Ruger Single Six, extra cylinders,.22 and .22 winmag

[cdriver]

Just finished ordering and receiving a spare cylinder for my single six. Quality work and  perfect function and fit. Also had the pleasure of dealing with some real special, salt of the earth folks. Borchardt Rifle Corp. They are in Silver City NM.  You won't find a nicer couple than Al and Margie.

[C-Money]

Very nice! Curious, did you send them the pistol for fit/timing? Can not beat a Ruger single six! Glad you had a good experience...

[Encore 280]

I bought a used single six 6.5" barrel from a sporting good store in Oregon back in '72 I think it was, $65! Still have it! Then a used Blackhawk 6.5" barrel up in Port Angeles for $85!! Still have it! 

[EnglishSetter]

Not in the market as I have both stainless factory cylinders for my single six.  Also have BH convertibles in 45 Colt/45 ACP and 357/9mm.

But I see they have 8 shot.  I'm aware of the Single Ten, but do they make 8 shot cylinders for 6 shot revolvers?

Curious if you have any comparison between this outfit and factory Ruger.

[cdriver]

I did not need to send them anything. Cylinder looks as good as my two factory cylinders, a .22 and .22mag.  Yes, they make 8 round cylinders for the single six. I'm ordering an 8 round .22 lr next from them. Guarantee their work, wonderful folks to deal with. Old school workmanship and manners. They finish them blued or stainless.

[jackelope]

You don’t have to worry about timing? I have a single six with both cylinders. Always thought if I had to replace one I’d have to worry about timing.

[Ridgeratt]

Here’s the straight answer, and I’ll keep it clean, technical, and grounded in how Ruger single‑actions actually work.
🔧 Short version
No.
You can physically insert a six‑shot cylinder into a Ruger single‑action without timing it, but the gun will not function safely or correctly unless that cylinder is properly timed to that specific frame.
🔍 Why
Ruger single‑actions (Bearcat, Single‑Six, Blackhawk, etc.) rely on three critical relationships:
1. Hand-to-ratchet timing
The hand (pawl) must rotate the cylinder so each chamber lines up with the bore.
A different cylinder = different ratchet geometry = timing changes.
2. Bolt (cylinder stop) lockup
The bolt must drop into the cylinder notch at the exact moment the chamber aligns with the bore.
If the notches are even slightly off, you get:
- late lockup
- early lockup
- cylinder drag
- or worst case: off‑center firing
3. Endshake and headspace
Even if the timing accidentally seems close, the cylinder must also match the frame window:
- bushing length
- cylinder length
- headspace
- barrel‑cylinder gap
A random six‑shot cylinder almost never matches all three.
🧠 The real rule
Ruger cylinders are not drop‑in parts.
They are fitted to the frame at the factory.
Even cylinders from the same model and year usually require:
- pawl fitting
- bolt timing adjustment
- ratchet stoning
- endshake correction
- forcing cone alignment checks
🛑 What happens if you try it “as is”
You can get:
- misalignment
- spitting lead
- light strikes
- cylinder drag
- or a chamber firing out of alignment with the bore
None of that is acceptable on a single‑action.
✔️ What is possible
A gunsmith can absolutely fit a six‑shot cylinder to a Ruger frame — but it must be timed, checked, and test‑fired.




Jackalope I would want to have the cylinders timed and headspace checked. But I care about my fingers and eyes.

[cdriver]

It would be so interesting to have you and Al, he's the gunsmith,talk to each other. It went way over my head when he tried to explain things to me. I was just happy to have things work the way he assured me they would.

[EnglishSetter]

TMK Ruger requires the revolver to fit a new cylinder.

They make the guns.  They might know something about them.

[cdriver]

I started this topic hoping to gather fresh information about cylinder issues. This website always has such knowledgeable people with a variety of insights. Thank you one and all.

[b23]

They're a fun and accurate pistol but dang are they loud little buggers when shooting 22mag.  Even with good ear protection they're loud AF.  Many years ago I made the foolish mistake of shooting mine without ear protection but it only took firing one round to smarten me up real fast and I never made that mistake again.  Shooting 22mags in a revolver has got to be one of the loudest firearms I've ever shot.  I don't know that the overall Db's are so high but they have such a sharp crack/tone that it literally caused intense pain to my eardrums.  When that or my PMR30 come out I always double up and wear ear plugs and muffs over the top of those.