Six Series Low Back & High Back frame

Here are a few pictures of the Six series Low Back and High Back frames. I'm working on a "tutorial" to give the dimensions and such and in the future will add frames like from the Speed Six and variations that us Six series collectors have found.

Low Back on Left, High Back on Right

Great idea Ron. Here's a poor pic with the grips on.

When trying to explain the difference to people just learning, I point out that the LOW back shows more of the hammer, has a more pronounced point at the bottom of the frame and that mild "hump" on the back strap of the grip.

Maybe the easiest way to see the difference is that the low back grips have a rounded top and the high back grips have that "point" kinda like a S&W magna grip.

Glad to see this, I just picked up a Service Six in SS with the 'high back'. It's been interesting learning about the different variations of the Six series.
Best,
Rob

Ron,

Very nice resource!

Thank you!

Excellent info here. Often,, these guns are overlooked by many. They don't have the same appeal to collectors as the SA guns. But the DA series has some truly rare & unique guns,, that are very desirable to collectors AND shooters.
Keep it coming Ron!

Thank you Ron.

When I showed my new Security Six last year, you described the differences, but the pics offer up an excellent explanation.

Aqualung

Great tutorial with pictures. Thanks, Ron.

We were issued stainless 4" Speed Six`s at work about in the 1970`s. They had the rounded butt and I think the low back grip?? They felt great in the hand to me.

Excellent job Ron.

Thanks, Ron.

When the Security Sixes hit my local shop all those years ago, I bought one . . . the original low back variety. It was the best shooting DA revolver I had ever shot, bar none. Fit my hand perfectly, rather close to the feel of the Ruger XR3-RED frame . . . IMHO.

For whatever reason, I traded it off, only to recognize my mistake some time later. I bought the current-at-the-time version, high back. Not even close to the feel of the original low back. Never worked as well for me. Still have it, but haven't shot it for years.

Again IMHO, the change in the grip profile was not a good idea, but apparently enough folks like it that it became a good seller for Ruger. Ya just never know. :?

The grips are definitely the quick way to tell. Low back is symmetrical and the high back is swept up at the top. Newer high back was a big improvement for me.

Thanks Ron. You showed the difference between the 2 very well. What are the years of "Low Backs?" I guess shooters complaining about recoil caused Ruger to change design?

Dave the 150- prefix guns were the low backs (with some exceptions, I have a 150- with a high back frame and I have a 151- with a low back frame) 150- was from 1970 (inception) to 1974 (transition to high back) according to Chads Reference of Ruger Firearms, Volume Two

The most common theory was that many people (including police officers) just didn't care for the "feel" of the grip so Ruger made the change around the time they were really going after the law enforcement market.

Personally, I didn't care for the low back grip, it seemed to make me hold lower so the felt recoil seemed to be more. My first handgun I ever bought (as an A1C in the USAF) was in 1973, a low back Security Six, 6" .357 mag. I found a place that had some Herret Shooting Star grips for it and those changed my grip placement and it was then great to shoot. I kept that gun until 1989 when I sold it (stupid me ) to buy my first GP100.

I have a 150-99xxx 4 inch blued Speed Six with the HIGH back grip frame.

Not rare but an odd duck. Most people think of snub nose when they think of Speed Six. That and the 150- s/n HIGH back.