Can a .32 Ruger Single Six be bored out to 9mm?

[MatthewVanitas]

Quick and random question:

Ruger made the .32 Single Six off and on, and I know a few folks had them bored-out to make 5-shot .41Spl revolvers.

Is the cylinder big enough to take six rounds of 9mm? That is, simply enlarging the current holes rather than making an all-new cylinder.

I was vaguely thinking that a 9mm mini-SA would be pretty cute, and the stainless version would be one of the most indescructible 9mm handguns out there.

 

[Ron James]

If you have enough enough money any thing is posssible.

 

[461]

I've seen them done up in .38spl, can't see why not 9mm. Why not just get a convertible Blackhawk in .357/9mm? I've got a stainless one and it's pretty fun. The .32Mag Single-Six is a great gun in itself and everyone should have one. (I have 2 )

Edit to add: Forgot you're up in Canada now, .32 handguns are a big no-no up there.

 

[Jim Watson]

John Gallagher said he would rather convert a New Model Single Six to 9mm than to .38 because he would not have to open up under the loading gate as large and risk cutting into the transfer bar groove. I don't recall whether he rechambered for six or made a new cylinder for five, though. H. Bowen made a .32-20 Single Six a fiveshooter, which might indicate that would be needed for the larger, higher pressure 9mm P.

 

[Wil Terry]

The Coolest Single Six Conversion I've Ever Seen Was A

380ACP.
It shot 100GR LFN bullets at 1000fps, killed the crap outta small game, took the X outta the X-ring, and was cheaper to load and shoot that 22LR-HP ammunition.

 

[alukban]

I was thinking of the same thing

I was just thinking of the same thing. I recently had a Single Six rimfire Bisley chopped down to 4" by Clements Custom Guns and I made a Kydex IWB J-clip holster for it. It is THE BEST, most comfortable, IWB strong side carry gun I have. So much so that I immediately started to think of it in 9mm to replace my G26.

Lotsa pics over here:
http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=19871

I am reloading heavily for the 9 mm now, with ammo prices going up so much and all. There is something about the carry "safety" of a SA revolver coupled with the very real speed possible in drawing a SA - makes sense to me. The Single Six frame w/ its very low bore height - much like a Glock - makes it a strangely logical confluence of features which quite plainly WORKS....

 

[MatthewVanitas]

@alukban:

That is an extremely awesome revolver? Are you using it for a carry piece in .22LR, or just as a plinker?

I've seen them done up in .38spl, can't see why not 9mm. Why not just get a convertible Blackhawk in .357/9mm? I've got a stainless one and it's pretty fun. The .32Mag Single-Six is a great gun in itself and everyone should have one. (I have 2 )

Edit to add: Forgot you're up in Canada now, .32 handguns are a big no-no up there.

Is the Single Six not a bit lighter in frame and shorter in cylinder than the Blackhawk? I was under the vague impression that it's even a bit smaller than the Old Model Blackhawk/New Vaquero frame.

Oh, I'm no longer in Newfoundland, so I need to update my profile. I finally got deployment orders (after sending out resumes to Reserve sourcing cells for months), so I'm in Afghanistan now, back wearing digital cammies. I already blew part of my "fun budget" on an NFA toy (which will hopefully have worked its way through the BATF process before I get home), but I've got a little more in the budget if I can think of something really cool for the collection.

 

[461]

You are correct, the Single-Six is quite a bit smaller than any of the Blackhawks old or new. I'll PM you a gunsmith to check with on a conversion if you decide on it. Congrats (I think) on getting back to the action, good luck to you.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

Good deal. I might just get a .32 SS and play with that for a while, and then decide if I want to re-bore it.

Then again, depending on how often I plan to shoot it, the ammo costs for .32S&W or H&R might be a chunk of what the conversion would cost.

I'll have to email the 'smith 461 mentions, and see how cost-prohibitive it would be. The cylinder should be a reasonably easy job to re-bore. I suppose it's just a question of whether it's more doable to open up the bore of the barrel, or whether it would be necessary to put a new barrel in place.

I live the SAA concept a lot, and the idea of having a slightly smaller version, in the world's most common handgun cartridge, with Ruger reliability, seems pretty appealing.


I do find it odd that Ruger nixed their line of .32 SS. From what I heard, the CAS folks were buying those like hotcakes. Any idea why they'd drop them from the line?

 

[Kernel]

alukban,

Very, very, nice. I've been dreamin' about a Single-Six Bisley kit gun like that for years. Is that barrel a 4 5/8" or a true 4"?

-- Kernel

 

[Jim Watson]

I do find it odd that Ruger nixed their line of .32 SS. From what I heard, the CAS folks were buying those like hotcakes. Any idea why they'd drop them from the line?

Although CAS is the fastest growing shooting sport, it is still a small segment of the market, and not even all of CAS wanted a wimpy little .32 when they can have .44s and .45s just as easy.

 

[GunNut]

Wow, that thing is awesome looking. Wish Ruger would make something like that from the factory.

 

[pete f]

also bear in mind that if you get in a shooting situation, there is nothing short of black powder that is slower to reload.

The .32 single six is perhaps the best all around trail gun for places where large carnivores or extreme threats from 2 legged BG"s are to be expected. Loaded with .32 short level loads its quieter than a .22. loaded up to or used with the spare cylinder as a 32-20 you have a fine varmint small deer load. I was brought up with a guy who more or less lived his whole life carrying a 32 20 single action army in the woods of maine. Alton was a dead shot with that thing and rarely missed at what he was thinking looked good for dinner.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

Although CAS is the fastest growing shooting sport, it is still a small segment of the market,

I would agree, but then how do you explain this?

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/VaqueroMontado/index.html

The Ruger Vaquro Montado: "This single action revolver was designed to meet the needs of the cowboy mounted shooter."

Mounted CAS is even smaller than CAS, and here Ruger makes a gun specifically for the horsie set.

and not even all of CAS wanted a wimpy little .32 when they can have .44s and .45s just as easy.

I thought that was just the point: that CAS folks who were in to win were focusing on loads/cartridges just barely powerful enough to use, in order to maximize their recovery time and move on to the next target faster than the .45 shooters. I'm not a CAS player, but I recall numerous online posts complaining that many shooters were "gaming the game" by using the .32 cartridges, and out-shooting the more historically correct .44WCF and .45 shooters.

 

[Jim Watson]

The Ruger Vaquro Montado: "This single action revolver was designed to meet the needs of the cowboy mounted shooter."

Wow, a purpose built blank popper. Now there is a niche product if I ever heard of one. You are right, I think they'd sell more .32s than that. Maybe they will offer Single Six .327s and the gamers can load them with .32 S&W. But they have to make a full 450 fps.

There are still the Warthogs who persist in shooting standard load full bore sixguns. CAS has gotten subdivided into so many categories trying to be the big tent and satisfy everybody that it is just confusing. It is not the fun it used to be and I have about quit shooting it.

 

[alukban]

It is a true 4".

It is a true 4". Clements had to cut the ejector rod housing too.

That's a Douglas barrel BTW