely.

I did run into a problem with the hogue grips I bought. On the back side is a cut out that the corner of which, overlaps my cutoff line for the birdshead.

These were the cowboy grips for the NM BH, NM Single six, and large frame Vaquero. So they wont work. I put them in place of the rosewood factory grips on my 50th SS, but im thinking they would fit one of my NM regular SS better. One has pretty ragged grips on it.

But I still need to get some grips for this birdshead. I am thinking of slicing up some of the osage orange i have laying around from clearing a couple years ago. Local domestic exotic hardwood!
 
So ive spent a few sessions sanding on the grip now. Just about every tool mark is gone. I took a break from the dastardly trigger guard area and polished up the backstrap. It needs some more time with each 1000, 1500, and 3000 grit but it looks pretty promising! Once done with the 3000, its getting a trip to the buffing wheel.

When fitting the upper portion, i nicked the cerakote or whatever it is on the other half of the frame. FU€###########! Well i guess ill be recoating the other half of the frame. Im thinking a deep brown or FDE. Black would be fine, but boring IMO.

Which means ill probably fit and polish the stainless loading gate I bought too. Might throw in the stainless cylinder pin too. Ill see how it looks.

20201203_153026.jpg

Im still up in the air on wood for the grips. I have that osage orange, but i also have some cherry, maple, and some old growth walnut and mahogany. Mahogany came out of a HS gymnasium in Missouri, installed at least 75 years ago. My issue with it is, it has extremely porous end grain and large open grain. Not easily shaped and sanded into grips... Not to mention staining.

Decisions, decisions!
 
Waiting on a resaw blade for my bandsaw so I can start the grips. Gonna start with some osage orange (hedge, bodark, bois `d arc) that was cut down two years ago. Anyone not familiar with osage orange, it is the hardest and most rot resistant wood we have here in north America. It has thorns and drops sour brain-like fruits. It also contains a latex type poison under the bark of a live tree. Its usual use is firewood or fenceposts. The posts can be buried straight in the ground with no treatment and last 100 years. They only get harder over time! It is a beautiful bright yellow when cut, and changes to orange with light exposure if left untreated. It also has some wild grain in areas as it grows kind of bushy and can have multiple trunks. The name in French refers to the fact that the local Osage Indians used it to make very strong bows.


I was just fiddling with a couple single sixes next to the wrangler. I have noticed the light crisp trigger pull of the wrangler. So I measured it, a well used early NM, and a 50th anniversary model that has been very lightly used. Just using an analog spring trigger gauge.

50th is 4.5 lb pull
Old NM is 4.25lb pull
Wrangler is 3.5lb pull

Very surprising!

Releasing one leg of the trigger spring lightened it up slightly to the finger, but it feels great with both legs, so I didnt keep it that way.
 
BigBlue 94 said:
So for a long while now ive wanted a ruger single six with a birdshead grip. Ive had the conversion frame in my cart many times, and finally ordered it. Stainless version.

The other day i was reorganizing my pistols in the safe and came to the realization that i had 5 single sixes. A 32 bisley, an old model, two NM, and a 50th anny edition.

My thoughts were to make this 50th anniversary short barrel into a birdshead. Also while retaining the ability to put it back to stock. But while out shopping for an AR15 lower receiver yesterday, Academy had a Wrangler for 199.99. I also happen to have 70 bucks worth of gift cards there.

Im leaning towards buying it and doing the conversion on the wrangler. Am i crazy for wanting another single six, even if it is a wrangler? I love the vaquero style top strap too. The one in question is the gray cerakote. The other LGS has a black one for $219.

I did get a lower receiver yesterday too, in case you were wondering.

Thoughts? Criticisms? Encouragements?!
Click to expand...
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You mean like this? (on the right)
ACoupleMoreRugers.jpg
.32H&R Magnum Single Six with free-spin pawl and jeweled action next to a .45Colt Vaquero with the same action job and jeweling.
 
BigBlue 94 said:
Bead blasted I assume you meant?
I do not have a blaster of any kind...

The thought did cross my mind but the color still wouldn't match right. I hate things that are look like they are supposed to match but are slightly off. Like why cant every AR and parts manufacturer use the same black!?
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Have you considered brass or bronze coating? Like the old brass backstraps of conversion revolvers...
 
wiscoaster said:
This turned into a really great "how-to" pics thread!! :thumbup:
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I could have really gone into detail, but figured progress pics were enough! On the ford bronco forum, we get quite detailed!

For the shaping, I used a coarse sanding drum on a dremel tool. Then i hand sanded to smooth things out with 60 grit, followed by 150, 320, and 400. I put 4 coats of Watco Danish Oil on them, with one coat on the inside surface. In a few days ill start waxing them with Old Master's crystal clear paste wax. It seems to dry much harder than Johnson's paste wax.
 
Tallball said:
That is very nice,

I really like Osage Orange.

I used it to make grip scales for several knives.
Click to expand...

Ah sorry, I though I mentioned, but didn't. These are made of Cuban Mahogany. Reclaimed from gym bleachers in central MO. These were from a 3x3x1" scrap from a job my dad worked on. I had forgotten I had all the little pieces. It was a dream to work with. Smelled like I was in a cigar shop!

I need to fashion a rip fence for my bandsaw before cutting those Osage limbs up.
 
Here is sample of a single six with stainless grip frame and blue
It’s a limited addition RSSE non engraved
I sent it back to Tyler gun works for an action/trigger job and new French walnut grips. Cudo’s to them, they do great work. DDA2F008-7AEE-46BA-9444-3F672F28F3FA.jpeg 40407D73-9EDC-4114-A561-0FBDF7E7E741.jpeg
 

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