Ruger Single Six - What does it do that my K22 Outdoorsman cannot do?

[ScreechingWeasel]

I have a K22 Outdoorsman (dates to 1938) as my only .22LR revolver (more are in the future), but I might be able to buy a Single Six (late 1985 dated) in the near future, and I have some questions. Well, basically one question: does it do anything my Outdoorsman (K22) doesn't? Here's how I see it:

Outdoorsman v. Single Six:

K22 Pros:

faster reloads
double-action
already own it (bird-in-hand argument)
call bead sight
Single-action trigger is orders of magnitude superior to the Ruger trigger

Cons:

Want to replace grips (Don't like the factory pre-war "Service grips" since they're so tiny as to be not even there, and not having any similarity/carryover (gripwise) to my other sixguns, which is the entire point of it: having the .22LR as a fun gun/training analogue to the bigger-bore guns.)

Single Six Pros:

It's new and different
It's single-action (I don't have a SA revolver yet)

Cons:

not double-action
slow reloads
already own the K22
plain black sights
Outdoorsman SA trigger is WAAAAAY better

So can anyone convince me with good things about the Single Six? In a year or so, it wouldn't be an issue, but right now, things are pretty tight financially, so any gun purchases need to be justified, and unless I get a smoking deal, I won't move. The reason I ask is I might be offered a "deal" on this gun and I need to know what that a "deal" looks like for this gun (Ruger Single Six, might have .22Mag cylinder as well), along with non-monetary justifications for this gun. If it's not worth it, I'll save and get a New Vaquero in .357 which was the original plan to get my first SA sixgun.

Anyhow, any guidance on a Single Six? If I have a 6" Outdoorsman, what is the point? I already feel I have the greatest .22LR sixgun out there, but I still kinda want the Ruger, but then again, I figure the Ruger money can go towards a Model 18, which would be the ideal, since it would be a perfect analogue for my M19 and other .357s.

Thoughts?

 

[silversnake]

The Single Six is possibly the best single action .22 ever made, but no, it won't do anything your K-22 doesn't do already.

If things are tight financially, why bother? The Single Six isn't exactly rare, I see tons of them for sale.

Re: grips I think you have more options with the K-22 as it is.

 

[Rpg]

You have the superior 22 right now.

I see the Ruger as a beginner's gun. You're past needing that.

 

[hkcavalier]

I got rid of my Single Six b/c it was such a pain to reload. Quality gun, but just not my cup of tea. Found a prewar K22 of my own a couple years later. Sure, a lot more scratch but MUCH more fun to shoot!

 

[reddog81]

If you drop the Ruger you won't feel as bad as accidentally dropping the S&W... other than that I'm not sure what it could be better at.

I paid $275 for mine a couple of years ago with the extra cylinder and box. I think $300 to $400 is about average. I'm planning on selling mine in the near future. Single action .22 shooting just takes too long for me and I haven't been impressed with the accuracy.

 

[snuffy51]

If you have to justify a single action, you probably won't like them. I love mine.

 

[Drm50]

I hit this problem 180% from you. I had a Single-6 and compared
to H&Rs and IJs that most kids had back in the 60s it was a target gun. Once I shot the K22 it has been my main 22 since
1964. There is no comparison between the two. A 1980s single 6
is a new model and not near as slick as the old 3 screw Rugers.
I don't consider SA as a minus, never shoot k22s DA anyway.
The pros & cons you have listed are basically the differences between DA & SA. Unless you just want S-6 for grins I wouldn't
go out of my way to get one. I still have my old Single-6s but
they don't hold a candle to a K22.

 

[ScreechingWeasel]

Thanks for the replies so far! I agree that it's not a severe need, so I'm not "Jonesing" as it were. Just curious.

So sub-$300 seems decent for a price? I won't move prolly, unless he asks, (close family friend, basically IS family, nearing the end of his life, might offer me to buy some of his guns, but I don't really care about them. That said, I would rather have them than his real family though, they are total s**tbags and would rip him off, and I would at least do him right.)

Sounds like I have the better gun, so I'm already in good shape. That's good to know. That said, what's the best (tough and reliable to be usable 100% as a tool, but also 100% true to the Wild West aesthetic) SA gun right now? I was gonna look at a New Vaquero, but I'm open to the "best". Caliber is non-negotiable; my SA will be a .357 Mag, not a .45LC.

 

[ScreechingWeasel]

If you have to justify a single action, you probably won't like them. I love mine.

It's financial. I just graduated grad school and no job yet. A year from now? No problem. Right now, I might be presented with an opportunity, and I want to not screw up and miss it. How many "Oh man, I could've bought a Registered Magnum with box and papers for 17 bucks, but I didn't" do we see here? Or "I owned a Registered Magnum/Triple Lock/5-screw pre-19/insert insanely-desirable-model-here and I let it go for nothing and now it's worth five or six figures"?

WAAAAAAY too many, and I don't wanna be that guy. I know it's not gonna happen with a Single Six, but I'm about to try and buy back my Highway Patrolman I let go years ago for cheap because I'm retarded, so I don't wanna do that again. Basically, being into old S&Ws has taught me to "buy absolutely everything, period, ever, and never sell anything, ever, ever, ever. You can always sell it WAAAAY later for at least what you have in it, and if you're lucky, you've got a Registered Magnum-level gun for cheap."

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

There is a good reason to own a second 22 revolver. THE WIFE! I have been practicing with my beloved spouse. She gets tired and sore after about 20 rounds of 9mm so unthinkingly I said try this 22. It was my 17-3, and she really liked it. The next time we went to the range, I made sure she had a different 22 to use. Since she shoots a semi-auto 9mm, I let her have my best semi-auto 22 a 4" S&W 422. She is quite pleased that she didn't need to learn how another gun style works. I really dodged the bullet on that one!

Ivan

 

[ScreechingWeasel]

There is a good reason to own a second 22 revolver. THE WIFE!

This is an insanely compelling argument I have not considered, lol! Good show old chap!!!!

 

[shouldazagged]

You answered your question more than once in your first post.

And I certainly have nothing against the Single Six.

 

[Drm50]

I hit this problem 180% from you. I had a Single-6 and compared
to H&Rs and IJs that most kids had back in the 60s it was a target gun. Once I shot the K22 it has been my main 22 since
1964. There is no comparison between the two. A 1980s single 6
is a new model and not near as slick as the old 3 screw Rugers.
I don't consider SA as a minus, never shoot k22s DA anyway.
The pros & cons you have listed are basically the differences between DA & SA. Unless you just want S-6 for grins I wouldn't
go out of my way to get one. I still have my old Single-6s but
they don't hold a candle to a K22.

 

[crsides]

If a convertible, the ruger can be more versatile with a 22 mag cylinder than your 1st model k22. But my vote goes for K22.

Charlie

 

[Walkingwolf]

I love my single action revolvers, but they are not for everybody. If fast loading is a biggie, then they are not a good option. Frankly I am not a person who burns through boxes of ammo, and I shoot even my DA revolvers single action. Semi auto 22lr loading even faster than a DA revolver, and usually more capacity too.

I have only one ruger SA, a lot of other brands though. It is a baby Vaquero .32H&R, same frame as the single six, I absolutely love the gun.

 

[jag312]

Ruger Single Six - What does it do that my K22 Outdoorsman cannot do? Absolutely nothing.

 

[patrickd]

I'd say I'd no doubt rather have a vintage Smith revolver over a new model Ruger, but guns being what they are tend to be decent investments. For me anytime I can get a used gun for a substantial discount of what it would retail at a gun shop I usually buy it. You can always turn over those guns after getting them out of your system for either a break even price or a small profit. I don't think I ever really lost much in selling a gun.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Single Action and Double Action Revolvers are *.Different * , not that one or other is objectively "better" . Some people prefer one or the other . Some people ( Me ) appreciate both . I liked my pre- M18, and hope to have another pre- or early M18 again. The feel and balance of 5.5in 3 Screw Single Six is exquisite. And has great trigger .

I generally scoff at advocates of point shooting. But to the extent it is a real thing, SA revolvers with grip shapes along the lines of SAA and XR3 & XR3RED point more naturally than anything else.

3 Screws are smoother than New Models , but trigger work on Ruger SA's is available widely.

And a Single Six is / is capable of being dual cylinder, with .22WMR capability.

**************

"Best" SA Revolver in .357 is subjective. Freedom Arms is a Class by itself. In Rugers you have old, new, and "Anniversary" sized A Blackhawk, Original and New sized Vaquero, and Bisley. And the higher grade SAA clones of consideration also.

 

[BAM-BAM]

The Ruger makes a better "walking in the woods gun"; smaller, lighter, most are stainless.

an even better woods gun IMO is the S&W Model 63.... even IMO a 4" Model 18 or 617

Had a Ruger single six ...... 30 years ago for about 2-3 years...... Smiths ever since.....

.......... it's all personal preference.

 

[CajunBass]

I've owned Smith & Wesson 17's and 18's. Ruger and Colt S/A's. Harrington and Richardson and High Standard 22 revolvers.

But my favorite 22 is a Ruger standard automatic with a 4" tapered barrel, and fixed sights. I need to get another one.