Ruger Speed Six

[owejia]

Was the Ruger speed six manufactured with a 6" barrel? I know you could get the security six with a 6" barrel, but I've never seen a speed six with a 6" barrel, have been watching gunbrokers but have not seen a speed six with the long barrel. Would like to have a 6" ss model. Thanks

[richhodg66]

I think the Speed Six (non adjustable sights, right?) was intended to be a service gun, so not likely in six inch.

About 20 years ago, maybe a bit more, at a gun show in Lawton Oklahoma, a guy had a table full of used police ones for $150 apiece, your choice. Also blued Model 10 heavy barrel S&Ws for the same and stainless ones for $15 more. Wish I had bought every one of them now.

I like the older Ruger series, I wish they had kept making them. The GP100 just seems big and overbuilt.

[Walkingwolf]

IIRC the speed six had a three inch barrel, the service six had a four inch barrel. The guns were designed for duty, and CC carry.

[k2nd]

The longest barrel on the Speed Six was 4 inches.
k2nd

[Walkingwolf]

I think the Speed Six (non adjustable sights, right?) was intended to be a service gun, so not likely in six inch.

About 20 years ago, maybe a bit more, at a gun show in Lawton Oklahoma, a guy had a table full of used police ones for $150 apiece, your choice. Also blued Model 10 heavy barrel S&Ws for the same and stainless ones for $15 more. Wish I had bought every one of them now.

I like the older Ruger series, I wish they had kept making them. The GP100 just seems big and overbuilt.

35 years ago I had a chance to buy 10 Indiana State Police nickel pythons for 200 dollars apiece, I am still kicking myself for passing on them.

I like my GP, but I would prefer a service six for carry. So far have not found one at a reasonable price, in our neck of the woods vintage revolvers are like gold.

[richhodg66]

I bought an old, very worn, six inch Security Six right after I got back from Desert Storm. It's not as accurate as my dad's was, I'm sure some things have loosened up on it, but it's accurate enough and not picky. The action is real smooth and that weight out front helps me, not the best pistolero in the world.

I don't shoot my handguns much anymore for some reason, I need to start back, but of the ones I have, if I were to have to pick a handgun in a bad situation, it would be the one.

[Outpost75]

The longest barrel on the Speed Six was 4 inches...

Longest CATALOGUED Speed Six and Service Sixes were 4 inches, however, there were some export orders for 5-inch fixed sight .38 Special and .380 Rimmed revolvers, which went to UK, Canada, Australia, India, etc. RCMP revolvers bought in mid to late 1980s were 5-inch fixed sight Service Six in .38 Special with lanyard loop. In the same time period they bought heavy barreled 7.62 NATO Ruger M77s with matte finish, laminated birch stocks which were the ancestor of the Ruger Scout Rifle. A few were also produced in .22-250 for corrections institutions as "tower rifles."

[Mtnfolk75]

IIRC, the Speed Six had a rounder butt and came in 2.75 & 4", while the Service Six had a square butt & also came in the 2.75 & 4". I have been lusting for a Stainless 2.75 or 4" in either flavor, not very much available in the PRK ..... :sad:

Edit to add: I currently have a 2.25" SP101 & am thinking hard about a Fixed Sight Match Champion ..... :bigsmyl2:

[Duckiller]

For those that care Security Sixs had 6" barrels also. I bought one when I got out of the Army many years ago. Couldn't afford a Smith or Colt but the Ruger was affordable. I have to assume 6" barrels were common since I got mine from a LGS that they had in stock, no special order. I think a Speed Six was available with a 6" barrel but I wanted adjustable sights.

[Mk42gunner]

If you could still find the parts, you could mix and match to one. I remember seeing several Speed Sixes at SoCal gun shows in the late eighties to early nineties that had both hammers bobbed and unbobbed included. Whether any were DA only, I don't remember.

Robert

[FergusonTO35]

I have a stainless Service Six .38 Special made in 1988, the last year of production. Great revolver, I would never feel under-armed with it.

Ruger made alot of oddball versions of the Six series. Speed Sixes with a 3", not 2.75", barrel are rare and command a premium. I read on the Ruger forum that a run of .38 Special Security Sixes with 6" barrel was made for the California Highway Patrol in the early 80's. Service Sixes with the Speed Six round butt have been spotted. The U.S. military did issue the Service Six in blued finish chambered in .38 Special with 4" barrel alongside the S&W model 10 in the 70's and 80's. I found an Army technical manual on the use and care of both revolvers in my college library. It listed the correct ammo as being a 158 grain FMJ at 950 fps, pretty hot compared to the wimpy 130 grain stuff most people remember being issued.

[Petrol & Powder]

As Outpost75 wrote, I don't think there was ever a cataloged Speed-Six with a 6" barrel. That being said, there is some possibility that odd ball examples exist.
The Speed-Six has a round butt grip frame and generally is equipped with a 2.75" or 3" barrel, always with fixed sights. They did make 4" Speed-Six's . They came from the factory with either a standard spur hammer or a bobbed hammer and both versions of hammers were fairly common.

The Service-Six had fixed sights and a square butt grip frame and the typical barrel length was 4" but I've seen factory examples with shorter barrels. Ruger cataloged a 2.75" Police Service-Six as the SDA-32. They could be had with standard or bobbed hammers.


The Security-Six had a square butt grip frame, adjustable sights. The barrel lengths for Security-Six's were 2.75" (rare but cataloged) , 4" or 6". I've never seen a 3" Security-Six or one with a factory bobbed hammer.

I've encountered more than one person that incorrectly used the terms Speed-Six, Service-Six and Security-Six; interchangeably. They are all the same platform but distinctly different models.

[FergusonTO35]

I go by what is stamped on the frame. A lot of agencies that issued both autos and wheelguns back in the day ordered the Speed Six in 9mm with 4" barrel. Come to think of it most ex-LE Speedies I have seen had the 4" tube.

[No_1]

I like Rugers and have one Speed Six. It is no longer original as you can see. Currently sports a 1" tube with a bomar sight and set up as a 38 SP full wadcutter gun.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p206/no_one_photos/Ruger%20Speed%20Six/IMG_7021%202_zpsycsi5cc2.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/no_one_photos/media/Ruger%20Speed%20Six/IMG_7021%202_zpsycsi5cc2.jpg.html)
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p206/no_one_photos/Ruger%20Speed%20Six/IMG_7023%202_zpsowul4vfq.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/no_one_photos/media/Ruger%20Speed%20Six/IMG_7023%202_zpsowul4vfq.jpg.html)

[Petrol & Powder]

FergusonTO35, you reminded me that the Speed-Six could be had with a 4" tube. I edited my post, Thank-You.

I don't know of any 6" Speed-Six's, at least not any factory ones.

[FergusonTO35]

I like Rugers and have one Speed Six. It is no longer original as you can see. Currently sports a 1" tube with a bomar sight and set up as a 38 SP full wadcutter gun.

That's about the longest 1" barrel I've ever seen!! :kidding:

[Lucky Joe]

[QUOTE=No_1;3561990]I like Rugers and have one Speed Six. It is no longer original as you can see. Currently sports a 1" tube with a bomar sight and set up as a 38 SP full wadcutter gun.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p206/no_one_photos/Ruger%20Speed%20Six/IMG_7021%202_zpsycsi5cc2.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/no_one_photos/media/Ruger%20Speed%20Six/IMG_7021%202_zpsycsi5cc2.jpg.html)
QUOTE]

I betcha that is a nice shooter.

[No_1]

With the correct load it is wonderful. I put together a bunch of 105 gr DEWC ammo that was as cast then alox lubed on top with a minimum charge of bullseye powder which he really enjoyed. The barrel makes it a bit heavy but for me it is fine. I took the grip off so y'all could see the heel of the frame. Y'all need to post some pics of yours!