I found this old model Ruger Single Six. It's in great shape. Varnished walnut stocks and steel ejector rod housing. I'd rate the blue and frame ionization at 99%. XR-3 Frame. Looks like it was shot very little if at all.

Attached File


It came with a .22 Magnum cylinder numbered to the revolver. It also had the transfer-bar upgrade.

The serial places it within that 1962 - 1969 gap.

Some things were not making sense to me so I called Ruger about it.

The guy I talked to there said it was made in 1962. I asked if the .22 mag cylinder was provided when the gun was sold and he said no, just .22 LR. He figured it must have been special ordered/fitted when the revolver was returned for the transfer-bar service.

What is unusual (or maybe not) is that the .22 Magnum cylinder is not marked as such, It's only marked with the last three digits of the serial. The numbers are stamped and not EPed like the later ones.

For all I know that might all be normal.

Very nice and lucky to have the extra matched cylinder!

Does one of the cylinders have a round slot cut around the perimeter where the cartridge bases would sit?  The slot is to give visual reference that the cylinders are different.

When you forget what the slot means, you will be splitting .22LR cases in your magnum cylinder.

That's a nice looking Ruger............

I have a few extra single six cylinders, a couple of the magnums aren't marked either.

Nice-you always score good stuff.

I will give you$50 which is double what you paid and pay shipping to my FFL.

Yes it does.

I swear I'm about half tempted to stamp it .22 mag where the cylinder numbers are myself since this one will be going in "the great grandson" chest.....Maybe a note in the felt bag will suffice.

LOL.....He's already got twice the guns I had as a young man.

Good score!

Also: Never enough,you of all people know this.

Let me guess, you paid $2.50 plus a half eaten bag of popcorn for it. Is that about right?

Sweet looking gun!

Nice score OP, I had a single six years ago and shoulda kept it. Very nice!

Nah, they played hardball and  held out for a bag of deer jerky.

I've got one of about the same vintage, even has the little red bag for the extra cylinder.

Can't remember when mine was made but about the same time. Nice revolver.

The .22 mag requires a slightly larger barrel bore!

Got a Wrangler? See if one will fit. Don't bother trying to use it, just see if it can go into the frame.


Very curious whether there is anything more than recommendations and common sense keeping people from putting a SS magnum cylinder in their Wranglers.

They (old or new model) .22 mag cylinders don't work with the Wrangler so it's a moot point. I just tried both in my Wrangler since you mentioned it.

While having the .22 mag cylinder for this one is nice I don't suspect it will shoot POA with the .22 LR fixed sights if my New Model SS or any other convertible I've owned is anything to go by. POA has to be adjusted when switching between cylinders. Even a couple Colt New Frontier revolvers were like that.

It's no big deal, you just have to remember the sight adjustments (I write them down) you make when going between cylinders.

I figure it would be the same with the Wrangler if there was a convertible ever made. They would have to put adjustable sights on it.

The guy at Ruger said they made a early three screw SS convertible called the Super Single Six and it had adjustable sights.

Thanks . I've seen people float the idea of using Single Six magnum cylinders in a couple Wrangler threads but nobody mentioned actually trying it. The comments had me wondering if they'd even fit.

Sure, magnum cylinders in an alloy frame works for Heritage, but as far as I know Ruger hasn't made a conversion cylinder for an alloy frame since the early Bearcat. Those ones went out of time easily and got recalled.

And I've shot the convertibles too. Fun option but you're right on having to adjust the sights.