Alabama Sheriff Speed Six

[rugerstainless]

Hi Guys,

Anyone ever hear of one of these? Here is the story that I have uncovered from finding some documents as I was listing this over on Gun Broker. As you may know from my prior posts, this is one of the DK Hummel guns.

The gun is a beautiful unfired Ruger Security Six GA-34HT 4"bbl in .357mag. This was a 1 of 200 gun made for the Alabama Sheriffs Association and is stamped with the Alabama Sherriff's Seal. This gun was only available to members of the association who were hired personnel of the Sheriff's Dept. This gun features a brush satin finish. The backstrap is stamped "Alabama Sheriff's Association 1984". and the revolver number is etched on the top strap (#115 in this case). The gun is factory fitted with Goncalo Alves Grips. Interestingly the factory wording on the right side of the frame was moved to the barrel for this run, a first for Ruger. This gun comes in a lined presentation hand made cherry wood box. I have the original sales solicitation letter from the Association, an advertising card and the "Departmental Ultimate Use Letter" which states that the firearm was to be used for police work. My grandfather signed this (as a police officer in PA) and it was approved by the Sheriff and countersigned. Interestingly this gun was sold to a non-Alabama Sheriff employee!

Here is where it gets even stranger:The Reference of Ruger Firearms lists this as 200 produced. The letter I have from the Sheriff's Assn. says 500 produced. In any event, the Chet's book only lists one known serial number and that is this gun. Now, did D.K. make a typo and the typo was picked up by Chet and adopted in the book or were only 200 really produced? Is this the only one to make it in a collection?

Note, this is not the Alabama State Trooper gun.

 

[rugerstainless]

I know this thread is no good without pics....I'll be photobucketing them over soon.....

 

[Terry T]

Very cool.

"Interestingly the factory wording on the right side of the frame was moved to the barrel for this run, a first for Ruger."

Actually, the absence of the normal "Ruger Security Six" on the right side of the frame and the addition of a fat letter "RUGER" on the right side of the barrel appears to have begun with the FBI Academy 50th anniversary commerative. The Serial Number on my FBI gun is almost 3K lower than this piece. :shock:

It would appear that Ruger hit on a 'blank canvas' pattern that was then used for several different commeratives. :shock: The plot thickens.
Terry T

 

[rugerstainless]

Terry,

Your quoted language comes straight off the letter that was sent from the Sheriffs association to members......

 

[Terry T]

Jonathan,
Yes, I see that.
And, at the same time, there is also no question that my FBI's ser. no. is 3K less than your Alabama piece and my 'blank canvas' 6" is about 13K higher than your Alabama piece.
I think we may have a 'chicken & egg' issue going on - which came first?

We could speculate that an engraver or provider of commerative firearms approached Ruger with the proposal for the special pre-engraved 'blank canvas' that lacked the normal 'Ruger Security Six' on the right side of the frame and added the new, soon to be used on the about to be released GP-100, fat letter 'RUGER' on the right side of the barrel.
We could then further speculate that this re-seller than began hawking proposals to various police groups for commerative Rugers. Who bit first is unknown. It could very well be that the Alabama Sheriff's Assoc. were the first to order these and the FBI Academy followed.
Then, having secured the order(s), this provider began receiving these special 'blank canvas' guns from Ruger over a period of several months allowing for an intermingling of serial numbers between the two commerative issues. :shock:

Both commeratives are remarkably similar. The Alabama has the 4" barrel while the FBI has the 6" barrel but the lettering on the back strap is the same format / font. Both have the seal on the right side of the frame and special markings on the top strap.

Or, as we say in the West when telling stories, "If it's not true, It ought to be!" :shock:
Terry T

 

[RoninPA]

Terry,
The SA guys always talk about their mysterious guns. Looks like us DA guys have a few of them also.

 

[chet15]

Hi Guys,

Anyone ever hear of one of these? Here is the story that I have uncovered from finding some documents as I was listing this over on Gun Broker. As you may know from my prior posts, this is one of the DK Hummel guns.

The gun is a beautiful unfired Ruger Security Six GA-34HT 4"bbl in .357mag. This was a 1 of 200 gun made for the Alabama Sheriffs Association and is stamped with the Alabama Sherriff's Seal. This gun was only available to members of the association who were hired personnel of the Sheriff's Dept. This gun features a brush satin finish. The backstrap is stamped "Alabama Sheriff's Association 1984". and the revolver number is etched on the top strap (#115 in this case). The gun is factory fitted with Goncalo Alves Grips. Interestingly the factory wording on the right side of the frame was moved to the barrel for this run, a first for Ruger. This gun comes in a lined presentation hand made cherry wood box. I have the original sales solicitation letter from the Association, an advertising card and the "Departmental Ultimate Use Letter" which states that the firearm was to be used for police work. My grandfather signed this (as a police officer in PA) and it was approved by the Sheriff and countersigned. Interestingly this gun was sold to a non-Alabama Sheriff employee!

Here is where it gets even stranger:The Reference of Ruger Firearms lists this as 200 produced. The letter I have from the Sheriff's Assn. says 500 produced. In any event, the Chet's book only lists one known serial number and that is this gun. Now, did D.K. make a typo and the typo was picked up by Chet and adopted in the book or were only 200 really produced? Is this the only one to make it in a collection?

Note, this is not the Alabama State Trooper gun.

The quantity produced may have come out of the RCA Journal article by Don Jones in the early '80's. Will have to check on that.
A question for you though...was the letter that comes with the gun printed before or after the Alabama guns were made? They could have wanted to do 500, but if the orders never came through, maybe they only did 200?
Chet15