Ruger Security Six question

[Elpatoloco]

I had to get my father to purchase my Security Six for me as I was not yet 21 but got accepted to the Police Academy. We were the last class to go through that particular school Revolvers. Circa 1993
Gun was new but old stock.
My home got broken into and the handgun was stolen but later recovered. I had to pay the pawn broker to get my own gun back. That or drive 250 miles to the town it was pawned and go through an ownership hearing. I figured paying the pawn was cheaper. " Pawn Shops are Legalized Thieves IMHO".

Still have the gun and it'll be the last I ever sell. I'd be afraid to know the round count.

It has taken a bunch of game. I never carried it as I went into corrections work and never took the state certification peace officer test despite graduating top of my class.....I shortly decided there was better ways to make a living.

Mine has a factory Pachmayer style slick grip with ruger medalions. I doubt it was a scarce model, but Ive never seen another one like it.

[tctender]

I have one of the Security Six and one GP100 both 4'' stainless. I carried both of them during my law enforcement career before we went to the semi auto. They are both nice guns but i really liked the SS as i had it for a while before the GP.

[FergusonTO35]

I have one of the last Service Sixes ever made, a 1988 stainless .38 Special. I don't shoot it much, but I do really like it and never gonna sell it.

[AnthonyB]

My Dad bought a Security Six for me when I was a kid. I much preferred the five inch Smith M27 he later gave me, but I haven't been stupid enough to sell the Ruger. I didn't know what I had in that M27 and sold it to a West Point classmate to finance my honeymoon. My Ruger now lives with my son and will never leave the family.
I've been waiting for Outpost to join this one...
Tony

[fixit]

One of my greatest regrets was selling my six inch stainless security six.... In a moment of insanity, I figured I needed the money more than the gun, and the rest is history. It was bought new and didn't have more than three boxes of ammo through it. Being young, married, with little kids, it paid some bills, but didn't last long. Never again!

[Kosh75287]

I own one Security Six frame Ruger, a 4" Police Service Six. I bought it in 1982 and, because I thought Elmer Keith and Jeff Cooper could do no wrong, I ran BUCKETS of their loads through it. It still shoots as well as it did, the first time I shot it. I've experienced no loosening, cracking, erosion, nor other problems.
Its double-action pull and single action let-off are not in the same league as the S&W revolvers, but they started out at least "OKAY", and did nothing but get better. I've never had the trigger worked, but I am considering it.
As it stands, I wouldn't trade it for anything except (MAYBE) a NIB S&W M27 5" revolver. Even then, I'm not really sure.

[Nobade]

Man, you guys are making me miss my old Ruger. I think I'll start keeping an eye open for another one. Mine had one badly misaligned chamber that would spit lead and make wild shots but the other five were dead on.

[Chill Wills]

A like new but used (1984) Blue 4" Security Six arrived here today. Minus 10 and snowing so no shooting it. That is Okay. I pin gauged the throats - it is tight. All six passed 0.357" and held 0.358" ZZ pins. I do not have pins for the in between sizes. I have never slugged a barrel on a revolver.
What arrangement and tools do you use to you use to push the Pb round ball (375") in from the cone?

[shooting on a shoestring]

The way I skin that cat is with 2 pieces of 5/16” aluminum rod cut to a little less length than the cylinder window. I drive a 36 cal ball down the barrel from the muzzle and stop about mid-barrel. Insert 1 rod in the barrel from the forcing cone. With muzzle up, I put the second rod between the recoil shield (over the firing pin hole) and the 1st rod. Then I drive the ball down until it contacts the first rod and proceed to expand the ball by peening it. Remove the 5/16” rods and drive the expanded ball out through the forcing cone.

Crude but effective.

[Nobade]

The way I skin that cat is with 2 pieces of 5/16” aluminum rod cut to a little less length than the cylinder window. I drive a 36 cal ball down the barrel from the muzzle and stop about mid-barrel. Insert 1 rod in the barrel from the forcing cone. With muzzle up, I put the second rod between the recoil shield (over the firing pin hole) and the 1st rod. Then I drive the ball down until it contacts the first rod and proceed to expand the ball by peening it. Remove the 5/16” rods and drive the expanded ball out through the forcing cone.

Crude but effective.

Good idea.

[Chill Wills]

It warmed up to 10 above and I got out to shoot it. Very light firing pin strikes with 20-25% failing to fire. I think this revolver dates to 1984. Blue.

Is this a known issue with-in a small run of this revolver?

I think it is going back to the seller but we are dancing over it at this point. He is asking me to find a gunsmith and get a estimate. Only parts changers in this area. I don't have time to drive out-of-state to find someone qualified to address it. A shame. In all other ways it is a very nice gun.

[contender1]

It's possible someone swapped out the mainspring. Find a factory one & try it.
It's what I'd do. And the seller,, ask for a partial refund to offset the expense of getting it worked on.

[Larry Gibson]

It's possible someone swapped out the mainspring. Find a factory one & try it.
It's what I'd do. And the seller,, ask for a partial refund to offset the expense of getting it worked on.

This is what I'd do also. Shame to give up on such a fine revolver for want of a replacement spring.

[Larry Gibson]

It's possible someone swapped out the mainspring. Find a factory one & try it.
It's what I'd do. And the seller,, ask for a partial refund to offset the expense of getting it worked on.

This is what I'd do also. Shame to give up on such a fine revolver for want of a replacement spring.

Brownell's has them in stock

BROWNELLS - RDA-101 PRO-SPRING KIT FOR THE RUGER DOUBLE ACTION
(2.0)
$12.99

In stock

[Chill Wills]

The mainspring idea is a good one. For starters, I will look at it with the grips off.

I am no revolver-smith but, with the revolver empty, I did cock, hold the hammer back, pull the trigger/fire the gun and looked at the pin protrusion between the cylinder and rear frame. It barely clears the frame. More, ....then I pushed the transfer bar hard into the pin and it did not move the pin any closer to the would-be primer. It acts like something is stopping it from moving any more. I can see why there were misfires. In fairness, there may be more to it than that and maybe I am not testing it correctly.

In a rifle, I would check the pin length, but as said, I know little about revolver clock works.

I'll check the mainspring.

[Chill Wills]

The spring look good and feels strong with smooth ends. Not the look of a clipped coil. That does not mean it was not messed with but I don't think it was. I will keep it in mind.

[rintinglen]

Buy a small washer that will just fit over the main spring guide, about a 3/16 of an inch. Ck the gun to assure it is unloaded. Put on safety glasses.

Cock the hammer with the grips removed. Using a small pin, nail, or punch, insert it in the hole in the main spring guide and pull the trigger to release the tension on the hammer and ease it forwards. Note that the long end of the main spring guide plate goes toward the muzzle. Carefully lift the Main spring assembly up and remove it from the gun.

In a vise, clamp the ball end of the main spring guide tightly between two pieces of leather or old inner tube (to prevent marring the guide), really any pad will do. Grip the end of the Main Spring guide nearest the retention pin firmly with a pair of pliers and remove the pin, allowing the spring to push the guide plate up against the pliers. Carefully ease the spring tension until the spring has fully expanded. Place the washer on the end of the spring, place main spring guide plate over that and grip it from the sides with the pliers. Depress the spring until you can insert the pin back in the hole on the main spring guide. Remove the Main Spring Guide assembly from the vice and insert it back into the gun, making sure the long leg of the guide plate goes to the front. Cock the hammer, and then remove the pin. Try the action. You should feel an increase in the trigger weight as the washer has preloaded the main spring, thereby increasing the weight of the spring tension. This will most likely get you shooting until the new main spring arrives.

17617 RUGER DOUBLE ACTN XP HAMMER SPRING 17LB Pak of 1 - $4.29 Wolff springs-- you get three for 9 bucks plus shipping.

[contender1]

If the firing pin isn't protruding very much,, I'd also look at doing a soaking of the firing pin area with a good de-greaser & solvent, followed by air pressure to blow out any potential crud inside there.

Another way to check the movement of the firing pin, is to put the gun in a padded vise, cock the hammer, and using a small punch, push the rear of the firing pin to see how far it protrudes into the frame window.

[Larry Gibson]

The installed spring should look like this;



With the hammer cocked and pushing in on the transfer bar the firing pin should protrude like this;

[Chill Wills]

This is a very good image of what mine does not look like. Can we agree to call the firing-pin (FP) protrusion in this picture 80% into the available space between the frame and the rear of the cylinder? If this is 80%, my revolver is only capable of 45-50% even when the transfer bar is pushed hard to help extend the FP.
BTW- Pushing on it does nothing more. I am unable to move the FP any more by trying to help it past the protrusion point it goes on its own. It is against a solid stop.

So, ...given the very new condition of this used revolver, I wonder if it came with this defect and has been living in the back of someones safe or sock drawer all these decades?

There is a small chance there is foreign material in the works but I have looked and sprayed it with compressed air.

If the FP is out of spec, a replacement of standard length should fix it.