New Play Toy, Did I Do Good?

I went to one of the local gun shows yesterday and made a misteak. I brought home a ANIB speed-six. The only marks that I've found on the revolver are the marks from turning the cylinder. It doesn't even look like it's been fired. And no bluing wear loss either. It also came with the correct box and paperwork. The box is in great shape and unmarked.
Anyway, here's what I found in the Reference of Ruger Firearms. "SS-84L = 156-88929 to 157-16489 (note, this is an overrun from a government contract. Early guns are marked "RUGER MODEL SS84L" on the right side of the frame, and later guns have normal "RUGER SPEED-SIX" rollmark.




It does have the warning and inc. on the barrel and it is also marked RUGER SPEED-SIX on the frame. And the SN fits the range, only about 60 higher than the low number. Am I looking at this right and I just might have found a bit of a rarity? And if you think it is, would it be worth it to get it lettered from Ruger? TIA for any info you can give me.

SCORE!

Depending on what you paid, of course, but in any case, yes, you've found a rarer Speed Six model!
Yes, it would be worth the small fee to get the letter from Ruger.
It does have some collector value (premium) to those few of us who are collecting the Six series double actions.
Most folks would just consider it's utility value at this time - I.E. just a nice 4" .38 special and many would prefer to remove the lanyard ring.
Terry T

You didn't make a mistake, you got a good gun. As Terry T said, it does have collectors value for those of us that collect the Ruger Six series guns. However, if you're not worried about the collector value, shoot it and have fun. I have an SS-82L and a SDA-84L from a contract Ruger had with India, and a SS-84L like yours that was probably from a contract with the US military. My SS-84L came with a correct shoulder holster (never used) that would have been given to aircrew members to carry it.

Picking it up at a gun show, you probably got a very good deal.

Just to pick some nits, "RoninPA", if your 'India Contract" Service Six is in 380 Rim, is it not a SDA-384L?
Terry T

Thanks for the info. What I know about the Six series is that I now have one. I saw it at the gun show and thought it was different from most Rugers that I see. And for the most part, I only look at the Old Model 45's and 22's. I love my single six's in those calibers. After looking the Six over a bit and checking Chad's book for the SN (with out my reading glasses), I thought I saw something in there that this might be worth while. I picked it up for 600, out the door. I get home and can't figure out the model. Is it a SS-84RB, SS-84RBL or a SS-84L? Chad doesn't have the L listed in his options, except in that reference for the overrun. And there's no writing on the box (is that because it's an overrun?). Thanks again for the help and I'll have to get a letter from Ruger. I'll try to remember to get back here again when I get the letter from Ruger.
And Terry, I was looking through some old posts last night on the Speed Six's and saw that you have quite a collection of the Six series. Very nice.

Thanks for the kind words.
I'd say $600 was a very fair price for an unusual one in ANIB w/box condition. You didn't "steal" it but you really didn't over pay at all. Well done!

There are about a half dozen or so of we double action collectors who hang out on this forum. While Chad has done an amazing job of collecting, compiling, and publishing data, we are continuing to find new variations and / or explanations for those variations which we feed back to Chad for his next edition. Sort of like archeology, always digging up something new that no one had seen before or resorting the pile of data and coming up with a different hypothesis.
Terry T

Wisofwas...


Since I was trained to repair these aircrew survival revolvers while in the Army, I've got a bit of kinship with them. This model continues to elude me, and I've been shopping for one for a long time.

Yes, you did well. :mrgreen:

WAYNO.

Terry, you of course are correct it was a typo on my part, I have the SS-382L and the SDA-384L as well as the SDA-84L. I got in a hurry while typing and didn't proof read it as good as I should have. Thanks for keepin me on my toes.

wisofwas, $600 is a good price for this gun in the condition it is in. I've seen them for sale for $700 and up (and the actual selling price was typically well north of that figure.

wizofwas said:

I get home and can't figure out the model. Is it a SS-84RB, SS-84RBL or a SS-84L? Chad doesn't have the L listed in his options, except in that reference for the overrun. And there's no writing on the box (is that because it's an overrun?).

Click to expand...

It is an SS-84L. The SS means blue Speed Six, the 8 is for 38 Special, the 4 for 4" barrel, and the L for Lanyard ring. It is an overrun because it is not stamped "U.S." on the right side of the frame, indicating that it was not delivered to the military. The military guns had a couple variations, those marked "Speed Six" and those marked SS84L. Here is one of the latter:





Interestingly, the above gun was technically also an overrun since it never made it to the military and instead landed in the hands of a Ruger collector with close ties to the factory (not me, I got it from his estate).

The full MIL packaging includes a mylar outer bag that enclosed the box. Alternately, they used a foil-lined paper bag for this.

The "RB" (round butt) designation would not have been used with a Speed Six since all Speed Sixes were round butt. The RB guns were all Security Sixes (normally square butt). There are also some round butt Service Sixes (also normally square butt) but those were shipped as Speed Sixes instead of using the RB designation.

Typical configuration:
Security-Six: Square butt, adjustable sights [RDA, GA]
(Police) Service-Six: Square butt, fixed sights [SDA, GF] *
Speed Six: Round butt, fixed sights [SS, GS]

[blue models, stainless models]

* early SDA models were marked as Security Six

Thanks for the info WMG, I didn't know that all Speed-Six's were Round Butt's. I'm going to have to start looking more into the Six series. The look like they might be fun to start collecting.

I just found a GA-36 in my LGS today. Just a casual look at it and it's in great shape. But then again, I'd think that most of the Stainless models would be, if they were not abused. It does have aftermarket pachmayr stocks on it and no box. Just wondering what the ballpark price should be on one of these. From what I'm seeing in gun broker, they're going for about 400. Is that to much?

I'd say that $400 is a good 'ball park' value. I'd say if you want it, buy it at that price.
Not a 'steal' but not a 'proud' price either.
Terry T

Thanks Terry. You guys have got me looking at the six series now and will probably pick them up as I find them if they are reasonable. Also I'm wondering what the common barrel lengths are in the six series. And I'm sorry if it seems like I'm asking a lot of dumb questions, but I'd rather ask the pro's and be sure than just be guessing. Dang, it looks like Rugeritis is setting in. And if I'm going to be reloading for the 38/357, I might as well start looking for the Blackhawks in those calibers too.

The Six Series double actions come in blued and stainless, fixed sight and adj. sight (Security Six). The fixed sight come in round butt (Speed Six) and square butt (Police Service Six).
The common Cal. are .38 Special (only) and .357 mag. They were also made in 9mm and 380 rim.
The variations and rarity are almost endless and the rarity of cal. vis barrel length vis model takes a small book to explain. :shock:
I'd suggest you get Chad's book.
Terry T

wiz,
Chad's Reference of Ruger Firearms (free when you join the Red Eagle News Exchange or RENE as most call it) is THE bible for Rugers, although even with as extensive as it is, we sometimes find variations that he has not see and cataloged. When that happens we let him know so that a future edition can be updated.

As for the COMMON bbl lengths - 2 3/4, 4, 6. Uncommon (because it came on some specific guns made under contract) is the 3".

Be very, very, careful (said in Elmer Fudd voice), collecting Sixes can become a sickness that rarely is cured :mrgreen:

Oh, and the 5"! :shock:
.38 Spl are uncommon (maybe est. 5%) in the adj. sight models and more common (est. 20% - 25%) in the fixed sight only because of police sales. :shock:
And then there are the 'low back' and 'high back' versions..... If your head is not yet spinning, it soon may be. But then, that's what collecting is all about.
Terry T

I just want to say thanks again for all of the info. As I've said before, I'm brand new with the DA's, let alone with the Six series. I signed up for the RENE news letter about 2 months ago and got Chad's book less than a month ago. It is filled with stuff that does have my poor head spinning. It was because of Chad's book that I even got the Speed Six at the gun show. I thought that it might really be a rarity. At least now I have a better idea of what to look for in the Six series. I sent a request to get it lettered from Ruger last week and we'll see what happens. I'll bring it to the East Coast meet this year to show what I got for you to look at. It's nice to know what barrel lengths are common and that the 357's are more common than the 38 Specials. That isn't in Chad's book. Or at least I didn't find it. And if I'm reading Chad's book right, the Low Back versions are only on the earlier models.

wiz, I'll be at the East Coast gathering, so we can talk DA's while the rest talk SA's

Maybe I'll bring a couple of the one's I've refurbed. I will be bringing have a couple of Rugers that I need to get sighted in that I have had since March that I haven't even shot yet (I know, I know, I'm a bad Ruger parent not getting my kids out to play ).

I got my letter from Ruger yesterday. Boy, was that ever fast. Basically what it said was, Thank you for the $10. (NP) What you have is a Ruger revolver. And it was shipped on May 12, 1981. :roll: And as a free gift, we're inclosing an instruction manual. It was on pretty Ruger stationary and it has a nice gold seal on it. And they did get my name and address right. So either I have a plain Jane revolver or don't waste your money trying to get any info from Ruger on something that might be a rarity. And I'm suspecting the latter. I'm not exactly a cappy hamper.