I have recently experienced a population explosion in my revolver department, and now have both a Security-Six and a Smith & Wesson 19-4. Both are 4 inch blued models.
It's interesting to compare the two guns, both as to how they are made, and also how they handle at the range.
The thing I find most fascinating is how Bill Ruger approached making a revolver vs. how Smith and Colt had been doing it for almost 100 years. Smiths and Colts back in the 1970's and 80's were still works of art. Beautifully blued, lots of hand fitting, actions that worked like Swiss watches. A Ruger revolver from that era looks really nice from five feet away, up close it's a bit of a different story. The fit and finish does not look cheap-no, not even close- but is nowhere near that of the Smiths and Colts.
The difference really begins, though, when you start taking the Ruger apart. Grab a dime, or a rimmed cartridge case, unscrew the grips, and in less than a minute the Ruger is apart. Without any tools whatsoever. A couple more minutes, and again no tools, and it's back together.
Try that with your Smith & Wesson revolver.
At the range, both the S-S and the 19 work. Really well. The 19 has a better trigger, both double and single action. The S-S is not all that far behind, though. In fact, the single action trigger is pretty close to the one on the 19.
Both guns are tight and rattle free. The sights, both front and rear, are very similar.
Accuracy? I can't tell the difference. I've had a couple of really good shooters shoot both of them on paper, and they shot both guns pretty much equally well, printing nice little cloverleaf groups.
You can buy really nice Ruger Security-Sixes for around $400-450 on Gunbroker. They are reputed to be very durable guns that will withstand a steady diet of .357 magnum ammo for many years.
The Smith & Wesson Model 19 is a prettier gun (at least when it comes to craftsmanship and fit and finish), and they seem to sell for $700 and up on Gunbroker. They tend to have triggers that are a bit nicer than on the Ruger. They also come with a caveat that they're not made to shoot a steady diet of stout .357 loads. They're really a .38 special revolver with the ability to occasionally shoot .357.
I'm glad I have the opportunity to own and shoot both.
It's interesting to compare the two guns, both as to how they are made, and also how they handle at the range.
The thing I find most fascinating is how Bill Ruger approached making a revolver vs. how Smith and Colt had been doing it for almost 100 years. Smiths and Colts back in the 1970's and 80's were still works of art. Beautifully blued, lots of hand fitting, actions that worked like Swiss watches. A Ruger revolver from that era looks really nice from five feet away, up close it's a bit of a different story. The fit and finish does not look cheap-no, not even close- but is nowhere near that of the Smiths and Colts.
The difference really begins, though, when you start taking the Ruger apart. Grab a dime, or a rimmed cartridge case, unscrew the grips, and in less than a minute the Ruger is apart. Without any tools whatsoever. A couple more minutes, and again no tools, and it's back together.
Try that with your Smith & Wesson revolver.
At the range, both the S-S and the 19 work. Really well. The 19 has a better trigger, both double and single action. The S-S is not all that far behind, though. In fact, the single action trigger is pretty close to the one on the 19.
Both guns are tight and rattle free. The sights, both front and rear, are very similar.
Accuracy? I can't tell the difference. I've had a couple of really good shooters shoot both of them on paper, and they shot both guns pretty much equally well, printing nice little cloverleaf groups.
You can buy really nice Ruger Security-Sixes for around $400-450 on Gunbroker. They are reputed to be very durable guns that will withstand a steady diet of .357 magnum ammo for many years.
The Smith & Wesson Model 19 is a prettier gun (at least when it comes to craftsmanship and fit and finish), and they seem to sell for $700 and up on Gunbroker. They tend to have triggers that are a bit nicer than on the Ruger. They also come with a caveat that they're not made to shoot a steady diet of stout .357 loads. They're really a .38 special revolver with the ability to occasionally shoot .357.
I'm glad I have the opportunity to own and shoot both.
