Police Service Six in 9mm?

[Hankus]

I was "surfing" on GB this morning, thinking about a 9mm SP101 and ran across this. This is the first time I've ever heard of one of these. Does anyone know the provenance/history behind this? Was it a European contract??

Ruger Police Service Six 9mm - Revolvers at GunBroker.com : 981632602

Buy Ruger Police Service Six 9mm: GunBroker is the largest seller of Revolvers Pistols Guns & Firearms All: 981632602

www.gunbroker.com

 

[hittman]

For that price you should get a pair of them.

 

[contender]

Not a European contract,, and they were a cataloged item. Just not often seen, and sought after by DA collectors. There were (2) basic models; SDA-92 & SDA-94.

 

[hittman]

To me the really desirable 9mm Six Series is the Speed Six.

 

[Hankus]

For that price you should get a pair of them.

I'm certainly not interested. I'm on the hunt for a 5032 Redhawk.45ACP/.45LC. I won't pay what they're going for on GB so I'm prowling the local shops and shows. I'll find one eventually! I need to build my gun fund back up anyway.

 

[MinorLV]

They also made a GF 92.

 

[Stantheman1986]

Probably offered for people who wanted a companion DA revolver for a 9mm autoloader or for buyers who preferred 9mm

Back when .38 and .357 was cheap and available, I'd imagine a 9mm revolver wouldn't be as popular plus people don't like fiddling with loading and unloading mom clips

The clip-less S&W 9mm k-frame was made for a French police contract

 

[weaselmeatgravy]

The SDA94 was indeed cataloged from 1976 to 1984 but I'm not sure how many made it out into U.S. retail channels. I believe most were made for a foreign contract. They are fairly scarce. The seller in that ad is an importer so that gun will likely have his import mark under the barrel. I interacted with him before on other guns and when I saw that Service Six ad a couple months ago, I made an inquiry but go no reply.

Here is a "U" example:

I've never seen nor heard of a SDA92, nor was it cataloged. That doesn't necessarily mean there weren't a few made.

The 9mm Speed Sixes were made in both blue and stainless with the 2.75" barrel and at least the blue one was made in the 4". I've never seen a stainless 9mm Speed Six with the 4" tube, but there could be a few.

 

[weaselmeatgravy]

They also made a GF 92.

Yes they did! With both recoil shield configurations.

The GF92 was never cataloged.

 

[contender]

WMB is mostly correct. (Of course he knows a LOT more about the DA line than I do.)

In the RENE Guide,, second part, with the DA lines. Page 6, LONG paragraph, right hand side of the page, 11 lines up from the bottom,, it lists;
SDA-92 low s/n 157-25949, SDA-94= 161-05384.

I ASSUMED it meant that SOME were made. I did NOT do a detailed search,, and was mostly speed reading,, so I assumed some were made & such.

But I defer to Ron , WMG, & Terry when it comes to info on these FINE DA handguns.

 

[Hankus]

Well this one sold for $1199.99. Too rich for my blood right now.

 

[RoninPA]

I happen to have a SS-94 (s/n 157-0738x) and a GS-92, would love to find a GS-94, SS-92, or any of the PSS's in 9mm (at a decent price )

 

[Ruger00fan]

Well this one sold for $1199.99. Too rich for my blood right now.

My problem is I want one, just don't $1200 want one.

 

[weaselmeatgravy]

Like I said, the SDA92 was not cataloged but that doesn't mean there were not a few made. I haven't seen one.

I didn't look in the RENE Ref before, so it is good to know there were a few made. The Ref also lists SDA92 159-85680 as having been given the round butt treatment to fulfill a Speed Six order.

I'm guessing this post brought the SDA94 on GB to the buyer's attention since the bid was entered less than an hour after the OP. It had been for sale for a while, closing with no action, and kept getting re-listed. It may also be that the imported has/had more than one. I had asked him what country he re-imported it from and whether there were any foreign proof marks, but I got no response.

 

[weaselmeatgravy]

Another interesting tidbit is that there were apparently some SDA94H (Heavy Barrel) guns made. I forget who had one, maybe TAW, but I saved this box picture in 2007:

 

[Hankus]

"I'm guessing this post brought the SDA94 on GB to the buyer's attention since the bid was entered less than an hour after the OP".

That was my intention. I thought that someone here might be interested. I'm glad it found a worthy home!

 

[RoninPA]

My problem is I want one, just don't $1200 want one.

My sentiments also, would love to have one but even as rare as it might be that price is a bit out of my reach right now since the OGCA show is 11 days away.

 

[Stantheman1986]

Just thinking out loud.......I can't imagine moon clips would be popular with a police force, unless they kept them in speedloader pouches. They're relatively flimsy and easy to bend, plus they usually need a tool to load and unload which would mean they'd have to load up bunches of half moons for range quals.

If you were in a long gunfight with a 9mm Service Six and ran out of clipped ammo, you'd have to shoot unclipped 9mm and pick spent shells out with your fingers to reload. Vs a .38 or .357 where you could just pull a box of .38 out of your Patrol cars glove box and keep shooting

I love .45 ACP and 9mm revolvers and own several, I've even got a .40 Rhino but outside of the 1917 S&W and Colt which was a necessary substitute standard, I can't imagine any military or police agency choosing clipped 9mm revolvers for duty use vs just staying with .38's. Unless there was some over riding supply issue or that particular nation had tons of 9mm in storage and was giving it away to police and Govt agencies who for some reason had to use revolvers.

9mm full size revolvers for European police use are always a conundrum, because you would wonder why said agency wouldn't opt for an autoloader .....or if they preferred revolvers then why not .38? It's always interesting

9mm SP101s in the 90s made sense in America and also for Foreign police because a snub in 9mm seems more feasible as a backup or off duty carry that can share Duty ammo with a 9mm pistol. Or for European plain clothes and detectives who found a 9mm snub easier to carry before compact 9mm pistols were widely available

 

[Stantheman1986]

The 9mm SP101 does the job , I plan to use it for some Practical Handgun matches . 4 loaded clips fit nicely in a Blackhawk speedloader pouch

The Winchester Range/ Target is nicely warm and accurate.

The 5-shot clips load a little easier than 6-shot clips in my experience. I can reload the gun while still looking at the target

You just have to be careful not to step on your clips on the ground. I don't have a "clip straightener "

Still, if .38 were 70-80 bucks per 200 rounds I'd be using my .38 SP101 and Safariland speedloaders . I enjoy the 9mm SP101 simply because I can drop $80 for a decent couple hours of trigger time , or $60 if I'm lucky vs double that for .38

 

[contender]

I think the initial reason there were 9mm revolvers,, were to be used as a "back-up gun" for many LEO's. Of course,, that was when many police dept's were still using revolvers,, OR,, were in the process of switching to 9mm semi's, and a LEO wanted a "reliable revolver" that shot his/her issue duty ammo.