Ruger Police Service Six grip question

[kemper]

Hey Folks,
New member here with a question.
Just purchased a police service six 357 blued revolver
with a 4" barrel that was manufactured in 1982 according
to the serial number. It came with a set of Pachmayr
Presentation grips. I also have a security six with factory
wood grips. I bought a set of factory square butt grips for the
service six off of ebay assuming the service six was a square butt,
because I thought only the speed six revolvers had round butt frames.
My question is: did ruger make round butt police service six revolvers and
what kind of factory grips do I need for this revolver ?

 

[eveled]

When you take the grips off, what does the frame look like? How does it compare to your Security six? Ed

 

[Terry T]

Photos please!
We have found about a doz. Speed Sixs (round butt) guns that were incorrectly stamped as 'Police Service Six". :shock:
We can tell that they were originally cast as Speed Sixs by the depth of the bottom of the grip. I can provide details if needed.

We have also found a few Service Sixs that folks have ground off the butt into a Speed Six configuration.

Security Six Grips should normally fit a Service Six. However, early (normally ser. no. prefix 150-) have a different grip profile.
Terry T

 

[kemper]

Newbie here
How do I attach pics ?
I have a photobucket account, but having trouble attaching

 

[Terry T]

Put your pointer on the photo (in your library in Photobucket) and click on the 'gear' on the upper right.
Select "get links"
copy the 'IMG codes' (place pointer in the box and select 'copy')

Then come back to your 'reply' on this forum and select 'paste'.

The goal is to copy and paste the IMG codes into your reply which establishes the link.
Hope this helps,
Terry T

 

[kemper]

 

[Terry T]

Please see this thread:

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=62732

" I found that the wide part of the bottom of the butt is consistently 7/32" high on the service six and 9/32" high on the speed sixs (scalloped frame)"

The measurements are the height (thickness) of bottom of the grip frame in the most narrow portion as if you were holding it in your hand.

It appears that your gun is blued. Is it marked "Ruger Police Service Six" on the right side of the frame?
If so, it would be the first and so far only Mis-Marked SS34!!! :shock:
Terry T

 

[kemper]

Please see this thread:

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=62732

" I found that the wide part of the bottom of the butt is consistently 7/32" high on the service six and 9/32" high on the speed sixs (scalloped frame)"

The measurements are the height (thickness) of bottom of the grip frame in the most narrow portion as if you were holding it in your hand.

It appears that your gun is blued. Is it marked "Ruger Police Service Six" on the right side of the frame?
If so, it would be the first and so far only Mis-Marked SS34!!! :shock:
Terry T

Terry, Yes it is marked Ruger Police Service Six
Here is a pic
Any idea as to the value of a mis-marked SS34?
[URL=http://s1349.photobucket.com/u...amper/servicesixmarking_zps9882a41d.jpg[/img][/url]

 

[kemper]

To Terry T.:
Thanks for all your help

I received a message from another Ruger collector that this revolver
may be a model SS-34 or a model SS-34H(Heavy barrel)Speed-Six which was stamped as a Police Service-Six at the factory.

He also said that since there are a lot of mismatched parts combinations on the Six-series revolvers my gun could still letter as a model SDA-34 Police Service-Six and that Regardless, since the frame is a Speed-Six frame which(In my case)would have been mated with a Police Service Six barrel would equal a very collectible six indeed! So either way I can't lose in terms of collectibility!

What are your thoughts and opinions ?

 

[Terry T]

OK! We're on to a special piece here.
1) Same barrels were used on the Speed Sixs and the Police Service Sixs. (Barrels are not marked as Service Six or Speed Six).
2) The frame is cast as one piece - I'll try to put a photo together to show how to measure the grip frame. This is key.
3) You need to pay the $10 to Ruger Records to verify what they show it as.
If the past is any indication, it will letter as a SS-34( Speed Six.) The frame is ser. no. as soon as possible after it is made. The roll marks are added later.
IF it letters as a SDA-34 (Service Six) and IF the grip frame measures the thicker Speed Six - it will be a first. :shock:

Value is a problem. There are only a half doz. of us who are collecting these six series double actions. I would like to add it to my collection and I'd be willing to go $100 over a 'shooter' price in similar condition. Not sure what the others would go. I have 3 Speed Sixs mis-marked as Police Service Six, all stainless.
Two of mine went out to police agencies or police supply gun shops. Do you know any history on this piece?
Terry T

 

[kemper]

OK! We're on to a special piece here.
1) Same barrels were used on the Speed Sixs and the Police Service Sixs. (Barrels are not marked as Service Six or Speed Six).
2) The frame is cast as one piece - I'll try to put a photo together to show how to measure the grip frame. This is key.
3) You need to pay the $10 to Ruger Records to verify what they show it as.
If the past is any indication, it will letter as a SS-34( Speed Six.) The frame is ser. no. as soon as possible after it is made. The roll marks are added later.
IF it letters as a SDA-34 (Service Six) and IF the grip frame measures the thicker Speed Six - it will be a first. :shock:

Value is a problem. There are only a half doz. of us who are collecting these six series double actions. I would like to add it to my collection and I'd be willing to go $100 over a 'shooter' price in similar condition. Not sure what the others would go. I have 3 Speed Sixs mis-marked as Police Service Six, all stainless.
Two of mine went out to police agencies or police supply gun shops. Do you know any history on this piece?
Terry T

I will give the guy I bought the revolver from a call and ask the history.
All I know at this point is that it was purchased from his friends elderly
father here in Central Arkansas area years ago.

 

[Terry T]

Here are some photos of how I measured the grip frames to find that the Speed Six casting is thicker in the base of the grip.
This is the only way to tell if a round butt gun was originally a square butt gun.
(I did this with scalloped framed guns. I have not yet tried it with the non-scalloped frame).

So far we've found one of two situations:

1) A round butt (normally a Speed Six) frame mis-marked as a 'Police Service Six' (normally a square butt).
2) A 'home made' round butt where a square butt frame was ground off to the round butt configuration. This will have the thinner grip bottom. :shock:


Where I found the difference:


Round butt (Speed Six)



Square butt (Service Six, Security Six)



So far, we've identified close to a doz. mis-marked frames. They 'letter' as round butt Speed Sixs (SS- or GS-) but are stamped 'Police Service Six'.

The original speculation was that these guns were originally square butt guns that had their butts ground to round butt configuration by the Ruger factory to fullfill some police contracts requiring round butts when the supply of round butt frames was exhausted toward the end of the Six Series double action production.
I think this is incorrect as the above measurements prove.

However, one can not be sure on any particular gun without measuring.

I suggest you edit the title on this thread to "Found: SS-34 mis-marked as Service Six".

Terry T

 

[eveled]

Nice find Kemper! I bet you are tickled pink! Ed

 

[kemper]

Thanks.
Yes Very Happy

 

[Terry T]

I added a thread in the Ruger collecting section linking back to this thread.
Terry T