single six help!

[kevincwall]

hey, thanks in advance for any help!!

i purchased a ruger single six today at an auction.
i have spent the last 2 hours trying to find out exactly what this is.
i know there are several variations.

it only came with 1 cylinder, 22 magnum.(i do believe i see 517)
serial # 832517 (stamped on right side.
XR3-RED [alcoa] G2 stamped on grip frame
6 1/2" barrel.
walnut grips with black ruger eagle.
i have a 22 long rifle cylinder (in a drawer) that fits like it was made for it also.

whats kinda throwing me off is the fact that the serial # is stamped on the right side but NOTHING is stamped on the left side.
(sturm ruger, etc sy\tamped across top of barrell)

i have read where i can send this information to ruger, but they're closed monday!
again, thanks for any help.
love your online articles,
kevin wall

[kevincwall]

there is nothing stamped on this pistol telling me what it is ??

and also is there any significance (that beside where it is stamped alcoa) between G and G2 ?

[flattop44]

Kevin, if your Single-Six is in original condition as it came from the factory and someone did not remove the left side of the cylinder frame roll mark, it sounds like it just got out of the factory sans its roll mark. The roll mark should have been "RUGER .22 CAL. SINGLE-SIX" with an encircled Ruger Eagle Logo to the right of the words. Most likely made in 1969. Since the Magnum cylinder is numbered with the last 3-digits of the serial number it probably also came with a .22 Long rifle cylinder from the factory. Thus it was shipped as a "Convertible" with .22 LR and .22 Mag cylinders. The Alcoa G2 is simply a mark that was put of grip frames from about early 1967 -71 so nothing significant. Not having the roll mark on it cylinder frame makes it a novelty and may peak the interest of a collector which may pay a premium. However missing its .22 cyl probably as much or more than offsets that premium. And of course, condition is everything
Hope this helps you out in your info search.
Glad to have you on the ROCS Forums.
FT44

[chet15]

#1 to what flattop44 said.
Yes, the folks at Ruger would miss a rollmark every now and then. There are also few Bearcats known without barrel rollmarks.
Then I've also seen two guns without any rollmark what-so-ever, not even a serial number...which we can surmise left the factory under unscrupulous conditions. One was an OM Super Single-Six and the other was a 4-3/4" Standard auto which I could make a good guess at with its date of manufacture since it had tapered bolt ears.
Chet15

[Watertender]

Chet you know those 2 handguns were just polished a little too much... Polished the numbers right off... Reminds me of the old Johnny Cash song. One Piece at a Time. Lot of places have lost an item that way. Whoever had those 2 pieces best not get caught with them or they will have some real trouble

[Coogs]

"Unmarked " guns DO slip out every now and again. I have a "Warning Model" KNR-6 without the barrel markings as well as a SSR-6, single cylinder, .22 LR without the "arrow" or "house" marking on the front of the trigger guard. I guess nobody is perfect. Coogs.

[chet15]

Chet you know those 2 handguns were just polished a little too much... Polished the numbers right off... Reminds me of the old Johnny Cash song. One Piece at a Time. Lot of places have lost an item that way. Whoever had those 2 pieces best not get caught with them or they will have some real trouble

Actually there are a lot of antique guns out there that never had a serial number put on them.
And Ruger's first two prototype .22 pistols do not have serial numbers.
Ruger's early regular production .22 pistols also did not have external serial numbers on them, but were numbered internally on all major parts with a single digit "1" through "8". Heard a rumor that those of the 8 that Ruger still had in their inventory which were never completed, they were just barreled receivers....somebody at the factory apparently got the idea that those needed to be destroyed...so they were. Still have the hope that never happened.
Chet15

[Coogs]

Along with those 5000+ Maximums and the 2 pallets of Hawkeye's and Hawkeye parts that were melted. Coogs.

[Watertender]

I know about guns with no serial number but the 2 mentioned should have been numbered. Hearing about things melted down makes me sick. There was a large plant where my 1st wife's family worked that was involved in war production work during WW2. They had a large safe in the office that had not been opened since the Fall of 1945 which they got opened in the early 2000's.... In there was a treasure trove of weapons used to guard the plant during WW2 including many revolvers in almost NIB condition in the box. Those along with rifles and shotguns were taken to the pressroom and thrown in the shear to destroy them totally. What a waste & travesty indeed. Nobody could talk the manager out of doing it because HE knew best.

[Hawkeye28]

Proves what my late Father noted about smart mules and lots of dumb A**es............same applies to the destruction of firearms in the police buybacks and firearms confiscation programs where all are sheared or ballmilled.............