22 Win Mag blued Ruger Single Six cylinder problem

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Snattlerake

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Long story, My father-in-law died and willed a Stainless Ruger Single Six to my son. It was new in a box with another set of grips and a custom western holster.

It is given to his son after death for safekeeping. His son gives me the gun to take to my son. When I get to my son's house, the weapon is fitted with the 22 Win Mag cylinder and there is no .22 Long Rifle cylinder with the gun.

I contact the son, my brother-in-law who says, "Oh SHt, Next time you're up here I'll give it to you.' A year later I'm visiting and I make a point of getting the cylinder in the red cloth bag in the Ruger cardboard box because I know my BIL and I know he's a lazy SOB and will screw anything or anyone. I get the cylinder and take it with me. A few months later I presented it to my son. He's not happy because it is a blued 22 Win Mag cylinder, the same caliber as what he already has and it has a totally different serial number.

Here are the problems if you nongun types haven't already figured it out.

1. First of all it is a blued cylinder not stainless

2. The cylinder is not the 22 Long Rifle it is the 22 Win Mag he already has

3. The two cylinders the gun comes with are physically fitted to the gun. You cannot just swap cylinders from another gun. The cylinders have to be timed to the barrel. It is dangerous to try to make it work.

4. My BIL "knew right where it was" when he gave it to me. I called him and asked him if he had a Single Six. He said he sold it a long time ago. I told him I had his old gun's Win Mag cylinder. and I needed my son's cylinder. His reply was, "I don't have another one, I thought that was it." I think he's screwed himself and didn't want to admit it, he is that low.

Now, what to do? send in the gun to Ruger and get a new cylinder because without the second cylinder, you ruin the value of the gun?

Sell the blued cylinder at pennies on the dollar to a gunsmith who probably won't even take it?
@SPDguns what do you think?

Signed, screwed, blued and mad.
 
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retrieverman

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I’ve had a Super Single Six since 1987, and there’s no serial number on either of my cylinders. I also don’t think there would be much if any “fitting” if you were to just buy another stainless 22 lr cylinder.

Another option and probably the one I would choose is to consider waiting a year to get the cylinder from a guy you knew wasn’t trustworthy as a life lesson and enjoy the gun as it is.
 

HFS

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You could sell the incorrect cylinder you received on Gun Joker or E Bay to raise the money your son will need to get a new cylinder fitted.
If'n you're lucky, you will sell it and get some positive feedback: "This is a PERFECT fit for the used revolver I bought. I got SCREWED OVER on that deal because one of the cylinders did not fit!"
 

mtngunr

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Things might have changed in later Rugers with more CNC, but of four attempts at getting a cylinder which worked with a gun at-hand, only succeeded once....it not so much a timing thing as they trimmed both ratchet pads and front "bushing" so that cylinder will clear barrel stub, hand/pawl functions, and cylinder rear not drag on frame...one attempt gave me a cylinder with ratchet too short and yet cylinder face hit barrel AND bushing too short to reach front of frame window boss....if it originally is a convertible, Ruger would be your cheapest for-sure bet, someone such as Reeder can either make one which fits or find in their parts supplies an old one which can be made to fit, but expect to pay him custom cylinder price whichever he ends up doing...best other bet is at a place/show where you can try it on the spot.
 

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