Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Value on Old Model Ruger Single Six

Looking for the value of an old model (no transfer bar) Ruger Single Six convertible. Blued, 6 inch barrel, fixed sights with the extra .22 wrm cylinder. Condition is not bad but grip frame stamped 44 cal. Whats a good price to pay?

Real clean examples with both cylinders are bringing about $500. They may sit for awhile at that price but eventually a Ruger collector will grab them up. I don't know how grip frame markings affect value so I can't help you with that.

local shop has two in his case. Both with boxes and both with mag cylinders.... the one has rust on the mag cylinder and is converted. The other is not converted, both mags, but a few scratches on the frame. Both are priced at $399.

I just sold a 3 screw Super Single-Six. The barrel had been cut to 4-5/8" and the grip frame polished out to silver. It had both cylinders.

It brought $350.

Virgil B.

Went back and looked at it again and noticed the magnum cylinder is stamped with the last three of the serial number but not the 22 long rifle cylinder. Should I be concerned? Checking the serial number on line (498XXX) I find it's listed as a 1968 Single Six Magnum. Did those even come with a 22 long rifle cylinder or were they magnums only or is that the early name for the convertible?

Good grief. What's the price, and do you plan on using it/shooting it? If it's a shooter and the price is decent, I'd be a lot more concerned about how it shot than whether it's some uber-rare version or whether it had a cylinder fitted to it later or such stuff.

Not concerned with collectability. But am concerned about safety. If it's a 22 wrf magnum only and the long rifle cylinder doesn't go with it then I need to keep looking. I can probably get him down to $400.00 but I want to use it as a 22 long rifle. Don't want to buy a magnum only single six.

That makes sense, and for $400, you can get a Single-Six .22LR fairly easily (especially if you don't care about the WMR cylinder option).

This might help:

http://www.gunblast.com/Hamm_MagnumOnly_SingleSix.htm

A call to Ruger probably wouldn't hurt.

Very helpful site. I searched for just ruger old model single six on that site and it stated that the guns stamped "Ruger Single Six 22 cal" (as mine is) would be 22 caliber and if shipped with 2 cylinders the extra cylinder would be stamped with the last three of the serial number. So it looks like everything is as it should be. Thanks for the great info all and for the neat site 4ager. I'll try to get him below $400.00 and see how it goes. He wanted $450.00. Thanks again.

$450 is not a bad price, depending upon condition.

Offer him $350 cash, and see what he says. If it's in a shop, he probably has about $300 in it, maybe a little less.

FWIW in today's market, I'd be into it at $400. I don't think you can get hurt.

Old Model Singl Six

Got it for $400.00. It really is in remarkable shape.

Nice piece!

Grips are not correct

What's wrong with them?

Wrong echelon, and ferrule.

1968 would have came with a black eagle echelon, and ferrule.

Yes, I knew that when it said "44 cal" on the grip frame. Now to thin out the sear, polish the inards and lighten up the springs and I'm good to go.

Be interesting to know where and how it says "44 cal" on that grip frame.
Is it cast or stamped, under the grip panel or where?

Clean looking Revolver.

Stamped into the grip frame behind the trigger on the side shown. Basically over the trigger return spring. If you blow up the pic you can just make it out in the photo.

$400 is the right price for that revolver. Got my single 6 in the summer of 2001 and never had one problem
with it. Great handgun !!! Just curious - how tuff are handgun laws in California ?

He's in MT, by the location in his profile.

Bet he is happy to be out of California.

Who wouldn't be? Unless they moved to MD, or NJ, or CT, or IL.

BTW - there's another 1960s Single-Six in the Classifieds; $375.

To answer your question on Ca. gun laws. I walked out of my LGS in 15 minutes with my Single Six here in Montana. In California I would still be waiting to be able to pick it up. Aside from having to wait 10 days in Ca. I would have to sign an affidavit stating I have a Ca. approved gun safe I will be locking it up in and I would have to present my Handgun Safety Certificate to be able to buy it. Some handguns are not legal for sale in Ca. such as the Ruger LCP, or the Judge variants (.45/.410) and others. Gun mfrs. have to submit handguns to Ca. for drop testing etc. (I had heard at one time once it's like 12 of each) and a number of company's have just quit trying to jump through California's hoops. I was almost afraid to own or take an "assault" type rifle to the range because no one was sure what the regs were. They required bullet buttons so you couldn't reload quickly and 10 round maximum capacity magazines. But you may be in trouble for complying because from day to day no one could agree on what the rules were. Just having one at the range freaked people out. Yet I could take a Remington Woodsmaster with an extended magazine and no one batted an eye. Have a friend who owned a .50 cal bolt action rifle that he had registered to be able to possess in California. He didn't realize it had to be re-registered every year and suddenly it was illegal. And to answer your other question....yes I am extremely happy to be out of California.