Ruger Service Six

[bstarling]

I posted this on the 38/44 thread, but it wasn't getting any hits, so I decided to ask this in its own thread.

I am thinking about some stiff 38/44 loads for my Ruger Service Six with 38 special chambers. Has anyone done any of these loads in one of those guns? I am led to believe that the only difference between this one and the 357 Mag version is chamber length. I am wanting a back up on a pig hunt. My main piece is a 35 whelen so this is a just in case gun. I would like to take a whack at a hog with the Ruger though. Oh, I will be likely shooting gascheck hard cast 158 gr SWC.

Thanks for any help

Bill:???:

[bhn22]

I often used 38-44 loads in my Security Six, 357 magnum without issue. I can't comment first hand on the difference in cylinder construction. I was using Skeeters 2400 load, with Lymans 358156 bullet, seated long.

[bstarling]

Thanks for the reply bhn22. I went out today and shot several loads of 5.5 gr Unique with a gas checked 158 gr SWC. There was no evidence of anything wrong. Cases looked good and the gun just shot them with no complaints. I would like to up the load to the full 38/44 levels from here. I talked to Ruger about this gun and all I could get out of them was that it was made to safely shoot it's intended cartridge. That isn't exactly the kind of answer I had hoped for, but I'm sure that's the Lawyer answer.


Bill

[Outpost75]

My agency bought Ruger Service Sixes in .38 Special in the mid 1980s when Ed Harris was QA Manager and Mike Moore ran the LE Armorer's School, which I attended. I was told that the alloys and heat treatment of the Ruger. 38 Specials was no different than the .357 revolvers of the same model. The. 38 Special chambering was common for law enforcement orders in cities such as Boston, Baltimore, New York City and Washington, DC where they didn't want their officers to carry " magnums" solely for political reasons.

We used the Olin Q4070 110-grain +P+ service load to good effect and the Rugers never shot loose or wore out. Unlike the M15 S&W, which required stretching the crane to remove end shake after 3000 rounds, and would require setting back the barrel a thread to reduce cylinder gap below 0.008" after 6000, when tightened the next time, and you scrapped out the gun at 10,000 rounds because by then it already had all the oversized parts in it and you couldn't fix it any more.

I still have my Ruger "school gun" which I built in 1987. It is a .38 Special and it routinely digests "full charge plus" wadcutters, loaded with Saeco #348, 146-grain DEWC, at 1.24" OAL in Federal brass with Federal 200 primer and 9 grs. of #2400 for 980 fps from a 4" barrel. DO NOT use this load in an S&W K-frame!

[MtGun44]

.38 guns are the same as the .357 guns except for chamber depth.

Load away.

Bill

[bstarling]

Thanks guys I was of a mind to go for one of Keith's top end loads, but thought I'd ask first. I am going on a hog hunt and would really like to whack one with a handgun. My main piece will be a 35 Whelen. Previous experience with a really large sow and hollow points +P was underwhelming. A solid lead +P did the job though. This is one that I was considering:
(Copied from Load Swap)
Cartridge: 38-44
Bullet Weight: 173 grains
Date: 2001-03-08
Username: MS Hitman
Bullet Type: Cast
Bullet Manufacturer: Lyman
Nose Profile: SWC
Base: PB
Bullet Dia. .359 grains
BHN:
Powder: 2400
Charge Weight: 13.5 grains
Primer: Winchester WSP
Brass: IMI
Trim Length: "
C.O.L.: 1.525"
Velocity: 1383 fps
Extreme Spread: 33 fps

[Larry Gibson]

bstarling's load will also be excellent with that GC'd 158 gr bullet. It is in my Security Six (same basic gun) in 38 SPL cases with the 358156 seated out to 2nd crimp groove.

BTW; that 5.5 gr Unique load is a +P 38 SPL load (I have measured the psi of it).

Larry Gibson

[bstarling]

Thanks guys for the info. I've had this gun since 1980 and have never shot much more than factory loads in it. I've reloaded for a long time just never messed with the 38 Spl. I'll try that Keith load soon as I can come up with some of his 173 grain boolits. It sounds like a it would be a hammer hit to a hog.

Bill:)

[FergusonTO35]

Love those Six series, great revolvers. My Service Six is from 1988, last year of production. I would love to find a .38 Special GP-100 sometime.