Speed Six Value Confusion

[Uncle Howie]

That might be a rarer Speed Six but IMHO it is NOT worth $5000. ....... I'll take that back, it might be worth that to someone out there with more money than brains. (I did see in the ad that it had a "Make Offer" button.

Ron, your "Six-series" expertise is well known here, and your input is always appreciated.

I wasn't in danger of placing an opening bid in that amount!

I'm firmly in the $500 "shooter" camp, as long as I can still find them for that kind of money...

 

[Timbo23]

I heard, and I don't know if it's true, but the scallop was added to give the Security/Service/Speed Six a family resemblance to the Redhawk then a new product.
As to why if they are so desirable to some, then why don't they command greater prices, I can only speculate that since they were always valued less than the S&W and Colts at the time of manufacture, and that prejudice seems to have continued to this day. Additionally, the series was discontinued for the GP100 some time ago and never gained a cult-like following.
Some guys like blonds, some like brunettes, and the discerning like redheads.

 

[magnum0710]

Honestly I think you did great at that price! I just paid exactly $512 for a stainless Speed Six that needed a good bit of TLC. I couldn't tell from the pics and I didn't think it needed as much as it did but it was still worth it to me. It's believed the Speed Six was made in lower numbers than the Security and Service Six so there's that too. That does make sense because even online I see way more of the Security Six than I do the Speed Six. I would've gladly paid $500 for a 90% condition Speed Six.

 

[davidkachel]

As for the "scallop" on the Speed Six; right hand side, rear of frame can be rounded or scalloped, meaning they removed some material to help lighten it a bit. Being a 160-xxxxx serial number your Speed Six will have the "Scalloped" frame and the REDESIGNED/updated (in 1974) grip frame also known as the high back frame. The first grip frame (called the low back frame) didn't go over very good with a lot of people who tested it and those who bought it and since Mr. Ruger wanted to make inroads into the law enforcement sales, the redesigned it to give a better feel, thus the new "high back frame".

The Six Series revolvers (Security Six, Police Service Six and Speed Six) values really depend on where you are buying in the US (West Coast, Northwest and Northeast you'll pay more than in the midwest and southern US) and what the configuration is (blued or stainless steel) and other considerations (were they sold to a particular LE department, overseas contracts, special contracts in the US (USPS, military, etc.). Those things can all contribute to a higher price. Also, if there weren't many made, for example the first stainless steel Security Sixes (low back frame 6" barrel - 3 are known of at this time) and Speed Sixes ( low back frame, made in 1974 ) are pretty darn rare and hard to find and will command a much higher price.

What you paid for your particular Speed Six is what I (and I am a collector of the Six series revolvers) would consider to be a fair price these days. The past 7-8 years there has been a pretty good resurgence of interest in the Six series revolvers that has lead to their increases in price.

Sheer dumb luck on my part. I retained little to no knowledge about these revolvers save the fact that some existed and I didn't know one from another. But if I had them all laid out on a table to pick from, I would have selected the one I ended up with. Now that I have changed out the hammer spring, it is far better behaved.

 

[davidkachel]

I was sure I posted this update yesterday, but can't find it. If this is a duplicate, someone please let me know...
Finally got around to swapping out the hammer spring. Before I did, I ran the pencil test on the Bubba job I found in this gun.
Bubba's work bounced the pencil in the barrel, but it never actually left. The new spring bounced it all the way out of the barrel, as it should, AND the DA trigger, after swapping, also turned out to be substantially improved. I surmised that the two spring rig (Bubba) was binding during firing and stalling out the hammer fall mid-action. Now if it will just stop raining for a long enough period for my range to rise above sea level... !!!