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Model 28 vs ruger security six

Model 28 or security six

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kingston73

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I am going to buy a revolver and I've narrowed my choices to either a s&w 28 or a ruger security 6. Both are nearly the same price, age, and condition. The ruger might be a little less worn. It'll be a shooter, range time and also probably home defense. Which would you choose and why?
 
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kingston73 said:
I going to buy a revolver and I've narrowed my choices to either a s&w 28 or a ruger security 6. Both are nearly the same price, age, and condition. The ruger might be a little less worn. It'll be a shooter, range time and also probably home defense. Which would you choose and why?
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I chose the M28, but in all practicality, the Ruger would be the one you could punish the most. The Ruger is the K3500 Suburban, the M28 is the Range Rover. Both will do the job, but you're less worried about getting the Suburban muddy, even if you've bought them with 100K on them..
 
I have never handled the Ruger, but the m28 is basically a no frills m27, IMO, there is not a lot of up from an N frame M27. I also think the Large N frame is more pleasing to the eye, and I would bet more durable in the long run. As for retaining value, I would say the m28 would be a better choice. The extra weight is a plus with recoil
 
I own both! I got one of the first SS in 1972, got the 28 about 77.

Can not go wrong with either the 28 being a little bigger N frame will handle .357 loads all day. The Ruger is robust also but is equivalent to a Smith K frame. Proof of that is the Ruger fits K frame holsters and uses K frame speed loaders!

I would say whichever ever seems to fit you the best.:)
 
After decades, I can't recall if I've been inside a Security Six. I will note that the backstrap shape of the original Six.....well, sucked. A revision cured that. Hopefully the one the OP is looking at is the revised version. The lack of a full length ejector/extractor rod may be an issue for you.

Overall, the gent above who remarked that Ruger products are "tools" is correct. While your need for Ruger specific parts might be seldom, they're real big-make that PITA- on "send it back to us and we'll fix it."

My limited observation is that the S&W is capable of far more refinement than the Ruger product. Weight is your friend to control recoil. Bore height above the hand and reach to trigger can be concerns. I love K frames, but don't want to shoot magnums in them.
 
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I have had 3 security six revolvers. I still have 5 model 28s. Better triggers, easier to actually work on. Yes it is easy to get the trigger group out of the Ruger, put then what. LOL The 28 will take more loads and heavier loads. The OP never said a word about carrying either gun and that would be the only area were the Ruger had any advantage.
 
What barrel lengths? What do you want a revolver for?

I have a 6" Model 27-2 and a 2.75-inch Security Six, and they have completely different uses. I'd carry the Ruger under a shirt on a belt. Not so much the 27, which is mostly a range gun and a hell of an impressive "bump in the night" gun. I mostly shoot reloaded .38s in both because I'm cheap, but the 27 is more comfortable with magnums.

That said, the 28 will probably be worth more when you're dead and your kids sell off all your old ****.
 
This is an interesting comparison because these two don’t really travel in the same lanes. It’s a fun forum trope to say “get both!” but in this case, both is a fine idea because they excel at different things.

The 28 is simply better for full-nuts .357 bombs. The gun will handle them better and the recoil is much more do-able in the larger frame gun. More available grip/stock options for 28’s than the Ruger. The double action trigger is better out of the box, the single action also and this gun is more suited to tuning and improving that action than the SSix.

The Security Six is going to be more svelte and handy, it will carry better and it feels more properly sized rather than gangly. And though I’m a die-hard S&W revolver guy and some may not like to hear it… the Ruger design WILL keep cylinder timing better than any/every S&W revolver ever. The Ruger double action seems almost bulletproof against timing problems.

One place where the S&W just murders all Ruger DA guns is in my opinion important and almost always overlooked. It’s in the removal of the cylinder from the yoke. On a S&W it is absolutely simple and on the Ruger it’s a royally awful escapade. And if you want to know why it matters and why I bring it up, it’s because cylinder drag is a large determining factor in double action pull and smoothness. When your cylinder spins freely, you aren’t adding pull weight and drag to your DA trigger stroke. And when you shoot a lot, you get dirt and carbon in all of these places and the cylinder eventually binds and drags.

Both of these guns are loved and wanted… so either is easy to sell if you find you aren’t in love with one or the other.
 
I really like my Speed Six (Rounded butt version ) for carrying but for owning and shooting without concealed carry in the mix I would go with the Model 28
 
I've owned both. I'd carry the Security 6 but shoot the M28 a lot. My Security 6 went down the road after 20K rounds to a friend who was amazed at its accuracy. That friend sold it to another person that was amazed by its accuracy and with no bluing on back of the grip frame. My vote was for the Security 6.
 
I have both. I would think that the Model 28 would handle heavy 357 magnum loads better. But there is little need for heavy 357 loads in the lower 48 States. So, I would think its 6 of one and a half a dozen in the other. I would not want to part with either one of mine. My Security Six was the duty gun of a Deputy. A close friend of mine that has passed away.
 
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