black029
Single-Sixer
Does anyone have any hard/soft knowledge as to why Ruger never chambered the Security Six in .22 to compete with the S&W 17 and 18? Seems odd especially for a company that only built .22s at first.
Security Six rimfires
- Thread starter black029
- Start date
Soft knowledge would be the Six series revolvers were designed from the beginning to be center fire revolvers and Ruger wanted to get into the law enforcement market. Ruger already had the popular SA and semi auto .22's so probably did not see a need to compete with S&W in the DA .22 market.
There probably is corporate knowledge somewhere about this but those involved are probably either pretty old or gone. BUT, with Ruger, you NEVER SAY NEVER. There may be notes somewhere, but remember that was well before everything was saved on computers and the World Wide Web and people know that early record/note keeping in the company could be lacking.
There probably is corporate knowledge somewhere about this but those involved are probably either pretty old or gone. BUT, with Ruger, you NEVER SAY NEVER. There may be notes somewhere, but remember that was well before everything was saved on computers and the World Wide Web and people know that early record/note keeping in the company could be lacking.
You had to go custom if you wanted a .22 LR on a /Six frame.
Terry
Terry
Ruger's preliminary plan in 1969 was to offer them in .22 LR. This is a letter sent to dealers before they even settled on a name for the guns.
Note that there was also no mention of the 2.75" barrel guns, and the walnut grips were noted as uncheckered. Also interesting is that they planned for stainless guns right from the start, but all the very earliest guns were blue.
By the time the 1970 dealer price sheet came out, they picked the name Security Six and noted the 2.75" barrel and the walnut grips as checkered. But no more .22 caliber option:
Original frame (low back) fixed sight, square butt guns were also known as Security Six. The Police Service Six name was not in use until the modified frame (high back) that started trickling out in the upper 150- prefix but is typically thought of as 151- and above.
By 1973, they were advertising the stainless guns, along with the blued round butt Speed Six, and the 6" barrel was only cataloged in .357 Mag:
Note that there was also no mention of the 2.75" barrel guns, and the walnut grips were noted as uncheckered. Also interesting is that they planned for stainless guns right from the start, but all the very earliest guns were blue.
By the time the 1970 dealer price sheet came out, they picked the name Security Six and noted the 2.75" barrel and the walnut grips as checkered. But no more .22 caliber option:
Original frame (low back) fixed sight, square butt guns were also known as Security Six. The Police Service Six name was not in use until the modified frame (high back) that started trickling out in the upper 150- prefix but is typically thought of as 151- and above.
By 1973, they were advertising the stainless guns, along with the blued round butt Speed Six, and the 6" barrel was only cataloged in .357 Mag:
Excellent info Bob! Thanks very much for sharing all that.
This is why the low back stainless guns are so dang hard to find!
This is why the low back stainless guns are so dang hard to find!
hittman said:
Yes, and fixed sight stainless low back guns may not exist. I have low back stainless adjustable sight Security Sixes in all 3 barrel lengths (the 6" is very rare and mine is a 151 prefix, I believe there is only one other known). Although the GF fixed sight guns (square butt, later called Police Service Sixes) are listed on that price sheet, I have never seen one. And I firmly believe there were no low back stainless Speed Sixes.
My lowest number stainless gun is 150-55xxx and it was shipped twice, once in 1975 and again in 2009. Somewhere in there, it got a high polish finish done to it and when shipped out in the warehouse cleanout of 2009, it had a barcode label partially obscuring a hand-written "High Polish" on the end of a 1990's style yellow box. I suspect it was returned for some reason (possibly a gunwriter's demo or salesman sample) sat around possibly for years and was then used as a test subject for the high gloss stainless finish first introduced on the Vaqueros and later on other models. Although shipped twice, it does not have a "S" (Second) serial number. It is a GA-32 Security Six with 2.75" barrel.
In general, the high back blue guns started to appear in the upper end of the 150 prefix and the low back stainless guns continued a ways into the 151 prefix. I don't believe I have seen a low back blue gun with a 151 prefix. In general, the low back stainless guns petered out in the 151-0xxxx range, my lowest high back stainless is 151-12xxx, but the 6" low back is a very odd duck at 151-26xxx, so I suspect Ruger turned up a few unused stainless low back frames at that time and happened to put 6" tubes on them.
My lowest number (and ONLY) low back stainless is 150-953xx, 4-inch Security Six, adjustable sites, box, shipper, etc.
Once upon a time I had a 150-999xx serial Speed Six that was NOT low back. It was a 4 inch blued gun; and shooter grade. I bought it sight-unseen and was warned the grips were in poor shape. So, I found a very nice set of LOW back round butt grips ….. only to take delivery of the gun and it was the newer grip frame. No worries though, I’m hanging onto those grips just in case LOL.
I’ve never
run across any 6-inch low back for sale even though I’m always on the look-out.
Once upon a time I had a 150-999xx serial Speed Six that was NOT low back. It was a 4 inch blued gun; and shooter grade. I bought it sight-unseen and was warned the grips were in poor shape. So, I found a very nice set of LOW back round butt grips ….. only to take delivery of the gun and it was the newer grip frame. No worries though, I’m hanging onto those grips just in case LOL.
I’ve never
run across any 6-inch low back for sale even though I’m always on the look-out.
