The Ruger Single Six Convertible

I wanted one of these or a Ruger Bearcat for a long time, though I'm not quite sure why. One reason, I suppose, was that I was looking for a pistol that would digest any and all types of .22 rounds, from BB caps to hot hyper-velocity LRs.  Autos are a lot more ammunition sensitive, and even the Ruger autos won't digest everything. I was thinking about a T/C Contender pistol, with interchangeable barrels, but never could find a used one in .22. I did find a used one with a .45/.410 barrel, but then I'd have to sell the barrel and buy a .22 barrel, and by then I'd probably be well over my budget.

Then I came across this Single Six Convertible in excellent condition at Huron Valley Guns in Milford, MI. It's like new, aside from very light marking on the cylinder, and I decided I needed it. From the serial number, it looks like it was made in 1995, and for a 17 year old gun it doesn't look like it's been fired or handled much. There's no bluing wear, and only faint drag marks on the cylinders. From what I've read, it's a very accurate design. Colonel Charles Askins was a big fan of the Single Six and noted that it pointed very well, much better than the smaller Bearcat which he didn't care for. He wrote in 1958 that "if a man could only have one pistol, he could scarcely do better" than the Single Six.

I took my new toy to my club with a collection of ammunition, ranging from wimpy little CCI CB Longs to 1330fps WInchester hollow points. Right away I noticed that the trigger was very crisp, with no creep whatsoever. If I didn't shoot well with this gun, I couldn't blame the trigger. The CCI Standard Velocity .22LR was accurate, and grouped a few inches above point of aim at 25 yards. The Winchesters and CCI Mini-Mags shot right to point of aim. I tried a few CCI Maxi-Mags in the auxiliary cylinder, but I don't see using them much. The .22 Mag is best used in longer barrels where it makes a great 50-200 yard small game or varmint cartridge. In a short barreled sixgun there's too much muzzle blast.

The Single Six has been around since 1953, and the New Model Single Six, with the transfer bar safety used in all Ruger single actions now, since 1973. Besides the .22 and .22/.22 Mag convertible models, you can also get the Single Six in .17 HMR, though reviews I've read suggest it's not terribly accurate in that caliber. Even the .22 Mag is a bit much for a pistol, I think.  Muzzle blast is excessive, and you don't get the full advantage of the .22 Mag in a short barrel.

There's a common story I've seen repeated a lot on line that the convertible model isn't as accurate as the older .22LR only models, as the barrel is bored for the .22 Mag (0.224") rather than the .22 LR (0.223"). Others have said, just as vehemently, that a thousandth of an inch one way or the other doesn't make a white of difference as it's only about a third the thickness of a human hair, and besides, if you mike a sample of .22LR bullets you'll find that they run from 0.222" to 0.225". I have no idea who is correct, but I'll report back after more testing with more different loads.

My Single Six has a 4⅝," barrel, but Ruger also currently offers  5½, 6½, 7½, and 9½ inch models, which should cover just about everyone's taste. Besides the basic convertible model there's the Hunter, with scope rings, the Single Nine (a 9-shooter in .22 Mag), the Single Ten in .22 LR and the .17 HMR six-shot model. Various models are available in blue and stainless finish. (Stainless is more practical for the outdoorsman, but I think most guns look better in blued steel.) All models except the Convertible come with the new style fiber-optic sights, which are much easier and faster to use than the standard partridge sight in a wide variety of lighting and background conditions, but I have to admit that they just don't look right to me on a single action revolver, and the front sight is more fragile- I always worry about the plastic piece popping out or becoming damaged on my Mk-III Hunter.

If you find yourself shopping for a used Single Six, here's a tip: The cylinders will always be marked with the last three digits of the serial number of the gun they're matched to, like this:

If the numbers don't match, the cylinder may not line up properly with the barrel, and it will have to be modified by a gunsmith or sent back to Ruger.