Ruger Security-Six .357 Magnum Revolver
- The Ruger Security-Six double-action revolver is the result of imaginative designing and modern production techniques. This solid-frame handgun with side-swing cylinder and simultaneous ejection.
- Ruger security six 357 magnum stainless trigger hammer and internal parts set winner pays shipping paypal accepted please watch my auction i will be listing more vintage gun parts in the very near future. Please consult an experienced gunsmith when using parts to insure proper use.
- Ruger Security Six Rubber Monogrip Black. Regular Price: $29.95. Special Price $26.96. Sku: 87100 Ruger Security Six Nylon Monogrip Black. Regular Price: $29.95. Special Price $26.96. Sku: 87200 Security Six Goncalo. Regular Price: $79.95.
By David Tong
As with all Ruger firearms, the mainspring on the Security-Six is a coil spring, instead of the then-common leaf spring. Coil springs are used throughout virtually all of Ruger’s guns, save the. At its introduction, the Colt Trooper was sold for $161, while the Smith M19 went for $143 and the Ruger retailed for $121. Thirty years on and a good used Security Six can be had in the lower $300 price range.
Sturm, Ruger & Co. hasalways been a bit of a dichotomy of a gun company. They use the most modern ofmanufacturing methods, that of precision investment casting, much as would ajeweler or dental lab, to provide a near-final-sized raw part which thusrequires a minimum of machining to become a completed arm. While doing sohowever, they have embraced neo-classic aesthetics in their arms; examplesinclude the their Blackhawk single-action revolvers, the M77 bolt action andNo. 1 fallling block sporting rifles and the Gold Label side-by-side shotguns.
In the early 1970s, whenthe double-action revolver was still the preference of most US law enforcementagencies, Ruger did not have a weapon to compete for this market, nor forcivilian home protection users. They rectified this in 1972 with theintroduction of the Security Six and Speed Six revolvers, building both of regularblued, carbon steel as well as their proprietary Terhune stainless steel.Security Sixes were generally .357s and had adjustable rear sights, while SpeedSixes were fixed sight guns that were made primarily in .357, but also in .38S&W Special and 9mm Luger.
Ruger Security Six Takedown
Both were so-called“medium-frame” revolvers, in much the same vein as a Smith & WessonK-frame, or the Colt D-frame, exemplified by the Diamondback. However, theRuger engineers took a good look at the competition’s designs and followedanother path to ensure the new gun’s durability.
First, the engineers bulkedup key frame dimensions, including the height of the frame, the thickness ofthe top strap and barrel shank support and the cylinder diameter. They also offsetthe locking bolt notches on the cylinder to provide added strength to thatmost-thin area of each chamber.
Ruger 357 Security Six Magnum Revolver
They comprehensively lookedat the sometimes fragile and hand fitted lockwork of these designs, and inusual Ruger fashion, over-engineered all the working parts. If one were to do acomparison detail strip of a Smith, Colt and the Ruger, one would see that piecessuch as the cylinder locking bolt, the hand, the size of the double andsingle-action sears on the hammer, one would see that the Ruger pieces arequite a bit larger.
In addition, the Rugerfolks incorporated a transfer bar firing system. While both S&W and Colt usedrebounding hammers to provide a drop safety scheme and S&W had added thesliding hammer block in 1943 to WWII production “Victory Models” andsubsequently carried this change into civilian production post-war, Ruger feltthat the use of a rising 'transfer bar' of steel interposed betweenthe flat-faced hammer and the frame-mounted firing pin was even safer. Onlywhen the trigger was fully-depressed in a firing stroke would the transfer barrise and allow hammer to strike it and “transfer” that impact to the rear ofthe firing pin, discharging the chambered round.
Ruger arms are also made ofvery good, fully heat treated steels. This means long component life. The frameitself dispensed with the usual side-plate design and the piece is easily“field-stripped” for detail cleaning of the lockwork.
The downside to thisshooter is that the double-action stroke is problematic. Colt’s hand fittingand S&W’s selective-assembly methods meant that revolvers were fitted to thedimensional accuracy of the trigger and hammer pin locations on the frame.While this added to the cost of production, it means that the finished armgenerally needs no trigger action job to make the stroke smooth from front toback.
The Ruger has notableglitches in its DA pull. While I admire the way their engineers over-built therevolver’s internals, and knowing that they were attempting to bulldoze theirway into the marketplace via cost competitiveness by eliminating hand work, inmy opinion the Security Six is a “single-action revolver capable ofdouble-action firing.” Generally, the single-action pull is nothing to writehome about either, usually at least four pounds with some creep, compared tothe 2-3 pound triggers standard on period Colts or Smiths.
Ruger Security Six Schematics
However, most shooters werewilling to accept this for the strength and price paid. At its introduction,the Colt Trooper was sold for $161, while the Smith M19 went for $143 and theRuger retailed for $121.
Thirty years on and a good usedSecurity Six can be had in the lower $300 price range. I’ve fitted mine withthe “Reduced” weight spring package from Wolff Springs, yet the DA pull must stillbe at least 14 pounds, with the aforementioned glitches. A prior owner hadtaken the factory walnut “target” stocks and cut finger-grooves into theirfront and reduced their overall girth, making them suitable for smaller hands,but very slippery with the not-inconsiderable recoil of a full-house .357round. I will probably have to fit other stocks affording me a more secure grip,as it squirms beyond my ability to hold it consistently.
Ruger chambers are usuallya bit oversized, easing extraction when dirty, if compromising case lifesomewhat. They are also usually razor-edged at the rear of the cylinder,requiring a light chamfer to ease the use of speedloaders.
However, and this is thereal reason why these guns are a solid buy, they will simply out last any otherDA revolver over thousands of Magnum rounds. (With the exception, of course, ofRuger’s follow-on piece, the GP-100.) If one bought a Security Six, one couldexpect a lifetime of full use and still be able to hand it to one’s childrenwith nary a problem. I once knew of an indoor range that had one as a rentalgun and it digested, by their estimate, some 1,400,000 rounds with no partsbreakages and minimal maintenance. That is the essence of a good deal!
NOTE: This review is mirrored on the Product Reviews page.