Why did they discontinue the Security Six?

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Doug.38PR":3vitz9rc said:
WendyZXZ, treasure those guns! Especially the Diamondback! Colts are a work of art. (I shouldn't be saying all this on a ruger forum).

I do at that. So far I have only added one other of the older Colts, it is a Police Positive Special that the S/N puts as 1978 manufacture. Very nice one in near perfect condition.
 

Lost Sheep

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I have heard once or twice that the reason the GP100 has the ejector rod offset from the centerline of the cylinder is to provide room for more metal for the threads where the barrel screws into the frame.

I have never heard of failures or cracking in that area on the Sixes, but I suppose the GP100 is stronger for it.

The Sixes family is definitely strong enough for .357 Magnums, and if I carried 8 hours a day or more, I would definitely prefer the Security Six, Service Six or Speed Six over the heavier and larger GP. I own 4" and 6" in both (GPs and Sixes) and the Six is much more comfortable to carry while the GP is only slightly more comfortable to shoot.

If I were in charge of Ruger, the Sixes would still be in production and available as an eight-shot (or 9 or 10 if they would fit) 22 Rimfire as well as 38/357/9mm/327 whatever.

Of course, the GPs, Redhawks and Super Redhawks would all be available with a Dan Wesson-style interchangeable barrel system, too. If it was easier to pull the cylinder, such a gun could have interchangeable calibers, too. Imagine being able to take a Super Redhawk to the range and use the same gun to shoot 454 Casull, 44 Mag, 357 Mag, 45 Colt, 45 ACP, 9mm, 327 Mag and 30 Carbine just by swapping out barrel/cylinder sets! Same trigger, same sights, and in different barrel lengths, too.

I also like the GP's grip post better than a grip frame. But Ruger missed the boat when they did not include a threaded hole in the bottom of it so a one-piece grip could be slipped on easily (like the Dan Wesson grip) without all the effor my Hogues take. The two-piece grips could still be used, but a one-piece would be an option. Putting a grip post like that on the Sixes would be the only change I would make to the profile of those guns.
Are you listening, Ruger?

Lost Sheep
 

Lost Sheep

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Doug.38PR":14f9c01l said:
strange...(are they the same frame size?). When I hold th GP100 in my hand....it seems smaller the Security Six. The SS seems beefier to me.
I own Security Sixes and GP100s and the GPs are definitely thicker and heavier than the Sixes. Are you sure you are not thinking about the SP101?

Lost Sheep
 

MMichaelAK

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Ive got a GP100 6" with the short lug and bought my wife a SS 4".
She didn't like the factory wood grips so I put a Hogue on it for her and she loves it now.

I like them both.

If I ever stumble across another short lug GP Ill buy it immediately just like if I stumble across a SS 6".
 

Lost Sheep

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MMichaelAK":b4qe02rl said:
Ive got a GP100 6" with the short lug and bought my wife a SS 4".
She didn't like the factory wood grips so I put a Hogue on it for her and she loves it now.

I like them both.

If I ever stumble across another short lug GP Ill buy it immediately just like if I stumble across a SS 6".
"bought my wife a SS 4"."
Do you mean a Stainless Steel 4" GP or a Security Six 4"? And are you looking for a Security Six 6"?

Too many abbreviations. I get confused.... or Lost
 
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Doug.38PR":3ev486ce said:
which of these looks better to y'all? The first one is ugly as a mud fence in my mind. The second is sleek and classy. I guess the barrel makes all the difference in a gun. You either love it or you hate it

Both. LOL, but I do prefer the original style of grips that were used on the GP100. I thought they were perfect. ;)
 

DGW1949

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My impression was that the Security Six was intended to compete with the Smith 19, and the GP to compete with the Smith L-Frame....which at the time, were replacing the old K-Frame guns used by a lot of the cops who still carried wheel guns.
That, and the S-S series cost too much to build.

But whatever the reasons, it's perty plain to me that for the most part.... Ruger DA's were (and are) still the best bang for the buck.

DGW
 

sasu

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This thread is worthless without pictures, as they say...
DSCN11340001.jpg
 

Doug.38PR

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WendyZXZ":1lxs7vv4 said:
Doug.38PR":1lxs7vv4 said:
WendyZXZ, treasure those guns! Especially the Diamondback! Colts are a work of art. (I shouldn't be saying all this on a ruger forum).

I do at that. So far I have only added one other of the older Colts, it is a Police Positive Special that the S/N puts as 1978 manufacture. Very nice one in near perfect condition.

now complete your D frame collection by getting it's most notorious gun: The Detective Special 8) That is my 2nd favorite handgun next to my Official Police service revolver
 

Doug.38PR

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Lost Sheep":3h7d5hua said:
Doug.38PR":3h7d5hua said:
strange...(are they the same frame size?). When I hold th GP100 in my hand....it seems smaller the Security Six. The SS seems beefier to me.
I own Security Sixes and GP100s and the GPs are definitely thicker and heavier than the Sixes. Are you sure you are not thinking about the SP101?

Lost Sheep

pretty sure. The sp101 is a snub nose with only 5 shots right? My friend has a 4 inch 6 shot .357 magnum that's a GP (100 I believe)
 
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Doug.38PR":3hadey3q said:
WendyZXZ":3hadey3q said:
Doug.38PR":3hadey3q said:
WendyZXZ, treasure those guns! Especially the Diamondback! Colts are a work of art. (I shouldn't be saying all this on a ruger forum).

I do at that. So far I have only added one other of the older Colts, it is a Police Positive Special that the S/N puts as 1978 manufacture. Very nice one in near perfect condition.

now complete your D frame collection by getting it's most notorious gun: The Detective Special 8) That is my 2nd favorite handgun next to my Official Police service revolver

Then on to the Python, and SAA, and... It never ends. ;) :D
 

Doug.38PR

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Wendy, Lost Sheep,

Grips do indeed make a difference. Now that y'all say that, my friend's gun did have original wooden grips, and they looked great...even for the GP100 ;)

If the GP is indeed bigger than the SS as all of y'all are saying...that's saying quite a bit. The SS frame is larger than the S&W K frame and appears to be the equal of the Colt Official Police, Trooper, Python (I/E Frame Colts). If the GP is bigger than that...well...that's approaching a S&W N-Frame (Dirty Harry territory)
 

Doug.38PR

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DGW1949":tvuj413c said:
My impression was that the Security Six was intended to compete with the Smith 19, and the GP to compete with the Smith L-Frame....which at the time, were replacing the old K-Frame guns used by a lot of the cops who still carried wheel guns.
That, and the S-S series cost too much to build.

But whatever the reasons, it's perty plain to me that for the most part.... Ruger DA's were (and are) still the best bang for the buck.

DGW

The cylinder on the SS is larger than the M-19. My Python/Official Police speedloaders would fit the SS. My M-15/10 (Kframe) speedloaders could be worked in, but they didn't fit quite as well as the Python ones.

If you look at the cylinders of SS and M-19 (or any K frame) side by side you will see the difference
 

Doug.38PR

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WendyZXZ":13n3dm8s said:
Doug.38PR":13n3dm8s said:
WendyZXZ":13n3dm8s said:
Doug.38PR":13n3dm8s said:
WendyZXZ, treasure those guns! Especially the Diamondback! Colts are a work of art. (I shouldn't be saying all this on a ruger forum).

I do at that. So far I have only added one other of the older Colts, it is a Police Positive Special that the S/N puts as 1978 manufacture. Very nice one in near perfect condition.

now complete your D frame collection by getting it's most notorious gun: The Detective Special 8) That is my 2nd favorite handgun next to my Official Police service revolver

Then on to the Python, and SAA, and... It never ends. ;) :D


Isn't it fun collecting revolvers? 8)
 

roaddog28

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The only person that would know why the Security Six series revolver was discontinued is Bill Ruger. Bill is no longer with us. The Security Six was the first double action revolver that Ruger made. Bill Ruger wanted to compete with Colt and Smith and Wesson in the law enforcement market. Also, Bill Ruger wanted to get some of the civilian market too. The Security Sixes biggest competition was the S&W model 19. The Security Six was much stronger than the model 19 because the Security Six was designed to shoot 357 magnums. I know Ruger made limited runs in other calibers but Bill Ruger designed the Security Six to be stronger than the competition. It worked! That is why Smith and Wesson came out with the L frame. The L frame was stronger than the K frame magnum. There is much debate that the L frame is stronger than a Security Six. I own both and I will tell anybody the main reason I like the L frame is the full underlug of the barrel. It does dampen recoil when shooting 357s. But other than that I don't see too many reasons why the L frame was stronger than the Security Six.
The many rumors as to why Bill Ruger decided to discontinue the Security Six are many. High cost of the Security Six, lower cost of making the GP100 and the claim to produce the strongest double action medium frame 357 in the business. It was a sucess. The Security Six will always be popular. I think as time goes they will be considered a collectors revolver. Afterall, this was the first double action revolver Ruger ever made!
But again, I think only Bill Ruger knows why he did what he did.

roaddog
 

Doug.38PR

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In my mind, as .357 magnums go....it was mean't to be fired in the N-Frame. My 6 inch S&W M-28 Highway Patrolman makes it feel like nothing in recoil, but you can still feel the power of a hand cannon as it surges through you arm and the shockwave of the blast hits your nose, chest and the ground beneath you (not to mention being felt by those standing beside or behind you.....and certainly felt by the one in front of you who receiving the other end of the blast)
.
My Python can handle it okay. It's fun to shoot. But it's recoil is a bit more than the Highway Patrolman

The .357 magnum, while not a S&W 500, is still quite a cannon and there is reason they were first built on those N frame guns.

My Highway Patrolman can handle anything the .357 can dish out from light 110 gr Winchesters to 180 gr Buffalo Bores
 

Quietdood

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I think they're just different animals.

When I think about different eras of guns, I envision certain guns. The GP-100's looks or lack thereof don't lend themselves to any nostalgic period in my mind. That's probably why I bought mine when I saw it. It just seemed right for the purpose I bought it, not for patrolling, not detective work, not riding horses with it. I bought it for one predominant reason, one that I hope I'll never need it for: getting the overwhelming jump on some thug in what statistically will be my darkened home. Black (ok blue), hefty, powerful... should I have the choice, I'd rather use it as a club.

But don't listen to me, I liked the look of the LCR when it came out. I guess I just look at things for what they are and try to leave preconceptions and affiliations behind sometimes.
 

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