Originally Posted by
JonInWA
They're incredibly durable, reliable accurate and well-built. They're also very easy to maintain, as they're designed to be easy to field-strip and re-assemble. To quote Jerry Kuhnhausen, "the fact (is) that not much goes wrong with Six-Series revolvers." My personal experience with my personal 1978-vintage Stainless Security Six mirrors this; I've had exactly one part break in my ownership (since around 2003 or so)-the trigger return spring. Ironically, it broke within 10 minutes of dry-firing after it was returned to me after a thorough (and free, other than shipping) Ruger inspection and service (back when Ruger was fully supporting them); Ruger immediately provided me with a return shipping label, replaced the trigger return spring, and thoroughly went through the entire revolver stem-to-stern again. And the trigger return spring (and other key -Six springs) are currently supported by Wolff Gunsprings, if that's of any residual concerns.
Absolutely nothing else has broken in the subsequent 16 years, which has included moderate firing (usually 1-3 IDPA matches a year, and a moderately heavy dryfiring protocol during the IDPA match months). The only subsequent work I've had performed on mine were to have the chamber charge hole edges chamfered, and a couple of chambers burnished.
Ideally (at least for most), the one you're looking at is a 151- or later serial sequence; the 150-sequence Security Sixes had a more slanted backstrap/backstrap tang, and replacement/aftermarket grip selections are pretty scarce.
A Security Six trigger is capable of being a bit more finely tuned than that of a GP100 (and my GP100 has been professionally tuned and set up by an exceptionally knowledgeable and experienced Ruger gunsmith-the Security Six has the better trigger between the two).
If you get it, I strongly recommend Jerry Kuhnhausen's "The Ruger Double Action Revolvers A Shop Manual Vol. 1."
$300 sounds like a reasonable price; in the past several years, the market has gradually woken up regarding the intrinsic value of these revolvers, and the prices have tended to rise from the $300s to the $500s. If it's stainless, you can easily polish the exterior with Mother's Magwheel Polish; if blued, just get it professionally re-blued, Cerakoted, etc. if desired.
Best, Jon