New Security Six!

[K5Guy]

Hello everyone. This is my first post on THR. I won an auction for a Ruger Security Six and have some questions.
Here are the photos Security Six

Now last night with the excitement of bidding on the gun I dismissed the gouges in the barrel as purely cosmetic. Now I am wondering if this will affect the gun or weaken the barrel. The seller rating the gun in good condition and had excellent feedback so I am fairly confident I won't be disappointed but it never hurts to get a second opinion. I know it would be hard to judge from the pictures but what do you guys think?

Thanks

 

[moxie]

Wow!

Looks like it was either squeezed in a vise or put up to a grinding wheel. Have you checked the bore? Is it deformed opposite from that gouge/groove? If so, it clearly should not be fired. If not, it still needs to be looked at by a qualified gunsmith.

I'd be very wary of shooting it, at all, with reduced or compromised barrel wall thickness.

 

[Erich]

Welcome to THR! You got a great deal on a great gun - you'll enjoy it. For that price, condition isn't too much of a concern, but it looks fine. That thing will take hard use longer than you'll be alive. Use it in good health!

 

[Cosmoline]

It depends on how deep the dings are. It's impossible to say without seeing it. But keep in mind Rugers are amazingly tough and can continue to operate safely after many revolvers would go to the junk heap. I picked up a Security Six with 10% blue and 90% rust from a bargain bin at a pawn shop and after a trip to Ruger it came back looking like a brand new revolver. It had some pitting, but noting too bad. If you have concerns, send it to Ruger for a refurb. It's cheap and they do an excellent job. If you need a new barrel they will tell you.

 

[K5Guy]

Thanks for the quick replies everyone.

Well I called the seller and he is out of town until thursday so I guess I will speak with him about it then. I suppose I am counting on the seller's inspection of the gun and rating. He rated it NRA good and I take that to mean it is in safe working condition.

About how much does Ruger charge for a refurb? I found a replacement barrel on their site for $60. After shipping and FFL charge I am going to have $210 in it and I hope I don't have to put in an extra $100 to make it shootable

Looking at the sellers feedback it seems he is honest and gives accurate descriptions of his items. Well I guess I find out soon!

 

[Cosmoline]

If you're already going to replace the barrel just have a smith do it. Ruger would be for a refurb and to test the barrel to see if it's safe. My complete overhaul, from trigger to blue to sights, ran just $90 and took about a month from Alaska back east.

 

[JNewell]

Those barrels are pretty stout, but on the other hand those marks are pretty impressive...hard to imagine how they got there, but that would be another story.

When you get the revolver, I'd do a quick and dirty test for deformation of the bore (in addition to eyeballing the barrel with a good light): try putting a cleaning patch -- a tight one -- through and see if you can feel any change in force required to pass by the area of the gouges. If you don't, it's probably ok -- but review by a qualified smith might be a good idea.

 

[K5Guy]

Say the barrel is damaged and needs to be replaced, what does that involve? Is barrel replacement out of the question for home repairs?

 

[Cosmoline]

If you have a replacement barrel for the Security Six in hand, swapping out is most certainly within the abilities of a good local gunsmith. You just need the right tools to screw out the old barrel, screw in the new one and make any needed adjustments to the barrel/cylinder gap.

 

[Dienekes]

You might as well ship it in to Ruger. It will cost you--more than it should for shipping, mainly--but they will get it right the first time and you will have a lifetime gun. The Sixes are of course no longer made and if you like that size and heft of Ruger revolver there you are.

There is a chance that a generic gunsmith could find and install a barrel, but not guaranteed. Those barrels are in *tight*, and without the proper tooling the frame could be tweaked. It's not as simple as it sounds.

Too, there is the chance that Ruger would put on a 4" or 6" barrel if you asked, if you would prefer those.

 

[goon]

I looked that one over really hard too, but in the end I passed on it. Just didn't want to take the risk. Hope it works out for you though.

 

[Majic]

As there appears to be a scar in the bluing on the opposite side that barrel may have been in some type of vise or hydraulic press.I would be leery of that barrel untill it is fully checked out. If the barrel has to be replaced remember that revolver has been out of production for about 20 years now and finding a new one may not be that easy. I would call the factory to see if they have the barrel in inventory before sending it to them. For a firearm assumingly having been put under that much stress I would recommend sending it back to the factory for repairs and not use a local smith.

 

[Bill B.]

Another vote for sending it to Ruger for a once over. It will look like new when it comes back. The Ruger Blackhawk I sent back even come back with a test target fired from a Ransome rest at 25 yards and packed in a new Ruger box! I will have to say this impressed me with their customer service!

 

[9mmepiphany]

another vote for a return trip to the factory. they can look over the whole gun rather than just fitting the barrel.

if you can't find another security-six barrel...a 4" python barrel mates up beautifully to the security-six frame...and it becomes a "couger"

 

[goon]

Well maybe we are getting worried over nothing. I contacted the seller about two weeks ago and he told me that mechanically it is excellent and that the dings don't extend into the bore. I ended up passing because I don't really have the money right now, but if it ends up being damaged I would think you could return it. It was listed as mechanically solid on the auction and IIRC the guy has good feedback so he was probably telling the truth.
Good luck with it.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

I would be a little leary of that gun; I can't imagine how someone got the barrel all chewed up like that unless it has been the victim of a basement gunsmith.

Also when he describes the gun:

This 357 mag is in like new condition but for two deep digs on the barrel.

He is not being straight up with that either, unless Ruger ships its guns from the factory with a turn ring already scratched into the cylinder, a hunk of rust on the barrel in the first photo, and muzzle wear on the end of the barrel.