Ruger Single-Six Convertible

[Siggy-06]

I was in the market to pick up another single action for plinking/hiking. I looked at several different options from Ruger: Single-ten, bearcat, blackhawks, all fine options. I stock .22 LR and short ammo so a .22 caliber was on my short list. I debated on barrel lengths and finishes for a good week before deciding on the Single-Six Convertible in stainless w/ 5.5 inch barrel, black laminate grips:



I'll be hitting the range and taking a few pictures within the next week or two. I certainly like the option to shoot .22 wmr with the extra cylinder. I may add some FO sights after the range trip if the stock ones arent to my liking. Leather holster in the works as well.

-Sig

[Reloadron]

Really sweet revolvers, enjoy it!

Ron

[ZEBRARANGER]

Nice Ruger, I have the same convertible, except blued.

[Screwball]

Only Ruger Convertible I have is a .45 New Vaquero... but very happy with it.

I did get a NAA Sidewinder Convertible... similar setup; .22 LR and .22 Magnum. While .22 Magnum isn't as cost effective as LR, it is definitely worth it to get both cylinders. Having a .22 Magnum revolver is costly to shoot, and having a .22 LR revolver is kind of a novelty... but both in the same revolver make it very flexible with need.

[Siggy-06]

Does anyone happen to know the velocity difference between 40gr .22LR High Velocity and a .22 wmr?

[dgludwig]

It varies with who's making them but my Winchester catalog shows a handgun with a 6 1/2" barrel having a muzzle velocity of 1480 fps with a WMR 40 grain bullet and a 6" barreled handgun having a muzzle velocity of 1085 fps with a High Velocity, .22rf 40 grain bullet; a significant difference of around 400 fps.

I purchased my Super Single Six Convertible sometime in the mid-seventies. I almost always carry it with the magnum cylinder.

[Siggy-06]

Thanks for the info dgludwig. I wish I had a chronograph. I'll be sure to shoot some shorts and longs as well.

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

At last count I have three Single Sixes. It just so happens they are all the older Three Screw models.






This one came complete with the conversion cylinder and a bunch of ammo, as you can see, including a couple of boxes of Winchester 22 Magnum Rimfire.





To tell you the truth, I have never been interested in shooting 22 Mag ammo out of a revolver. Much too expensive for what you get. 22 LR has always been fine for me. I suppose I should shoot up some of that 22 Mag ammo that came with the longer barreled Single Six, but I guess I'm just not interested.

By the way, I notice you like to shoot 22 Shorts too. Hope you have a good supply because it has been impossible to buy any for the last few years. I have a brick of really old Remington 22 shorts, and just the other day I found some CCI 22 Shorts and even some CCI 22 CB Longs, which are incredibly mild. But until very recently the ammo makers have been too busy cranking out 22 LR to be making anything else.

[Siggy-06]

If anyone has a leather holster recommendation let me know. I'm looking at the simply rugged cattleman so far.

[Seven High]

Ruger offers a nice Triple K brand holster.

[Armybrat]

Originally Posted by Seven High

Ruger offers a nice Triple K brand holster.

Yep - ordered one for my New Vaquero this Spring. Not a bad buy for the $54.95 - decent quality even though it's not lined, and fits like a glove with its cool thumb break retention strap.
Bought another one for my OM Single Six when Shop Ruger ran a 20% off sale. Don't have a pic of that last one yet. The NV:

[dgludwig]

, I have never been interested in shooting 22 Mag ammo out of a revolver. Much too expensive for what you get. 22 LR has always been fine for me.

400 or so more fps (mv) isn't exactly chopped liver when comparing the ballistics between the .22 Magnum rf and the .22rf out of a handgun. Too, the greatly increased cost and limited availability of .22rf in recent times (though, happily, these factors seem to be finally changing for the better) has made the cost comparison between the two cartridges even less easy to make.

I'm glad my Super Single Six can shoot both cartridges but for me, if I could only have one, it would be the Magnum, especially for hunting. Though I certainly concede that I would greatly miss having the versatile .22, especially for plinking and target shooting; in my case, I have plenty of "regular" .22 handguns around to handle those chores.

[rep1954]

"Does anyone happen to know the velocity difference between 40gr .22LR High Velocity and a .22 Magnum."

http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/

[GeauxTide]

El Paso Saddlery. Love my Bisley Convertible. Get a trigger job and it will drive tacks. To date, I've plugged a Crow at 75 yards.

[Siggy-06]

Here it is with the 22 mag cylinder:

[Siggy-06]

Still looking for a holster. I'd prefer a hammer throng over a snap.

[billcarey]

I have a Ruger holster for my 6.5" SSSix...very nice for the $$$. The hammer strap isn't typical of most. It has a "springy" metal tab backing the leather strap so you can flip it open without grabbing the tab. It convenient and fast. There is no metal on the inside to rub the gun like my Hunters and S&W holsters either.

[jumpingeezer]

Try "Pistol Packaging" for a nice, lined western style holster with a hammer thong. I have two of them for my Rugers and they have served me well for years.

[cjwils]

I had one of those once, but I never really bonded with it, so I sold it after a couple years. I was not happy about the significantly different point of impact when switching between LR and Mag. I understand there would be a vertical difference due to different velocity, but my gun also had a significant horizontal difference, and that is what bothered me.

[Siggy-06]

I'm going to buy some Altamont slim grips here soon for a little better hand fitment.

[dgludwig]

I was not happy about the significantly different point of impact when switching between LR and Mag.

Unless you're switching cylinders often, the adjustable rear sight that comes with the Super Single Six configuration should solve that issue. However, I have to admit I've never experienced windage changes between the poi vs the poa between the two cylinders on my Ruger as you reported.

[44 AMP]

not sure just what terms they are using today, but 30 some years ago when I got mine, the adjustable sight version was the Super Single Six, and with the .22WMR cylinder, the Super Single Six Convertible.

In the entire time I've had it, I don't think I've fired two full boxes of .22WMR ammo through it. I've never been a fan of the .22WMR. I do respect the performance increase over the .22LR, but for me the increased cost was simply not worth it (and that was back when .22WMR was LESS than $6 a box )

If the .22WMR were a reloadable round I'd be all over it. It's not, and so, not worth the price, to me.

Congrats on a fine gun.

[Brian48]

Congrats. Great shooter. I bought my Ruger Single Six in like new condition for $125 in a little pawn shop just outside of camp LeJeune back in '93. A lot of guns have come and gone, but I still have that SS.

Like many here, I done think I've shot more than 300-400 rounds of 22wmr through it in the past 24 years. Having the option is great though. I was in a situation about 20 years ago where the city was in a weather emergency with severe flooding. I was at my parents' house and had the sump pumps going all night which necessitated the doors being kept open for the hoses. I had to sleep by the door to ensure no break-ins or looting occurred. As fate would have it, the SS was the only gun I had available at the time. All I can say is that I slept a lot better that night having that 22 mag cylinder in place with 6 rounds of CCI Maxi-Mags than with any .22lr.

I am never going to sell this gun.

[dgludwig]

All I can say is that I slept a lot better that night having that 22 mag cylinder in place with 6 rounds of CCI Maxi-Mags than with any .22lr.

Good point. As mentioned earlier, I prefer hunting with the Magnum and shoot .22lr when "plinking" with the gun. Really love having the option.

[tallball]

Great buy! As a teenager I had the convertible and shot many thousands of rounds through it. I shot magnum or "regular", depending on if I was hunting or plinking. It was a great first handgun to grow up with. I gave it to a relative who passed away, and never saw it again.

Many years later I got a 22lr version with adjustable sights but no extra cylinder. It immediately became my daughter's favorite 22 revolver to shoot because cocking it and pulling the trigger were both so light and easy. Plus she is extremely accurate with it.

Congratulations! They are excellent revolvers.