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Thread: 2021: A Speed-Six Odyssey

  1. #1
    Site Supporter Totem Polar's Avatar
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    2021: A Speed-Six Odyssey

    Gang, I have to lay this story on y’all.

    Last week, I posted this in passing, in the Quinn .44 thread:

    Quote Originally Posted by Totem Polar View Post

    Plus, I just stopped by my favorite magic, cornucopia, mom n pop LGS on the way home from getting a rock chip repair on my windshield, and they had just put out a nice, 2.75” Ruger Speed Six. For 4 bills OTD. I’ll be sure to post pics when it passes out of my state’s byzantine background check process.
    When I saw that rounded butt, classic Ruger snub in the case, looking well-preserved, I could hardly believe my luck. Despite being in a hurry, I gave it the lock-up and push off once-over, and quickly threw a down payment at them, and filled out the paper. There are times when one needs to know when to take “yes” for an answer, and this was one of those times. Details can be sorted later.

    As it happened, yesterday at close of business was the day that I got word that I could pick it up. So I crammed in a quick trip at opening this morning. And, given that I still had an hour before I had to teach, I figured I’d zip by the range for a quick shake out on the way home. I took my range bag with me, and filled a 100-round plastic cartridge box with 75 rounds of .38 fmj, and a few rows of assorted .357 that I had, just to try.

    So, I get to the range, and I’m enjoying the “it’s new wheelie day!” buzz, and I throw a FAST target up and send it down the cable to the 7 yard line. While the target is stabilizing, I pull out the Speedy, and the ammo box, and I grab the first cartridge to start loading up, one of the .38 fmjs. It won’t go all the way in. “Man, this panic era QC is really something” I think to myself, so I throw the cartridge on the table, and grab another. It won’t go in either. “WTF?” I try the next chamber in the cylinder; same deal.

    For a split second, I am thinking that maybe someone swapped a 9mm cylinder on there, and didn’t tell my guys. I mean, the tag in the case last week said “Ruger Speed-Six, .357. The receipt said “Ruger Speed-Six, .357.” They asked me if I wanted to buy a box of the .38 ammo that they kept in reserve specifically for the people who buy guns. (“Nah, I’m sitting on a pile of .38 fmj range fodder. I’ll leave it for your other customers that are more desperate...”)

    I literally did not have a parking space in my head for this thing NOT being a Ruger Speed-Six, .357.

    I flip the gun over to look at the elfin engraving on the right side of the barrel.

    “9mm PARABELLUM CAL.”

    Far out. I guess I bought a 9mm Speed-Six with a 2.75” barrel by accident.




    Fortunately, I had the dregs of a Glock outing from a couple of months ago in the bag: about half a box of 115 ball. The thing is a tack driver, even without the moon clips. I was only able to run 4 cylinders, and of course, the reload portion of the FAST was totally off the table, but the group in the top box was a little over quarter-sized, with 8 rounds in it, and the other 16 were all present and accounted for in the circle, hitting the trigger at what I’d guess was a roughly 2 per second clip; fast, but not pushing at all.

    I’ll find out more when I go back to the LGS tomorrow to see if the offer for a box of range ammo still stands, since I’m not sitting on Ks of 9mm, but I think there was an assumption that it was a .357, and I certainly didn’t stop to look a gift horse in the mouth, after feeling the lock up on all 6 cylinder chambers, and getting a quick feel for the good condition.

    Pretty funny, in all. Even better part: I have a 9mm Speedy now. Best part: my new eyes work great with the old-school sights, so I can actually take advantage of my wheelgun stable, including my new-to-me 9mm range toy. I’m a pretty happy camper.




    Nobody saw this one coming:
    Attached Images Attached Images  
    ”But in the end all of these ideas just manufacture new criminals when the problem isn't a lack of criminals.” -JRB

  2. #2
    Site Supporter
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    Wow, what a find, I don't think I have seen one of those except on GB for some crazy price.
    Enjoy!

  3. #3
    Wow; turning (initial) surprise and potential disappointment into a win!

    Congrats!


    -Rainman

  4. #4
    Site Supporter HeavyDuty's Avatar
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    Not very bright but does lack ambition
    Win!!!
    Ken

    BBI: ...”you better not forget the safe word because shit's about to get weird”...
    revchuck38: ...”mo' ammo is mo' betta' unless you're swimming or on fire.”

  5. #5
    Site Supporter Rex G's Avatar
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    Congratulations! Enjoy!
    Retar’d LE. Kinesthetic dufus.

    Don’t tread on volcanos!

  6. #6
    Revolvers Revolvers 1911s Stephanie B's Avatar
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    Man, that's one of those "LGS didn't know what they had" stories that's akin to seeing a unicorn farting rainbows. Great find and even better luck.
    If we have to march off into the next world, let us walk there on the bodies of our enemies.

  7. #7
    Site Supporter farscott's Avatar
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    Now that is a find. Fits K-frame leather and runs on 9x19. That is a keeper. I have a 3.06" 9x19 SP-101 that went through Marc Morganti's shop and would love a 9x19 Speed-Six. Nice to see a forum member win.

    If you contact RIMZ at https://www.ezmoonclip.com/index.htm they may send you a sample moon clip to try in the Speed-Six.

  8. #8
    Frequent DG Adventurer fatdog's Avatar
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    Lucky man.
    Support the Second Amendment Foundation and the Firearms Policy Coalition, join and give!

  9. #9
    I Demand Pie Lex Luthier's Avatar
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    You thought you bought a two-tone Sunburst and instead it was a '52 Blackguard with perfect frets...

    congrats!
    "If I ever needed to hunt in a tuxedo, then this would be the rifle I'd take." - okie john

    "Not being able to govern events, I govern myself." - Michel De Montaigne

  10. #10
    Site Supporter Totem Polar's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stephanie B View Post
    Man, that's one of those "LGS didn't know what they had" stories that's akin to seeing a unicorn farting rainbows. Great find and even better luck.
    This one borders on comical. For reference, one of the reasons that this place is my hands-down favorite hole-in-the-wall LGS is that there is always some sort of interesting trade in on the shelf. This is the same place that produced the S&W 36-6 that I have, as well as a good deal on the 1911-hipster Rock River Poly that went to a buddy here on this thread. Come to think of it, the original recipe 1990 640 centennial that went to one of our tactical dentists (the one with the wheelgun fetish) popped out of the used gun buddha belly that is this little 3-person store, too. Probably some others.

    On occasion, I consciously let myself get skinned on a trade in against a new gun, because I want to make sure that they stick around. Plus, some other guy gets to have the eyeball pop experience of seeing my old used gun in there for a good price. It’s a pay it forward thing.
    :-)


    As an aside, they also have a Model 19 carry comp in there too, traded by the same guy who had the unobtanium—and unnoticed, evidently—Speed-Six. If I was made of money, I’d get that revolver too, but alas, I’m still on a 2020 instability budget.

    I may still go in and take it in the shorts on a trade against that gun, because, Model 19 carry comp.


    Quote Originally Posted by farscott View Post
    Now that is a find. Fits K-frame leather and runs on 9x19...

    If you contact RIMZ at https://www.ezmoonclip.com/index.htm they may send you a sample moon clip to try in the Speed-Six.
    Thanks for that! I did not know of the poly clips. I have already ordered up a few exemplars from TK custom and Speedbees to see how they treat me. I’ve never owned a moonclip gun, to be honest, and it’s probably about time.

    Incidentally, the trigger guard kydex—being invented well after the Six-series were no longer in production—is for a K-frame, and it snaps on as if the guns were interchangeable. Which makes sense: frames accommodate cylinders and sights; grips and trigger guards accommodate the human hand, which really hasn’t changed a whole lot since the invention of the DA service revovler.
    ”But in the end all of these ideas just manufacture new criminals when the problem isn't a lack of criminals.” -JRB

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