Are older Rugers better quality?

roaddog28 · Nov 11, 2009

L-Frame said:
I've owned many Gp's, Sp's, and various sixes throughout the years and my latest 3" Gp-100 is absolutely the best of them all. Excellent trigger out of the box, and crazy accurate (as is every other Gp-100 I've ever owned). I did have to replace the new Hogues with the older compact Gp grip. I can't stand those large grips on a concealment gun. And yes I do carry it concealed on a consistent basis.

Oh, I have dealt with a few older gunsmiths throughout the years, 1 has since passed, but still use the other pretty regularly, who both told me that the six series guns were much stronger than the K frames, were outstanding guns in every way, but they both said they saw problems develop in the sixes after shooting extensively with .357 that they haven't seen in either the L's or Gp's with like number of rounds. They both told me that there is indeed strength advantages of both over the sixes. They are/were both in their 70's and had mucho revolver experience personally and through customers.

I know one Security Six that has digested more magnum rounds than the 686 Smith that sits right beside it. And the lockup is still tight and no signs of wear in the forcing cone and top strap area. The reason I know this is because both revolvers are rentals at my range. I know that the intent for the GP100 was to handle more 357s than the Security Six. And also the L frame Smith is suppose to be stronger than the Security Six. Somehow I am not convince of this. I have all of the above revolvers. And I feel my Service Six can handle any factory 357 round in large amounts. It has already. My 686 and my GP100 can handle it too but the Security Six was a very strong revolver when it was made. Now the only revolver to top all of those is my N frame Smith. It eats 357s all day long and does not even show and effects.
roaddog28

frankiestoys · Nov 11, 2009

The security six is a fine revolver my dad had one, i enjoyed shooting it.
That gun is the reason i love revolvers. When i was old enough, i had to have one, two ,or three, well you get the picture. The newer Rugers are well made infact maybe better i have no complaints.

JohnBT · Nov 11, 2009

I believe that each gun is a rule unto itself. My only Rugers were bought between '72 and '85 and I had to look around to find guns I really like - just like I do now and have always done. It's not the model number, it's the individual gun.

My '72 Single-Six has a 2-pound factory trigger.

"I have yet to see any stock revolver that a Wolff spring kit wouldn't make some improvement in it"

You haven't seen it, but my '85 Police Service-Six has a great factory trigger. Guys with tricked out S&W gamer guns don't believe it's factory, but it is. Years ago I was ordering a few hundred dollars worth of stuff from Brownell's, so I added in a Wolff spring kit. Oops, it made the trigger pull worse, a lot worse, in DA and SA. I have a Lyman digital gauge so I'm not guessing here. I don't have the numbers in front of me, or the gun right this minute, but I quickly put the original parts back in.

Anyway, buy the gun in your hand if you like it, not the reputation or the model number because who knows how the parts went together on the assembly line. And that's why I don't buy new guns mail order.

I doubt very many people need the absolutely strongest gun possible. The Six series .357s are more than strong enough in my opinion. And they aren't clunky big either.

John

roaddog28 · Nov 11, 2009

JohnBT said:
I believe that each gun is a rule unto itself. My only Rugers were bought between '72 and '85 and I had to look around to find guns I really like - just like I do now and have always done. It's not the model number, it's the individual gun.

My '72 Single-Six has a 2-pound factory trigger.

"I have yet to see any stock revolver that a Wolff spring kit wouldn't make some improvement in it"

You haven't seen it, but my '85 Police Service-Six has a great factory trigger. Guys with tricked out S&W gamer guns don't believe it's factory, but it is. Years ago I was ordering a few hundred dollars worth of stuff from Brownell's, so I added in a Wolff spring kit. Oops, it made the trigger pull worse, a lot worse, in DA and SA. I have a Lyman digital gauge so I'm not guessing here. I don't have the numbers in front of me, or the gun right this minute, but I quickly put the original parts back in.

Anyway, buy the gun in your hand if you like it, not the reputation or the model number because who knows how the parts went together on the assembly line. And that's why I don't buy new guns mail order.

I doubt very many people need the absolutely strongest gun possible. The Six series .357s are more than strong enough in my opinion. And they aren't clunky big either.

John

My 1985 Ruger Police Service Six has as good a trigger as a lot of my Smiths. Maybe 1985 was a good year for Ruger.

roaddog28

Blue Brick · Nov 11, 2009

Here is mine before her 1st cleaning.

Elmer · Nov 11, 2009

Oh, I have dealt with a few older gunsmiths throughout the years, 1 has since passed, but still use the other pretty regularly, who both told me that the six series guns were much stronger than the K frames, were outstanding guns in every way, but they both said they saw problems develop in the sixes after shooting extensively with .357 that they haven't seen in either the L's or Gp's with like number of rounds. They both told me that there is indeed strength advantages of both over the sixes. They are/were both in their 70's and had mucho revolver experience personally and through customers.

Well.... I'm another old guy..... and my experience with six series guns includes working with them in LE in a former life. I went through Ruger Armorer school in the early 80's, and I worked with hundreds of them that were used as duty guns, and many were shot a lot and abused. There's a reason I bought a couple for myself, despite owning a bunch of Smiths that I competed with and carried as duty guns for years.

Sorry.... but problems in six series guns were virtually non existent......

Dienekes · Nov 13, 2009

Like anything, it varies. But I have probably owned about 10 "Sixes". Most were average for fitting and trigger pulls, with the triggers getting better with use. I have had one stainless gun that was poorly fitted and needed diagnosis and correction, and one that is beautifully put together. Just luck of the draw, I guess.

Some years ago I bought a minty GP-100 SS that had been worked on by a real expert. the DA on that gun is the best one I have ever experienced, bar none.

The New Vaqueros coming out are very nice.

Confederate · Nov 14, 2009

I'm not sure at all that the GP-100 was made to be stronger than the Security-Six, though it may from sheer size and weight. Rather, it was designed to follow in the tracks of the 686. Let me put it this way. We all know now that the Security-Six is a very strong revolver. But back in the early 80s when word was going around that the 66s weren't holding up, people assumed (even some half drunk gun writers) that the Security-Six, being about the same weight and size as the 66, suffered from the same malady. One writer even included the Security-Six in a word of warning about the 66. I think someone at Ruger panicked and felt like they had to follow suit. In S&W's case, the gun was clearly better, stronger, more accurate. The GP-100, though, only resulted in more bulk and weight.

Are older Rugers better quality?

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