Gun Digest – August 2019

(^36) | GunDigest the magazine AUGUST 2019 gundigest.com
I spent a lot of time with all three of
those handguns. I often carried the SP
101 for protection, the GP 100 was in
my nightstand, and I hunted with the
Blackhawk.
Ruger’s Single Seven changed all
that. It weighed about the same as the
SP 101 and was only slightly larger,
but it was much easier to tote around
than the GP 100 or the Blackhawk. I
fi tted a small-dot version of XS Sights’
Big Dot sights to the front and in-
stalled a Bowen Classic Arms Rough
Country V-Notch rear sight on the
rear. I’ve carried that little Ruger for
protection and used it to kill snakes,
squirrel and several deer. It was one of
my favorite guns.
UNEXPECTED
COLLABORATION
But something else hap-
pened. I was wander-
ing through the isles at
the 2018 SHOT Show in
Las Vegas when a man
stepped out of a booth,
grabbed my arm and in-
troduced himself as Jason
Cloessner. Jason works at
Lipsey’s, and Lipsey’s con-
tinually works with Ruger
to offer limited-edition
fi rearms; fi rearms such as the Single
Seven I’d been carrying for four years.
We visited for a bit, and Jason,
knowing my affi nity for the Single
Seven, suggested we collaborate on
a special-edition version. Excited, I
suggested the small version of the XS
Big Dot front sight and a 4 5/8-inch
barrel. Jason liked the idea of the
lightweight frame and black Micarta
grips. We were in agreement on all
the details, so I waited impatiently
for the next step.
A couple of months later, an en-
gineer from Ruger called, asking if I
could help him sort out the proper
front sight height. I shared my ex-
periences with the XS Sight on the
Single Seven I had, and we discussed
loads, points of impact and revolvers
in general. After we hung up, I won-
dered if Ruger would be able to, or
still had an interest in, sorting this re-
volver out. I didn’t have to wait long:
In October 2018, I got mine.
RUGER SPECIAL
SINGLE SEVEN^ SPECS
Manufacturer Ruger
Distributor Lipsey’s
Model #8165
Chambering .327 Federal Magnum
(will also accept .32 ACP,
.32 S&W, .32 Long,
.32 H&R Magnum)
Grip Frame Aluminum
Weight 31 oz.
Barrel 4 5/8 in.
Capacity 7
Grips BlackMicarta
Sights XS dot front; fully
adjustable white-striped
notch rear
MSRP $629
One of the major benefi ts of the Ruger
Single Seven is that it can chamber and
fi re fi ve different cartridges. (Left to right:
.32 S&W, .32 ACP, .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R
Magnum and .327 Federal Magnum)
For general-purpose
use, the compact Ruger
Single Seven, with its
lightweight frame, makes
an ideal carry gun.
A handgun that can
fi re fi ve different
cartridges is very
versatile and ultimately
offers a great range
of power with factory
ammunition.