Ruger Speed Six question

[Jtarm]

A model 19 with a modern design, much greater durability, but a trigger that can never quite match an S&W.

[cajun shooter]

I attended several Armorers schools while being the Firearms Instructor for the EBR Sheriff's Office and helping with the BRPD as we shared a range. I went to 4-5 S&W schools, Ruger, Sig, Glock, Ithaca, Remington 870. I shot Our Police matches and saw a few shooters with Rugers but the problem with Ruger is and was it's lock time. Now before you Ruger fans start building a bonfire under my feet, please allow me to continue.
When we attended these schools, each student would assemble 6 guns from scratch just like the hired personal did. They would engrave a La. on the inside of the guns after we completed them so they could trace which student built that gun. The Ruger school had us assemble Security-Six revolvers and we started with frames straight from the forge. We had to clean the sand from them before starting. I will not bore you with all the details of the school but precede to the last day.
Our instructor went and reached into the box of built Rugers and picked one at random and instructed us to go outside to the shooting range. He then instructed a student to stand on the bleacher seats and drop the revolver with the hammer cocked onto the concrete floor. We all knew that this gun would never work again but he did not stop there, he had us throw the revolver downrange as far as we could on the sidewalks. This went on for about 20 minutes as everyone wanted to get in on the fun. In between throws, the gun was loaded and it would fire all 6 357 mag factory loads without fail. I will say that each one of us were in complete disbelief as to what we were seeing and experenceing. This was one of those things that you tell people, you had to be there.
The instructor had each of us take a dollar bill and write our name on it, he then put them all in a box and had one of the students draw one out. The winner was the armorer for the Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries and he was given the gun. I offered him $250 for it and he turned me down. The gun had deep gouges and scratches from end to end, but still worked like a champ!! To this day I know that the Ruger Security-Six is the strongest revolver made.
I saw a shooting competitor drop a Colt Python at a match and it locked up so tight that we could not unload it until the cylinder was removed. I don't know if the Ruger Armorer Instructors still do this, maybe not as the classes are now teaching semi-autos. Take Care, David

[Outpost75]

I can vouch for Cajun Shooter's story. I witnessed the same performed by Mike Moore on the Service Six, and a similar test on the folding stock DOS model AC556K SMG.

When attending the AC556 class the instructor Dave Flint dropped a loose bullet into the throat of the chamber and lodged it far enough forward that a proof load could be chambered and the bolt locked behind it. The gun was placed in the proof box and fired remotely. While the case dropped the primer and blew the extractor out, in tearing down the gun it was visually inspected, then xyglo and magnetic particle inspected, using the wet method with circular continuous magnetization, the bolt was not cracked, the lug seats were OK, the barrel had a slight ring bulge, but was otherwise OK.

The gun was reassembled. Headspace with the original bolt reassembled with new firing pin, extractor, ejector was OK.
Dave then took the reassembled gun back into the range, placed it on the test stand and remotely fired a 30-round magazine semi-auto, another 30-round magazine firing 3-shot bursts, and a third firing all 30 rounds in one continuous burst with no malfunctions.

I was duly impressed.

[Petrol & Powder]

The greatest asset of a Ruger Six-series is its strength.

[salvadore]

Checked one out in the 70s...I think it was in the 70s. I didn't care for the way it handled or the crummy trigger, but your grips sure are purty.....Guess that Wasn't a helpful tip. Hope you like it better than I did.

[bob208]

back in the day we would disassemble check for burrs. the use fine valve grinding compound and shoot about 500 rounds. take apart clean oil and be happy. at that time there were no speed loaders listed for the sixes. found out the ones for the colt o-p worked just fine.

[Blackwater]

Cajun Shooter's post is a great one on the SS. Jtarm's post is also accurate as well. I got mine a while back, a .357 std. 4" Sec Six. The trigger action of the Rugers are NOT anywhere near as smooth as a S&W's, nor the Colts I've tried. However, after having it worked over by a good smith (trigger job), it's imminently shootable, and I like it. I will never part with it voluntarily. I love the strength factor, since my experience with .357's is that they often work at max. to very near max. pressures. Kind'a hard on the ears, but I always wear muffs these days, so that's not a problem, really. Got a bunch of Safariland speed loaders for it, and have yet to slightly chamfer the chamber entryways, but intend to do so.

I love all the Bill Ruger designs, from the SA handguns to the autos. The Sec Six, seems to me to be the ideal weight for a 4" .357. The replacement GP-100 just doesn't balance or handle like the old Sec Six, and I much prefer the Sec Six. I think you'll like it if you get a trigger job on it. It can be made pretty smooth and light without compromising ignition, but it'll never be the equal of a good S&W. But it's "good enough to ride the river with." Any day!

[AnthonyB]

My best tip? Sell it to me!
Tony

[Petrol & Powder]

Char-Gar - You posted a picture of your new Speed-Six. Did it show up yet?
Have you shot it? What do you think?

Inquiring minds want to know !

[Char-Gar]

Char-Gar - You posted a picture of your new Speed-Six. Did it show up yet?
Have you shot it? What do you think?

Inquiring minds want to know !

I picked it up yesterday from my dealer, who also has a range. I put 50 rounds through it and it shot well. I found I could bind up the cylinder in fast double action shooting. I recall that Jerry Miculek didn't have much use for the Ruger 6's for this reason. They slowed his time way down. I will have to slow down and get used to this new action.

I was shooting 150 WC over 7.5/AA5 for a smidge over 1,000 fps.

[Petrol & Powder]

They're great guns.

A little work on that action (a little judicious polishing, trigger shims, etc.) and that Speed-Six will run like a Swiss Watch.

Yea, I know, A S&W doesn't need that but it's the price we pay for that Ruger strength.

There are methods to clean up that action that will improve the trigger reset and the overall DA pull.

[Duckiller]

After I got out of the Army I bought a Security Six because I didn't want to spend the money on a Smith or Colt. I have since acquired a 27 and a Python. My older son would go through LARG quantities of 148 gr wadcutters over 2.7 gr of 700X. I needed oversized Herret grips, Daughter uses as issued Ruger grips. Had a trigger job to smooth it out and replace sights with white out line. It has always worked great.

[fastdadio]

Bumpin up an old thread. I have a mint 3" stainless, Speed Six, Postal Inspectors model. Been sitting in the safe for years. I decided it was time to get it out and put it to work. The first problem I noticed was that my loads that I shoot in my S&W, Mod 19 won't chamber. They're too fat. Same loads drop right in and work fine in the Smith. I ran a few loaded rounds up into my Lee .357 cast boolit sizing die until just a slight resistance was felt, and then they work just fine. Is this model known to have tight cylinders? Or are my Smith cylinders loose? My boolit is the Lee 140 gr. swc, powder coated and mic at .3595.
Is it ok to give this pistol a steady diet of 17 grs. W296 under this 140 gr. pill? That is a starting load according to the books. It shoots this load to 2" groups at 18 ft and I'd like to stick with it.
Love you guys. (In a manly sort of way)

[Outpost75]

Your S&W is likely sloppy, as is their usual custom.

[Jtarm]

I agree, the GP needs a diet.

The 10mm is a stroke of genius, IMO, although Clements is the genius.

A Ti cylinder would do the trick and give a better DA pull.

Oh, so as not to be accused of thread drift

[Sig556r]

Got one last year for 3 benjies...built like a tank, soft shooting light .357s for my 12-year old

[johniv]

Have two. 3” postal gun, and 4” blue. I have shot the 3” gun a lot. The trigger action is great, I don’t know if it has been worked on by an armorer, or just shot a lot. The 4” gun has not seen much use, but the trigger is fine as is. Maybe I’m just unsophisticated.

[fixit]

One of my great regrets is selling my stainless security six with a 6" barrel. I was young and stupid and thought I wanted a different gun. I broke even on a revolver that didn't have 200 rounds through it. Oh well, live and learn!

[JCM45]

I shot 100 rounds through my stainless 4" Security Six today, as a matter of fact. Original owner. Bought it new in 1980. Will never sell it.

[FergusonTO35]

I really wish Ruger would put the GP-100 on a diet. The first place to start would be to get rid of that full underlug heavy barrel. (the Match Campion is a step in the right direction)
Full underlugs are great on the firing range but a PITA when carrying the gun.

But the GP-100 is a strong gun and roughly the same size as a S&W L-frame.

On paper, the Security/Service/Speed Six's aren't that much lighter than the average configuration of the GP-100 but they sure feel trimmer.

This 100%. Unless you are shooting full power .357's the Sixes are superior to the GP in every way. Ruger could really trim alot of needless bulk from the GP without losing strength. Same for the SP-101.