A Big Bore Single-Six Worthy of a Pistol Whippin’
Ronnie Wells’ compact, powerful single-six conversion is a package
capable of shooting .38-44 type loads. Look at the S&W style
barrel he makes! I love that 5-shot cylinder finish too!
Ronnie Wells is a four-dimensional thinker. If you’re really smart, you have third-dimensional abilities. Hell, there are a lot of bright 2-dimensional thinkers who’ve accomplished a lot. But when you have fourth-dimensional powers, combined with a whole lot of imagination, mixed with tremendous drive, intelligence and know-how, great things are accomplished.
Many great ideas get kicked around the campfire, workshop or bar stool, but most die as fast as they pass from the lips of those spewing them. Not so with Ronnie Wells. He’s an up-and-coming doer with tremendous CNC skills. He can build, re-build, fix, program and run precision CNC machinery like no other. This is his foundation. Using CNC machining to produce his products fast.
The other ace up his sleeve is his incredible imagination, enabling him to come up with cool ideas. If a part doesn’t exist yet, Ronnie simply designs his own, programs his magical machines and moves on.
Pistol Whippin’ Perfection
Whenever talking with Ronnie about guns, you can’t help but get excited as he talks about upcoming projects and ideas for the future. The gun I’m about to discuss is a case in point. Ronnie built it for my friend Matthew Peake, and let me tell you, it took all my restraint to not pistol whip Matthew so I could rob him of his new shooter — the gun is that nice! Not really… but for a fleeting moment, the thought crossed my mind.
A miniature masterpiece big-bore single-six having
classic lines and capable of packing a powerful punch.
Big Bore Single-Six
For as high-tech as Ronnie is with his CNC machinery, he’s as traditional as they come. Like most of us, he loves and appreciates the simplicity and beauty of single-action sixguns with big holes in them. Depending on the platform, you can only go so big. Maximizing that platform is what Ronnie Wells is all about — pushing things to the limit.
Ronnie thought it would be fun to make a five-shot single-six in .38 Special. But get this: the thumb-buster is capable of shooting .38-44-type loads … with ease. I won’t mention the crazy loads/velocities Ronnie tested his five-shot single-six cylinders with, but they exceeded any velocities I’ve ever heard of, and the gun handled them with ease.
The 2 Dogs ear sight blade provides a
beautiful sight picture.
Grip-Frames
Ronnie started his business as RW Grip-Frames, offering over 300+ different styles of grip-frames in either brass or aluminum. For this particular gun, a “Keith” #5 grip was used, but it has a forward Bisley-style trigger guard and a Bisley trigger. It feels good in the hand and is accommodating for most hand sizes. Well-figured maple stocks are perfectly fitted to the grip frame.
Barrel
Ronnie contours round barrel stock S&W style, giving it a sleek flat rib on top. This greatly enhances the gun’s profile while also adding a smidge of weight, making the gun balance well and absorb recoil when shooting the stout loads the gun is capable of shooting. A ramped front sight looks perfect perched on the barrel rib. This particular barrel is 5 3/8 inches long.
The front sight blade is serrated to reduce glare for top accuracy. Combined with the 2 Dogs rear sight, which replaces the Ruger factory blade, a fast, sharp, clear sight picture is presented when bringing your gun up to eye level. The front sight blade is also pinned for easy removal or replacement for a taller or shorter blade of your choice.
Cylinder
The cylinder is the heart of the gun. This one is machined from Carpenter 17-4 stainless steel and held in place by an oversized Keith #5-cylinder pin made by Ronnie to tighten things up. Heat treatment gives the cylinder added strength and its copper-colored finish. It provides a different-looking, stylish, and durable finish. I love it very much! It sets the gun apart from others, screaming, “This is a Ronnie Wells Custom gun!”
As mentioned, this is a five-shot cylinder for added strength. The cylinder chambers are recessed like old S&W cylinders of yesteryear. The hammer is Bisley style, adding to the custom builds looks while providing ease for one-handed cocking.
Shooting
I had the pleasure of shooting this custom sixgun at the Whittington Center just outside of Raton, New Mexico. Besides building guns, Ronnie knows how to tune them. The action is smooth, precise and perfect. Cocking the hammer exudes the competence of its maker exhibiting the assembly of moving parts is perfection personified! The trigger is just as great, being creep-free and breaking sharply.
Shooting Keith-style loads with heavy charges of 2400 made hitting 75-meter steel turkeys easy. The bang-clang of bullet-smacking steel was almost instantaneous, with the 170-grain bullet moving in excess of 1,200 fps.
Ronnie Wells also makes oversized Keith #5 base pins,
as well as the five-shot cylinder. Notice the recessed
chambers? What a nice touch!
Perfect Packer
The Ronnie Wells five-shot .38 Special single-six built for .38-44-type loads is very packable, weighing 38 oz., yet powerful enough to easily handle deer-sized game with the right slug. Strapped to your hip, it’s barely noticeable.
Ronnie was looking to build the perfect packing sixgun capable of doing just about everything an adventurous outdoorsman or woods bum would need to do in the smallest possible package. I think he’s accomplished this in spades.
