22 single six to centerfire?

[frankenfab]

Has anybody here done this? It looks like I will have to TIG a plug in the old recoil shield bore and cut a new hole lower down. I haven't pressed the old recoil shield out yet, so I don't know for sure.

I know it would have been easier to just start with a centerfire, but I got a minty 22 for $230 to my door, and the upside is I will be able to perfectly center the firing pin with the charge holes.

[deltaenterprizes]

What cartridge do you want to convert it to?

[frankenfab]

327 Special Special Special. 'Cause it'll make me feel--"special"

[MtGun44]

I believe that some have been converted to .32 Mag in the past.

Bill

[Bullshop]

I have two old models in 22 CCM. They were converted by a local smith. The most recent one done this spring he charged $60.00 He eliminated the side through retaining pin and in its place put a set screw straight down from under the rear sight. Works very well.
BIC/BS

[Rio Grande]

Alan Harton http://www.gunblast.com/AlanHarton.htm does it.
I've seen a Ruger .22 single-six converted by him to .38 sp.
Most awesome trail gun you'd ever see.
I believe he can do .327 as well.

[Bullshop]

Yes he does but the 38's are 5 shot and both it and the 327's are very expensive because they need cylenders that are longer than standard.
The 22 CCM was real simple, and cheap. I bought a Ruger 32 mag barrel but found the shank diameter is larger than the 22's. Would have to turn down the shank to fit and end up with a thin forcing cone or open the frame. The frame thingy might be too much $.
BIC/BS

[frankenfab]

Yup, Alan Harton's name sure is flying around alot lately. You can do a serach for his name on the Ruger forum and see some mighty fine work.

I will be doing a .327. Nice to know about the barrel shank difference, I hadn't anticipated that, but it is not a big deal. I will be buying or making the cylinder myself, kinda think I might as well go ahead and wade through the fixturing for machining cylinders and get it over with.

Thanks for all the replies.

[Bullshop]

He told me on the 327 he can get away with the thinned forcing cone because he is flush fitting the barrel to the frame. That means there is no barrel (forcing cone) past the inside of the frame so the cone even though thin is fully supported by the frame.
That is how he gets the extra length for the longer cylender needed for the 327 cartridge.
In my case I was looking at re boring the original cylender because I wanted the 32 mag. In this case the forcing cone would be past the frame unsupported and possibly too thin for the 32 mag.

[Bret4207]

I would question if the 327 will give you much the 32 Mag isn't already capable of.And if you want a 327, then wouldn't it be far less expensive to hunt up a 32 SSM to start with?

[KCSO]

I've got 15 years or more in shooting the 32 Mag in a Ruger Bisley on the 22 frame. I thing I have shot less than 30 full house loads but a whole bunch of 32 long style loads for rabbits, squirrel and coyotes to 50 yards or so. If it were me I would stick with 32 H and R and would be plumb happy.

[StarMetal]

There is a reason Ruger built the 327 on the larger frames....the little single six frames aren't strong enough. The 327's pressure rating is way above the 32 mag. Don't do it.

[Bullshop]

I dont feel the need for the 327 either as I too shoot more longs than anything else so only want the mag cylinder.
However I think maybe the conversions are on a lengthened 5 shot cylinder so would that be acceptable as far as safety goes? I am not sure about the 327 being 5 shot but am sure the 38 specials are.
BTW I did send in one of my 22 ccm's along with the 32 barrel I picked up to become a 32 H&R. 32 mag single six's are not rare but old models are. I searched quite some time for a Ruger 32 and came close to trading a couple times but no joy. New one are too expensive and I wanted one with adjustable sights not the bird head fixed jobbies I see available. I will end up having just as much $ into this one but most of that investment was already made long ago. He told me $75 to bore the cylinder and I am still waiting to hear about the barrel installation.
BIC/BS
BIC/BS

[StarMetal]

I dont feel the need for the 327 either as I too shoot more longs than anything else so only want the mag cylinder.
However I think maybe the conversions are on a lengthened 5 shot cylinder so would that be acceptable as far as safety goes? I am not sure about the 327 being 5 shot but am sure the 38 specials are.
BTW I did send in one of my 22 ccm's along with the 32 barrel I picked up to become a 32 H&R. 32 mag single six's are not rare but old models are. I searched quite some time for a Ruger 32 and came close to trading a couple times but no joy. New one are too expensive and I wanted one with adjustable sights not the bird head fixed jobbies I see available. I will end up having just as much $ into this one but most of that investment was already made long ago. He told me $75 to bore the cylinder and I am still waiting to hear about the barrel installation.
BIC/BS
BIC/BS

Dan,

The 32 H&R in the Blackhawk Old Model should be more rare then hen's teeth being the round came along round 1984.

[pietro]

FWIW, SAAMI published max pressures

.32 S&W Long - 15,000 psi

.32 H&R Mag - 21,000 cup

.22 Long Rifle - 24,000 psi

.327 Fed Mag - 45,000 psi

.

[Bret4207]

Whoa! Pietro rules. Don't do this.

[frankenfab]

There is a reason Ruger built the 327 on the larger frames....the little single six frames aren't strong enough. The 327's pressure rating is way above the 32 mag. Don't do it.

Well, I didn't really mean to stir up such a fuss. I wasn't really asking whether or not it was safe, I have already made my mind up all by myself about that. It has already been done many times.

I was just more or less asking for tips and tricks from people that have already done the conversion.

[StarMetal]

I don't believe I'd want to pull the trigger on a factory 327 load in a single six. That's a mighty thin cylinder and small frame for 45k pressure.

I know you can just load cast at reduced pressures, but how about when you gone someone ends up with the gun and they put factory in it?

[Boxhead]

Here's some photos of my 41 Special Single Six that Alan built.

Firing pin hole welded up.



New firing pin hole being machined.



New cylinder blank out of the heat treatment furnace.



The gun assembled for sight regulation.



A view of the chambered cylinder.



And completed.

[frankenfab]

Beautiful.