Ruger Police Service Six round butt?

Blackwood · August 20, 2013, 12:34 PM

A few years ago I was looking for a reliable .357 mag. Revolver in a managable size. A local gun shop had a second-hand 2 3/4 Ruger Police Service Six in stainless steel. It was like new and I bought it for 250 €. A while later I found in the Internet, that the grip of all pictured Ruger Police Service Six look different to that of mine. The grip was called round butt and it should be a Speed Six grip. The serial number shows 1985 as year of production. I heard that Ruger took Speed Six frames if they had not enough Police Service Six frames for large orders from Police departments and marked this frames with Police Service Six. Could that be possible? If yes, which department could have ordered this Revolver?

boa2 · August 20, 2013, 03:08 PM

It is known that Ruger had misstamped some Speed-Six frames as Police Service-Sixes. In fact on the Rugerforum.net there was one member who had the same Speed-Six as yours with the misstamped Police Service-Six frame designation. It is also possible that to fulfill police contracts that Ruger had mistamped these Speed-Six frames as Police Service-Sixes. In mint condition Speed-Sixes like this are collectible!

smee78 · August 20, 2013, 03:45 PM

With Ruger, never say never, they will prove you wrong every time.

Webleymkv · August 20, 2013, 04:02 PM

If I remember correctly, I believe that Ruger offered the Service Six for a short time with both round and square butt frames before the introduction of the Speed Six. Perhaps yours is simply an early gun that predates the Speed Six designation.

tekarra · August 20, 2013, 04:55 PM

"With Ruger, never say never,..." How true. Those round butt Sixes sure are nice revolvers.

Deaf Smith · August 20, 2013, 09:30 PM

Someone could have had a smith change it to RB configuration.

It is not hard.

Notice my Security Six has a RB configuration. I HAD THAT DONE (and Eagle Secret Service stocks added.)

Deaf

Blackwood · August 21, 2013, 01:55 PM

Thanks for your help. If collectible or not, I like this Revolver

its a fine weapon.

Madcap_Magician · August 22, 2013, 09:49 AM

If I recall correctly the Six model frame change only affected guns with serial numbers starting with 151- and under.

boa2 · August 22, 2013, 10:05 AM

Blackwood: Take the grips off of your Police Service Six and measure the thickness of the base of the grip frame vertically and if it measures 3/8" then you have a Speed-Six frame misstamped as a Police Service Six. The square butt Police Service Six and the Security-Six frame will measure 1/8" less.

Also, your Police Service Six was made in 1985 which is close to the last year of production for both the Police Service Six and the Speed Six which was 1988. So it is not an early gun.

Blackwood · August 22, 2013, 12:06 PM

Hi boa2, if I measure the thickness I see ~9,5 mm that is 3/8" I believe.

boa2 · August 22, 2013, 10:05 PM

Blackwood:

There is no doubt about it. You have a Speed-Six that had been misstamped at the factory as a Police Service Six. I have seen two more of these recently and one of the owners had requested a letter from Ruger which had verified that his revolver was a Speed-Six misstamped as a Police Service Six identical to your gun. These Speed-Sixes are collectible.

Blackwood · August 26, 2013, 01:14 PM

Thanks boa2, good to know. I wonder how this Ruger found its way to Mannheim.

boa2 · August 27, 2013, 12:58 PM

Your gun could have been shipped to Germany or else carried in by a prior owner etc.? Ruger also had several special contracts around the World for their "Six series" revolvers.

I recently heard of a long time Ruger collector having already collected 12 Speed-Sixes that were misstamped "Police Service-Six" like yours over the years!

August 20, 2013, 03:45 PM	#3
smee78 Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 2,918	With Ruger, never say never, they will prove you wrong every time. __________________ We know exactly where one cow with Mad-cow-disease is located, among the millions and millions of cows in America, but we haven't got a clue where thousands of illegal immigrants and terrorists are

August 20, 2013, 09:30 PM	#6
Deaf Smith Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2000 Location: Texican! Posts: 4,453	Someone could have had a smith change it to RB configuration. It is not hard. Notice my Security Six has a RB configuration. I HAD THAT DONE (and Eagle Secret Service stocks added.) Deaf __________________ “To you who call yourselves ‘men of peace,’ I say, you are not safe without men of action by your side” Thucydides

August 21, 2013, 01:55 PM	#7
Blackwood Member Join Date: May 7, 2013 Location: Germany, near Karlsruhe Posts: 23	Thanks for your help. If collectible or not, I like this Revolver its a fine weapon. __________________ μολὼν λαβέ

August 22, 2013, 10:05 AM	#9
boa2 Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2004 Posts: 794	Blackwood: Take the grips off of your Police Service Six and measure the thickness of the base of the grip frame vertically and if it measures 3/8" then you have a Speed-Six frame misstamped as a Police Service Six. The square butt Police Service Six and the Security-Six frame will measure 1/8" less. Also, your Police Service Six was made in 1985 which is close to the last year of production for both the Police Service Six and the Speed Six which was 1988. So it is not an early gun. Last edited by boa2; August 22, 2013 at 10:19 AM.

August 26, 2013, 01:14 PM	#12
Blackwood Member Join Date: May 7, 2013 Location: Germany, near Karlsruhe Posts: 23	Thanks boa2, good to know. I wonder how this Ruger found its way to Mannheim. __________________ μολὼν λαβέ

August 20, 2013, 03:08 PM	#2
boa2 Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2004 Posts: 794	It is known that Ruger had misstamped some Speed-Six frames as Police Service-Sixes. In fact on the Rugerforum.net there was one member who had the same Speed-Six as yours with the misstamped Police Service-Six frame designation. It is also possible that to fulfill police contracts that Ruger had mistamped these Speed-Six frames as Police Service-Sixes. In mint condition Speed-Sixes like this are collectible!

August 20, 2013, 04:02 PM	#4
Webleymkv Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 10,446	If I remember correctly, I believe that Ruger offered the Service Six for a short time with both round and square butt frames before the introduction of the Speed Six. Perhaps yours is simply an early gun that predates the Speed Six designation.

August 20, 2013, 04:55 PM	#5
tekarra Senior Member Join Date: May 26, 2007 Posts: 1,164	"With Ruger, never say never,..." How true. Those round butt Sixes sure are nice revolvers.

August 22, 2013, 09:49 AM	#8
Madcap_Magician Senior Member Join Date: August 13, 2009 Location: MN Posts: 668	If I recall correctly the Six model frame change only affected guns with serial numbers starting with 151- and under.

August 22, 2013, 10:05 PM	#11
boa2 Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2004 Posts: 794	Blackwood: There is no doubt about it. You have a Speed-Six that had been misstamped at the factory as a Police Service Six. I have seen two more of these recently and one of the owners had requested a letter from Ruger which had verified that his revolver was a Speed-Six misstamped as a Police Service Six identical to your gun. These Speed-Sixes are collectible.

August 27, 2013, 12:58 PM	#13
boa2 Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2004 Posts: 794	Your gun could have been shipped to Germany or else carried in by a prior owner etc.? Ruger also had several special contracts around the World for their "Six series" revolvers. I recently heard of a long time Ruger collector having already collected 12 Speed-Sixes that were misstamped "Police Service-Six" like yours over the years!