Ruger Single Six / Ruger Vaquero

Riding the wave of Cowboy adventures and shows in the then 'new media' of television in the 1950s, Sturm Ruger Co, introduced a series of Single Action Army revolvers similar to the original Colt series. They initially create the Ruger Single Six which was a single action revolver outwardly similar to the Colts, however, the interiors were built like 20th century revolvers, thus cutting production costs. The later Ruger Single Six Revolvers has adjustable sights and was technically the inspiration for the later Blackhawk revolvers. In the early 1990s, Ruger introduced a fixed sight version of their cowboy style six shooter, called the Ruger Vaquero. The primary trait that distinguishes the more modern Vaqueros from the post 1960s Single Six revolvers is the fixed versus adjustable rear sights.

Like other SAA manufacturers, the Ruger revolver is sometimes used as a Colt impersonator in films and television shows. Though it is extremely close to the Colt Single Action Army, the Ruger has slight design elements that distinguish it from the Colt, not the least of which are the Ruger Logo marked grips.

The Ruger Single Six or Ruger Vaquero Single Action Revolver has been seen in the following used by the following actors:

Ruger Single Six

Early Ruger Single Six (known as the "old Model") - .22LR. This was the first entry by Ruger into the SAA market and was a total success. The flat top/3 screw version was built between 1953-1962.

Ruger Single Six - .32 H&R Magnum

Specifications

(1953 - present)

Type: Single-action revolver

Barrel Lengths: 4⅝, 5½, 6½, 7½, 9½

Caliber: .22 LR, .22 WMR, .17 HMR

Capacity: 6-round cylinder

Fire Modes: SA Revolver

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Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Dawn of the Dead	David Emge	Stephen		1978
They Live		Bank Guard		1988
Juice	Victor Campos	Fernando Quiles		1992
Juice	Tupac Shakur	Roland Bishop		1992
Blue Tiger	Dean Hallo	Henry Soames		1994

Ruger Vaquero

Ruger Vaquero with blued finish, case hardened frame and 4.62" barrel - .45 LC

Ruger Vaquero with stainless steel finish and 5.5" barrel - .45 LC

Specifications

(1985 - present)

Type: Revolver

Barrel Lengths: 3 3⁄4 in (95 mm),4 5⁄8 in (120 mm),4 3⁄4 in (120 mm), 5 1⁄2 in (140 mm) and 7 1⁄2 in (190 mm)

Caliber: .357 Magnum, .38 Special, .44WCF, .44 Magnum, .45 Colt

Capacity: 6-round cylinder

Fire Modes: SA Revolver

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Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)	R. Lee Ermey	Sheriff Hoyt		2003
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning	Lew Temple	Sheriff Hoyt		2005
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning	R. Lee Ermey	Sheriff Hoyt		2005
Steve Niles' Remains		Rouge Army soldier		2011
Mad Max: Fury Road	Hugh Keays-Byrne	Immortan Joe		2015
	Nathan Jones	Rictus Erectus
	Nicholas Hoult	Nux

Television

Show Title / Episode	Actor	Character	Note	Air Date
Top Shot - Season 4 / "Sweating Bullets" (S4E1)	Various	Various		2012

See Also

• Ruger - A list of all firearms manufactured by Ruger.