Ruger Single Six question.

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Sometimes you get lucky and they drop in. They usually need to be fit.
About a decade ago a friend picked up a .45ACP Blackhawk cylinder for $5 at a gun show. He carried it around in his glovebox and checked every .45 Colt Blackhawk he came across at shops and shows. He finally found one that fit a couple of months ago.
 
What is involved in fitment? I have an opportunity to buy a SS for a fair price but it only has the LR cylinder. I would eventually want to pick up a 22 mag cylinder but if fitting it is cost prohibitive I may just hold out for one with both cylinders.
 
If the 22 mag cylinder was sold with the SS no fitting is needed. Never tried one that wasn't associated with the specific Single Six. Still, it can't hurt to try it and see. Does it index correctly? Does it lock up tight when the revolver is cocked?

Strictly a guess on my part but I would think Ruger's manufacturing should be consistent enough to make a drop in mag cylinder work. Unless there is a huge age difference between the gun and the spare cylinder.

Jeff
 
Ontarget,

If this is meant to be a fun range toy, you might look at the Heritage Rough Rider. Fixed sights and usually comes with an extra 22 mag cylinder for under 200 bucks. I have a couple and they are fun plinking guns with both 22lr and 22 mag. If you need adjustable sights or want something for future generations, the Single Six is your clear choice. Good luck.

Jeff
 
I would NOT try to just drop it in.
If the timing isn't correct you could be spittin lead all over the forcing come

I bought a 2nd cylinder for a Peace Maker from Taylors & Co.
It cost $115 for the cylinder & another $15 to fit it.
(that was quoted before the sale, not just an estimate.)

You might talk to a local gunsmith.

Good Luck :)
 
I have swapped literally dozens of Ruger cylinders myself. Transplanting 9mm cylinders, SBH cylinders into Vaqueros, and adding Single Six Mag or LR cylinders is about as common as it gets in the realm of Ruger shooters. I have NEVER had a timing issue, nor alignment. Only rarely is the gas ring too long or short, or barrel tenon too long - one in a dozen type occurrences. Timing is easily confirmed, even by the most casual of owners. Alignment is also easily confirmed, especially for Single Sixes.

Lots of folks giving nervous-nelly advice about something they have never done isn’t productive.
 
Ontarget,

If this is meant to be a fun range toy, you might look at the Heritage Rough Rider. Fixed sights and usually comes with an extra 22 mag cylinder for under 200 bucks. I have a couple and they are fun plinking guns with both 22lr and 22 mag. If you need adjustable sights or want something for future generations, the Single Six is your clear choice. Good luck.

Jeff

I agree. I have 4 HRRs of different styles. Love them all but no collection is complete without a single six.
 
Not always a drop in. Some may be a little too long and require the face of the bushing shortened. Too short, might need a shim. My Super Single Six came with both cylinders and the mag was counterbored too deep and the WMR ammo would not fire. Rather than send it back to Ruger (it was from a private purchase and I'd like it to stay private) I bought a WMR cylinder off ebay which dropped right in, indexed perfectly and was perfect as far as the c'bores for the rims go. I got lucky. It cost about what the shipping would be.
All that said, I have a 357/9 mm convertible which has a 9mm cylinder that won't fit my other blackhawk. I did get the 45 ACP from another convert to go in my other 45 Blackhawk. I guess it is catch as catch can.
Good luck. I guess I'd just contact Ruger.
 
Lots of folks giving nervous-nelly advice about something they have never done isn’t productive.

I have a pair of 'original model' Vaqueros. Both chambered for 45 Colt. The cylinders absolutely will not interchange. One is too long for the 'wrong' frame.

Yes, the bushing at the front is too long, and it could be shaved down a bit, but why would I do that. Then it would not fit properly in its original gun.

I don't know how Ruger does it, but many years ago I saw how Smith and Wesson did it. As they came off the machines the cylinders were all a little bit too long. The frame with barrel was placed in a fixture and the cylinder was placed in the same fixture. The fixture indexed off the front of the frame where the cylinder butted up. A cutter would then come down and trim off just the right amount from the front of the cylinder for that frame. This fitted the cylinder to that frame.

Ruger clearly does not do that, it would be too expensive today to be custom fitting cylinders to frames. Given machining tolerances, all the cylinders cannot be made to fit all the frames. I suspect at the assembly benches any cylinders that do not fit into a frame are set aside, to be custom fitted to a frame at a later date.
 
I've seen some cylinders drop in, even a S&W Model 10 did that once for me, while others need fitting. It's not very expensive to have a cylinder fitted, so if the deal is smoking on a single six with the .22 lr cylinder only you will most likely come out a bit ahead with buying (and possibly fitting) a mag cylinder over buying a complete set.

If you don't want to worry or hassle with an unknown cylinder there are literally tons of the dual-cylinder guns out there, so look about and find what you're really wanting... then go out and have fun! :thumbup:

Stay safe.
 
ontarget
Buy it and send to Ruger, to get a new cylinder, no further issues with both.

czhen
 
I bought a Ruger Single Six with both cylinders back in the mid 80's. The 22 mag cylinder still sits in the little red felt bag that it came with. I have maybe fired 100 rounds of 22 Magnum over the years through it.
I much prefer to shoot 22 magnum through a rifle.
 
I have swapped literally dozens of Ruger cylinders myself. Transplanting 9mm cylinders, SBH cylinders into Vaqueros, and adding Single Six Mag or LR cylinders is about as common as it gets in the realm of Ruger shooters. I have NEVER had a timing issue, nor alignment. Only rarely is the gas ring too long or short, or barrel tenon too long - one in a dozen type occurrences. Timing is easily confirmed, even by the most casual of owners. Alignment is also easily confirmed, especially for Single Sixes.

Seems reasonable. Modern production methods result in the cylinder ratchet and the hand being very similar in dimensions in all Ruger revolvers of the same or similar model. But, I'm surprised that the gas rings and barrel tenons are so consistent dimension-wise.
I always assumed that minor fitting would be required. But, apparently not.
 
I bought a Ruger Single Six with both cylinders back in the mid 80's. The 22 mag cylinder still sits in the little red felt bag that it came with. I have maybe fired 100 rounds of 22 Magnum over the years through it.
I much prefer to shoot 22 magnum through a rifle.

Me too.

I have a couple of Single Sixes (Three Screws) that came with the 22 Mag cylinder. I don't think I have ever fired any 22 Mags through any of them.

Too loud and too expensive.

I only shoot 22 Long Rifle in any of my Single Sixes.

I bought this one used a few years ago. It came with the box and some ammo. It shipped in 1963. The mag cylinder is still in the little red bag, I don't think I have ever fired it.

singlesixwmr03_zps3ef30284.jpg
 
ontarget
Buy it and send to Ruger, to get a new cylinder, no further issues with both.

czhen

This ONLY works if the serial number matches a revolver which was shipped as a convertible. Ruger no longer - and by no longer, I mean 15 years or more since - will produce a cylinder for a revolver which wasn’t shipped as a convertible.

OCCASIONALLY I have been able to convince them I lost a cylinder, then ship the revolver for a new one, asking them to convert it to the alternative chambering. In this case, however, they will only produce a barrel length, sight, and chambering configuration which was available as a factory model offering. This has exceeded $250 for the cylinder plus shipping both ways each time I have had it done, which is FAR more expensive than simply buying take off cylinders for $50-150 through various web sources.
 
ontarget
My apologies for the misleading advice.
Varminterror
Thank you I wasn't aware of that.
Same here my SS six never test the magnum cylinder SS SIX.jpg .

czhen
 
I bought a Ruger Single Six with both cylinders back in the mid 80's. The 22 mag cylinder still sits in the little red felt bag that it came with. I have maybe fired 100 rounds of 22 Magnum over the years through it.
I much prefer to shoot 22 magnum through a rifle.

Me too. My original Single Six had both cylinders and I quickly decided I didn't have much use for the 22 magnum one.

I bought a 9mm "convertible" Blackhawk cylinder of off Ebay and after I cleaned it thoroughly it dropped right into my 357 Blackhawk and functions just fine. Maybe I got lucky.
 
I also have a single six, my brother sent me a magnum cylinder and it was a drop in fit. I did check it extensively for timing and alignment. It's a perfect fit.
 
I just snagged one for my single six for $40.. it is timed and fits perfectly. Nice and tight cylinder gap aswell. Ruger is one of the most precise companies in the buisness or revolvers
 
I too have 2 single six's and both have mag cylinders, one was original to the gun I bought on auction and they didn't even mention the mag cylinder, that cylinder matches and indexes perfectly with my 2nd pistol a stainless, 1st is blued, I bought another mag cyl. off Ebay and it also indexed perfectly. Easy to check, get a rod as close to bore size as possible, cock empty gun and run rod down barrel to base of cylinder, any stops and alignment is out, do it 3 or 4 times to insure all sides are checked, I've done this with spare cylinders for my B/P pistols and works fine.
 
I had a single six that only came with the magnum cylinder. It was a 70's era blued frame gun. I found a stainless .22 long rifle cylinder online and bought it. When it arrived I installed it and checked fit and timing. The fit was just fine. The timing was ever so slightly off when you put pressure on the cylinder but when you cocked it without pressure on the cylinder it worked perfectly. Being a single action I wasn't worried about slightly off timing. It shot great and I've never had a problem with it.
 
This ONLY works if the serial number matches a revolver which was shipped as a convertible. Ruger no longer - and by no longer, I mean 15 years or more since - will produce a cylinder for a revolver which wasn’t shipped as a convertible.

OCCASIONALLY I have been able to convince them I lost a cylinder, then ship the revolver for a new one, asking them to convert it to the alternative chambering. In this case, however, they will only produce a barrel length, sight, and chambering configuration which was available as a factory model offering. This has exceeded $250 for the cylinder plus shipping both ways each time I have had it done, which is FAR more expensive than simply buying take off cylinders for $50-150 through various web sources.
For that price, plus the minimal advantage of the .22 Mag, it ain't worth it to me. See the website "ballisticsbytheinch" to see how little the mag. imparts to a handgun, especially a revolver. Not to mention the increased cost of the ammo, and difficulty in getting it. It's one of those "wants" which few use after purchase.
 
I just snagged one for my single six for $40.. it is timed and fits perfectly. Nice and tight cylinder gap aswell. Ruger is one of the most precise companies in the buisness or revolvers

Their business model is built around parts interchangeability and minimized specialty labor. So they spent money in production controls such they can have a bin of cylinders sitting beside a bin of barrels, with an expectation any and all of them can be paired together in any of their frames with little to no hand-fitting.
 
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