Ruger Security Six. Good Bad, Indifferent?** Pics added**

[Gutpile Charlie]

I've got a six inch Ruger Security Six, blued that I purchased in about 1980 at Gallenson's in downtown Salt Lake City. (Ferrellmerrill should know where that is.)

The Ruger is an excellent revolver. I think kinda of "under estimated" by the S&W crowd? Much heavier than comparable S&Ws, but to borrow a much used expression..."built like a tank."

I think now, as time passes, people are beginning to see these fine revolvers for the true value that they are.

 

[ColbyBruce]

In the early 1980's I saw a good many Security Six revolvers with Colt Python barrels fitted to them. This made a attractive, good shooting gun.

 

[4864]

I have a stainless Speed Six and love it. These are the only Ruger guns I like and will buy. I almost bought a Security Six but it was blued. I like stainless guns. The Speed Six shoots just as good as most of my S&W and like the others have said they are built like a tank. Full .357 loads are easy to handle.

 

[DGNY]

Sec Six

Have just one - 4" SS Sec. Six. Rested, with Ruger target grips shoots 1.3" @ 25 yards w/Magtech 158 gr, about same as a good S&W. Trigger is less clean than S&W, but a fine revolver overall.

Regards,

Dyson

 

[Cyrano]

I bought mine, with a 6" barrel, in the early 70s. Got an El Paso Saddlery Tom Threepersons holster for it and carried it about 500 miles for many years out in the desert. I used to carry it sighted in for 100 yds; standing I could usually hit a torso sized target, and prone I could nail it every time. Gave me an unexpected standoff capability. I didn't like the Ruger wooden grips: tried the large Pacymyrs (sp?), too large. Tried the small Pachmyrs, still too large. Tried Hogues; just right, they're on the gun now. It's been in and out of the hoslter perhaps a thousand times, as I used to practice instinct shooting with it, until I realized I didn't have the instinct. Got Woolf springs for the trigger and hammer: the hammer spring was too light and wouldn't kick off the primer, but the trigger spring really improved the pull. One of the guns I'd never part with.

 

[Rule3]

Picked it up, cleaned and polished the sear/hammer. Not sure if it even needs a Wolf spring kit. Not to bad as is. Might also redo the grips to give them a little more sheen.

 

[DeadAye]

I gave up on Ruger handguns when they started putting the condensed version of the manual on the barrel... I mean - Come On! The idiots that need that info printed on the barrel can't read anyway - Duh

 

[Farmer17]

I would love to get a 2-3/4" fixed sight gun since the 3" M-65s are so high, but the Rugers are catching up in price. The GP-100s seem too big and heavy and have never had the appeal to me of a S&W.

 

[perrazi]

ocd1- that is the correct box for that gun. the serial# was on the brown cardboard box that covered the printed box. ga was the prefix for adj. site stainless guns and rda was the prefix for adj site blued guns. don't remember the rest of the models. sold many of these back in the day. they last forever like most ruger guns,but not very pretty.

 

[Rule3]

ocd1- that is the correct box for that gun. the serial# was on the brown cardboard box that covered the printed box. ga was the prefix for adj. site stainless guns and rda was the prefix for adj site blued guns. don't remember the rest of the models. sold many of these back in the day. they last forever like most ruger guns,but not very pretty.

Thanks. I wasn't sure. Appreciate the info. Went and shot it today. Not used to shooting with wood grips as I take them off and put Pacs on. It shoots fine but is no 686 which I brought along also.

 

[S. Hammer]

If I were starting my law enforcement career in the mid '80's all over again, knowing what I know now and having collected and shot most of the "Big Three's" revolvers, I would choose a stainless 4" Security Six. And this is from a guy who carried a Model 66 and a Python during that decade.

 

[Wheelgunner840]

That cleaned up nice! It will last a very, very long time. Best of luck with it.


WG840

 

[EBUTTS]

Put me down as a fan. I have one. 1978 stainless steel,4inch barrel, original skinny wood grip. Its a 9.5 out of ten. Just got it a month ago. I kept going into this same gun shop and it was there for around 2 months,problem is it was on the bottom shelf and if you didnt look closely you wouldve never known it was there. They had it on the bottom self because it still had the original box. Well we all know how these shops like to line up thier handguns in an impressive row or rows. There wasnt enough room to put this beauty where it could be seen lol, oh well, my gain! I kept going back and it was still there, ever time. Not anymore! Its very nice. Awesome revolver

 

[gunblade]

I always thought the speed six was round butt and fixed sights, security six was square butt and fixed sights and security six was square butt and adjustable sights. I'm not sure if they ever made a round butt with adjustable sights.

I think its...

Security Six = 4 or 6" bbl, square butt, adjustable sights
Service Six = 4" bbl, square but, fixed sights
Speed Six = 2 3/4 or 4" bbl, round butt, fixed sights

Could be other variations but I think that was the standard factory offerings.

 

[Gordo1]

Gordo1

I had a Ruger SS Security 6 with a 6" barrel. I also have a S&W 686 stainless with a 6" barrel.
Althouth the fireing mechanism is different (686 circa 1984) the 686 fireing pin is integral with the hammer, they were identical performers on the range. I could place a 6 shot grouping from either pistol within 1" at 25 yards. Recoil was identical with both 357 and 38 loads.
I traded the Ruger for a 12 year old unfired Taurus model 98 9mm last year. The Taurus is still unfired by the way. I traded because I wanted a full size 9mm and had no need for two 357's and the gentleman I traded with wanted the Ruger.
My point is, in my opinion, the Ruger SS is every bit as good as the 686.

 

[sheepdawg]

I sold a 2 3/4" barrel Security Six when I got a deal on a Model 66 SW. The SW was like a piece of fine art, the Security Six was an eyesore next to it. Tell you the truth I now wish I had never sold it. It was accurate, had a decent trigger, handled the heaviest load, but butt ugly.

 

[M28]

I think all three models were avaialbe with the short barrel.

Brian~

 

[stantheman86]

All three of the DA "Six" series revolvers were available with the 2 3/4" barrel.

I have over a dozen of the Sixes, I like the Service and Speed Sixes a lot better, I like the handling and looks of the fixed sight Ruger Sixes.....they have that "meat and potatoes service revolver" look.

That gun will last forever, there's not much you can do to hurt a Security Six short of beating it with a sledgehammer, and maybe not even then. These are tough guns built for a steady diet of .357.

 

[BubbaBlades]

Sometime around the mid 80s I traded my S/S Security-six for a S/S Colt Python. Years later I discovered that you could have the best of both guns in one package.
Mark

 

[DoubleAdobe]

I bought a used Security Six when I was hired on with a law enforcement agency here in Az. in 1989. The academy letter said to show up with a .357 4 inch barreled Colt, S&W or Ruger. So, I went to a large, now defunct gun store in Tucson and asked what they had in a used revolver in those brands. I bought the SS, in stainless for 200 dollars, the academy armorer supposedly inspected it and I could shoot the wadcutter reloads which were always 38's without a problem. When it was time to qualify, they would break out the .357 factory loads, and I could never get through a course of fire without 3-4 failure to fires. I had to borrow a S&W Mod 19 to qualify at the end of the academy. I went to Apache county to my duty station, and about my second day on the job, an Apache Co. deputy asked about my Ruger. I told him the story about it, turns out he had just attended a Ruger armorer's school and said he would take it home and look it over. He called me the next day to return it, said it should never have left the gun store in that condition, and the academy armorer definitely hadn't done anything but look at it. He thought it had been under water for quite awhile and some spring, I don't remember which, was severely weakened, therefore the light hits. He replaced all the springs, did a slick trigger job and installed an orange ramp front sight. He wouldn't let me pay him a dime, but I did get do repay the favor eventually. About three years later the department transitioned to the SIG P229, because that's what DPS were using and recommending. The old Ruger has never hiccuped since the rebuild and I eventually grew to love the dang thing and taught all my kids to shoot with it, with light loaded 38 wadcutters.