Hi Folks, being a Ruger guy and always looking for the oddball or not what everyone else wants-I've took an interest in the Service six. From what I've dug up so far they were offered in 2.75 & 4 inch barrels. Not sure on calibers. Some had lanyard rings? Im not seeing much of these available. My vision of cool would be the shorter barrel with the lanyard ring-if they actually made one. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks-Dave
Service six
- Thread starter azleite
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stonebuster
Single-Sixer
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2017
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The Service Six 2 3/4" are harder to find than the Speed Six 2 3/4". One with a lanyard is likely a special contract gun that tend to be more expensive & harder to find. Service Six will be a square butt & Speed Six round butt and both are fixed sights. They were made in 38spl/357/9mm/380 calibers. GB usually has a good selection of "six series" Rugers & where I've bought one Speed and Service Six.
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Thanks for replying! I never would've thought of a .380 chambering. That pic with the lanyard ring makes me want one even more-Dave
yeah look around , you'll find them we had them years ago through the "RCA" (Ruger Collectors Association) in it 'hey day' they came both round and square butts wrapped in "foil" to boot.........most were overruns from the ones ordered for sale in UK back then , police use and /or military...........
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Timbo23
Plinker and accumulator
I have a 357 mag. stainless Service Six with the 2 3/4 inch barrel that I acquired in a private sale. It also has its serial number stamped with 'micro' sized numbers (a few done this way). This made me misread some of the numbers for the receipt that the seller and I made for the transaction.
I think the Service, Security, & Speed Six series of revolvers are very desirable in any configuration (finish, barrel length and chambering). I would buy any fairly priced stainless one that I find.
If I remember correctly, the .380 chambering is the same as the 38/200 British round, which is compatible with the 38 S&W cartridge (different from the 38 Special). I believe those Service Sixes were made for a contract for India to replace or augment the old WWII era Webley revolvers they had as a hold over from British rule.
I think the Service, Security, & Speed Six series of revolvers are very desirable in any configuration (finish, barrel length and chambering). I would buy any fairly priced stainless one that I find.
If I remember correctly, the .380 chambering is the same as the 38/200 British round, which is compatible with the 38 S&W cartridge (different from the 38 Special). I believe those Service Sixes were made for a contract for India to replace or augment the old WWII era Webley revolvers they had as a hold over from British rule.
Actually that .380 caliber is called .380 Rim, and is much different than a .380ACP cartridge.
Timbo23, you are correct, it is the same as the old .38 S&W cartridge which is the same as the old British .38/200 cartridge. Most of the .380 Rim chambered Rugers were a contract for the National Police in India although it is said that some were also contracted by a South American government.
Timbo23, you are correct, it is the same as the old .38 S&W cartridge which is the same as the old British .38/200 cartridge. Most of the .380 Rim chambered Rugers were a contract for the National Police in India although it is said that some were also contracted by a South American government.
Timbo23
Plinker and accumulator
Thank you RoninPA. That's the great thing about this forum, deep knowledge gets shared for the benefit of all the members. I had part of the puzzle and Ron had the 'rest of the story'.
Just FYI, I have a Webley DA topbreak revolver (Mk. IV* I think) that takes the 38/200. Atrocious DA trigger pull and the thumb latch is very hard to manipulate. After about two reloads my hand strength is played out. It's no fun at the range.
Just FYI, I have a Webley DA topbreak revolver (Mk. IV* I think) that takes the 38/200. Atrocious DA trigger pull and the thumb latch is very hard to manipulate. After about two reloads my hand strength is played out. It's no fun at the range.
Outpost75
Outpost75
Actually the great majority were on contract for India, with only the over runs going to UK, RUC, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong.
chet15
Hawkeye
There are a few Service Sixes with 6" barrel and lowback grip frame, reportedly 500. These were made before the marking went to "Service-Six" so will be marked "Security-Six". But they still have fixed sights and square butt. The 500 are in .38 Special... but there were a handful in .357 Mag. as well (damn rare!! None known).
Chet15
Chet15
So... The SDA86 was catalogued, but previously unknown of production. Do we now know for sure the SDA86's were in fact made?
I have a modest pile of Ruger Service Sixs (22 different ones). One thing to watch out for is aftermarket lanyard rings. Guns with factory installed lanyard rings have a space in the ser. no. to make room for the ring. Ruger Police Service Sixs marketed for overseas did not have the word "Police" in the roll mark. I've yet to find a 2 3/4" 9mm or a stainless (2 3/4" or 4") 9mm Service Six. The short 2 3/4" barrel is less common in the Service Six and more common in the Speed Six than the 4" barrel. An estimated 20% to 25% are in .38 Spl. (only). By far the most common are the .357 mag.
Man, this is some really interesting information. Thanks Terry, that part about the lanyard & serial number is really good to know. Getting one of these in decent shape at an affordable price is looking dismal. Cool gun nonetheless-Dave
The lanyard ring Service Sixes are mostly (if not all) 4" guns. The 2.75" gun that rugerguy shows is a Speed Six.
Here is a U.S. marked SDA-84L showing the typical lanyard ring stud in between both parts of the SN as Terry T mentioned (note the Service Six marking instead of Police Service Six):
There was a different type of lanyard pin/ring on some Speed Sixes, like was later used on some of the SP101s (French?), that moved the entire serial number under the grip - upside down. This is not my gun, just a pic I saved from a 2005 GunBroker ad (I should have bought the gun, but I was broke at the time):
@chet15 I'm not convinced about the SDA86 being made. If there were 500, they would be as common as the 150 prefix RDA86 (still rare, but I have 3 of those and never saw a SDA86, either in person or a picture of one). As @WAYNO said, they were listed, but unless they all got shipped offshore for a contract, they remain unicorns.
@Terry T here is a pic to enjoy until you can find a GF92, one each of round and scalloped recoil shield models:
Oh, as to the .380 Rim guns, the later runs in the upper prefix range were for India, they had tons of surplus British .38 S&W ammo to burn. The first run was made without a lanyard ring and destined for Bolivia. Those earlier ones were also marked as just Service Six:
Here is a U.S. marked SDA-84L showing the typical lanyard ring stud in between both parts of the SN as Terry T mentioned (note the Service Six marking instead of Police Service Six):
There was a different type of lanyard pin/ring on some Speed Sixes, like was later used on some of the SP101s (French?), that moved the entire serial number under the grip - upside down. This is not my gun, just a pic I saved from a 2005 GunBroker ad (I should have bought the gun, but I was broke at the time):
@chet15 I'm not convinced about the SDA86 being made. If there were 500, they would be as common as the 150 prefix RDA86 (still rare, but I have 3 of those and never saw a SDA86, either in person or a picture of one). As @WAYNO said, they were listed, but unless they all got shipped offshore for a contract, they remain unicorns.
@Terry T here is a pic to enjoy until you can find a GF92, one each of round and scalloped recoil shield models:
Oh, as to the .380 Rim guns, the later runs in the upper prefix range were for India, they had tons of surplus British .38 S&W ammo to burn. The first run was made without a lanyard ring and destined for Bolivia. Those earlier ones were also marked as just Service Six:
Now you guys have me curious.
"Service Six"
"Police Service Six"
Difference? Just the rollmark?
"Service Six"
"Police Service Six"
Difference? Just the rollmark?
Adjustable sights were in the plan from the beginning as evidenced by that early flyer I posted above which has an adjustable sight gun on the front and a fixed sight gun in the exploded view on the back. Both sight options were rollmarked as Security Six. The Speed Six did not come along in any significant production quantities until the middle of the 150 SN prefix.
The fixed sight Security Six was renamed Police Service Six starting at the frame redesign from lowback to highback (generally when the SN prefix rolled from 150 to 151 - but there are highback guns in the upper 150 range and lowbacks in the lower end of the 151 range).
I have a couple of highback fixed sight 150 prefix guns marked Police Service Six and a couple lowback fixed sight 151 prefix guns marked Security Six.
On the Service Six, the assumption is that some military agencies did not want the word POLICE on their guns and special ordered them without it. Most have "Police". Examples marked just Service Six are fairly rare.
The fixed sight Security Six was renamed Police Service Six starting at the frame redesign from lowback to highback (generally when the SN prefix rolled from 150 to 151 - but there are highback guns in the upper 150 range and lowbacks in the lower end of the 151 range).
I have a couple of highback fixed sight 150 prefix guns marked Police Service Six and a couple lowback fixed sight 151 prefix guns marked Security Six.
On the Service Six, the assumption is that some military agencies did not want the word POLICE on their guns and special ordered them without it. Most have "Police". Examples marked just Service Six are fairly rare.
SuperDave
Bearcat
Muley Gil
Blackhawk
I believe the Indians had S&W Victory models in .38 S&W. I know the Fiji Island police were still using .38 S&W Victory models in 2003. I examined a few while I was an international police officer in Kosovo.
Outpost75
Outpost75
Indian police before the mid-1989s did have many S&W Victory as well as old British top break Abion and Enfield revolvers and some Ishapore domestic manufactured Webley copies. The Ruger contract was sought due to the older WW2 revolvers being at the end of their maintable life and lack of spare parts. The .380 Mk2z chambering was retained due to existing ammunition stocks and domestic manufacturing capacity. Ammunition provided as government furnished material for targeting the Ruger production when I was with the company was produced by the Kirkee Arsenal at Poona, headstamped K84 Mk2z. Proof loads were .38 S&W produced by Winchester.
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