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Post by bigbore5 on Jun 21, 2021 21:47:58 GMT -5
Buds guns has stainless and blued service sixes that are police trade ins from Australia for between $325 & $420. I just ordered a stainless 4". Some wear on them, but it's not hard to polish stainless steel. The blue guns will probably need reblued if you're picky like me. They also have S&W m10 & m36 38 special. Thinking hard about an m36. $400 for one. Never had a service six before. What's everyone think about them?
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Post by squigz on Jun 22, 2021 5:14:28 GMT -5
I have a 2 3/4" and a 6" Security Six, I wish these had the adjustable sights so I could get a 4" to "finish" off my collection.
I like the two that I have, very accurate and fun to shoot. Triggers aren't terrible on them.
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Post by tdbarton on Jun 22, 2021 6:29:33 GMT -5
I saw those pop up. There was a couple decent looking Model 10s
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jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,606
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Post by jeffh on Jun 22, 2021 9:49:34 GMT -5
Buds guns has stainless and blued service sixes that are police trade ins from Australia for between $325 & $420. I just ordered a stainless 4". Some wear on them, but it's not hard to polish stainless steel. The blue guns will probably need reblued if you're picky like me. They also have S&W m10 & m36 38 special. Thinking hard about an m36. $400 for one. Never had a service six before. What's everyone think about them? Well, dangit! There went the most of the money for my 35 cal. suppressor!
Thanks though, because I have sworn since early '89 that I would replace one I "had" to sell when I got laid off. I had JUST bought this very model (SERVICE Six) for $215, NEW from a distributor when I worked in a gun shoo for sub-slave wages, but one perk was that I could buy anything I wanted at the shops cost. Got laid off two weeks later and sold it. Kept putting off replacing it until they became hard to find.
I've owned several Security/Service Sixes - used to buy shiny, new-looking blued ones from Larry's Pistol & Pawn in Huntsville for $150 in the mid-eighties. ALL shot well - very well and I've always classed these as my all-time favorite DA revolver.
I did not see any blued ones, and I paid $432, because I used "the card" so I could get one before they were gone.
NO PARTS, guys. OK, if you find some, they have been jacked out of sight, price-wise. Ruger sold off all the remaining parts a long time ago. The good news is that unless some goob has been doing a "trigger job" on one, it's highly unlikely you'll wear out or break a part in one of these.
I saw "Security Six" and almost didn't look. I wanted a SERVICE Six, and that's what these are. If you find a set of SPEED Six grips, you can easily "round-butt" the SERVICE Six, as I did with the last one I had. Fair warning - Even the butt of these frames is HARD - ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
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jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,606
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Post by jeffh on Jun 22, 2021 10:16:02 GMT -5
I have a 2 3/4" and a 6" Security Six, I wish these had the adjustable sights so I could get a 4" to "finish" off my collection. I like the two that I have, very accurate and fun to shoot. Triggers aren't terrible on them. I've managed some VERY nice SA and DA pulls on these, but MY secret is to NOT shoot Smiths and Colts alongside the Rugers.
I shot with a couple rich friends at one time, brothers, who shot Smith 29s exclusively for one brother and Pythons for the other. I had a 4" blued, bicentennial Security Six, which came to me used with an amazing trigger (DA and SA) and they both commented on it every time we shot. I didn't know any better, but they certainly did. I don't know who did that trigger, but it was exceptional. I got close, but quite matched that one with my own work.
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jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,606
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Post by jeffh on Jun 25, 2021 14:29:51 GMT -5
A public "thank-you" to bigbore5 ! My Service Six arrived and, man, does it feel good to handle one of these again! Externally, it looks like it might have taken a ride in that back of someone's truck in a bucket of nails on a long dirt road - MINOR scratches, nicks and dings that abrasive papers will remove rather easily. It wasn't cleaned after that last firing, but there's not even an established carbon discoloration on the cylinder face yet! I KNOW no one scrubbed it off because this gun hasn't been cleaned, even superficially in a while. Internals look/feel just like the new ones did right out of the box way back when. The worst thing "wrong" with it is that the roll pin that locates the grip panel is missing and that's an ACE part if I don't already have one in a bin, box or drawer somewhere already. Mine is from 1979, according to Ruger's list, which is only a couple years older than my first brand new Security Six, so it has the tapered/contoured(?) barrel (.710" to .613", unlike the "heavy barrel" of the vary last new Service six I bought just after the were discontinued. It also has that goiter-like (my only complaint about them) shape to the rear of the right recoil shield. I MUCH prefer the scalloped version of the later years, but, I also like the tapered barrel better, so it's break-even on that. The actual wear is literally handling and holster wear. The bore looks great (after cleaning) as do the chambers and everything is tight and crisp. Very, VERY slight bit of creep in the SA trigger, which is an easy fix, and the DA is smooth and consistent, if not a tad (JUST a tad) heavy. Another easy fix. These two points being characteristic of a NEW gun do not bother me in the least. Grips look rode hard and put up wet, but not horrible and still fully functional. I looked up the Tyler T-Grips and they still MAKE THEM! Daaang, man, they're $40! Last one I bought was $2 from the odds-'n-ends bin at a shop a few (35?) years ago. Shame Pachmyer never made the grip for Rugers that had the exposed back strap, like they did for Smiths. Going to have to cruise a few shows' junk boxes to see what I can get. I'm excited! It's raining so my house maintenance plans have been scuttled. Darn! Now I have to spend a few hours in the shop cleaning and entertaining this old friend's relative.
EDIT: I forgot to share the most comical part of picking this up. The FFL went to a shelf and picked it up and gave me a dumb look. They had simply rolled it up in a large, padded plastic envelope. No packing, no padding, no box - nothin'. He said "they just rolled it up in a plastic bag to ship it!" He looked horrified, so I explained that it was a police trade-in from across the world. Still the horrified look. "It's a Ruger," I said. He grinned, shrugged and plopped it on the counter. He apparently has very little respect for Rugers or has a heck of a lot of respect for Rugers because that allayed his fears of what we would find when we unwrapped it.
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petep
.30 Stingray
Central Alabama
Posts: 453
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Post by petep on Jun 25, 2021 17:03:03 GMT -5
I would be interested in how it shoots and how double action and single action triggers are when you get it "cleaned up". The first real revolver I could afford a long time ago was a Ruger Security six with a 6 inch barrel.The internals and lack of a side plate remind me of a sorta Super Charter Arms!Great long lasting double action revolvers!
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jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,606
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Post by jeffh on Jun 25, 2021 18:30:42 GMT -5
I would be interested in how it shoots and how double action and single action triggers are when you get it "cleaned up". The first real revolver I could afford a long time ago was a Ruger Security six with a 6 inch barrel.The internals and lack of a side plate remind me of a sorta Super Charter Arms!Great long lasting double action revolvers! Hey, old friend!
You just hit the nail on the head! Bill Ruger was no dummy and he copied a lot from a lot of existing guns - and he wasn't ashamed of it. He took the best features and his favorite aesthetics and incorporated them into what I would call improved models. THIS is certainly not first-hand information, rather it is based on scant written record of little things he mentioned here and there, but a lot more about looking at dates and putting two and two together. Many people think the "transfer bar" was a Ruger innovation, but Charter was doing it well before 1973 and I once noticed a High Standard or Iver Johnson revolver with a similar item predating Charter. Charter borrowed significantly from High Standard and made some improvements as well. I may well be full of beans, but the evidence points to Bill Sr. as recognizing good design and making it work better than others may have - or at least more robust.
I took this apart and cleaned it up inside, and it was not as dirty as I get one in one range session, let alone over the course of 42 years. All the parts looked just like a new one did, except a little dirty - no "trigger job" and no monkeying with anything. I even had to knock a factory burr or two off, but I didn't get carried away. Bore/chambers look great. I mostly wanted to make sure nothing terribly wrong was hiding in there and get it properly lubed before I start shooting it.
So, I left the trigger alone for now because I want to see how this one shoots. I've learned my lesson about dolling a new to me gun before I shoot it - only to find out it won't shoot. Once I establish that I won't have to do a bunch of work to keep it from leading, I'll open it back up and take care of the trigger. I may look for a spring kit, but usually only do the hammer spring. Trigger return springs that are too weak can let you "short-stroke" it in DA and when I shoot DA, it's probably serious. THEN, I'll start cleaning up the scratches. Maybe. I kind of like the look of it as-is too.
Here's the funny part!:
When I put it all back together, I got to the trigger return spring and guess who I thought of. It is VERY similar to the Charter spring and almost as much a pain to get back in. It took me a couple tries before it hit me just how I used to hold my mouth to get it in, but when it remembered, the bushing slid in easily.
My first "Six" series DA was a stainless 6" Security Six too, which I got in (I think) '82.
There is a write-up somewhere on the 'net about tuning up an SP101 which is almost identical (the procedure) to what I've done with these. I'll try to find it because it was a good write-up. Getting rid of the creep it the most involved or touchy part. Every thing else is just some smoothing at critical spots. Lightening the hammer spring (slightly) helps, but I leave the trigger spring alone.
Now, if you would excuse me, I'm going into town for the specific purpose of buying a lottery ticket!
I dug through drawers, boxes and bins looking for a roll pin for the grips and struck out, as I was sure I would. Then, I drug out the "parts box," which is might slim these days, but I found a blued 'Six cylinder latch, some OM Blackhawk cylinder stops and an aluminum ERH, a 'Six front sight and ........ the actual exact roll pin that I'd squirreled away for one of these. That's pretty much all the Ruger parts I have left.
I WILL get back to you on how this shoots, but it may be a while. I caught a heck of a break today because it rained and gave me a chance to pick this up and get it cleaned up. If you want one, I'm not sure I'd wait too long these days.
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jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,606
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Post by jeffh on Jun 26, 2021 19:29:06 GMT -5
I would be interested in how it shoots and how double action and single action triggers are when you get it "cleaned up". The first real revolver I could afford a long time ago was a Ruger Security six with a 6 inch barrel.The internals and lack of a side plate remind me of a sorta Super Charter Arms!Great long lasting double action revolvers! OK, petep , I sneaked ten minutes and got off fifteen rounds of pretty docile 158 grain RFNs over 5.5 and 6 grains of Unique. My 180 grain WFNs wouldn't chamber. I haven't measured the throats, but they're definitely tighter than the Charter Bulldog, which has .359" throats.
The wind was pushing me around and I didn't take time to set the bench up. I shot off-hand at 30 feet, aiming at the dent in the middle of the group. The creep on the SA pull is SO LONG that I'd start to wonder if I were shooting DA, and right about then, it'd go off. Gotta fix that.
Shoots to point of aim with 158s doing about 1kfps. Not much of a test, but I'm satisfied it's going to work out without a bunch of fussing.
..........................Well, HOOEY! I can't attach a photo. Error says "This forum has exceeded its attachment space."
Don't have an image hoster and don't plan on getting involved in THAT debacle again.
Shot RIGHT to POA (at 30')
1.2" five-shot group with four touching, making a smile and the left eye.
So far no serious worries about this one.
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Post by nolongcolt on Jun 26, 2021 20:22:16 GMT -5
I have a Liberty model SS Security with short barrel, nice revolver.
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Post by bigbore5 on Jun 26, 2021 23:52:56 GMT -5
Mine won't chamber the mp360-180fp either. Shoots the 360-540 at 1250 to 35yd poa in the stainless one. The blued one is 3.5" high and left with the same loads, but shoots a slightly tighter group offhand. Once I can bench them I will try to find the best loads for them. Thinking about sending them to Doug at Cylinder Hone to hone for the 180's. He does beautiful work.
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Post by jfs on Jun 27, 2021 0:04:45 GMT -5
Gave my Shiras moose guide a SS 4" Security Six that loved cast bullets.. A very good revolver....
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jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,606
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Post by jeffh on Jun 27, 2021 8:19:19 GMT -5
Mine won't chamber the mp360-180fp either. Shoots the 360-540 at 1250 to 35yd poa in the stainless one. The blued one is 3.5" high and left with the same loads, but shoots a slightly tighter group offhand. Once I can bench them I will try to find the best loads for them. Thinking about sending them to Doug at Cylinder Hone to hone for the 180's. He does beautiful work. They may be getting better, but my experience has been that, at least into the 90s, Ruger had a thing for small throats. I sent a bunch of guns down the road before learning that I could open them up.
I will try to drive slugs through all the holes today and mic' them.
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Post by bigbore5 on Jun 27, 2021 23:21:42 GMT -5
Fermin Garza also does cylinder throats.
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jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,606
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Post by jeffh on Jun 29, 2021 19:38:59 GMT -5
Fermin Garza also does cylinder throats. Thank you bigbore5! I may be OK on the throats now, as I actually slugged everything today. More shooting will tell.
The weather was beastly today and I've been bustin' my butt in it for a few weeks, so I got lazy today and sweated in the shop.
I broke the SS down again , but farther, to fix a noob-blunder, understandable, but still... Someone at some time had made an attempt to disassemble the cylinder/crane assembly and didn't put empty cases in the chambers and then wrenched the knurled front-end - the wrong way. It ironed a little of the flat spot out in the bore through the center of the cylinder that keeps the ejector "star" fairly straight while extended, and raised a bit of a burr. That made the ejector very slightly balky about returning to its correct position when you let off the ejector rod - every once in a while, but it bugged me. I broke it down and moved the displaced metal back to where it was supposed to be. Went easy on the first try and didn't quite get it. Put a little more behind the big hammer (still not a lot) and got it on the second try. 100% function now. This is an easy fix if it's not too bad, but you do have to be careful. I use a flat, smooth and SOLID work surface, a flat, smooth hardened punch and a 2# hammer. The heavy hammer gives a more controllable act of violence upon my gun, because it lets me use more of the mass than my muscle to hit the punch, because it is easy to overdo it and wreck the cylinder for good.
Couldn't help myself while the cylinder was one piece and I broke the edges on the chambers at the back and drove a bunch of slugs through those and the bore.
Two lead slugs (I have an apple-sauce jar full of pure lead bullets just for this) and I got .3583" on one throat, and .3584" and .3585" on all the rest. I'm sizing to .359" for the sake of a couple guns that have gone away and don't have a LEE push-through .358" die any more. I sold off the wide-throated 357s and have been shoving .359" through the Contender (.358") and a 357 Bulldog with .3585" throats. The Contender could care less but the Bulldog expresses a mild irritation, so I think I can leave these throats alone and wait for a .358" push-through die. I've been RE-sizing some bullets to .358" for the Bulldog with a Lyman 45 without lube, but it's a slower process than I care for any more.
I am happy to share too that the bore slugs .3570" end to end, so those throats should be fine and put me in a situation where I only have to keep one size of 35 caliber bullet on the shelves. I drove two slugs through each throat and two all the way through the bore, plus two more in an inch and back out, so as far as I can tell with that, I have no thread choke. I HATE fire-lapping, so I was happy about that. Danged FIVE-GROOVE rifling..... The lands and grooves are wide enough that I can set one side of the mic' in the middle of a groove and the other side at the very edge opposite. I may have slightly more than a .357", but not by more than a few tenths. Either way, I'm measuring the same on both ends of the bore.
B/C gap is .006" for anyone else wondering about these. By eye (and a flashlight) the bore lines up well with all chambers. The forcing cone isn't tiny, but not a bucket either - pretty good for what I've seen on more recent stuff. There are hardly any wear marks on internal parts and I have removed a number of standard-issue Ruger burrs and have eased a number of typically sharp edges. I'm not complaining though - the opposite. What I've found inside is exactly what I'd expect to find in a new one. The most wear I've seen is the shiny, burnished track the button in the back of the cylinder makes as it drags across the recoil shield when you open or close the cylinder.
I will tell you that the odd little screw that holds the cylinder latch in was a straight-up BOOGER to get out. It wasn't bent, cross-threaded or rusted and the bore was straight through to the other (unthreaded) end. Two things: the lad leaning on the grinder to "finish" this gun leaned a little too hard and blended the edge of the screw into the surface of the frame and created a burr on it which tried to cut a new style of threads as I backed it out. I did some patient working back and forth and oiling to get it backed out. You have to use a really skinny driver, so there's no point in trying to muscle it or you'll strip the sides of the screw slot right off. Now, its cleaned up and working fine. Glad I took it out when I had time to mess around and was in no hurry. Incidentally, in spite of the many scratches and marks, this gun's surface exhibits NONE of the polished-over, clumsy grinding I've seen on a lot of Rugers in the past couple decades. The deepest scratches, by the was, were made by the importer where someone tried to scrape off a sticker where they wanted to etch their "brand."
This gun is perfectly shootable as it came out of it's fancy package. I'm admittedly a little fanatical about these guns and enjoy tuning one up. I haven't touched the trigger, but I did some light smoothing inside the frame, where the pawl and transfer bar slide up and down. Took the hammer spring off to clean up the usual jig-saw blade edges left-over from stamping, and it was clean and slick, but it looked more like the edged were chamfered by being struck rather than stoned, like it was done at the factory. I left it alone. No burrs on the "saddle" either - just very clean stampings.
I don't mean to blab on and bore anyone, but since I'm in this thing, I may as well relay what you'd possibly be into yourself if you decided to jump on one. I can't promise they'd all be like this, but I'm tickled with mine. My passive plan was that I've been watching for a 90s SP101, one of these or a stainless Smith service revolver to round out my small battery. I'm now actually happier that I found this before I found an SP101, and trust me, I DO like the SP101.
I'm thinking I may still need to see what Fermin has, because I'd like to eventually install a patridge-type front sight, even as these sights are quite small, but the square back edge would help me a lot in discerning what is front sight and what is not. I have to use this a while to figure out what will work for me. My eyes are much different than they were when I messed with these years ago.
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