Ruger Security Six, Speed Six, Service Six

[Mixed Nuts]

Assuming the same caliber, are the moving parts in the three Ruger revolvers - Security, Speed, and Service Six, - all interchangeable?

 

[RecoilRob]

Yes.....they should be. Look at Numrich Arms parts diagrams....same part numbers only changing due to stainless or blued. I don't recall Ruger ever offering a DAO version but of course that would have different lockwork.

 

[Mixed Nuts]

Yes.....they should be. Look at Numrich Arms parts diagrams....same part numbers only changing due to stainless or blued. I don't recall Ruger ever offering a DAO version but of course that would have different lockwork.

Thanks, RecoiRob. Now I can justify buying two or more - as sort of back-up parts guns.

 

[Mixed Nuts]

posted twice - like a spaz

 

[RecoilRob]

Before investing heavily....check the part numbers for yourself just to be sure....but a quick check and having owned a Security and Speed Six leads me to believe they're the same.

 

[bikerdoc]

I have two police service sixes, For that very reason

 

[sgt127]

Quick note. The Six Series were available DA only. But the DAO hammer is the only difference and should interchange reasonably readily between guns.

NYPD used DAO Police Service Sixes.

All three were available in .38 Special and .357 Magnum. But the cylinders should interchange. They just may not match the markings on the barrel.

 

[Mixed Nuts]

I have two police service sixes, For that very reason

Nice. I get this way of thinking. I've often bought two of something that works well. Some friends think this is crazy but good things go out of production and the Six series is a solid example of why to, sometimes, invest a little more.

Thanks sgt127 and thanks again RecoilRob

 

[Homerboy]

Quick note. The Six Series were available DA only. But the DAO hammer is the only difference and should interchange reasonably readily between guns.

NYPD used DAO Police Service Sixes.

All three were available in .38 Special and .357 Magnum. But the cylinders should interchange. They just may not match the markings on the barrel.

Before the DAO Police Service Six, the NYPD did use standard blued Service Six with a hammer.

 

[sgt127]

Before the DAO Police Service Six, the NYPD did use standard blued Service Six with a hammer.

That had to an extremely short run. I’ve never seen one of those! Must have been at the very end of the S&W Model 10 era and just before the dao 64. Ever handled one?

 

[GRIZ22]

Quick note. The Six Series were available DA only. But the DAO hammer is the only difference and should interchange reasonably readily between guns.

NYPD used DAO Police Service Sixes.

All three were available in .38 Special and .357 Magnum. But the cylinders should interchange. They just may not match the markings on the barrel.

This is correct AFAIK. I was at Rodman's Neck when the question of difference of cylinders was discussed. The Ruger rep said the only difference was the 38 spl cylinders were shortchambered 357 cylinders.

If you encounter a 6 series marked 38 spl it's not as common as a 357.

That had to an extremely short run. I’ve never seen one of those! Must have been at the very end of the S&W Model 10 era and just before the dao 64. Ever handled one?

The Rugers were never a mandatory standard revolver thing. They were optional. You could pick a Ruger or a S&W.

 

[Homerboy]

That had to an extremely short run. I’ve never seen one of those! Must have been at the very end of the S&W Model 10 era and just before the dao 64. Ever handled one?

Don't know how long a run it was, but it wasn't short. Check out this article from the NY Times. The NYPD has offically phased out the .38 duty weapon. As of 8/30/18, they are no longer authorized. That's a blued Service Six in a Jay Pee swivel holster.


https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/31/nyregion/new-york-police-revolver.html

 

[sgt127]

Don't know how long a run it was, but it wasn't short. Check out this article from the NY Times. The NYPD has offically phased out the .38 duty weapon. As of 8/30/18, they are no longer authorized. That's a blued Service Six in a Jay Pee swivel holster.


https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/31/nyregion/new-york-police-revolver.html

In general, the blues Six Series Rugers were fairly short lived compared to the Model 10. When the NYPD went with the DAO Model 64, the Ruger Service Six in stainless was authorized and, was DAO.

Honestly, there weren’t that many Ruger stainless Sixes used. I’m guessing the blues version was more scarce.

As a side note, all issued Service Sixes were stamped with a Star in the yoke at the NYPD range once the were checked out for carry.

 

[Homerboy]

View attachment 794017 View attachment 794018

In general, the blues Six Series Rugers were fairly short lived compared to the Model 10. When the NYPD went with the DAO Model 64, the Ruger Service Six in stainless was authorized and, was DAO.

Honestly, there weren’t that many Ruger stainless Sixes used. I’m guessing the blues version was more scarce.

As a side note, all issued Service Sixes were stamped with a Star in the yoke at the NYPD range once the were checked out for carry.

The Model 10 was more often chosen over the Six, and the 64 was also more common than the stainless Six, and when Ruger stopped making the Six guns the GPNY came along, and that was also less common than the 64. But I can recall several guys carrying the stainless DAO Six, 2 or 3 with the blued, and quite a few with the GPNY. The SPNY was pretty common as an off duty. I chose that one over the S&W 640.

I would like to find out when the blued Six became an option. The job went to DAO guns in July, 1988, I believe.

 

[sgt127]

I’m not sure on the dates but, there’s nothing wrong with this set as acarry option.

Weirdly, the Service Six, that I bought directly from an NYPD Officer after he quit and went to Nassau County, had a normal hammer and was DA/SA. He may have had it converted back after he left. I have since installed the DAO hammer in it.

 

[Madcap_Magician]

It's a shame that buying a spare Six-series for parts is almost unaffordable now, though. Supply's really dried up in the last five years.

 

[sgt127]

People, like me, who kinda poo-poo’ed them back when they were kind of second class compared to S&W...realized we were wrong and, are now snatching them up.

 

[bannockburn]

sgt127

I was just the opposite: I bought one not long after they first came out. With a 4" barrel I thought the Security Six was perfectly balanced and was very comfortable to shoot (once I put Pachmayr Presentation grips on it). For me the larger N frame was just a little too big for my smaller sized hand and I didn't think the K frames would hold up as long as the Security Six would (though I felt the Smiths would always have a better trigger pull over the Rugers).

 

[sgt127]

Everything you say is true.

But, at the time, Colt and Smith dominated the revolver market and many, me included, really didn’t give the Ruger a fair shake.

Remember the Hamburger ads between Smith and Ruger during the GP100 vs S&W L frames debate?

You saw it earlier than many. I now have a Speed Six and a Service Six.

Just great guns.

 

[bannockburn]

sgt127

I remember that ad...what a hoot! I did buy a S&W Model 686 and a Ruger GP100 (also had a Colt Trooper Mk.V at the time), but eventually I had to sell two of them to pay for school. Never really cared for the GP100, especially in comparison to the 686 and the discontinued Security Six. So that was one down and one to go, but with a much tougher choice to make between the remaining two.

The Trooper Mk.V was very nicely put together (probably some of the best bluing I had seen on a Colt revolver, not including the Python), and had very comfortable and ergonomic walnut grips on it. Likewise the 686 was exceptionally well built and had the smoothest DA/SA trigger out of the box than any revolver I have ever had. This is what made the 686 the clear winner in the end.

 

[Rudolph31]

View attachment 794428 Everything you say is true.

But, at the time, Colt and Smith dominated the revolver market and many, me included, really didn’t give the Ruger a fair shake.

Remember the Hamburger ads between Smith and Ruger during the GP100 vs S&W L frames debate?

You saw it earlier than many. I now have a Speed Six and a Service Six.

Just great guns.

That ad was in response to Ruger touting the thicker steel in their frames. You can read about it here:

https://revolverguy.com/great-revolver-frame-war-part/#more-1180

and here:

https://revolverguy.com/great-revolver-frame-war-part-ii/#more-1182