[slick6]

Here are some pictures of my new toy: It is a pretty rare 3" Ruger Speed-Six U,S. Postal Service "Overrun" gun, that is NIB:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v631/shootit/P1020157.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v631/shootit/P1020158.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v631/shootit/P1020154.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v631/shootit/P1020164.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v631/shootit/P1020160.jpg

[Charles S]

Very nice.

Great gun!

[MrBill120]

WOW!!! Nice find! I want one! :)

[grimjaw]

US Postal Service version? Do tell.

jm

[LeonCarr]

Are ya gonna shoot it?

[Checkmate]

That's what I've spent the last 6 months looking for. Congratulations

[W.E.G.]

Very nice.

Looks mint.

Shoot it.

[bannockburn]

Might I ask what makes it a U.S. Postal Service gun, overrun not withstanding. Does it fall within a certain serial number range; is it marked "U.S. Postal Service Property"; or is it that particular barrel length?
I remember reading an article some time back that mentioned U.S. Postal railway clerks, who traveled in special railway cars, sorting mail on the cross country runs. Since there was a very real threat of armed robbery (keep in mind that this was 70 to 80 years ago), clerks were often issued .38 Special revolvers, specifically marked as U.S. Postal property. Something like that would most definitely make for a great collector's piece.

[19-3Ben]

WOW!!! Those are seriously rare from what I've heard.
Is it gonna stay NIB?

Congrats!!!

[DawgFvr]

Awesome! That is one beautiful revolver...the perfect carry revolver IMHO. I am so envious.

[Dienekes]

Not sure about the rarity per se. My (federal) agency had a bunch of them back in the 1980s, all unmarked other than the usual Ruger roll marks. Same Ruger-medallion rubber grips. They were actually a mix of 2 3/4" and 3" guns--yours looks like the former. Sometime in the early 90s these types of pieces were on the used market, and I think they were described as former USPS guns.

I was issued one for a while but never used it as I preferred the 4" square butt versions. Most officers (other than the pistoleros) did use them, and as the firearms/range officer I got to see them in use all the time. Those guns were tough as anvils and just about cop-proof. The only time I ever saw one go down was when that little screw/pin retaining the cylinder release latch backed out and locked up the gun. Otherwise they were the most reliable gun of any type I ever saw, revolver or semiauto.

The Wilson book on Ruger (is Wilson out of jail yet?) has some info on them, and there is a Ruger collector's association.

[slick6]

Dienekes:

No, my GS-33 Speed-Six isn't the 2.75" barre length-as it measures a full 3-inches-and, I also have a standard 2.75" Speed-Six and you can see that this is the correct 3-inch heavy barrel version. The 2.75" barrel Speed-Sixes were shipped as the Model GS-32.

[rantingredneck]

VERY nice piece.

[Gator]

What a find, congrats! :D

[slick6]

Thanks! And, for the record, it had taken me several years to finally discover one of these GS-33 Speed Sixes! I almost gave up looking!:banghead::cuss:

[DMK]

Very nice!

So what is the story with these? We aren't all up an the details and history of various revolvers.

[Gator]

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=4477&highlight=gs33

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=4113&highlight=gs33ps

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=10789&highlight=gs33ps

[slick6]

1)According to the Red Eagle News Exchange, The GS-33 PS(Postal Service)Speed Six began with the serial number prefix of #161-??? and continued to at least serial number #162-23446. The GS-33 is the same identical gun-but, was just shipped as an GS-33= to at least serial number #162-54396. This serial number of #162-54396 happens to be the serial number of my above pictured GS-33 Speed Six. I don't have the number of GS-33PS Speed sixes produced. However my GS-33 was one of the last of the GS-33's produced in the last year of production for the Speed Sixe's. And, because the contract for the Postal Service GS-33's had long since ended, at the time my GS-33 had been produced, I'm pretty certain that my GS-33 represents an Ruger "cleanup" gun, assembled from the last remaining GS-33 gun parts! As of now, my gun's serial number of #162-54396, is the highest known serial number on record for an Speed Six that was produced in the final years production for the speed Sixes, in 1988!

2)There were also a few GS-83 Speed Sixes made with the serial numbers from #162-34526 to #162-34599. These were 3" barreled .38 Special chambered Speed Sixes. These are considered to be pretty rare, indeed! There were some other extremely rare versions of these revolvers produced under special Ruger contracts-such as the GS-33BP= an blued stainless Speed Six in the serial number range of #162-38568 to #162-39175.

[DMK]

Interesting. Thanks for the links and info guys.

[Master Blaster]

Nice gun ,But quick put a wire tie through the frame and around the hammer to keep anyone from cocking and firing it. After all you dont want a drag line of the cylinder..........

Oh wait its a Ruger not a Colt, so take it out and shoot it!!!!