Ruger single six customized.

[Travis C.]

I'm not getting anywhere on this. I am to the point that a tightened cylinder latch, or lug and possibly a new barrel would turn this into a more acurate .22 because the barrel is for .22 magnum sized slugs. Any experience? I talked to a gunsmith and was told that Ruger isn't really worth the effort. I have little money invested and think that I have a strong platform. Thanks

 

[Kathy]

Friend Travis C

Friend Travis C:

I do not work on Ruger Single Six's............but, I collect them, have for about 30 years.....I have two Flatgates in my collection......

Anyway, I have re-barreled some with match grade, taper lapped barrels and if you get a good cylinder they can be pretty accurate....

What one finds is usually one cylinder or maybe a couple will show more accuracy.......I built one once that by loading only one, marked cylinder it shot inside a half inch at 50 yards with good, match ammo...

I am currently, in my spare time,?? building what I hope will be the ultimate Single Six.......I have machined a new base pin, oversized to reduce any slop between it and the cylinder........ I am short cylindering it, in other words I'm machining the front face of the cylinder back so the bullet will not have to jump.....course the barrel will extend back through the frame to match.........

I'm going to use a minimal forcing cone, polished like a mirror, although one flaw in revolvers is one must have a pretty large forcing cone or the cylinder will spit lead, even with very well aligned cylinders....

The barrel I'm using is taper lapped, just like I do in my rimfire benchrest guns and I will also be using one of my muzzle attached barrel tuners....

I've built them in the past with bull barrels, requiring milling the barrel for the ejector rod housing but I've found I can get much better accuracy by using very skinny barrels and my muzzle attached barrel tuners....

My goal is to have a Ruger Single Six that will agg .350" at 50 yards....I think there's a good possibility I can do it.....

Good luck with your project...again, I don't work on them....I enjoy fooling with them for myself....

Your freind, Bill Calfee

 

[gunmaker]

Friend Travis C:

I'm machining the front face of the cylinder back so the bullet will not have to jump.....course the barrel will extend back through the frame to match.........

I spent a summer back in '91 working for Linebaugh. Haven't worked on another wheelgun since then, but IIRC the way John tightened a few cylinders for endplay was to counter bore the basepin hole in the front of the cylinder and install a ~.375" long bushing. He did use oversize base pins as well. Another little trick was to solder a little block in the frame to keep the cylinder latch from wiggling back and forth.
gunmaker

 

[stsbuyer]

Super Single Six

I'm not getting anywhere on this. I am to the point that a tightened cylinder latch, or lug and possibly a new barrel would turn this into a more acurate .22 because the barrel is for .22 magnum sized slugs. Any experience? I talked to a gunsmith and was told that Ruger isn't really worth the effort. I have little money invested and think that I have a strong platform. Thanks

How about this project from about 12 years ago.

Single six with 14" x 1" od Douglas Barrel, full length aluminum rib, Bomar rear with hood, Bond front sight. The hammer was drilled to lighten it and has a brass bushing so that the hammer does not touch any part of the receiver. The cylinder was cut back to shorten the jump from it to the barrel and the gap reduce to minimum. I did not have the ejector installed I just us a bent piece of titanium welding rod to push the spent rounds out. The trigger pull is 8oz and I have had no problems with miss fires. The gun shoots well enought to take smallbore pistol silhouette chickens at 100m. Not sure how it would group with a scope.

Good luck with your project it was a fun one for me. Paul

 

[Kathy]

Friend stsbuyer

Friend stsbuyer:

AWESOME! Man, you've short cylindered it, and man it is awesome....I love it.

My friend, I posted earlier that I thought I could produce .350" Agg groups.........I may have to eat that statement......but, I was talking about using only one chamber...........

Man, your pistol is awesome.....

You know what my friend, I love making my little rimfire benchrest guns, as I got to eat.........but, by gosh, after seeing your little pistol, I am going to make a Ruger Single Six shoot .350" at 50 yards...........we can do this!

Thank you for posting your picture my friend,

Your friend, Bill Calfee

 

[cdupuy]

Travis:
Look for a Paco Kelley and his swaging tools for the rimfire round, it fixes most of the problems except for the Cylinder to Barrel alignment which is not a real problem to fix. I have an old flat that will shoot arround an inch at 25 yds from sitting.

Clarence