Security Six snubbie (43 yrs old)

[sgt127]

I’ve got two Ruger Six series. But, they are a Speed Six and a Service Six. Fixed sights.

Let go of a 4” Security Six 40 years ago. I should replace that one.

As mentioned, those Herretts came off EBay for about $30.

It’s been said Bill Ruger bought a tree and every set of Six Series grips, came from that one tree.

Factory service grips were…marginal. Though a little bit better than just holding onto the frame.

 

[PapaG]

When they first came out, my dad, proprietor of our shop, bought a half dozen in different styles. I think our cost was about a C-note each. We shot the dickens out of a couple of them. They became the test beds for our commercial ammo business. I've had a half dozen myself over the past fifteen years or so. Three of the six inchers in fact. One went to son two, another to his brother-in-law, third to my nephew. I'm dickering lately on a six inch stainless "200 year" model now. If i get it it won't leave until I do.
Personally, they were better in hand than the GP.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

lol, they're not that bad, but the larger target style grips are more comfortable for sure. Wish I had a 2 1/2" Security Six, I love my 4" SS.
View attachment 1247640

Those looks to be the same Sile target grips I have on my Service Six.



I also have a Speed Six that I got last year. For that I found some NOS Pachmayr Compacs on eBay.

 

[Walkalong]

Those looks to be the same Sile target grips I have on my Service Six.

It’s been so long ago I don’t remember. I have the little stock grips in a baggie, labeled of course.

I do like them though, and they fit great.

 

[2ndtimer]

I've got your gun's twin in stainless and the old Sile rubber grip (looks like the Presentation) is by far the most comfortable. BTW, that's a great looking blued Security Six. Renaissance Wax works wonders protecting and putting a shine on without any abrasives. Good luck with that gem.View attachment 1247619

If only Ruger would have produced one with the round butt of the Speed Six, I would have bought one, put Pachmayr round butt grips on it, and I would still own it. I just didn’t care for the fixed sights on the two Speed Sixes I used to own, a stainless 2 3/4” in .38 Special and a blued 4” in .357 Magnum.

 

[stonebuster]

If only Ruger would have produced one with the round butt of the Speed Six, I would have bought one, put Pachmayr round butt grips on it, and I would still own it. I just didn’t care for the fixed sights on the two Speed Sixes I used to own, a stainless 2 3/4” in .38 Special and a blued 4” in .357 Magnum.

Some people have rounded the corners off the square butt Sixes to accept round butt grips essentially making it a round butt Security Six. I think it would be very easy to do carefully with a dremel tool.

 

[Tom-R2]

I lucked into a very nice Speed-Six a couple years ago and found some original unused Herretts on eBay as well. I don't like the peanut butter color, and have sanded it off of a couple sets, this one, and the ones I put on my Service-Six back around 1977 or 78.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Very handsome Ruger!

Very handsome indeed

Wait until you shoot it, though. The grips were designed by a committee including Satan, Torquemada, and Marquis du Sade.

I remember reading that the "Six" family were designed with their frames deeper behind the trigger guard to eliminate having to add aftermarket grips. But handgunners being who they are, everyone wanted grips that fill in that area...so Ruger offered the larger "target" grips to meet market demand.

I sort of inherited (through wife) a blued Ruger Speed-Sic with the 2.75" barrel. The receipt that was in the box read $158.

It was bone stock, so I thought I'd try out the reputation of the grips to see for myself. They weren't very hand filling, but they did allow a correct grip aligning my trigger finger with the trigger. I dug out some Safariland K-frame speedloaders and grabbed 200 rounds to shoot in my local IDPA match that weekend.

The Speed-Six shot fine, not missing a beat and was even zeroed for my 160gr polymer coated competition loads. The grips pointed well and didn't interfere with reloads. The only ;limiting factor to better performance was that the trigger was a bit heavier than my usual 686 and the sights were a little harder to pickup out of the holster.

Granted this wasn't with .357Mag ammo...I don't have anything close loaded in the garage...but I thought the grips were more than serviceable[/QUOTE]

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Very handsome indeed


I remember reading that the "Six" family were designed with their frames deeper behind the trigger guard to eliminate having to add aftermarket grips. But handgunners being who they are, everyone wanted grips that fill in that area...so Ruger offered the larger "target" grips to meet market demand.

I sort of inherited (through wife) a blued Ruger Speed-Sic with the 2.75" barrel. The receipt that was in the box read $158.

It was bone stock, so I thought I'd try out the reputation of the grips to see for myself. They weren't very hand filling, but they did allow a correct grip aligning my trigger finger with the trigger. I dug out some Safariland K-frame speedloaders and grabbed 200 rounds to shoot in my local IDPA match that weekend.

The Speed-Six shot fine, not missing a beat and was even zeroed for my 160gr polymer coated competition loads. The grips pointed well and didn't interfere with reloads. The only ;limiting factor to better performance was that the trigger was a bit heavier than my usual 686 and the sights were a little harder to pickup out of the holster.

Granted this wasn't with .357Mag ammo...I don't have anything close loaded in the garage...but I thought the grips were more than serviceable

[/QUOTE]
Agreed, thought they were fine with .38s, but pretty punishing with Magnums. The factory "Big Grips" went too far the other way for my hands, though-

Ended up passing this one to my SIL and it suits him perfectly.

 

[Walkalong]

There was a grip/frame design change in the security Six as well, fairly early on.

 

[drobs]

My pair.

 

[GRIZ22]

There was a grip/frame design change in the security Six as well, fairly early on.

Yes the early 6s had more like a plowhandle grip.

 

[Y-T71]

Am I remembering correctly: 150 then 151 series or am I thinking about something else?

 

[Zebraranger]

Some very nice ones here to say the least. Here's my two.

 

[Walkalong]

Am I remembering correctly: 150 then 151 series or am I thinking about something else?

That's the way I remember it, I'm sure Google knows.

 

[stonebuster]

Am I remembering correctly: 150 then 151 series or am I thinking about something else?

The Six Series 150 prefix & some 151 were called low back & the ones that followed were called high backs by some. Ruger redesigned the top of the grip frame early on to slope back where the web of your hand rests.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

This is mine with SP 101 under it.

My wife took mine over for in her office (works at home) so I haven't seen it for a while.

Congrats on finding it. They are getting harder to find.

 

[golden]

They are very good guns.

have had several RUGER Security, Service and Speed Six revolvers and they are overall, the best medium size .357 revolvers ever made, in my opinion. They are stronger than the S&W 19/66 revolvers and my agency issued them back in the 1980's and we did not have any problems that I ever heard of.
I was issued a S&W model 13 with a 3 inch barrel and it was not the equal of the Sixes. Several of the model 13's issued to my class at the academy had problems and at least one had to be sent back to the factory.

I bought a Security Six, when I was looking at the used gun section, in a local gun shop. I looked at a COLT Official Police, but it was overpriced and the clerk said I should check this RUGER. I checked that it was empty and pulled the trigger. WOW! Someone had done a fine job on that trigger. I bought it on the spot and would carry it now if I did not prefer semi autoes for CCW. My agency issue gun is now a GLOCK 19.

I also found a stainless Speed Six that had been worked on. It had a great trigger, but I did not like shooting .357 magnum ammo out of a snub barrel. I sold it. Big mistake.

If I come across another Speed Six, in nice shape, I will buy it and just go with .38 Specials in it.

Oh, I used to hang out at a gunshop 40 years ago and the owner wanted to know if I would be interested in a RUGER Security Six snubnose in .38 Special. RUGER used to make the .38 Special version for police and security sales. His price, if he ordered a couple of them was $92.00 plus shipping! Oh well.

Jim

 

[Anchorite]

My collection:

 

[GBExpat]

Am I remembering correctly: 150 then 151 series or am I thinking about something else?

There was a definite difference between my 150 (purchased '73) and my 151 (purchased 2 years later) grip-shapes.

In the past 25 years I have seen many posts in assorted venues seeking replacement or aftermarket grips for the 150 and few who were successful. Grips for 151s were, apparently readily available.

 

[Riomouse911]

Very handsome Ruger!

Wait until you shoot it, though. The grips were designed by a committee including Satan, Torquemada, and Marquis du Sade.

Beat me to it. Those compact panels are some palm/knuckle abusing grips of the highest magnitude. ‘Specially with stout 158 gr Magnum loads.

Very good looking Ruger you traded into @Buckeye63! You don’t see them in that nice a condition much anymore.

Let us know how it shoots when you get the chance to stretch its legs a bit.

Stay safe.

 

[Armybrat]

Bought my Service Six new 50 years ago.
It now serves as my son’s nightstand gun….

 

[joneb]

I've got your gun's twin in stainless and the old Sile rubber grip (looks like the Presentation) is by far the most comfortable. BTW, that's a great looking blued Security Six. Renaissance Wax works wonders protecting and putting a shine on without any abrasives. Good luck with that gem.View attachment 1247619

I have the same gun as yours, I found it at a gun show about 20 years ago for $300. I have never regretted that purchase, it will be one of the last to go.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?account/th-attachment-manager/67456/view

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?account/th-attachment-manager/112147/view

 

[shanep0017]

There was a grip/frame design change in the security Six as well, fairly early on.

You're correct, something very interesting about that, Ruger changed the frame in 1974 which is also when they introduced the stainless models. Not too many stainless guns were made on the original 150 low back frame, most of them are blued. I have a 4 inch stainless on the original frame with a 151 SN. I had no idea this was a thing until I went to buy some rubber grips, they said for SN 151 and up so I check mine and think I'm good to go. Once I got them and they didn't fit that sent me down the rabbit hole. The sad part is all the original frame needed was better grips. The stainless low backs are definitely rare, I've only seen 2 come up for sale not counting my own. I know a few collectors who have examples but I've only seen a handful of them total.

 

[shanep0017]

There was a definite difference between my 150 (purchased '73) and my 151 (purchased 2 years later) grip-shapes.

In the past 25 years I have seen many posts in assorted venues seeking replacement or aftermarket grips for the 150 and few who were successful. Grips for 151s were, apparently readily available.

I'm working on a solution for that problem. Pachmayr Grippers for the 151 frame will work on the early frame as a last resort, you just have to punch out the locator pin at the bottom of the frame.

I found a custom grip maker and he does a lot of reproductions. His grips are molded with high impact resin. I'm going to send him a few hard to find grips for reproduction. Once I source a pair of decent 150 target grips we'll have a new and readily available source for grips.