2.75" Service Six 357

[Old 112]

I have one these on hold.
It is stainless steel.
Lockup and timing are tight and true.
Finish is near perfect, and the stocks are like new.
It has an extra set of wood finger groove stocks(brand ?).

I would like to hear experiences about this particular revolver;
such as acurracy,
durabilty,
handling,
carry opinions, ect.

Also, it is $265 OTD if I decide to buy it.

Regards,
Old 112

 

[wnycollector]

Congrats, you have one of the best snub .357's ever made!

I have a 2.75" Security Six that I picked up at a gun show for $275. I love it! It is on my side everytime I go hiking or camping, plus if gets carried ~1/2 the time as my CCW. It is super accurate and can handle heavy loads. It is currently loaded with DoubleTap 125gr Gold Dots. I chronoed this load in my six 1575fps and ~690lbs. I would suggest adding some rubber grips since the stock ruger grips are thumb busters with heavy loads. I have a pair of Sile grips from CDNN on it and they are great...plus thay are only $9! Here is the link http://cdnninvestments.com/rubsecsixsqu.html

 

[CajunBass]

That's about what I paid for one twenty...twenty-five years ago. Mine, well my ex-wifes actually was blue.

Good gun. Back then there was no such thing as a chp so I can't really say how it carried, but it was a good shooter. A Tylers "T" Grip adapter was all she/we did to it.

 

[smee781]

Great price and great gun, you won't be sorry.

 

[Shade00]

You would be foolish to not complete the deal, IMHO. Ruger's Sixes in excellent shape are drying up, and while I'm not suggesting that they are prime collector's pieces, people are recognizing their value as shooters and carry pieces. A stainless example in 95% is a steal at $265.

 

[W.E.G.]

good price on that one

 

[coach22]

My Speed Six Stainless with the same length barrel
is the go to gun in my house. You could use it as a hammer
to build a house and it would still function perfectly.
The manual said to dry fire it 200 times
when I bought it in 1981. No other company,
to my knowledge ever suggested doing that.
It told me how strong they thought their product was.
Mine has Pachmayr Compacs on it
and is loaded with Buffalo Bore 158 38+P's.
The picture isn't of my gun, but is the same as mine.
I also have a 4 inch Stainless Security Six with Pachmayr Grippers.
Yes, I have Smiths, but for strength,
I'll go for Rugers every time.
They will never disappoint you.

 

[rdrancher]

Add a hundred bucks to that and I'd still buy it. Prices have gone up around here on those gems.

rd

 

[420Stainless]

I have the security six in the same size. I love it. It is very accurate and surprisingly pleasant to shoot with magnum loads. I have small hands; so I like the stock grips. I have seen some complaints on the forum concerning muzzle flip, but I have not experienced anything unpleasant about the handling.

 

[Drgong]

$265 -NICE

almost bought one today for $380, and thats not OTD!

Great gun, Great price, congrats!

 

[Charles S]

Great gun great price....My favorite hiking gun.

You wont go wrong.

 

[MCgunner]

Okay, I'll give a somewhat negative report, bash me all ya want. I had a Security Six with a 4", my first center fire handgun. It was okay, but not a great gun IMHO. Accuracy with .38 loads was a little wanting, but it fired 140 grain Speer magnums quite well. Also, it was a little weird in that it not only required an elevation change, but a rather large windage change to shoot .38s vs .357s. Never quite figured that one out, only .357 I've ever had that was this odd between load sight ins. It was a rugged piece, but about 6K hot .357s and it started getting pretty loose. I traded it off for a Blackhawk that shoots much better and is a stronger gun. I don't worry about hot load round count in the Blackhawk and it shoots .38s well, so I don't feed it that many magnum loads anyway. It's an outdoor gun, not a concealment gun, though. The Security Six was an outdoor carry. I couldn't legally carry it, though I did illegally carry it in my truck on trips. Texas law was a little strange about "traveling" back then. I've vastly improved that niche with a Taurus M66 4" that is target grade accurate with either .357 or .38 loads and is a tough gun, though the Ruger's design appeals to me for strength. I don't feed that Taurus a steady diet of hot stuff, learned my lesson. LOL I mean, if the Security Six got loose, well..... That Taurus, though, will shoot the eye out of a rabbit at 50 yards, amazingly accurate gun, a great outdoor carry, by far the most accurate 4" .357 medium frame gun I've owned to date, which would include a Smith M19 and a Rossi 971. But, a 2.75" Speed Six would be a nice carry. Personally, though, I had a SP101 and I think it's a much better built gun. JMHO, but I'm not a Security Six Koolaid drinker. It may be 1 round less capacity, but the SP101 carries easier on the hip, has a better grip design, has an improved lock up, is a stronger gun period. If an extra round means that much to ya, you probably need an auto.

That said, I'd like to get a deal on another Security Six. I liked the gun, really. It just didn't do exactly everything I wanted of it and it wasn't as strong as rumor has it. I don't really miss it. I do sorta miss the SP101 and am thinking about getting another, this time a 3" version. That was a sweet gun. But, if I stumbled on a Speed Six/Service Six for that money, well.......

 

[Cosmoline]

I've owned at least a dozen in the "six" family. Mostly security sixes. They're the best .357's this side of a Python. It's not about the extra round, as MC seems to think. These are better built revolvers than anything made today. The only reason Ruger stopped making them in favor of the simplified GP/SP line was the cost of manufacturing. Not that an SP101 a poor revolver, but it's stumpier, more brickish and has an inferior trigger. I've owned many SP's and GP's over the years, but I've horse traded them off. The Speed Six in my carry rig shall NEVER be parted from me. No koolaid drinking involved. I've owned and/or shot hundreds of different revolvers and these ones are among the very best.

The growing appreciation for these wheelguns has evolved as people have seen how well they hold up through the decades. Back in the 70's and 80's they were mostly viewed as a slightly cheaper knockoff of Smiths and Colts.

As far as shooting loose, that will happen to any revolver with enough rounds through it. It is not a product defect. They are quite easy to repair and Ruger will do it for a minimal cost.

As far as the price, that's a steal. Keep in mind that the short barrel versions are a lot less common than the 4" and longer versions. Folks don't just horde these revolvers, they use them. That should tell you something.

 

[MCgunner]

Out of the box, my Security Six wasn't a great trigger. In fact, my SP101 was better. However, it slicked up quite easily and became a FINE DA trigger. So did the SP101 with a simple spring kit. The SP101 is simply stronger IMHO. I think it's an improvement in carry revolvers, so I guess me and Cos will just have to disagree. For 265, yeah, I'd buy another one in a heart beat, though. They ain't BAD revolvers, just ain't as good as some folks hype 'em IMHO. And, I'm not sure I follow you, Cos, on the SP101 being "cheaper to produce". I mean, the lockwork is similar and the lock up at the front on the crane is a might more complicated and just has to take more machine work than the older design which is similar to Smith and Wesson. What is it about the SP101 that's cheaper to produce?

I ain't too worried about strength of design, I just think the SP101 is stronger due to its lock up. Heck, I own a couple of Taurus 66s I love and even have owned a few Smith K frames, talk about WEAK. LOL. I have learned not to abuse .357s with a lot of hot loads, though. If I'd have kept that Security Six, I'd have shipped it off for a freshen up for sure. It wasn't out of time, yet, but it was getting pretty loose. If you listen to some folks talk, you can't shoot a Security Six loose. Well, I'm here to tell ya you can and it don't take that many rounds. The forcing cone is a lot stronger than on the K frames, though. I never had a problem with a Ruger forcing cone, can't say that about K frames.

 

[hornsmoker]

If I'm not mistaken, yours would be the SS Police Service Six with fixed sights. I have the SS Speed Six in same 2.75" barrel length. It too has fixed sights. I agree with those who have said this is one the best revolvers ever made. Extremely durable - an heirloom piece for sure. I have had mine for twenty some years - think I paid around $285 for it new. Mine currently has a Houge Mono-Grip, which makes the gun feel and look much bigger than than stock.

As to your specific questions; accuracy is good and about what one would expect from a short barreled gun, handling is excellent - good balance and weighty enough to soak up those 357's, carry is individual preference [to me, is is just a bit too large and heavy], reliable as the day is long. Custom grip selection for the security and service series is better than the speed series.

My .02, buy it. 265 is a very good price.

 

[sean m]

This is an good deal, go for it

 

[Cosmoline]

I'm not sure I follow you, Cos, on the SP101 being "cheaper to produce"

Ruger himself stated that his company was losing money on every Security Six. Now I'm sure that was a bit of an exaggeration, but the GP/SP like allowed them to reduce costs. But don't get me wrong, I like the SP and I've carried them before. Would I trade my Speed Six for one? Or two? Nope, not even for three.

 

[MCgunner]

When I bought my Security Six, it was 189 dollars new in box. I could see how ol' Bill might lose a nickel. LOL. However, a M19 was just 15 bucks more at the time. I looked at both and went for the stainless Ruger. I gotta say, I liked it better than the M19 I had later on. I really cleaned the trigger up on that Ruger rather easily. That M19 is not something a home shop gunsmith wants to mess with. But, it really didn't need THAT much cleaning up. It was decent out of the box, but after I got through with the Ruger, it was better.

 

[tekarra]

Is it round or square butt? I have a square butt model. It is a good revolver, solid but on the heavy side. In your shoes, I would buy it.

 

[theotherwaldo]

My sister's preferred revolver is a blued Service Six with a 4" barrel. Nothing remarkable, it just works. Accurate enough, reliable, handy, sturdy, expendable. A good serviceable revolver.

 

[FXWG]

My SP101 and my Police Service-Six...

 

[Old 112]

I have it layed away, and will pick it up later in the week.
I will get some help to post some pictures.

Thanks FXWG for the comparison photo.

Regards,
Old 112

 

[Sistema1927]

I have the same gun...

except mine is blued...

and mine is a Speed-Six...

and mine has quite a bit of bluing worn off...

and I paid just a bit more than you will, and that was 6 years ago.

 

[FXWG]

Thanks FXWG for the comparison photo.

No problem.
If you need any other angles, let me know.