Ruger Single Six

[SquirrelNuts]

I see that many people like the Ruger Single Six. I looked at a brand new one at a local gun store last week and I love it. It was a stainless model with wood grips with both LR and MAG cylinders. This gun would be great for me as I own something like 7 or 8 .22 LR guns and 1 .22 Mag gun. I do not own any revolvers, and they fascinate me. The price on this brand new gun is $340.00, which I have found to be good. I was wondering if it would be fine to shoot Aguilla Colibri out of the LR cylinder. The Colibri use a shorter bullet than the standard .22 LR, but the case is the same size.

The reason for this is I want to shoot it in my backyard, and I have a few nazi neighbors. I have a Browning Buckmark, but I want a wheelgun.

-SquirrelNuts

 

[444]

That is no problem, it will handle them fine.

I have had one for years and have shot the crap out of it. Great gun. Growing up, my best friend had one and we shot the CRAP out of that. It went everywhere we did and was probably fired 350 days out of the year. I hear that since we grew up, the song bird and chipmunk populations are making a comeback.

 

[YodaVader]

If you have a local dealer or someone you know with an FFL that will perform transfer for a fair price Whittaker guns had a much better price listed for the Single Six - something like $273 - if the current price list is correct. I have a Single Six and it is one fun gun to shoot!

http://www.whittakerguns.com

 

[444]

I would like to buy a new Single Six. I get POed everytime I look at the offerings for the Single Six. They only offer two options in stainless; 5 1/2" and 6 1/2" barrels. Why can't I have the 4 5/8" barrel in stainless ? That is what I want, but that is only because they don't make a 4". I find it kind of unusual that instead of offering more models that are short and easy to carry on the belt, they instead offer models with longish barrels including one that is 9 1/2" long !

 

[444]

By the way, I fired about 50 of those Aguila Colibris from my Ruger Bearcat yesterday. I live in a rural area. I was at a friends house. He has a little range set up in his backyard. He put a small addition on his house for a hot tub and he stands inside this additon and shoots out the door. The closest house to him is about 50 yards in the opposite direction of where we were shooting. Our goal was to see if we felt the closest neighbor would be able to tell he was shooting. The targets were about 40 yards away. We were playing around with Aguila Colibri, Aguila Super Colibri, Aguila SniperSubSonic, and CCI CB Caps. We shot them out of a bolt action rifle and out of my pistol. The goal was to see which ones were the quietest and compare that to the performance. I chronoed them out of the rifle. I can't give you exact figures but the Colibri were about 270 fps, the Super Colibri were about 375, the SSS was about 580, and the CB Caps were in the 700 range. We found that out of the rifle, the CB Caps didn't seem to be much louder than the rest of them and offered significantly better perfromance. They were definitely louder, but we didn't feel they were loud enough that someone would be calling the police for shots fired. None really sounded like something that would be associated with a gun shot out of the rifle. By performance, I mean trajectory. The Colibris dropped like a rock when trying to shoot at 40 yards. They were hitting the ground like 10 feet in front of the target. I shot a wooden stake with a Colibri and it bounced off and hit my pant leg. It didn't even move the material of my jeans enough for the bullet to hit my leg. It just fell on the ground and was not deformed at all. Out of the pistol, I considered all of them to be too loud. Standing outside the house around the corner from the door, they all sounded like being in a gun store with an indoor range; The sound you hear when you are in the store, and not in the range. I decided that none of these rounds were practical for what I wanted to do (shoot without the neighbors hearing it). An air rifle would provide much higher velocity, produce less noise, and if someone saw you, theyou wouldn't be as upset about firing a pellet rifle.

 

[TL in OR]

Info for 444

444 -- sent you an e-mail about 4-5/8" Rugers in stainless. They're currently available as an exclusive offering through a distributor called Lipsey's. Check out http://www.lipseys.com/products/prodSpecs.aspx?ID=RUKNR4&idx=13&att=EX

Hope this helps.........TL

 

[444]

Thank you, I really appreciate it. Do you have any idea what dealer cost is
on this ? That suggested retail of close to $500 is a little much. I would
have a hard time sinking that kind of money into another Single Six,
especially when I already have one (although I am not happy with it)

 

[PlumberjimC]

Have a 1st gen (1961) and it's a dream. Got it in high school in '62 and no way I'm having the tranfer bar installed. I've always carried it with an empty chamber under the hammer, and always will.

 

[TL in OR]

For 444

Not sure what dealer cost is, but it should be the same or maybe only just slightly more than the price of the standard catalog models. When I checked Lipsey's, they showed the MSRP price of $469 for any of the stainless adj sight single-sixes.........
Any shop that wants repeat business sells below suggested retail, so the real purchase price should be quite a bit lower...... Don't know for sure, but these limited runs are usually only 1,000 units or so and once they're gone, that's probably it. If it's what you really want, sell off or trade in the old one to offset the cost and don't look back. Good luck, and hope this helps.......TL

 

[mec]

444 just provided the best synopsis of the low report .22's Ive seen anywhere( or am likely to see in the future). I find the mini-caps, either short or long to be much more accurate from my rifle and revolvers. They are a bit loud from a pistol but not as loud as a sheridan with five or six pumps from the rifle.

 

[Old Fuff]

444,

If you have a Super Single Six (adjustable sights) I presume the front sight is held on with a screw. Cutting the barrel to a shorter length and remounting the front sight by drilling a new hole and threading it is not a difficult job, and shouldn't be expensive. I have a blued "old model" 5 1/2" I'm thinking about cutting back to 4 5/8" which I prefer, or even 4 inches although that would require shortening the ejector assembly too. Rather then spending a lot of money for a new gun look into reworking the one you have.

 

[444]

Fluff: The saga of my Single Six is long an painful. I wanted a Single Six for years, but for some reason never coughed up the money. One of my friends picked up a used Single Six in a pawn shop, when he decided he needed to sell it, I bought it; so it was at least third hand by the time I got it. I have had problem after problem with it. It has been to I believe four gunsmiths over the years including back to Ruger for different problems. I can't recall all the problems but I can give a brief summary. Soon after getting the gun I was cleaning it and parts fell out in my hand. I took it to one gunsmith and he put it back together. It never felt right after that so I took it to another gunsmith. This guy worked on it and told me "It isn't right, but it will work". I shot it for a year or two more and decided to send it to Ruger and have them go over it completly and also fit it for a magnum cylinder. The first time I shot it after that the loading gate got harder and harder to close until finally it jammed in place. I sent it to another gunsmith who told me that all the steel parts inside were rusted. He fixed it again. The last time I shot it, the loading gate started to get really stiff again. Plus I was shooting it and missing small targets when I felt my sight picture was perfect upon release. I get about a 3" - 4" group at 25 yards from a solid rest. I decided at that point to just forget it and buy a new one. I enjoy the Single Six but I obviously got a gun that was seriously screwed up by a previous owner. I see no reason to continue to pour money into this gun. And, I figure if I am buying a new one, I might as well get the barrel length I want. Over the last 10 or so years, I would say I must have a thousand dollars tied up in this gun that doesn't shoot good. Now I have shot a number of other Single Sixes over the years and they all were great guns except mine. I feel that the Single Six is a terrific handgun and in no way judge the who lot of them by the performance of mine.

 

[Old Fuff]

444,

Boy, I feel for you. Sometimes ya' can't win. I've owned several Single Six's (fixed sights) and Super Single Six's (adjustable sights) without getting a lemon.

If you ever decide to get another one (and I can understand why you might not want too) look for a Super Single Six with the ramp front sight held on by a screw. So long as the barrel is 5 1/2" or longer you can have it modified to what you suggested for relatively little money.

I was lucky enough to pick up a used (old model) revolver at a fair price and I think it will end up along the ideas you have. I agree that something with a 9" barrel isn't a good "packing piece."

Anyway I wish you luck, and hope you get another chance to have what you want without having to sell the farm.

 

[444]

TL in OR
4 5/8", Stainless, Adjustable Sight, Super Single Six Convertible ordered today from Lipsey's. My dealer doesn't have a current FFL on file with them, so it will take a couple weeks. Price was $360 plus tax. That price was actually five dollars less than the price for a standard catalog 5 1/2" Single Six.
Thank you everyone for the thought and the kind words.

 

[Old Fuff]

I am delighted to see how things worked out. I hope this gun is everything you want. Good luck.

 

[444]

Fluff, it almost certainly will be a fine handgun and provide me with the lifetime (or what is left of a lifetime) of enjoyment.