Ruger Old Model Single Six Serial Number History

The next step in the evolution of Ruger's Single-Six Lightweights occurred in early 1957, as represented by this 1957 gun. In early 1957, Ruger redesigned the Single-Six Lightweight to include all-blue finish, quickly going to a steel cylinder with alloy cylinder frame & grip frame as on this example. The Ruger Bearcat is a single-action,.22 caliber revolver manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Co., introduced in 1958.It is based on the classic Remington single-action revolvers of the mid-19th century. Because of its compact size and frame, it is advertised as being ideal for hikers or campers in need of a.22 LR revolver, or 'kit gun'. Ruger Old Model Single Six Convertible 22LR & 22WMR Single Action Revolver 1968mfg Description: Ruger Old Model Single Six Convertible revolver, dated to 1968. This revolver is the 'Three Screw' model, often referred to as the Old Model.

RUGEROLDMODELSINGLE-SIX “MAGNUM ONLY” REVOLVERS

PRODUCED1959 - 1962

GENERALOVERVIEW

The .22 Magnum cartridge was introduced by Winchester in 1959.Ruger introduced its Single-Six single action revolver in .22 “Magnum Only” around June of that same year.

The Magnum guns had 6-1/2 inch barrels, round loading gates, checkered black hard rubber grips, and no firing pin groove in the rear of the cylinder.They were roll-marked“RUGER SINGLE-SIX WIN. .22 RF MAG. CAL” in two lines on the left side of the cylinder frame.In early 1960 the Magnum Only guns were also made available with varnished walnut grip panels.

Ruger Old Model Single Six Serial Number History Guide

These Magnum Only guns were put in a special serial number range of their own beginning with 300000 and ending at 340XXX.About March 1961 Ruger began to produce these Magnum Only marked guns with an extra .22 caliber cylinder.The extra cylinder, the .22 caliber in this case, had the last three digits of the gun’s serial number stamped on its front face, close to the cylinder base pin hole.The idea of producing these dual cylinder guns or a “convertible” came from customers requesting that Ruger retrofit their “Magnum Only” single-cylinder guns with a .22 caliber cylinder or their .22 caliber only single-cylinder guns with a Magnum cylinder.

Ruger

The “Magnum Only” marked guns came in a black and red box with a yellow wreath on top like the standard Single-Six but designated with Cat. No.“RSSM” on the box end labeling.

The production of these “Magnum Only” Single-Sixes ended sometime in August – September 1962.The 6-1/2” barrel length soon was made available in the standard “Single-Six .22Caliber/.22 Magnum Convertible” model.The boxes for these 6-1/2 inch barrel convertibles continued to be marked with the catalog number “RSSM”, not RSS6, throughout the Old Model Single-Six production that ended in 1972.

There are several rare or scarce variations of these guns, some with only one or twoknown, that I will not attempt to cover here.If you are interested in learning more about these guns, I suggest you become a member of the Red Eagle News Exchange.The publisher of that newsletter has done extensive research and study and goes into considerable detail describing those and many other rare Ruger models and variations.

RUGEROLDMODELSINGLE-SIX “MAGNUM ONLY”REVOLVER

SOMEOFTHEMAJORTYPESANDVARIATIONS

Single-Six , Magnum marked:

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Ruger Old Model Single Six Serial Number History
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Post subject:Three Screw Single Six Date of Manufacture?
Buckeye

Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2007 1:01 am
Posts: 1232
Location: Land of the Pilgrims
Howdy
Last week I picked up a nice three screw Single Six, the version with adjustable sights. 5 1/2' barrel. I would like to determine when it was made. SN is 5421XX. According to the information on the Ruger website, SN 187367 was the first SN produced in 1962. The next data point is SN 20-00001 in 1969. Nothing in between. Does anybody have some slightly more detailed information about when my 'new' Single Six was made?
Thanks


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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 8:56 pm
Moderator

Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 10:26 pm
Posts: 10514
Location: Illinois
I think 'adjustable sights' = Super Single Six.
Super Single-Six Revolver
(Manufactured from 1964 to 1972)
Caliber: .22 LR
Beginning Serial Number: Years of Production:
500001 1964
502608 1965
517860 1966
528826 1967
547679 1968
566735 1969
60-13852 1970
60-52410 1971
60-81278 1972
http://www.ruger.com/service/productHistory.html#
http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=73513


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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:29 pm
Buckeye

Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2007 1:01 am
Posts: 1232
Location: Land of the Pilgrims
Thanks
I thought Super meant it came with two cylinders. This one only has the 22LR cylinder, but I suppose a Mag cylinder may have existed at some time. Anyhow, it does have adjustable sights, and your information seems a bit more in the ball park.
Thanks


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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:33 pm
Moderator

Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 10:26 pm
Posts: 10514
Location: Illinois


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Post subject:
Hawkeye

Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:01 pm
Posts: 7540
Location: People's Republik of Kalifornia
2 cylinders = Convertible, I think

Absolutely correct. They have an X on the end of the catalog # to indicate 'Extra Cylinder'. Both Single Sixes and Super SSs came in convertible models.

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Ruger single action 'collector, accumulator, builder and shooter'
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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 1:34 am
Hawkeye

Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:01 pm
Posts: 7540
Location: People's Republik of Kalifornia
Thanks
I thought Super meant it came with two cylinders. This one only has the 22LR cylinder, but I suppose a Mag cylinder may have existed at some time. Anyhow, it does have adjustable sights, and your information seems a bit more in the ball park.
Thanks

Hi Driftwood,
The Supers were in a separate serial number range. which are on a different page from the one that you looked at. I wouldn't mind finding one. Was it a good price?

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Jim
Ruger single action 'collector, accumulator, builder and shooter'
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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 2:48 pm
Hunter

Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:57 pm
Posts: 2779
Location: Vinton, VA
The Super Single-Six Old Models had the following model numbers:
SC4
SC5
SC6
The 'S' ment Super. The 'C' meant convertible and the 4,5,6 meant 4 5/8 in. bl.,5 1/2 in. bl., 6 1/2 in. bl. All Super Single Sixes were Convertibles except for one or more of the Factory Plated guns that was sold to employees.


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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 3:18 pm
Hawkeye

Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:01 pm
Posts: 7540
Location: People's Republik of Kalifornia
OMG. street, thanks for correcting me. My head was stuck in Single Six Model #s. I hate to pass on bad info!

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Jim
Ruger single action 'collector, accumulator, builder and shooter'
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Last edited by Hondo44 on Sat Nov 05, 2011 2:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:44 pm
Site Admin

Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2001 1:01 am
Posts: 30942
Location: Star Valley, WY
The SC4's are SCARCE! Around 200 made and they were not cataloged.
flatgate


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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 12:59 am
Buckeye

Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 2:56 pm
Posts: 1376
Location: Desert Southwest
Thanks for getting me looking.
Makes my Old Model Single-Six 5 1/2' (20-218XX) a circa 1969 standard model covertable (although it only had the 22MAG cylinder with it when I bought it even though it's in mint condition).


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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:02 pm
Hunter

Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:57 pm
Posts: 2779
Location: Vinton, VA
Thanks for getting me looking.
Makes my Old Model Single-Six 5 1/2' (20-218XX) a circa 1969 standard model covertable (although it only had the 22MAG cylinder with it when I bought it even though it's in mint condition).

Some of those Old Model Single-Sixes with the 20 and 21 prefix with the 5 1/2 in. bl. were single cylinder guns. But they were .22 only. Not .22 Mag only. After Ruger started making the convertibles in late 1959 or 1960, not real sure of the date, almost all Single-Sixes were convertibles. They made a few 6 1/2 in. bl. guns in .22 Mag. only and they made a few 5 1/2 in bl. guns in .22 only. Anyone having a 5 1/2 in bl. Single-Six with only a .22 cylinder, needs to call Ruger to get a letter. You will find a lot of guns with only the .22 cylinder but most of them are missing the Mag. cylinder. So far all Old Model Single-Sixes with 4 5/8 in. bl. and 9 1/2 bl. will be a convertible.


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Age Of Ruger Single Six

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 11:16 pm
Hunter

Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:01 am
Posts: 2989
Location: Mesa, AZ
The SC4's are SCARCE! Around 200 made and they were not cataloged.
flatgate

I've been offered a 'non cataloged' Security Six. Does someone mind telling me what that means. I have a guess but would like to make sure.
Thanks

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After the raindrops had fallen, none said that they were the one that caused the flood.


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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 12:09 am
Hawkeye

Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:01 pm
Posts: 7540
Location: People's Republik of Kalifornia
The SC4's are SCARCE! Around 200 made and they were not cataloged.
flatgate

I've been offered a 'non cataloged' Security Six. Does someone mind telling me what that means. I have a guess but would like to make sure.
Thanks

Guns that got out the door in a configuration that ws not shown or listed in the catalog and usually in very small quantities. The SC4's mentioned by flatgate were 'non cataloged'. They turn into great collectibles.
What's the details on it, unusual barrel length?

_________________
Jim
Ruger single action 'collector, accumulator, builder and shooter'
NRA Life
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CRPC Life
SASS Life
SWCA
RCA

Last edited by Hondo44 on Tue Nov 08, 2011 4:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 5:27 am
Site Admin

Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2001 1:01 am
Posts: 30942
Location: Star Valley, WY

I've been offered a 'non cataloged' Security Six. Does someone mind telling me what that means. I have a guess but would like to make sure.
Thanks

Sure! It means a Double Action Ruger Revolver in such a configuration that it does NOT match anything shown in the catalogs. Now, is it a 'Ruger Made' configuration or was it done after it was shipped from the Factory?
flatgate


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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 10:39 am
Hunter

Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:01 am
Posts: 2989
Location: Mesa, AZ

I've been offered a 'non cataloged' Security Six. Does someone mind telling me what that means. I have a guess but would like to make sure.
Thanks

Sure! It means a Double Action Ruger Revolver in such a configuration that it does NOT match anything shown in the catalogs. Now, is it a 'Ruger Made' configuration or was it done after it was shipped from the Factory?
flatgate

Thanks Flatgate. For you and Hondo44, please forgive me in saying at this time I have two questions for the gentleman that I am awaiting a return phone call on. Depending on his answers, I'm either buying it or passing. At that time, one way or the other I'll give details. All I really want to say at this time it is a 100% NIB factory made with either 5 or 6 known.
I apologize if I stole this thread, I just wanted to make sure my understanding of non cataloged was what you both kindly explained to me.

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