Ruger Speed Six .44 special?

[magsnubby]

I went to a local gun store today to buy a stainless steel Charter Arms Bulldog .44 special as a companion for my blued Bluedog.
After doing the paper work i was crusing the used gun section drooling over a 2" Python in like new condition and saw a Ruger Speed Six. since i've been looking for a Speed Six for awhile i decided to check it out.

I noticed the cylinder wasn't fluted and the hole in the end of the barrel looked awfully big for a .357. Printed on the tag was "Speed Six .44 Special ". ???????

All the markings on the barrel were Ruger and printed on the right was ".44 SPECIAL FACTORY AMMUNITION ONLY". According to the store owner Ruger made a small run of .44 specials back in the 70's.

Anybody ever see one of these before?

I really wanted it but i figured $400.00 was way high even in California dollars.

 

[Jeff Timm]

I never heard of it, but if it's a Factory Custom $400 would be cheap.

Geoff
Who wouldn't mind having one or two.

 

[roo_ster]

Ruger Speed Six n .44spl would be VERY cool. You'd be the only kid on the block to have one.

 

[magsnubby]

The store owner swears it's factory. He's been in the gun business for years and he's always been really stright with his customers. He's one of the few in the business that does because he really loves it.

If i had a little more money i would have bought it. I've been laid off for awhile this was my yard sale money.

It's in beautiful condition. It appears to have been shot very little and the hammer is bobbed.

 

[Jim Watson]

$400 is dead cheap.
I have never heard of a Ruger Speed Six .44 Special from the factory, if it would "letter" it would be worth a good deal more than that.
There were some converted from .357 to .44 by ASP or Devel, I forget which, and Hamilton Bowen did one or more. These are first class big name expen$ive custom gunsmith projects.

Dean Grennell wrote one of the conversions up in a magazine article and said: "If the Ruger .357 is the Speed Six, does that make this one a Fast Five?"

 

[Otony]

I'll buy it! for once something unique is in California. PM me where its at, I am interested!

 

[magsnubby]

otony,
Couldn't get the pm function to work so i e-mailed the info.

 

[prisoner6]

In the early 80's ASP did the .44 Special conversions on Rugers. They're quite neat little guns and sounds like what that one is. I think I have a promo sheet somewhere from the company where they advertise it.

 

[P. Plainsman]

This sounds like a cool find.

 

[SRYnidan]

Asp did convert some Security Sixes for it to be correct it would have an unfluted cylinder spurless hammer and night sights.

 

[Otony]

I called, and the shop owner filled me in...some what. Nice fellow, BTW, but the revolver is on consignment and he knows little about it otherwise.

He insists it is factory, which is NOT substantiated by a call to Ruger (I didn't expect it to be). I thought it might be an ASP conversion, or maybe one of the Spokandguns conversions by Dave somethingorother. However, both Spokandguns and ASP clearly marked their work.

At this point, it could also have been done by a few other fellows as well, Bowen, Clement, or Huntington come to mind, as well as others. But unmarked work means the value (beyond the reasonable $400) is moot. If it were marked ASP or one of the other makers noted, one could reasonably expect to get more money for it, possibly two to three times as much. As it sits, it is a great big bore snubby with no provenance, worth about the asking price.

My 2 cents......

 

[Rexzila]

It is more likely a conversion. But it, if it is only $400. Speed Sixes are robust. It would make a wonderful camp gun. I would rather have it than any of the Taurus or Charter Bulldogs which I had. You need a little more bulk when firing .44 ammo. Also the Rugers are more friendly to left handers with the cylinder latch. I am still upset I gave matching Speed Sixes to my brothers as christmas presents, they promptly sold them...sigh.

 

[Otony]

Robust as .38/.357, yup. As a .44 special I'm not so sure. One of the reasons this conversions never gained much popularity is that the barrel shank/throat is very thin after re-boring to .44 spesh.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

clements and bowen did some of them but wont do them anymore They now do them on gp 100s id snatch it for $400 as thats probably less then the price of the gunsmith work on it.

 

[Otony]

Hi Lloyd!

 

[Cosmoline]

Sounds like a real find. I'd grab it. It's actually an idea I've toyed with--the balance and strength of the Security Six with the extra punch of the .44 Special. As long as the gunsmithing was done right it's well worth $400.

 

[Jim Watson]

"One of the reasons this conversions never gained much popularity is that the barrel shank/throat is very thin after re-boring to .44 spesh."

That is the reason for the "Factory Ammunition Only" marking. They didn't want anybody putting Elmer K's loads in a pocket pistol. You can get a few factory .44 Spl hollowpoints these days. Or a SWC, which would probably do about as well at the available velocity.