The NYPD Ruger Service Six

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sgt127

sgt127

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This is an NYPD Police Service Six.
If you run across one, all NYPD Ruger Six Series have a star stamped on the frame inside the crane cutout.

(sorry..pictures came out in a wonky order)

The NYPD holster at the time was the Jay-Pee NYPD holster.

It looks like a bucket for a gun.



E9D0600B-5CA5-4B0C-829A-9C0C85F69B7B.jpeg

It was, actually, a pretty decent holster and was quite secure. No straps, no release.

D920CF1F-35D5-47EC-A231-007A8539705E.jpeg

There was a swivel and non swivel version. Apparently leather gear that looks like it it polished with a cinder block and a Hershey Bar was a badge of honor in the NYPD. :)

69044997-5DB5-44DA-BDDF-3EA800A826CF.jpeg

There is a lip on the body side of the holster that snaps over the cylinder. To draw, one drove their shooting thumb straight down. That pushed the lip away from the cylinder. Allowing the gun to be freed.


09AD0101-1051-414C-B068-8703E437E7C4.jpeg C44498E1-9057-473D-A993-D43A0C97205B.jpeg

Now. I have seen them marked for S&W M&P (Model 10) and OP HB (Colt Official Police, Heavy Barrel).
I’m guessing the OP version was used for the Ruger PSS as its a perfect fit. I’ve never seen one marked Ruger.

If anyone knows, or, runs across one marked Ruger, please let me know.

(Yes, I know. But I’m a geek for minutiae...)
 
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I carried a Model 64 for a while before going to the Glock as a member of the NYPD. I don’t recall my holster being marked specifically for a S&W. When I went through the swivel wasn’t technically authorized but many got one after graduating the academy. Made sitting in a patrol car more comfortable. I have a Ruger Service Six (not an NYPD gun) and it fits and operates fine in my old swivel holster. That holster was generic. Any fixed sighted revolver would work in it. The adjustable sight gets hung up on the holster and makes drawing the gun difficult. Even guys who chose 3” guns had the same 4” holster.

And yes, worn leather gear was a badge of honor. Let people know you had time on the job.
 
OP, nice NYCPD revolver. After about 1987 NYCPD went to DAO. Some already in service DA/SA were grandfathered in but new officers had to use DAO if I understand correctly. Is yours one of the earlier ones or was the hammer changed to da/sa?
 
I wish I knew. The Officer I bought it from didn’t seem like a gun guy. I don’t imagine him swapping out the hammer.

The Ruger letter didn’t specify if it was shipped DAO.

He hired on in 1990 and carried it for six years.

in a letter he wrote me, he recalls the Ruger was available to Officers from 1989-1992

But, I picked up a DAO only hammer just in case.

It’s either in its original configuration or, it can be quite easily.
 
Sgt127,

I just saw a Service Six at a gun shop. It was $599.99 and in good shape. I considered it, but passed. I want my Six's to be .357 magnums. They are my favorite revolvers.

Jim
 
If he got it in 1990 it was DAO. The blued six guns had hammer spurs but they weren’t around that long. I know by 1992 at the latest the Service Six was gone and the GP100 replaced it, in .38 special and renamed the GPNY.

I’m not sure it’s as easy to convert as replacing the hammer. You couldn’t begin to pull the trigger to let the hammer come back and grab it to cock in single action, so there was no way to cock it.

I find it hard to believe it’s the same guy but I distinctly remember a post from years ago from an NYPD cop who went to Nassau County who had the gun converted after he went to Nassau. I remember it because I used to live in Nassau County and it stuck with me.

Another funny thing about those silver spurless DAO NYPD guns: I worked with a guy who became dirty. Probably always was before he became a cop. Anyway, he became part of a robbery crew and they hit high end jewelry stores. They hit one in Garden City, a wealthy suburb of Nassau County. The dirty cop used his old .38 in the robbery. He had already switched over to the 9MM. He didn’t fire a shot but a Nassau cop watching the video of the robbery saw the gun and said “ that’s an NYPD gun”. Part of why they started looking at him. Back then, you couldn’t give those guns away so most guys just left them in their lockers. I recall trying to sell my Ruger SPNY and the gun store owner offered me $20. When I balked he showed my the large plastic bin filled with them and said he can’t move them.
 
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Homerboy said:
If he got it in 1990 it was DAO. The blued six guns had hammer spurs but they weren’t around that long. I know by 1992 at the latest the Service Six was gone and the GP100 replaced it, in .38 special and renamed the GPNY.

I’m not sure it’s as easy to convert as replacing the hammer. You couldn’t begin to pull the trigger to let the hammer come back and grab it to cock in single action, so there was no way to cock it.

I find it hard to believe it’s the same guy but I distinctly remember a post from years ago from an NYPD cop who went to Nassau County who had the gun converted after he went to Nassau. I remember it because I used to live in Nassau County and it stuck with me.

Another funny thing about those silver spurless DAO NYPD guns: I worked with a guy who became dirty. Probably always was before he became a cop. Anyway, he became part of a robbery crew and they hit high end jewelry stores. They hit one in Garden City, a wealthy suburb of Nassau County. The dirty cop used his old .38 in the robbery. He had already switched over to the 9MM. He didn’t fire a shot but a Nassau cop watching the video of the robbery saw the gun and said “ that’s an NYPD gun”. Part of why they started looking at him. Back then, you couldn’t give those guns away so most guys just left them in their lockers. I recall trying to sell my Ruger SPNY and the gun store owner offered me $20. When I balked he showed my the large plastic bin filled with them and said he can’t move them.
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Thanks for your first hand knowledge and stories. Did you ever see any stsinless 3" NYCPD Speed Sixes with a matte finish? I've got a June 1988 mtg. GS-83 with a matte finish and wondered if it was bead blasted later or original.
 
Great post. I love Ruger revolvers. I have 8 I can think of off the top of my head. If you could get a picture of the "Lip" on the inside of the holster that catches on the cylinder of the gun I would like to see it. I hope to buy a couple more pieces of leather soon and make a few holsters over the winter. I would like to make one similar to yours with the no strap set up for my heavy barrel model 10 and model 65.
 
Let me know if you need more pictures.

There’s one I made for a 3” 65.

88D4148B-FDC7-4EA8-8A4D-4A48DBB3290C.jpeg AB04CEA6-F36E-41E0-8681-EEB7930A3F41.jpeg 53669F8A-37AD-428F-97A9-AB47804C1DF9.jpeg
 
They came from the factory with a thin metal band across the front. Sewn between the leather. I did not use that.

Be sure to use a double thickness of leather where the belt loop folds over on the inside. It gives it a lot more purchase on the edge of the cylinder.
 
Thanks @sgt127. I sent you a PM reply before I saw these pictures. The pictures here show me how they got the cylinder lock made. Pure genius. That should be all I need to duplicate this set up. Thanks.
 
When I was sworn in my choices were the S#W Model 64 NYPD with bobbed hammer and the Ruger also had the bobbed hammer. The Jay Pee was the standard holster with the internal lock, looks like just a leather pouch but when new it took a bit to get the revolver out of the holster, you had to practice. The swivel holster was much preferred because if allowed the revolver to rest in you lap while in a vehicle. By graduation I had a Sig Sauer 226 with 115 FMJ and 10 round magazines, keep laughing, its true. That gave way to Speer Gold Dot and 15 round magazines before too long. The revolver ammo was Federal Nyclad 158 SWC, then at the same time as the Gold Dots came the revolver ammo was Nyclad 158 SWC-HP. A few years after that because most of the only revolvers being used were second off-duty Chiefs, 640 Centenials and an SP101 or two the Gold Dot 135 Grain Short Barrel was introduced. This all happened over a period of 4/5 years.
 
Oh and I came on in 1993, DAO was all revolvers from 1990 If I recall. Glocks had safety trigger or NY Trigger installed 12 lbs. Smith and Wesson pistols and Sig pistols were DAO only. Mine was made in Germany so therefore no longer DA only after retirement. Still carry my 640 Centennial as I have for the last 30 years. Nice to have a few boxes of Gold Dots around in these time, 50 round boxes
 
sgt127 said:
Let me know if you need more pictures.

There’s one I made for a 3” 65.

View attachment 957747 View attachment 957748 View attachment 957749
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Huh. They did have three inch holsters. Never saw one. Or just didn’t notice. I know one guy I worked with had a 3” 64 in a 4” holster. Knowing the equipment section, they probably threw the 4” holster at him and said it would be fine. Lots of small guys coming out of there with clothes for a gorilla and being told to use a belt.
 
wcwhitey said:
When I was sworn in my choices were the S#W Model 64 NYPD with bobbed hammer and the Ruger also had the bobbed hammer. The Jay Pee was the standard holster with the internal lock, looks like just a leather pouch but when new it took a bit to get the revolver out of the holster, you had to practice. The swivel holster was much preferred because if allowed the revolver to rest in you lap while in a vehicle. By graduation I had a Sig Sauer 226 with 115 FMJ and 10 round magazines, keep laughing, its true. That gave way to Speer Gold Dot and 15 round magazines before too long. The revolver ammo was Federal Nyclad 158 SWC, then at the same time as the Gold Dots came the revolver ammo was Nyclad 158 SWC-HP. A few years after that because most of the only revolvers being used were second off-duty Chiefs, 640 Centenials and an SP101 or two the Gold Dot 135 Grain Short Barrel was introduced. This all happened over a period of 4/5 years.
Click to expand...

You in the August 1993 class? My cousin was in that one. Two days before start of class the job went to semi auto pistols. Dinkins was mayor and only authorized 10 round mags. But he lost to Giuliani in And was gone by January 1994. Less then three days before graduation Giuliani authorized 15 round mags so range guys got lots of overtime switching out 7500 magazines for the 2500 graduating cops. My cousin never used 10 round mags on duty. I do remember the 115 grain fmj ammo. Wasn’t until the abysmal failure of that ammo at the Amadou Diallo shooting that we got hollow point ammo. It went right through diallo and ricocheted back at the cops.
 
Homerboy said:
You in the August 1993 class? My cousin was in that one. Two days before start of class the job went to semi auto pistols. Dinkins was mayor and only authorized 10 round mags. But he lost to Giuliani in And was gone by January 1994. Less then three days before graduation Giuliani authorized 15 round mags so range guys got lots of overtime switching out 7500 magazines for the 2500 graduating cops. My cousin never used 10 round mags on duty. I do remember the 115 grain fmj ammo. Wasn’t until the abysmal failure of that ammo at the Amadou Diallo shooting that we got hollow point ammo. It went right through diallo and ricocheted back at the cops.
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Exactly, we picked revolvers, then 2 weeks later picked our semi-auto's. I just got out of the Navy and was familiar with the Sig 226 but also shot in a Revolver League with a Model 15 from an part time Deputy Job in Virginia. So gun choice did not matter to me. If my memory serves correctly it was Bratton that brought back the hollow points and 15 round mags, over Kelly. First 8 years in the 75, was happy to have the Sig in retrospect. Was a good time to be a cop. Retired SDS in 2015, enjoy the peace brother.
 
And If I recall the ricochets added to the hit count on Diallo himself, through then back off the brick wall. Was part of the trial trying to explain shots in the back. Crazy busy times, miss it a little.
 
sgt127 said:
(I made that one. Musta been pretty good to fool an old big city Po-lice!)

:)
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They did have 3" JayPee holsters, the Model 64 was offered in 4" Square Butt and 3" Round Butt. Also, when there was such a thing as Police Matrons and in the early days of women on patrol 3" versions of the Model 36 Chief Special were authorized.
 
wcwhitey said:
Exactly, we picked revolvers, then 2 weeks later picked our semi-auto's. I just got out of the Navy and was familiar with the Sig 226 but also shot in a Revolver League with a Model 15 from an part time Deputy Job in Virginia. So gun choice did not matter to me. If my memory serves correctly it was Bratton that brought back the hollow points and 15 round mags, over Kelly. First 8 years in the 75, was happy to have the Sig in retrospect. Was a good time to be a cop. Retired SDS in 2015, enjoy the peace brother.
Click to expand...

Yeah. Bratton brought the hollow points and 15 round mags. Kelly was out when Giuliani won. Britton brought Glocks and hollow points to transit when he was transit chief. Funny thing is housing and transit had hollow points since they patrolled in a “concrete rich environments” where ricochets were more likely! As if the rest of the city wasn’t concrete! I did 6 years in the 77. Same streets, just different names. Did quite a few midnights in the 75 when they were short. They gave us a map and said good luck. Big precinct.

Stay well!
 
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