Shooting the old , trusty .38 Service Six

[Stantheman1986]

I picked this up years ago, it's an early 80s production .38 Special Service Six that was converted to DAO by filing the SA notch off. I'm guessing it was a Security company gun that didn't want their people cocking hammers. I've seen this before on older S&W's, it allows standard thumb break holsters to be used and it was probably cheaper to just buy standard .38 Sixes , take the hammers out and file away then order spurless DAOs from Ruger.

It does it's job, I ran myself through the standard 48 round 3-15 yard Qual Course we used to do on Qual Day with our S&W 65's. It includes 6 from holster retention, and 6 each strong and weak hand. 6 standing then 6 kneeling at 15 yards was always kind of "retro" to me, the Qual Course we used probably dated back to the 1960s

I haven't fired a Six in a few years, and the action is nice on this one. I love guns like this that were used like they were supposed to be used, as working service revolvers by working people. No frills , no "bling" just a .38 that saw a lot of shifts in the holster

 

[Zeke38]

Comfortable Assurance! Love the Six series.

 

[dobegrant.45]

looks like the old Ruger and his operator are ready to go, good shooting.

 

[Bigbore5]

It's not hard to find an unmodified hammer to restore it.

 

[RoninPA]

Yours is in great condition and will out live at least a couple generations if not abused, they were tough as anything on the market then or probably even now.

If you want to convert it back to SA/DA and can't find a hammer, send me a message, I have some in my Six series parts stock.

 

[stonebuster]

Nice Service Six & nice shooting. Built to handle 357s but bored for 38spl. Fixed sights, half lug, stainless and the perfect working man's 38spl. My second Service Six in 38spl should arrive in two days. EDIT: I just read Stantheman 1986 post again... If a security company did file the SA sear off the hammer, wouldn't it create a more dangerous situation if the guard happened to pull the hammer back expecting lock up and released the hammer causing accidental discharge? Maybe in the heat of the moment the guard forgot and out of habit attempted single action.

 

[Stantheman1986]

It's not hard to find an unmodified hammer to restore it.

At this point I'm used to it being a Jim whacked rent a cop DAO , it's part of it's journey this gun probably tirelessly protected a hospital or chemical plant carried by 40 different people making $3 an hour

 

[Stantheman1986]

Nice Service Six & nice shooting. Built to handle 357s but bored for 38spl. Fixed sights, half lug, stainless and the perfect working man's 38spl. My second Service Six in 38spl should arrive in two days.

It's a neat piece from back when there was a need for .38 Special only revolvers to meet legal or political demands, people look at you sideways, usually older people when they see one like this at a range like "oh yeah one of them Ruger .357s" no it's a .38

 

[Stantheman1986]

Yours is in great condition and will out live at least a couple generations if not abused, they were tough as anything on the market then or probably even now.

If you want to convert it back to SA/DA and can't find a hammer, send me a message, I have some in my Six series parts stock.

Thank You , I'm just gonna leave it , I think stuff like this is cool . The company , prison etc that used it was taking SA Sears off with a rasp to make them liability resistant DAOs so people couldn't cock them, it's like a little piece of weird history

 

[3manfan]

That was the gun we were assigned in the Metro-Dade academy in 1989, no S&W's for our Dept. Our final qual day was 2 during the day, 2 at night, the 48 round course. Ours was from 50 yards & in, I was the only one in the class to go 48 for 48 in all 4 quals. I carried it for a year & half until I could afford a GP100. The Dept. recovered all of them from all unless the ofc. was actively carrying it on duty, which were very few in the late 1990's & the word was the whole lot was sold off to some 3rd world South American agency. I offered to pay them for mine so I could keep it but that was declined. I still miss it. It was built like a tank. Good times.

 

[Stantheman1986]

That was the gun we were assigned in the Metro-Dade academy in 1989, no S&W's for our Dept. Our final qual day was 2 during the day, 2 at night, the 48 round course. Ours was from 50 yards & in, I was the only one in the class to go 48 for 48 in all 4 quals. I carried it for a year & half until I could afford a GP100. The Dept. recovered all of them from all unless the ofc. was actively carrying it on duty, which were very few in the late 1990's & the word was the whole lot was sold off to some 3rd world South American agency. I offered to pay them for mine so I could keep it but that was declined. I still miss it. It was built like a tank. Good times.

I'd feel 100% well armed with a .38 Service Six

Ah yes. I remember the days of shooting perfect with the wheelgun but we had S&W 65s when I started in Corrections. Shooting a clean course with a Service Six is awesome shooting especially on a night course , and a 50 yard portion is pretty neat. We stop at 15 now with the Glocks because apparently they don't expect anyone to actually hit anything beyond basically point shooting range

 

[3manfan]

I'd feel 100% well armed with a .38 Service Six

Ah yes. I remember the days of shooting perfect with the wheelgun but we had S&W 65s when I started in Corrections. Shooting a clean course with a Service Six is awesome shooting especially on a night course , and a 50 yard portion is pretty neat. We stop at 15 now with the Glocks because apparently they don't expect anyone to actually hit anything beyond basically point shooting range

I'd feel 100% well armed with a .38 Service Six

Ah yes. I remember the days of shooting perfect with the wheelgun but we had S&W 65s when I started in Corrections. Shooting a clean course with a Service Six is awesome shooting especially on a night course , and a 50 yard portion is pretty neat. We stop at 15 now with the Glocks because apparently they don't expect anyone to actually hit anything beyond basically point shooting range

I know, it's hard to believe that 15 yards is now the max. distance. Evidence of so many now that don't grow up shooting, I guess. I've heard for many years that the first time the majority of recruits are firing a gun is in their academy.

 

[jimbo1096]

I like it and looks like it would be a great companion piece for my nightly walks.