New (to me) Ruger Security Six

[Flamingo]

I picked this up from a co-worker a couple of weeks ago. I have a GP100 4 inch and a Wiley Clapp GP100 and the price on this one was too good to pass up.



I kind of like the modification that one of the previous owners did to the stocks. I will make using a speed loader a little easier.

[JonInWA]

The Security Six (and, for that matter, any and all of the -Six Rugers) are a superb value, and exceptionally well built. The triggers can be tuned a bit more than on the GP100s; I have examples of both, and my Security Six has the better trigger pull. While prices on them were relatively low compared to comparable S&Ws for years, the market has woken up regarding their innate value (and relative scarcity on the resale/auction market, despite over a million being produced).

While Ruger is no longer supporting them, due to their build quality and quality of materials that's not a huge item of concern. Mine has had an action job and the cylinder charge hole area chamfered. Common upgrades are sights (Bowen has some good options) and grips (I have a set of Trausch's, but they're made pretty much of unobtanium-more common, and much more easily available are Hogue and Tyler T-Grips).

In my opinion, HKS speedloaders work a bit better in the -Six guns than the Safariland Comp II's, but YMMV.

Congratulations-Security Sixes are made to be shot and enjoyed for generations.

Best, Jon

[JonInWA]

Yesterday I used my 1978 vintage Security Six in our local IDPA match, 7 stages, about 125 rounds.



I had a great time; my Security Six is exceptionally accurate (as I suspect most are). Upgrades to mine include a set of Trausch grips, which Jacques Trausch made only for the round-butt Speed- and Service-Six variants (and their Manhurin-produced clones and spin-offs), but he personally modified 2 sets for my square-butt Security Six.

Additionally, I replaced the front sight with a Millett Orange Bar, but keeping the OEM rear, which fortuitously was Ruger's .140 notch variant (imagine that: a wide notch in 1978...). Mine was also the recipient of a superbly performed action job, and mechanically the only thing that I've had done is to have the cylinder charge holes chamfered and the chambers polished. When they were still providing services to the -Six series revolvers, Ruger thoroughly went through mine to ensure all components were properly functioning and within OEM factory specifications.

The Trausch grips are superb, and immensely contribute to the natural index and handling of the revolver. The gripframe backstrap is fully enclosed, and the grips also feature a semi-auto-like rear beavertail. Jacques Trausch provided me with two sets, one unaltered (except as necessary to fit the square butt), and another at my request with the left grip radically cut to better facilitate use of speedloaders, especially Safariland Comp IIs.





I'm actually currently preferring the less modified one, as I find the thumb shelf to nicely position and stabilize the revolver. There are two downsides: 1) It won't accept Safariland Comp IIs-but for me, that's a non-issue, as I actually prefer HKS speedloaders with the Security Six (conversely, on my GP100, I prefer Safariland Comp IIIs and Comp IIs to HKS); and 2), the lower thumb ledge can e a bit of a stumbling block in ejecting the cartridge in line with it; multiple quick reciprocation of the ejector rod and/or slight cylinder re-positioning during the ejection process are necessary, or grasping the cartridge and yanking it out. With practice, the multiple stroke technique works well, and I prefer the increased (or more easily achieved) accuracy provided by the thumb shelf, which is evident in two-handed, strong-handed and support handed shooting.

As my carry preference with the Security Six is Remington Golden Saber .38 Special 125 gr +P JHP cartridges, my analog/less expensive practice and IDPA cartridges are Remington/UMC .38 Special SJHP in 125 gr +P.

Holster is a Blade Tech Kydex IWB, and magazine pouches are 1) Hogue's Universal Dual Speedloader Pouch (worn strong side immediately in front of the holster per IDPA rules) and 2) Bianchi's Cordura Dual Speedloader Pouch (worn on my weak side behind the center of my hip). For "real world" carry, I carry 3 Bianchi Speed Strips, one in an upsidedown Bianchi pouch immediately in front of the holster on my strong side, and 2 in a Tactical Tailor phone pouch on my weak side hip), and usually one HKS Speedloader carried loose in a vest or jacket pocket.

I had a great time; initially my reloads were pretty slow, as I was grasping the HKS by the knob, but the technique(s) recommended by Grant Cunningham in his excellent The Gun Digest Book of the Revolver and Defensive Revolver Fundamentals significantly speed speedloader reloads up; he recommends grasping the speedloader by its body, so that your fingers align with and extend just past the bullet noses, and then the finger tips make contact with the cylinder rear and guide the cartridges into chambering position.

I had no malfunctions throughout the match, and used both two-handed and strong-hand only firing throughout the day. The sights nicely facilitated both quick shooting and more precise head shots; I think I had more stage "down zeros" than with any of my previous guns throughout the day.

Best, Jon

[Flamingo]

Are you shooting IDPA at Paul Bunyan?

I really need to get out and shoot some matches (I don't have any excuses, my work will give me the ammo for it).

[JonInWA]

Yep, yesterday was at Paul Bunyan. Usually Renton 3rd Saturday.

Best, Jon

[Wayne Dobbs]

Who does a great Security/Service/Speed Six action job these days? Anybody?? I've acquired one of each of the Sixes over the past two years and would like to get some work done.

[kilo sierra]

I'd suggest Karl Sokol/ Chestnut Mountain Sports as a starting place. I recall him telling me he carried a Security Six as a LEO back in the olden days.

He does really good work. I've handled two of his K frame creations, built for carry, that were as close to perfect as it gets.

ks

[JonInWA]

A couple more images of my Security Six, and a correction: In the thread above, I mentioned that it was the lower thumb channel strake on the left grip panel that could interfere with cartridge ejection; it's actually the upper thumb channel ledge strake on the left grip panel that provides the interference. I still prefer it, though, as it is, as opposed to the more radically cut left grip panel (which effectively eliminates the upper channel strake, allowing for both a Safariland Comp II speedloader use and less impeded ejection). The stability provided by the thumb channel materially adds to my index and accuracy, and works acceptably well with HKS speedloaders. As I mentioned, repeated strikes to the ejector rod and/or slight re-positioning of the cylinder during the extraction/ejection process, or even yanking the "stuck" cartridge out are all do-able techniques to optimize effective and timely extraction and ejections.

Best, Jon

https://imgur.com/a/XOZtsXY

[Trooper224]

Rugers have never been my thing, having always preferred Smiths or Colts, although I did carry an SP-101 as a backup for several years. Still, they are incredibly solid guns and you simply cannot go wrong with them. If I ever find a Speed Six in good shape I won't walk away from it.

[SeriousStudent]

Who does a great Security/Service/Speed Six action job these days? Anybody?? I've acquired one of each of the Sixes over the past two years and would like to get some work done.

Same here. I have a line on a 2.75" Speed Six at work, and would like to get it tuned if the deal works out.

And yes, it's the same Youtube kid I told you about.