Ruger Single-Six Old Model Flat-Gate .22 LR Revolver, 5.5" Barrel (1955 Three-Screw)
Built in 1955, this Old Model Single-Six sits in the first 30,000 guns Ruger ever produced. The flat-loading gate, three-screw action, and early investment-cast steel frame mark it as a true first-generation example. Collectors value these early revolvers for their Southport, Connecticut roll-marks and the connection to Bill Ruger’s pioneering years.
Condition
Overall Condition: Good condition.
Bore Condition: Good – Clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Bore Rifling: Good Rifling – Intact, well-defined lands and grooves.
Minor scratching, scuffing, and blemishing are present on the exterior metal surfaces.
What’s Included
- Ruger Single-Six Old Model Flat-Gate revolver
- Aftermarket synthetic stag-style grip panels (installed)
The serial number 17528 confirms 1955 manufacture, placing this revolver firmly in the earliest flat-gate block. These first-year guns feature Ruger’s original three-screw lockwork, discontinued in 1973, giving the piece added historical appeal.
The revolver retains its 5.5" carbon-steel barrel, six-shot cylinder, and hot-salt blued steel parts, contrasted by a black-anodized XR-3 aluminum grip frame that keeps overall weight down without sacrificing strength.
Fixed sights consist of a serrated blade soldered to the barrel and a square-notch rear milled into the top-strap—exactly as Ruger shipped them in the mid-1950s. Early roll-marks and the classic Red Eagle emblem link this revolver to the Southport factory’s formative era.
While stag grips were an optional factory upgrade in 1955, the synthetic stag-style panels now installed have unknown provenance. They still complement the Old West styling that helped make the Single-Six a mainstay of rimfire wheel-guns.