Ruger Security Six question

[Walkingwolf]

I've never heard of the Six series having any kind of problems. My understanding is that the Six series revolvers were expensive to manufacture. In fact, Bill Ruger was quoted as saying he never made money on the Security Six.

That was my understanding, but IMO they could revive it using the same production and innovations as the GP with a medium frame. Maybe call it the SS100.

[Sig556r]

SS are built ‘like a tank’

[oldhenry]

Years back I held an FFL. Gil Hebard (spelling?) was a distributor & had a special on SS 2.75" bbl Speed Sixes @ $159.00 with Pachmyer (spelling ?) grips. I ordered 3 (1 each for my 2 daughters & 1 for a close friend. My only regret is that I didn't order 10 more. I had learned to do a decent trigger/action job on the SS series. My daughters are both grandmothers now & often visit with their Rugers, We shoot IHMSA chickens @ 20 yds (with eye protection). One daughter will not stop until she gets 6 for 6. The other daughter (a retired school teacher usually shoots 50%.

I had a 6" blued Security 6 that I was able to eventually arrive @ a SA & DA trigger that would rival any K frame S&W. I did not pamper that gun shooting gas checked RCBS 162 gr. ww cast boolets over #296. It never bobbled. I few years later I sold it to a very close friend: something that I wish I hadn't done. Every time I see him i ask if he still has that 6" SS & remind him that I'd buy it hack from him. He's smarter than I was & says he'll never sell that gun.

I now have 2 GP100s. A 3" SS compact & a 5" blued: both in .44 Spec. They are great guns, but I still miss that 6" blued SS.

Henry

[oldhenry]

Years back I held an FFL. Gil Hebard (spelling?) was a distributor & had a special on SS 2.75" bbl Speed Sixes @ $159.00 SS with Pachmyer (spelling ?) grips. I ordered 3 (1 each for my 2 daughters & 1 for a close friend. My only regret is that I didn't order 10 more. I had learned to do a decent trigger/action job on the SS series. My daughters are both grandmothers now & often visit with their Rugers, We shoot IHMSA chickens @ 20 yds (with eye protection). One daughter will not stop until she gets 6 for 6. The other daughter (a retired school teacher usually shoots 50%.

I had a 6" blued Security 6 that I was able to eventually arrive @ a SA & DA trigger that would rival any K frame S&W. I did not pamper that gun shooting gas checked RCBS 162 gr. ww cast boolets with #296. It never bobbled. I few years later I sold it to a very close friend: something that I wish I hadn't done. Every time I see him i ask if he still has that 6" SS & remind him that I'd buy it hack from him. He's smarter than I was & says he'll never sell that gun.

I now have 2 GP100s. A 3" SS compact & a 5" blued: both in .44 Spec. They are great guns, but I still miss that 6" blued SS.

Henry

[jrayborn]

You may be able to increase the protrusion of the firing pin by removing material from the hammer "nose". This allows the portion of the hammer that actually contacts the transfer bar to move it farther. You can slowly remove material until the transfer bar will just slide down as the trigger is released and the hammer is held tightly forward. You don't want the hammer to "pinch" the transfer bar, however in my experience, the hammer spring is rarely strong enough to capture the transfer bar.

Top arrow shows where to remove material. Second is where the transfer bar gets hit. If my thinker is working this morning, I think I remember being able to remove around .010 - .015 pretty easily.

I have been very successful in the past doing this...

PM if you have questions.

[Anchorite]

I have two speed sixes and intend to never part with either. IMO, it’s what Ruger should have “reintroduced” instead of the SP101.

[Walkingwolf]

I have two speed sixes and intend to never part with either. IMO, it’s what Ruger should have “reintroduced” instead of the SP101.

I agree!

[Chill Wills]

You may be able to increase the protrusion of the firing pin by removing material from the hammer "nose". This allows the portion of the hammer that actually contacts the transfer bar to move it farther. You can slowly remove material until the transfer bar will just slide down as the trigger is released and the hammer is held tightly forward. You don't want the hammer to "pinch" the transfer bar, however in my experience, the hammer spring is rarely strong enough to capture the transfer bar.

Top arrow shows where to remove material. Second is where the transfer bar gets hit. If my thinker is working this morning, I think I remember being able to remove around .010 - .015 pretty easily.

I have been very successful in the past doing this...

PM if you have questions.

That is a good bit of information. I am wondering though.... if I can not (holding the hammer back) push the FP via transfer bar any more into the back of the frame and make the FP move more, isn't the FP as far as it will go? ...no mater how much more the hammer hits it?
Is the pin just too short, is the stop or shoulder on the pin/frame keeping the whole works from reaching the 0.025 or 0.030"more needed to fire the primer like a normal one the picture above? I wish I knew. I don't want to dig into this revolver. I need to return it to the Gun Broker Seller and get my $ back. I hate paying shipping both ways only to do the QC for some seller.

[jrayborn]

That is a good bit of information. I am wondering though.... if I can not (holding the hammer back) push the FP via transfer bar any more into the back of the frame and make the FP move more, isn't the FP as far as it will go? ...no mater how much more the hammer hits it?
Is the pin just too short, is the stop or shoulder on the pin/frame keeping the whole works from reaching the 0.025 or 0.030"more needed to fire the primer like a normal one the picture above? I wish I knew. I don't want to dig into this revolver. I need to return it to the Gun Broker Seller and get my $ back. I hate paying shipping both ways only to do the QC for some seller.

Well now, I think you may be 100% correct. I feel like the chump that has just been stumped...

[Larry Gibson]

Can you get a small screw driver blade between the transfer bar and the firing pin? If so does it push the firing pin in further? If it does then probably the transfer bar is ill fitted. If not then the firing pin is too short or perhaps firing pin spring is kinked of jammed?

[Chill Wills]

Can you get a small screw driver blade between the transfer bar and the firing pin? If so does it push the firing pin in further? If it does then probably the transfer bar is ill fitted. If not then the firing pin is too short or perhaps firing pin spring is kinked of jammed?

That is what I was thinking too and I was being a bit lazy and not done it yet. After dinner tonight I will get out in the shop and have a look.

[georgerkahn]

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.

For a fact, I had a S&W Model 610 which behaved same as yours -- maybe 25% firing! To make a really lonnnng story short, there was absolutely nothing wrong or amiss with the revolver. It turns out the grips' screw (Pachymyr) just snugged against the mainspring to cause this! All *I* had to do to get 100% firing was put on a s et of (Hogue) grips!
Sum'thin you might look for?
BEST!
geo

[Chill Wills]

Well, that was revealing! With the hammer pulled back part way, the Transfer Bar is still low and the firing pin (FP) is accessible. The transfer bar moves up as the hammer is drawn back to full.

With the hammer part way back making clear access to the FP, I could push the FP all the way into the space shown above in Larry's good picture. So, now I know the FP is good!!! The transfer bar is not pushing the FP far enough because of something to do with its geometry or the FP is not getting hit with enough speed to overcome the spring around the pin.


George, you just cracked 3000 posts!

[20:1]

Replacing the springs in a used gun is never a bad idea. You really don't know if that's even a correct spring for the gun.
https://www.gunsprings.com/RUGER/DOU...3/mID52/dID230

[Kuffar]

Yeah. I have both but like my Security 6 better. It's a 1976 Bicentennial. I think someone before me did a trigger job on it. I only have one firearm with a better trigger and that's my Colt King Cobra. Both of them are like glass.

[tja6435]

I have 3 Sixes and 2 GP’s. Of the Sixes, 2 are 2.75” Speed Six’s and the last one is a Security Six with 4” barrel. I had a 6” Security Six but I gave it to my father in law.

Of my GP’s, I have a 2.5” and a 6”. I kind of think the trigger is lighter/smoother in the GP’s but even the 2.5” doesn’t carry as nicely as the Speed Six’s.

I like revolvers, I almost carry a revolver. Recently it’s been a 3.75” Super Blackhawk as I’ve been working way out in the mountains solo and need to be mindful of bears.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I think the Security Six was the best double action revolver ever made. Its design was pure genius. The GP100 makes a good club.

[Chill Wills]

Thanks all for the help in diagnosing the problem.
This revolver is in great shape and 40 years old. Judging by the almost lack of cylinder bolt drag mark and near 100% overall finish, this revolver had seen little use. The main spring is 40 years old too and is a little tired.
The suggestion to shim the mainspring and test again worked. Thanks to all!!!

I shimmed it with three washers not knowing what it would take to make a difference. One or two may have been enough. Three gave 100% firing in an about 60-80 round test (I didn't count exactly) using a variety of ammo and primer brands.
I am smiling, the addition of the 3 washers produced a double action pull that was a gym workout! One, maybe two washers may be enough to produce the 100% fire reliability and have a much better DA pull.

The seller offered to buy and send a new spring.

[tigweldit]

My Security Six is my go to .357. I shoot it more than my Python.

[georgerkahn]

I have had a few revolvers in the past fifty or so years, and "for beauty" my #1 favourite is my 6" Ruger New Model Single Six .22 with Stag grips; "for function", without a doubt the leader of the pack IS my 2.75" stainless Ruger Security Six with Hogue grips! My regular in the woods back-up revolver, the first in cylinder was always a 148-grain wadcutter ahead of a tad more than three grains of Bullseye in a .357 case. I called it my "splat" load...and it worked. Shots 2, 3, and sometimes 4 were standard .38 S&W duty loadings; other #4, as well as 5 and 6 being .357 mag loads. (I do not ever recall pulling trigger, when needed, more than that third shot!)
Yup -- I've had a few much more costly; higher accuracy potential; et cetera -- but again, nothing I've had beats my Security Six!
geo