[Waveform]

I picked up this Police Service-Six at a pawn shop and replaced the ugly old Pachmayr grip it was wearling with these new Ruger walnut stocks. They fit perfectly and I like the look and feel. But I was wondering if these are the same ones the gun would have been wearing when it left the Ruger factory back in 1985. Anybody know what the original Police Service-Six had for a factory grip? Did Ruger fit different grips on the Service-Six vs. the Security-Six vs the Speed-Six? (I have a hard time keeping the Six variants straight!)
I've seen pictures of a black checkered rubber grip but I'm not sure if that was original or aftermarket.

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P.S. More pictures posted in the Gallery

 

[LAGun]

Those definitely look like the factory Target grips.My 1982 6" Security-Six came with those same grips from the factory...The only way to know for sure is to call the Ruger historian girl at the factory,you give her the serial and she can tell you what that gun came with from the factory...

 

[Waveform]

LAGUN, thanks for the suggestion. That's probably the only way I'll know what this gun had to start with. The Pachmayr that was on it had Pachmayr medallions and no cutout for the serial number so I'm pretty sure it wasn't original. Other Ruger wood grips I've seen exposed the full frame. I really love these grips though and they look good on it. I'm not too concerned with trying to restore the gun to original specs - it's polished now anyway and besides I have no box or papers. It's a shooter.

By the way, if you think you may ever want a spare set of target grips now is a good time to get some from Ruger. I bought these for $9.50 delivered to my door......

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[bwinters]

I have never seen a ruger revolver with target grips except for the security six not the speed or service 6.

 

[squekydad]

Thanks for the tip, got me some new grips on the way. I put Pachmayr grips on mine the day I bought it in 1979. Six rounds of 158gr CCI Lawman hurt like hell with the little original grips (which I still have stored away). The factory target grips were like $40 then so I got the cheaper rubber grips. The Pachmayr grips are very comfortable with any load and to me look good on a stainless gun. But, can't wait to see the old girl dressed in the walnut target grips I couldn't afford in 79!

 

[Waveform]

Thanks for the tip, got me some new grips on the way. I put Pachmayr grips on mine the day I bought it in 1979. Six rounds of 158gr CCI Lawman hurt like hell with the little original grips (which I still have stored away). The factory target grips were like $40 then so I got the cheaper rubber grips. The Pachmayr grips are very comfortable with any load and to me look good on a stainless gun. But, can't wait to see the old girl dressed in the walnut target grips I couldn't afford in 79!

Cool! I didn't even own a Six at the time but when I saw the price on those grips (and knowing my tendencies to buy old Rugers I see) I ended up with a box of grips and no gun to go with them! I solved that problem soon enough. Problem is I bought the box of SIX SETS - so I need to find 5 more Six series revolvers to go with them! Oh lordy I must be crazy.......

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[squekydad]

Good Hunting!

 

[ExArmy11b]

It would have had the factory "slim" grips

 

[Waveform]

I'm going to try to call Ruger tomorrow and see if they can give me the model number based on the serial number and what grips it had from the factory. The only Ruger resource I have at present is the Wilson book and it mentions the "Police Service-Six, Stainless Steel: Model 707, GF-34: .357 Magnum, 4" barrel. GF-34P: .357 Magnum, 4" barrel, checkered rubber grips (new 1985)" Another knowledgable member here mentioned the rubber grips were made by Pachmayr hence the "P". The serial number is from 1985 so it may have had the standard grip or possibly the rubber grip. But not likely the target grip. I will try to find out tomorrow if I can.

It's kinda academic - I really like these target grips and wouldn't change them to either of the other two even if I had a set on hand.

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[exlogger]

Waveform-- Very nice Six! +1 on the target grips from Ruger. I put them on my stainless 4" Security Six.

Here is my 1981 Service Six with its original grips.

My 4" Security Six with Ruger Target grips

 

[Waveform]

Waveform-- Very nice Six! +1 on the target grips from Ruger. I put them on my stainless 4" Security Six.

Here is my 1981 Service Six with its original grips.

My 4" Security Six with Ruger Target grips

exlogger - those look great! If my Service Six still had the grips your Service Six has I wouldn't have changed them. But the old crusty Pachmayr (not a Ruger Pachmayr) grip had to go. Thanks for sharing the pics.

Wave

 

[exlogger]

I hear ya Waveform. The Security Six in my picture originally came with the same grips you described (Pachmayrs). I was really happy to find the Targets on the Ruger site. Big improvement, in looks and feel.

 

[ptblank]

Here are a few pictures of my "Sixes" with the Ruger target grips:

1)Security-Six:

2)Security Six with Ruger smooth target grips:

3)2.75" Police Service Six:

4)6" Security-Six commemorative(1 of 200):

5)Security-Six with Ruger second type target grips(Introduced in 1984-85):

6)Police Service Six with the second type Ruger target grips:

 

[Waveform]

ptblank - you have quite a collection of Sixes there! Very impressive! I'm glad to see you have target grips on a few Police Service Sixes - I was starting to think I had committed some kind of grip faux pas doing that to mine. I hadn't seen the smooth second type target grip before - thanks. Is there a difference between the grips on photo 2 and the grips on photos 5 & 6?

Thanks for sharing - great pictures of some nice Sixes!

Wave

 

[James6591]

Very nice mate.

 

[ExArmy11b]

ptblank always has awesome pictures of his Six collection

Waveform that a very nice Service Six! That gun will last all of our lifetimes, and then some...... I can't get enough of these guns, and there are all kinds of grip options for them, none of which are "wrong".

This is one of my stainless .38 Special Service Sixes, it's bone stock and I'm leaving it that way. It was a police or security gun, I don't know which but I'm leaving all the scrapes, dings and holster wear as is, mostly because I'm lazy The action isn't the slickest, it has a little "gag" in the DA pull but not enough to worry about...... I have other Sixes that are much smoother but it shoots straight and does the job. I have no plans to change springs, I have done that in plenty of my other Sixes, so I like to leave some of them alone

This is likely how yours looked when it left the factory, with the "skinny" grips. Many LE and Security guns had the wood grips taken off and replaced with Hogues or Pachmayrs, since they simply were more durable, gave a better grip and anyone who's open holster carried a duty gun knows the grips get beat to heck in a short time,slamming off door frames, railings, ladders, etc. so woods don't have much of a lifespan on a duty gun. I carried a Glock as a nuke plant security guard and the right side of the grip looked like someone beat it with a small hammer after 3 1/2 years of carrying it every day.

This is one of the "orphans" I picked up, it's a beat up .38 Special Service Six that looks like it was left in a leather holster for years. It had rust all on the inside of the frame, in the action, and there's rust pits all over the gun and even the bore is pitted. It still shoots straight, and I didn't want to waste the money on a buff and reblue on a gun that's so damaged already.........so I recently added a set of Herrett grips I got cheap, a set of Bullseye springs and a Tyler trigger shoe and it actually slicked up pretty nice. I'll post an "after" pic later today I plan to do a "trigger job lite" on it soon, just take some polishing compound and buff up some parts of the action, nothing crazy. I have so many beat up Sixes that I like to have fun with some of them and turn them into range and target guns.

 

[ptblank]

ptblank - you have quite a collection of Sixes there! Very impressive! I'm glad to see you have target grips on a few Police Service Sixes - I was starting to think I had committed some kind of grip faux pas doing that to mine. I hadn't seen the smooth second type target grip before - thanks. Is there a difference between the grips on photo 2 and the grips on photos 5 & 6?

Thanks for sharing - great pictures of some nice Sixes!

Wave

1)Thanks for the compliment!
2)No, you did the right thing by installing the Ruger target grips on your Service Six. In fact this is the first thing I did for most all of my "Sixes" because the service grips really are too small for most folks hands. These work fine for those who tend to carry their revolvers because they are not bulky.
3)Around 1978-79 Ruger introduced the target grips(Like on your Service Six)to make shooting their "Sixes" more comfortable and more accurate. Ruger first called these grips the "Big Grip" and this was indicated on the end label of their gun boxes. In 1979 there was an article specifically relating to these grips-as well as a gun test, where the "Shooter" just raved about how great these grips were on the Security Six test gun, in terms of how effectively they had tamed it's shooting comfort and control
4)The grips in photo #2 are identical to the first design checkered target grips on your Service Six now-except for being smooth. I acquired these grips from an ex-Ruger employee who told me that he had found these grips stashed away somewhere and was allowed to claim them before he had retired.

 

[ptblank]

ptblank always has awesome pictures of his Six collection

Waveform that a very nice Service Six! That gun will last all of our lifetimes, and then some...... I can't get enough of these guns, and there are all kinds of grip options for them, none of which are "wrong".

This is one of my stainless .38 Special Service Sixes, it's bone stock and I'm leaving it that way. It was a police or security gun, I don't know which but I'm leaving all the scrapes, dings and holster wear as is, mostly because I'm lazy The action isn't the slickest, it has a little "gag" in the DA pull but not enough to worry about...... I have other Sixes that are much smoother but it shoots straight and does the job. I have no plans to change springs, I have done that in plenty of my other Sixes, so I like to leave some of them alone

This is likely how yours looked when it left the factory, with the "skinny" grips. Many LE and Security guns had the wood grips taken off and replaced with Hogues or Pachmayrs, since they simply were more durable, gave a better grip and anyone who's open holster carried a duty gun knows the grips get beat to heck in a short time,slamming off door frames, railings, ladders, etc. so woods don't have much of a lifespan on a duty gun. I carried a Glock as a nuke plant security guard and the right side of the grip looked like someone beat it with a small hammer after 3 1/2 years of carrying it every day.

This is one of the "orphans" I picked up, it's a beat up .38 Special Service Six that looks like it was left in a leather holster for years. It had rust all on the inside of the frame, in the action, and there's rust pits all over the gun and even the bore is pitted. It still shoots straight, and I didn't want to waste the money on a buff and reblue on a gun that's so damaged already.........so I recently added a set of Herrett grips I got cheap, a set of Bullseye springs and a Tyler trigger shoe and it actually slicked up pretty nice. I'll post an "after" pic later today I plan to do a "trigger job lite" on it soon, just take some polishing compound and buff up some parts of the action, nothing crazy. I have so many beat up Sixes that I like to have fun with some of them and turn them into range and target guns.

1)Thanks for the compliment!
2)Your Service Sixes look great too. I enjoyed reading your comments above in general and regarding the history of your "Sixes". I think that the biggest mistake Bill Ruger had ever made was in discontinuing the "Six Series" revolvers-because they were as tough as nails and did their job well and were reliable over the long term-proven via more than 1.5 million having been produced.
3)I have also found that the older "Bullseye" springs worked the best in my "Sixes" compared to the other manufacturers. They feel just right to me.
4)In all of the "Sixes" that I have ever found-except for those that were beat up looking, none were compromised functionally.

 

[mesinge2]

IIRC, the factory rubber grips were made by Lett or Sile and they IMO provide the best 'feel' for the Six series for a rubber grip. I happen to prefer the Target stocks or a Hogue myself though. Here is my 4" that I kind of did a brushed finish on (I was experimenting) with some Kingswood grips. I have large hands and I find the palm swell on Hogue's wood grips fit my hand better than most grips.

I also find the low-back 150 prefix models' magna-style grips are also comfortable and they provide a high grip, at least for me.

 

[Waveform]

Wow - guys those are some awesome Sixes! I have a couple wood Hogue grips on GPs and I like the way they feel too. It seems the prices on the Sixes are going up, up , up. A lot of times a nice old Six is around the same money as an older GP100. Makes harder for a guy who's just starting to build a Six collection....

Thanks for the pictures and info - keep 'em coming!

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