[GeoJammy]

I have a gentleman interested in trading me for his Service-Six. He said he will send some pictures but I have not yet received them. He says the SS is snub nosed – but I thought only the speed sixes were snub-nosed? I am not really interested in a four-inch Service-Six - but I asked him to send me some photos anyway. Does anyone out there have any info about the service sixes? Were they offered with 2-3/4-inch barrels? TIA!

 

[laidlerj]

I have a gentleman interested in trading me for his Service-Six. He said he will send some pictures but I have not yet received them. He says the SS is snub nosed — but I thought only the speed sixes were snub-nosed? I am not really interested in a four-inch Service-Six - but I asked him to send me some photos anyway. Does anyone out there have any info about the service sixes? Were they offered with 2-3/4-inch barrels? TIA!

The Service Six was offered in 4 inch and 2 3/4 inch barrels and in .357 Magnum, .38 Spl and even 9mm. I was issued a Ruger Service Six in .38 Spl (M108) when I was posted to the 9th Cavalry - the unit armorer said the Rugers were the only revolvers he never had to work on.


Jim

 

[GeoJammy]

Wow - Fast response and good info – Thank-you!! Being a self-described connesewer of Rugers - I should have known that!! . I have always wanted a Speed-Six – but the ones I have seen on GB have been out of sight for prices. Looks like I might have a line on something similar ...

 

[67stingray]

The Security-Six was introduced in 1972 and was only offered in blued carbon steel finish until 1975 when stainless steel was offered. After a few months of production, Ruger renamed the fixed-sight version of the Security-Six the Service-Six or alternatively, the "Police Service-Six". This was largely a marketing decision and an attempt to capitalize on the lucrative law enforcement service revolver market. The Service-Six was normally chambered in .357 Magnum, though Ruger also built versions in .38 Special and 9mm Luger (Parabellum) for some police orders. The U.S. Military contracted for the fixed-sight .38 Special variant adding a lanyard ring to the butt and designating it the M108. It was to replace aging Smith & Wesson Model 10 for issuing to air crews and military police. The 9mm variant featured cylinder chambers bored to headspace the cartridge on the case mouth instead of the rim, using a patented spring moon clip to permit extraction of the fired case. These alterations allowed the rimless 9mm cartridge to be used in a revolver design. Barrel length options for the Service-Six included 2.75 and 4 inches. There was also a limited number of 6" produced. The 9mm was also marketed under the designation M109. Hope this information is helpful.

 

[ExArmy11b]

The military should order .38 Special GP100's as the new sidearm, and they would be able to use them until 2070 with 0 maintenance

 

[Bvd1]

The Service Six was also available with a three inch barrel, made during the last year of production. Here is a comparison of the barrels on the 2 3/4" and 3".
The 2 3/4" and 4" were both offered with regular and heavy barrels, the 3" with heavy barrel only.
The 2 3/4" in picture is a regular barrel, the 3" has the heavy barrel.

 

[GeoJammy]

Bvd1 - Great picture - Thanks! Maybe you should sell one of those Service-Sixes - they ... umm ... don't look well sitting together like that!! The guy never followed up with me even though I sent two replies. I check on GB occasionally and 4-inch blued versions pop up quite a bit. The only thing keeping me from being depressed is a NIB 4-inch Security-Six and an excellent condition 2-3/4 Sec-Six ...

 

[slohunter]

Grab-it!

 

[cedarhill]

I purchased a Police Service Six and it has become a favorite revolver of mine. It has the 2 3/4" barrel and if it wasn't so heavy I would carry it everyday. I am more accurate with it than I could imagine. In warmer weather I carry a Colt DS but I am not a accurate with it as it has a shorter barrel I assume. I have been practicing with double action only and only shoot Single action for 6 shots out of a box of 50. What a neat gun.

 

[old fart]

i just bought a new ruger lcr 9mm a little over a month ago and have less than 30rds thru it. posted a pic on a wheel gun forum and had a guy with a 4 inch blued service six wanting to trade me. the bluing is only 50% and it does have a few small places of pitting on the cylinder, he said there was small erosion on the forcing cone. i miss my service six i sold last year and would get another if the price was right, just don't know about trading my new lcr. if it was stainless i would probably trade. when i had mine service six i bought every single extra part except the frame. wished i kept it.

 

[GeoJammy]

There is a very nice stainless Speed-Six on GB now for $650 buy it now. I really want one but I worry about any future mechanical problems with it (unlikely but possible) given the fact that Ruger no longer supports any of the revolvers on that frame size. Plus, I hate to drop that much money into a collectible which does not include the box. That said - it's in 99% condition and very tempting!

I think one of the smartest things that Ruger could do would be to at least return the Speed-Six frame size to the lineup with the SP-101 style lock up and new metallurgy. I'm sure their bean-counters would nix the idea so I guess it's just wishful thinking.

 

[0311INF]

That Service Six is nice, good barrel length. Only difference between it and a Speed Six is the square butt

 

[Petrol and Powder]

GeoJammy, I'm with you. When Ruger went to the GP-100 and SP101 they dropped the Service-Six/ Security-Six and Speed-Six line. There was some overlap in production of the GP-100 and the Six series from 1986 -1988 but none for the SP101 which was introduced in 1989.
Many Ruger fans, myself included, mourned the loss of the Six series revolvers but Bill Ruger had no intention of keeping both lines in production after the GP-100 came along.

The GP-100 is a super strong gun and one of the best DA revolver designs of all time, unfortunately it is also a bit large. I've always felt that the GP could stand to go on a diet.
You are not the first person to look at those two designs and wish for the newer locking system with the smaller contours of the older revolvers. If Ruger could incorporate the Peg style grip frame and non-rotating ejector rod into a gun with a slimmer, half lug barrel and a slightly smaller cylinder; they would have the best of both worlds.
The Match Champion comes close but the cylinder still has way more steel than it needs and the barrel could be round instead of slab sided.

While it is true that factory replacement parts for the Six series guns have all but dried up, those guns rarely break. Ruger also made about 1.5 million of them, so you could cannibalize one for parts if needed.

If you have the opportunity to purchase a 95% +, Six series revolver, I would suggest you grab it.