The Ruger Service Six is a real sleeper

I have a Police Service Six that you would have to pry out of my cold dead hands!

I have one of the Aussie Service Sizes.
It was a little rough, the grips were so worn that some of the checkering was gone
Polished it up.
Bobbed the hammer
Night sight
Ground down the grips frame to fit Speed six grips.
Turned out to be a trim and handy 4in 357.

bernie said:

I have thought that the Smith K frame was a fantastic revolver for a number of years. I thoroughly enjoy shooting them and regret that they are no longer an inexpensive sidearm. They are light yet powerful and the round edges give them a very smooth look. Not to mention, the triggers are usually pretty good.

A few months back I picked up am Australian police bring back at a good price because it was a stainless .357. I was familiar with the Security Six line, and I actually carry one, but the flat top is really not attractive. However the rounded edges of the Service Six make it almost as attractive as the K frame to me. Again, the trigger is fairly good, and the lines of the Service Six are nice. Does anyone else have a secret attraction to the Service Six?

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I find the Service Six and the Model 64 very similar in looks and how they handle. The Service Six is a DAO NYCPD contract 38spl and the 64-8 I got cheap for $300 OTD. The Service Six seems to be the least loved of the Six Series Rugers and least expensive. Pre Covid I think the Service Sixes were the best deals to be had among the Six Series. I admit my attraction to fixed sight revolvers and Service & Speed Sixes in particular.

I bought my blued 95%+ used .357 Police Service-Six on the afternoon of my 21st B-day in 1997. The LGS had it for $185 (not a trendy .40 semi-auto) and set it aside for me as I approached the magic day. My father used it soon after to dissuade a mountain lion from attacking him- one of the only couple of times my family has fired a weapon in a defensive situation. Let's just say it's not 95% anymore, and is NOT for sale.

Yep, the fixed sight Service-Six models were good bargains.

I bought one many years ago as an off-duty weapon. I sent it off to MagNaPort for a Duty Tune, except I replaced the reduced power mainspring with the factory one upon its return (because I didn't wish to risk coming across the occasional hard primer). I also had the grip frame modified to a Round Butt profile. Robust .357MAG wheelgun that's still in my collection.

There are 3 different revolvers in the Ruger Six Series revolvers. The Security Six, the Service Six and the Speed Six. All 3 are slightly different and all 3 are great revolvers.

Unfortunately, like the S&W K frame .357s it was discontinued in favor of a heavier build. I really like the Ruger Six's.

I'd like to handle & shoot one, one day.

The GP-100 that replaced them is not as elegant, IMO; it's chunkier than it needs to be. The SP-101 is a bit more elegant and compact, but I think it uses the same trigger works as the larger GP-100, and is therefore not as smooth, esp. in DA.

At one time or another I had all three of the Six Series. My favorite was the Security Six blued with the 4" heavy barrel. Then the Service Six, also blued, and finally the Speed Six in stainless. I preferred them to their S&W K frame counterparts. Wish I had hung onto one or two of them because they were really decent revolvers.

I have a 6" Stainless Security Six, a Bullseye/Trapper spring set gave a smooth and light yet reliable trigger pull and it is very accurate. I compare the Security Six to the Colt I frame and Trooper Mark III and V. A somewhat larger frame makes it more of a true .357.

In have a stainless 4" Security Six that goes with me every range trip.

A "friend" gave it to me as partial payment for helping him plant 1000 evergreen trees as part of a failed Christmas tree farm venture he was into 20 years ago.

It's been a great revolver over the years easily running neck and neck with the couple of S&W 66's I've had over the years; except more robust.

My dad liked mine so much he bought an identical one when he found it for $200 and put a high polish on it with a Dremel, some Flitz and a variety of felt tips and did a helluva nice job!

I got it when he passed away in '05 and my sister was wanting something for her and her husbands new home so I gave it to her.

If I ever run across any of the Six series for sale at an reasonable price I would seriously consider picking up another one.

bannockburn said:

At one time or another I had all three of the Six Series. My favorite was the Security Six blued with the 4" heavy barrel. Then the Service Six, also blued, and finally the Speed Six in stainless. I preferred them to their S&W K frame counterparts. Wish I had hung onto one or two of them because they were really decent revolvers.

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I had an early Security Six (the one with the badly designed grip contour), and a later one with the better grip frame that I had built into a Bull Gun for PPC competition. Shot it in that game for two years without any problems. Both of those SS Rugers were blued. I never saw or heard of a heavy barreled Security Six. Not saying you don't have one, just didn't know Ruger ever made one. Had I been aware of it I probably would have bought one. Always preferred the Six series to the S&W K-frame. Shame Ruger stopped making them.

Dave

DaveT

As I understand it Ruger began making a heavy, non-tapered barrel for the Security Six and the Service Six in late '78/ early'79. A few years later they made an even heavier barrel but it now it had a slight taper to it near the muzzle. I'm pretty sure this was only with the 4" barrel models in both blued and stainless steel. If you had the original box with the model designation on it there should be the letter "H" at the end of it.

Some of the 2 3/4" Speed Sixes had heavy barrels and the special contract 3" Speed Sixes(pictured) all had heavy barrels, I believe.

I had a police service six that I foolishly let go of a year or two ago. What was I thinking? It was a stainless twin to the one I carried when I was leo way back in the 80's.

I look for one almost every day. I've regreted a few sales over the years, but that one haunts me the most.

I'd gladly pay top dollar for a nice one now and not hesitate.

My dad carrying the Police during a stint as a deputy in a rural county in southern Colorado back in the eighties. I think it was made around 1981. It became mine when he died in 2010. It has quite a bit of holster wear, but is otherwise rock-solid and ready to go. I'd carry it myself were I ever to get behind a badge again myself, assuming it was permitted.

What’s a “good” (greatly subjective I know) price for a Ruger Speed Six these days? Local pawn has one I’d love to have. But if I remember correctly it’s north of $1000.

KansasTrapper77 said:

What’s a “good” (greatly subjective I know) price for a Ruger Speed Six these days? Local pawn has one I’d love to have. But if I remember correctly it’s north of $1000.

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If that Speed 6 is a rare 3in, $1000 is probably around the going rate for one in pristine shape.
Stainless 2 3/4in are going for $600+ in good shape.
The Six series aren't a sleeper anymore, they've become quite desirable in recent years, and are hard to find.

I started carrying a Service-Six .38spl in 1977 as a young deputy sheriff. Still have it. Still like the feel of it. It ain't going anywhere.

357 Terms said:

If that Speed 6 is a rare 3in, $1000 is probably around the going rate for one in pristine shape.
Stainless 2 3/4in are going for $600+ in good shape.
The Six series aren't a sleeper anymore, they've become quite desirable in recent years, and are hard to find.

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There she be. I would love to have it but $1300 is the price of a decent BFR

I had one (Police Service Six with fixed sights) for a while. I sold it because the front sight was too short. It hit high and to the left at 15 yards and I didn't want to mess with it.

I really liked the handling though. Lockwork was good too.

I do not see Six Series guns hardly at all any more. When I used to see them I had no interest in them. I was naive about them. I loved Ruger single actions but didn’t have any interest in their DA guns. Like I said, naive.

Years ago a coworker offered to sell me a blued 4” Security Six. His price at the time was a little steep, as I recall, but I don’t recall the actual price. I passed snd now I wish I wouldn’t have.

Just as CoVid kicked off I was in my LGS in CA and there was a .357 Speed Six in the consignment case for $600. It appeared to have a 3” barrel and a bobbed hammer. Not being familiar with Ruger’s “Six” series guns I decided to go home and look it up online, something I should have done in the store right then and there. I called the store to ask them to hold it for me, but I was too late. It was gone.

I bought my first Ruger DA gun this year. A GP100 that I really like. I like it so much that it’s the first revolver I grab when packing for the range. I sure wish I wouldn’t have been so “Ruger DA naive” for so long.
I have decided that once I finally get settled after my move that I am going to be on the lookout for more older Ruger DA’s.

KansasTrapper77 said:

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There she be. I would love to have it but $1300 is the price of a decent BFR

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Yeah - that's a really nice one but that is much too much coin for what it is. At least in my view.

I know pricing can vary quite a bit regionally but I don't know that I would go much over $800, even as clean as it is. I'd feel a lot better about $700. I do like the lanyard loop, though.

And if I didn't need it, I'd try to wait it out. With that price tag it's liable to be there a little while.


As you have alluded to, for that level of money you're in the ballpark for a whole new class of firearm. And this is from a fixed sight revolver fan, which is the opposite of many folks. I have bought arguably more desirable handguns for less right in the thick of the pandemic.

tubeshooter said:

Yeah - that's a really nice one but that is much too much coin for what it is. At least in my view.

I know pricing can vary quite a bit regionally but I don't know that I would go much over $800, even as clean as it is. I'd feel a lot better about $700. I do like the lanyard loop, though.

And if I didn't need it, I'd try to wait it out. With that price tag it's liable to be there a little while.


As you have alluded to, for that level of money you're in the ballpark for a whole new class of firearm. And this is from a fixed sight revolver fan, which is the opposite of many folks. I have bought arguably more desirable handguns for less right in the thick of the pandemic.

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The 9mm, 380, 3" & military contract Speed Sixes asking prices are sky high, IMO. When I paid $620 for my nycpd 3" Speed Six a few years ago I thought I spent too much. Now it seems it was a pretty good deal.

stonebuster said:

The 9mm, 380, 3" & military contract Speed Sixes asking prices are sky high, IMO. When I paid $620 for my nycpd 3" Speed Six a few years ago I thought I spent too much. Now it seems it was a pretty good deal.

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Hey - thanks for that. Didn't know about those special varieties, and it would explain a whole lot as far as pricing goes.

My comments were in the context of a typical .357 gun. The lanyard alone indicates otherwise.


Still mighty rich - but much more understandable. For the record I got a stainless 4" Security Six about 10 years ago for about $350 and I think it's a great gun. I am a fan of the Six series.