Six Series Revolvers S/N research question

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I was answering some questions about the Six Series revolvers and that led me to a question I want (NEED
:D
) to see if I can find the answer.

The Six series serial numbers started with 150-00001 (low back frame) and went to (approx) 150-64961. In RENE, in 1974 it shows 150-64961 to 151-21779 (this was the year when the high back frames came to be) and I have a low back with s/n 151-09505 and I have a high back s/n 150-94411 (both probably transition guns).

My question, would they have started the 151-XXXXX frames with 151-00001? I don't think I have ever heard of a Six series with a single, double or even triple digit 151- serial number. Has anyone heard of, OR HAVE a 151-00001 through 151-00999 marked Six series revolver??? If so, is it a high back or low back frame?

Would conversing with Ruger CS maybe be of help? I know they help me a lot with my ongoing compilation of GP100 model numbers/descriptions.
 
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Going to modify my post a bit and ask that if anyone has a Six series DA revolver (Security Six, Police Service Six, or Speed Six) with a serial number between 151-00001 and 151-09505 could they please let me know. If you don't want the world to know, you can PM me with the serial number. Thank you.
 

hittman

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Hi Ron,
None with those kind of numbers reside here.
I'd never thought of this until you started this thread but that range seems pretty elusive.
 
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Have already been conversing with Chad. Problem is, and he ackowledges it, he just does not have a lot of info (as compared to SA and rifle info) on any of the Ruger DA's. The year/serial number data stops at 2009 for the newer models. For the Six series, it goes to 1988 when they stopped production but that just gives ranges, not broken down any more than that. The Ruger individual s/n look up does return any info on the Six series guns and the other info again is serial number blocks.

I'm going to talk to Ruger CS and see if they can help me out and/or give a name or names of someone who I can talk to that might shed some light on the matter.
 

weaselmeatgravy

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Going to modify my post a bit and ask that if anyone has a Six series DA revolver (Security Six, Police Service Six, or Speed Six) with a serial number between 151-00001 and 151-09505 could they please let me know. If you don't want the world to know, you can PM me with the serial number. Thank you.
The ones I currently have in that range are 151-014xx SDA34, 151-014xx SDA84, 151-029xx GA34, 151-040xx GA34. All of those are lowback.

All the highback 150 guns I have are blue with fixed sights rollmarked POLICE SERVICE SIX. I believe they stopped marking fixed sight square butt guns as SECURITY SIX at the same time they started making highback guns.

All the stainless 150 guns I have are lowback adjustable sight. I think the first batch of highback frames cast were blue, square butt, fixed sight. The first stainless frames cast were adjustable sight. I have a lowback GA32 at 150-553xx that was given an experimental high gloss polish and that is my earliest stainless.
 
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Thanks for the input. Your s/n's mesh with what I have also. Even with a "low back" 150- serial number the high back frame is marked PSS. My low back frame, low back s/n fixed sight guns are marked Security Six.

What I am now concentrating on is finding any Six series revolvers with a serial number between 151-00000 and now with your input 151-014XX. Some where there should be guns with those s/n's. Chad theorizes that they may have been contract guns, possibly for foreign contracts - but who knows. That's what I want to find out

So, as of now I know of:
151-014XX
151-014XX
151-029XX
151-03057
151-040XX
151-09505
 
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moparclan

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My Speed six .38 Special Low Back is 150-638XX, my others are a higher prefix. My next lowest being a 154 prefix.
 

Terry T

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My high number, low backs are:
GA32 150-95255
GA34 151-03057
GA36 151-26486
All stainless guns.
I'm not sure why but there is obviously about a 30,000 serial number overlap where both low back and high back frames were serial numbered.
However, I have not encountered a low back, stainless fixed sight gun.
My blued low backs are all well withing the first 65,000 so no question about them.
Terry T.
 
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"However, I have not encountered a low back, stainless fixed sight gun."
Terry, this is what several of us have also found. Seems like the stainless low backs were (with info I have at this time), all Security Sixes, adjustable sights.

I have a number of low back, blued fixed sight Security Six marked guns with 150- s/n's. However, my 150- serial number, blued HIGH BACK frame fixed sight is marked Police Service Six. It appears in the transition that if it had a high back frame, no matter what the s/n was, it was marked Police Service Six if it had fixed sights and Security Six if it had adjustable sights.

WOW, What did I get myself in to o_O:unsure:

Just to reiterate: I'm really only looking for serial numbers from 151-0000 to 151-02000 as these just seem to be absent from what people have. Trying to see why.
 

Terry T

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"However, I have not encountered a low back, stainless fixed sight gun."
Terry, this is what several of us have also found. Seems like the stainless low backs were (with info I have at this time), all Security Sixes, adjustable sights.

I have a number of low back, blued fixed sight Security Six marked guns with 150- s/n's. However, my 150- serial number, blued HIGH BACK frame fixed sight is marked Police Service Six. It appears in the transition that if it had a high back frame, no matter what the s/n was, it was marked Police Service Six if it had fixed sights and Security Six if it had adjustable sights.

WOW, What did I get myself in to o_O:unsure:

Just to reiterate: I'm really only looking for serial numbers from 151-0000 to 151-02000 as these just seem to be absent from what people have. Trying to see why.
Ron,
See my 151-03057 above. Not entirely sure what you're looking for or what your confusion is. In other words, I'm confused about your confusion! :-0
 

contender

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Gee,, isn't collecting fun,, especially when you start trying to figure out stuff for "way back when" & nobody is around to ask. :D :D
 
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Gee,, isn't collecting fun,, especially when you start trying to figure out stuff for "way back when" & nobody is around to ask. :D :D
That is a big problem for Ruger collectors, even with Ruger being as "young" of a firearms company as they are. The other problem is the way (or not :)) that they maintained their records. Now, a fire/flood/aliens stealing the papers/Bill Sr./etc. that causes problems is an outlier that no one can forsee so it is what it is and collectors just have to work around it. That's why a forum like this is so helpful, we can get inputs from anyone who is a regular, irregular, sometimes, or once in a blue moon peruser of the forum and you never know when someone will respond with a gem.
 

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