Rising prices of Ruger Police and Service Six why?

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Thomas43

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As a novice (i.e broke) firearms enthusiast I am curious as to the relatively high prices of a revolver that has been out of production since 1988? Can someone more knowledgeable than I explain.
 
As above.

Very well made.
Very highly regarded.
Near "cult-like" following.

Out of production!

A lot of fellas are currently revisiting past poor decisions to not buy them back in the day or "wait" and then missing out.

I don't think anyone would have foreseen the premium under-used and un-used examples are now getting.

But then, look at pre-lock Smiths, pre-mim pistols or pre-transfer-bar revolvers in general.

The thing really surprising about the Rugers is that - at least in my contemporary opinion and that of a great many of my peers - they were perceived as decidedly second rate to the big-2 makers.

Took this long for some of us to find out how wrong we were. Now, we're paying the price for that bit -' snobbery.


Todd.
 
There has been a really sizeable, maybe even vast, increase in the number of shooters and gun enthusiasts in the last decade or two.

While many of them are drawn to the hot new current production stuff, many quickly catch on to the fact that there's a lot of cool variety in the gun world, far beyond the latest AR variant or polymer autopistol. And they quickly pick up the idea that a whole lot of really solid, very cool guns were developed in the previous century and aren't made any more.

More shooters wanting a great old Speed Six, combined with the fact that there haven't been any more made in decades, means higher prices for those that are for sale.

Basic economics: Fixed supply + increasing demand = price rises

If Bill and Ted both want a Speed Six, but there's only one Speed Six in the store, say with a $350 price tag. Bill offers to buy it, but before he can whip out his wallet, Ted says, "I'll give you $375 for it! If Bill says he'll beat that by $20, and Ted counters with another $30...well, eventually one of them decides it just isn't worth any more money, so the other one gets it. And that day, in that store, the price of a Speed Six was ...whatever the highest price one of the two most excellent pals was willing to pay.

If there's 10,000 Speed Sixes out there in dealer's "USED" counters today, and there's 20,000 shooters who'd really like to have one, then the average sale price for one is going to rise until the 10,000 guns are in the hands of the 10,000 new owners willing to part with the most cash to have one. And, given inflation, that's probably quite a bit higher price than they sold for new!
 
I have personally known the Ruger Security Six as a reliable revolver for the past thirty years. Mine has lost 30% of its blueing evenly due to holster wear and has a wear rinf around the cylinder. Recently mine was examined by a gunsmith for some minor perceived looseness in the cylinder. Mr. Gunsmith pronounced my Security Six as being in good shape. It is a 1972 year model and I have carried it since 1985. Last week I decided to search for a mate for my 1972 model. I found a 1974 model that had 90% blueing and a tight cylinder. I had to pay $400 for it but felt like I got a fair deal. I have a feeling that these revolvers are going to become valued similarly as old Smith and Wesson's.
 
I found a 1974 model that had 90% blueing and a tight cylinder. I had to pay $400 for it but felt like I got a fair deal. I have a feeling that these revolvers are going to become valued similarly as old Smith and Wesson's.
Sure enough. And in that, they are coping with a resurgent appreciation of quality revolvers even as we are going through an ever decreasing amount of new offerings.


Seeing fellas buying what were, until recently, considered "collector" guns as shooters supports my position.

"Geeze Bob, you're not really gonna shoot that NIBer, are you?"


Todd.
 
I'm also shocked at the current price of revolvers. I remember the days when the Wonder 9's first hit and police departments were dumping used service revolvers for super cheap prices. I'm pretty sure the cost of making say a K frame Smith & Wesson wheel gun is going to be more than a Glock because the revolver is more like a watch with lockworks that at least used to be hand fitted by skilled gunsmiths. So many guns now are made out of plastic, er I mean polymer, which is obviously a cheaper way to make a gun than the 100 year old plus way most revolvers are made - of course there are exceptions like the Ruger LCR. I would think semi-auto out sell revolvers these days, too, which would also lead to higher prices for the wheel guns.
 
I'll add to the reason so many are going back to revolvers.

I get most of my enjoyment from shooting as small of groups as possible. An auto loader that out shoots the average quality 357 (like the Ruger) loaded with 38's is typically gonna be exponentially more expensive and likely a custom job to some extent.

I picked up a 19-5 6" for $500 in the past year... with that long sight plane, and silouhet sights and fantastic trigger. I'm hard pressed to think of a better cost/benefit ratio for accuracy than a quality service sized 357.
 
They aren't made anymore, in fact they haven't been made in 25 years or so.

The supply is drying up. People like them, and collectors have bought many. They are great guns, lighter and slightly smaller than the overbuilt, bulky GP100, but nearly as strong and plenty strong enough for 99.9% of shooters. The GP100 was made to take an unlimited amount of full-power .357 ammo. That's well and good, but the VAST majority of people could never put enough full-power .357 through a Six series gun to wear one out anyway. The GP100, while a great revolver in it's own right, is just too big and fat for it's own good. The Six series guns were superior IMHO.

Get one while you still can.

And DON'T let it go!!
 
I was involved in testing some Ruger 6s back in the 80s. Testing was to find out how many rounds fired before malfunction/repair needed. These deficiencies included minor things like ejector rod loosening. The first Ruger went out at about 13,000 rds with timing issues. These were all full power 125 or 158 grain loads. The rest went to 20,000 rds of magnums. The agency stopped the test as they didn't want to pay for any more ammo.
 
The Six Series Ruger has always been scarce on the used market in my experience. I've been casually looking for a stainless Security Six for years now at local shops & gun shows with no luck. Ran across a few blued, the last one with a severely worn finish they still wanted $395 for.
 
A good many years ago (70's) an extremely knowledgeable local gunsmith (nationally known) referred to Rugers as "a poor mans S&W". I caught on early however that they were excellent in value and service life, similar to a nice vintage Savage bolt rifle. I presently own a bunch of examples of Colt, S&W, and Ruger handguns. For the most part the Rugers have outperformed the other two many times over when it comes to service life/need to repair considering the initial cost. There was a time when a consumer could buy 3 NIB same type Rugers for the cost of one Colt or S&W locally. In retrospect I guess I am a poor man several dozen times over:D. Compare the used Ruger Single Six price now to what a new one cost.:eek: Not all that long ago I could buy a used SS/blued 357 or 45 Colt for $175-$225 locally now they are in the $400-$500 range. Almost what the New ones are going for. But the supply of new ones is sometimes spotty as the demand is overwhelming. Ruger has come into it's own as of late as having a reputation for a lower cost built like a tank reliable firearm. Just sayin.
 
It's not just Ruger! All the "old" revolvers are fetching high prices. I am shocked at what I see in stores around the area. $800 for a Colt Detective? I even see beat up Charter arms revolvers at over $400.
 
When a piece of plastic and steel 9mm cost $400, you will see older guns rise in prices to match or exceed.

And rarer ones, like my S&W 27, 66-1, 686 3 inch 'CS', Mountain Revolver, and even five screw k frames go way up in price. And since Colt has abdicated the market, any Colt revolver is gold.

That's called "Supply and Demand".

Deaf
 
They aren't made any more and there is still a following and demand. So the price goes up. Nothing supernatural about it.
 
The demand for good quality revolvers is higher than ever.

It is easy to conclude from the large number of semi-automatics handguns in the display cases of LGS and at gun shows that they are all the public want.

However on the other side of the coin the lack of good used revolvers is a result of consumer demand, not a lack of interest. Sadly to many gun clerks don't understand the advantages of the revolver and how to properly use them.
 
I deeply regret not hanging on to at least one of my Security Sixes I had over the years. An incredibly sturdy, well designed, and super reliable revolver that is still very much in demand today.
 
I vividly remember shopping for my first revolver. I found a beautiful Condtion snub nosed, blued speed six for a very reasonable price. It was my "back up plan" I ended up finding a equally nice S&W M19 4" for just a few dollars more the same weekend. I always wondered what direction my current collection would have gone had I picked up the Ruger as the Smith spurred a big influence on my preferences.

But I still would love to pick one up, if for nothing else than to have an example of the breed
 
I still kick myself for not jumping on the many "Six" series revolvers I saw a decade or more ago for around 2-250$.
I loved my 4in Service six, traded it for a 5.5 Redhawk so I don't miss it too much. :)
 
Sometimes... They come back.

I'm one of those unhappy many who missed out/listened to the nay sayers back in the day.

Too late to the fray, I found myself wanting anything Security Six or Service Six but found only either; more than I wanted to pay or more wear than I wanted to take on.

While the quality is unimpeachable on these, I have to admit that the main attraction for me is nostalgia... Woulda-coulda-shoulda!

In any case, this one found its way to me at an estate sale last year. Good price, little use and little carry wear thanks to a well chosen holster.

What a BEAST!

There is that one constant niggling bit though.... those damn "billboards"!

Keep your eyes open and cash at hand.

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Todd.
 

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Thanks guys they sound like solid and durable shooters.....however does Ruger still make replacement parts for them?

Another aspect that I like is that they lack a key safety like the newer Taurus and S&W revolvers.
 
We just had a thread on why the Colt Python demands such a high price and the leading answer was you can't buy a gun like it anymore. The same holds true of the really well made classic Ruger guns. Today Ruger can't make the gun and market it while making a profit on the gun. The same is true of dozens of well made guns. Just my take on it anyway.

Ron
 
Thanks guys they sound like solid and durable shooters.....however does Ruger still make replacement parts for them?

Another aspect that I like is that they lack a key safety like the newer Taurus and S&W revolvers.
I'm pretty certain that I ran across lots of comments about "no parts... no more..." when I recently got mine.


Could be wrong though.


Todd.
 
Now that Daryl is using a Speed Six in The Walking Dead, I'll bet the price increases will accelerate.
 
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