Ruger Service Six

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rWt

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From time to time I read posts about the Ruger Service Six that are very complimentary. I am not familiar with this revolver. Why is it held in high regard? How does it stack up against its S&W competitors?

Thanks. Dick
 
You're not familiar with them because they haven't been made in roughly 20 years.

They have a following because they're still relatively inexpensive, are only barely larger and heavier than a K-frame, and are considered to be a good bit more durable than a K-frame by many shooters. In addition, like all Ruger DA revolvers, they can be field stripped with no tools other than the rim of a cartridge. The only lick on them is that the triggers are not generally as good as a good K-frame trigger, at least not without a good bit of work smoothing out the typically rough finish on the lockwork.
 
The whole family was the Service Six: fixed sights and square butt, Security Six: adjustable sights and square butt, and the Speed Six: round butt and fixed. All were available in both blue and stainless. .38 spl. was available mostly as police guns but most sold were .357 magnum. The Service Six that I know of was also available in double action only. Barrels were 4, 6 and I think 2.75 inches. Made 1972-1988.

I have several and am always looking for more.
 
They came in 2 3/4", 4", and 6" barrel lengths and chambered in .38 Special, .357 Magnum, and 9mm.
Quite a few people who had a chance to use the "Six" series revolvers favor them over the GP-100 that replaced them.
 
Actually the Service Six came only in 2 3/4" and 4", although there were a few made in 3". The Speed Six came in 2 3/4" and 4", with a few in 3", and the Security Six came in 2 3/4", 4" and 6", again with a few made in 3".
 
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They're sort of a golden mean between the GP-100 and the S&W K frame magnums. They're not quite as tough as the GP's, but they're still plenty tough. I find that their actions are smoother than modern Rugers. Bill Ruger said they stopped making the series primarily because of the cost.

Also, Ruger will still do a full service overhaul on them for a minimal fee. I had a Six I picked up in a pawn shop bargain bin for $100 that was mostly rust with missing rear sight leafs and a very creaky action. I sent it to Ruger and for $80 plus S&H it came back a new revolver with new sights, a smooth action and new blue.
 
Since I own one, I can confirm that the Service Six was also made in the 2-3/4" barrel length! There were also a few 3-inch(Heavy)barrels made at the very end of the production run, in the Service Six.
 
Since I own one, I can confirm that the Service Six was also made in the 2-3/4" barrel length! There were also a few 3-inch(Heavy)barrels made at the very end of the production run, in the Service Six.
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I corrected my typo... I own one also.....
 
Thank you all for the info.

I am always impressed with the knowledge and experience on this forum.
 
I have a 4 inch stainless security 153 series in .357 w/ a serrated trigger. I also have a stainless 6 inch security 158 series with a smooth trigger. Wish my 4 incher had a smooth trigger. The action job is nicer on my 4 inch but the trigger makes my finger sore... :evil:

I'd love to have a 3 inch speed six.
 
It is as Cosmolene says. My agency used Sixes for years as the issue gun. I used to routinely qualify about 50 people on them. The course of fire was 60 rounds quarterly but we usually exceeded that number by a factor of three, most of them being factory 125 grain .357s. Hasty math suggests that we fired a lot of rounds. The shooters ranged from fairly inept to very, very good. Same with care and feeding in spite of admonitions. In ten years plus I had *one* Six go down (thumbpiece screw backed out, un-noticed, and the cylinder wouldn't open. It still fired all six, though.)

Bottom line was that if the ejector rod was loc-tited in to stay and the recess under the ejector star was kept scrupulously clean, the guns worked forever. When Glocks and SIGs became authorized we then encountered the occasional malfunctions--new guns, factory ammo, armorer's training--you still got the odd one with no real clear cause. I kept my Six wheelgun right up to retirement.

I wore out two barrels with .357/125s. The factory replaced the first one and refinished the gun gratis. On the second one total cost was about $90. Both looked new when done and I still have them--along with about seven others.

Took the armorer's course on these around 1990 or so. For the most part it's like being a Maytag repairman. I have a very nice GP-100 which almost never sees daylight. Too heavy for a daily driver and for what needs doing the Sixes get it done without fuss.

I started carrying a Six with Spegel stocks in a Sparks holster stocks in 1981 . When I find a better gun for my purposes at any price I will buy it.

So far I haven't.

Factory service on these is still good.
 
the guns worked forever.
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I remember torture tests done on Ruger at the time. They always ran out of ammo with no problems. I love my Smiths, but if I were going to only keep one, it would be a Speed Six.

I have a 4 inch stainless security 153 series in .357 w/ a serrated trigger. I also have a stainless 6 inch security 158 series with a smooth trigger. Wish my 4 incher had a smooth trigger. The action job is nicer on my 4 inch but the trigger makes my finger sore...

I'd love to have a 3 inch speed six.
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Karbine, the trigger's pretty easy to swap out. If Ruger doesn't have the part, let me know, I probably have one somewhere, but I'd have to sort through 30 years of collected crap...... :eek:
 
The Security Six/Speed Six/Police Service Six series of Ruger revolvers are good guns, but no gun is perfect. In this case the trigger springs sometimes break. This was known at Ruger, and later models used a different system. Since it is now a discontinued model it might behoove the owners of these guns to have a couple of extra inexpensive springs on hand, just in case.
 
Old Fluff, not to be argumentative, but I went to 3 different Ruger armorer's schools, and I've worked on hundreds of them. And I've never seen a broken trigger spring. I have replaced them when guys would try and take the trigger group apart, and bent the crap out of them though.

Just my experience...
 
In my experience the springs do break on occasion, and I have replaced them when that happened. I had a discussion about this with Bill Sr., who was a personal friend of long standing. Anyway, when later models came out the design was changed in this respect.

While this spring is not likely to break it can and does. Since this series of revolvers has been discontinued I consider it to be advisable for an owner to have one or two on hand, just in case.

You of course can do what ever you choose.
 
Would anyone know if this gun would be a good candidate for conversion to 45 Colt? Is it as beefy as the S&W 38-44HD? Thanks
 
No it wouldn't. It is about the same size as a Smith & Wesson model 15 Combat Masterpiece or model 19 Combat Magnum.
 
Since this series of revolvers has been discontinued I consider it to be advisable for an owner to have one or two on hand, just in case
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Good advice for any firearm. I have enough parts to keep mine going for... Oh... 5 or 6 hundred years or so... :) (Thanks to Mike Moore and Rob Deardon.) My experience with the gun didn't come till the late 70's, so any issues must have been cleared up by then.

I spent some time on several occasions with WBR. As opposed to his reputation, I found him warm and hospitable. I sent him a small gift to thank him for dinner once. He replied with telephone call, and later, a hand written thank you note. Very classy.

It, and the picture of He and I hanging in my study, are some of my most cherished possessions. He was the John Browning of my lifetime.
 
Fluff's probably right about .45 Colt. I do, however, have a Speed Six that was converted to .44 Special by the old ASP company, the same company that used to chop down the S&W 39's, long before the Mini 9 craze.

Wish I'd never sold the 39 I had that they did, but I never could get used to that goofy "Guttersnipe" system.....
 
Second the notion on spare parts--although I have never seen anything actually break on a Six yet.

Karbine, I have smoothed the face of numerous S&Ws and Rugers. Removal is not that challenging and thereafter you can either let a gunsmith do it or attack it yourself. It is basic Dremel-level work. Just stay well away from the sear and latch engagement surfaces!
 
But it's probably a 6.00 part, so why bother?

Let me know if you can't find one Karbine.
 
I love mine. Buy one if you can, you won't regret it.

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Nice pictures dasmi,

Your police department in San Diego carried them in the 4" Stainless Speed Six version for quite a few years. The armorer there told me a few years ago, it was the most trouble free gun they ever owned.
 
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