My 3" Ruger Security six project

H

HighValleyRanch

New member
A long time ago, I posted some pics of my unique Ruger security six.
It's almost to the point of where I want it.
But after carrying it AIWB, and getting rid of my nickel plated 2.5 inch smith 19, I want a shorter barrel than the 4 inch.

I found a gunsmith who will shorted, crown and cut a dovetail for a windage adjustable front sight on the shortened revolver. I plan to ditch the adjustable rear sight and manufacture a fixed combat sight for the rear that will fit the rear cutout and match the front sight for point of impact.

I wanted the barrel cut so that the name and emblem will be centered, and that will come out to a 3 inch barrel. Pretty close to 3" GP100 I think.

I don't plan on ever selling this gun, so degrading the value of a stock 4" SS is not my concern, now that I have modified this gun to my exact liking.

Took it to the range yesterday and I was shooting 3 inch groups at 15 yards double action off hand standing.

The action on this is incredible. Feels smoother than any SW I've ever owned and I've owned a few!

The top strap will be milled for a dovetail for a Novak front sight. I saw that the GP100's Match Champions have a Novak dovetail for front sight, and I am waiting to hear back from Novak sights to see what is available for this project.

Just thought I would share, and open to any suggestions on the project.
I had thought about doing the shortening myself, but opted for a professional job.

As stated before, the hammer is a Bisley hammer welded onto the Security six hammer, and there is an old thread here somewhere on that project. Silky smooth cocking with this hammer one handed, not too long for double action.

Enclosed is a photo of the proposed shortened Ruger SS by photoshop so I could get an idea of how it's going to look.
 

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The photoshop picture looks like a winner to me. I don't think you can always put a dollar value on something customized to your wants/needs
 
Why not just get a 2 3/4 inch Security Six, keep the barrel as-is and modify the rest?

Notice my Security Six below. I made it round butt.

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Just add the modified hammer you are proposing (looks like a Blackhawk Bisley hammer.)

Deaf
 
Live in California

Hah, because I live in the unfree state of California, so finding a security six is like finding gold.
I cannot buy one online, have it imported from out of state.

The only way to get one is happen on one close by for sale for face to face purchase second hand.

That's why.
And since I already have done the action and hammer to suit my needs, shortening it is easier than any of the above.

wish I could, I'd get another in a heart beat.
 
Nice Ruger, I just recently picked up a Service Six. The more I read about and shoot this gun, the more I love it. Definitely like what you've done with yours.
 
I found a gunsmith who will shorted, crown and cut a dovetail for a windage adjustable front sight on the shortened revolver. I plan to ditch the adjustable rear sight and manufacture a fixed combat sight for the rear that will fit the rear cutout and match the front sight for point of impact.
Click to expand...

You're a sick puppy HVR. Glad I ain't the only one ;)

Please keep us posted on this.
 
The great thing about the Security-Six is that it comes with a 2.75-inch barrel, so it's almost up to 3 inches out of the box. One not-so-great aspect of the gun is there's a lot of variance in the size of the barrel. In the photo below, the lighter barrel is my favorite. But in other configurations, the barrels are too heavy.



Ruger also should have put a round-grip on all of their Security-Sixes. That way a person could choose between square and round grips. But square grips can only accommodate square grips. As in the above photo, I've rounded the grips with a grinder, but it was easy.



This is the Heavy Barrel version. It might be cheaper to just find the gun you need on the Internet, as the variety was sort of built into the gun.




.
 
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HighValleyRanch said:
Hah, because I live in the unfree state of California, so finding a security six is like finding gold.

I cannot buy one online, have it imported from out of state.



The only way to get one is happen on one close by for sale for face to face purchase second hand.



That's why.

And since I already have done the action and hammer to suit my needs, shortening it is easier than any of the above.



wish I could, I'd get another in a heart beat.
Click to expand...



Yep. There are some good aspects to living in California but our insanely restrictive gun laws are not one of them. I would love to move out of state but the property I live on has been in the family for over 70 years and it is like living in a national park


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thanks all for the suggestions and input. Project on hold for the time being while I decide on sending to a professional smith or trying to do it myself.

How many would attempt to do this themselves vs. how many would decide to send to a smith. Cost is going to be about 200.00 for the barrel shortening, crowning, dovetail cut and cost for front sight as well as shipping.

Cost for doing it myself would be at minimal, 15.00 for a blank sight blade.
And DIY crown with a brass head screw or buy the proper crowning tool for 100.00?

Satisfaction of learning and doing it yourself or having it professionally done so value of resale is not lost.
 
For $200, I'd let the gunsmith take a chance screwing it up...and finding me another one.

I'd do the RB on the frame though. Barrel crowns and dovetails are a little trickier.
 
Sounds like a great project. Personally, I don't have the skills or the equipment to do that sort of work so I would choose to have it done by a professional gunsmith. In fact, just last week I sent a beater S&W M28 Highway Patrolman to Mark Hartshorne at Pinnacle High Performance to be turned into a 3" round butt .41 magnum using a titanium cylinder and 4" M58 barrel.

To me, knowing the work is done right and that the gun is properly timed and set up is worth the cost of having a pro handle the work.
 
Well, after two years, my project is just about to come true.
This is the gun I wanted:
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I've come close to hacking off the barrel a few times, and last go round removed the rear sight in anticpation of making the cut. But I've alway set it aside to ponder for while.

Well today, I put a deposit on a blue 2 3/4" Ruger Police Sevice Six. It's in good shape, and I plan to change all the guts off my Secuirty six over to the new gun to end up with the above proposed gun. This saves me all the cost and work of shortening the existin gun's barrel. I can then simply sell the 4" Security six for the same amount as I'm paying for the Service six and end up doing the project for free!

Can't wait to complete my long time dream gun........but due to CA's crappy gun laws, I have to wait until October 8th to even start the paper work, and then wait another ten days to recived the gun. SO basically three more weeks plus! Oh well, I can just shoot my 4" until then.

I plan to modify the grip to round butt and make a lanyard ring for it as well.
 
It's alway great to complete a dream project. I picked up my snub nose Ruger Police Service Six yesterday and switched over the Bisley hammer and grips. so now I have my dream "Cowboy" double action, swing out cylinder revolver.

Instead of cutting the original barrel down, I found the snub nose and the fixed sighted six was the one I was searching for cleaner lines. The only thing I gave up was the darn warning label on the barrel. Oh well, you can't get everything.
I will just thing of it as my "engraved" ruger!LOL

Here's a photo of the new gun and you can see how close it came to my photoshop rendition of what I wanted the original Security Six to come out like (^^^the above photo in the last post is a photoshop rendition). Pretty darn close! The action on the new gun was pretty nice, so I didn't switch over any of the internal parts. Wanted to leave it stock for CCW.
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Thanks, I haven't decided whether to make it round butt or drill a lanyard hole like the security six so that the frame remains somewhat original.
Since the Ruger is marked Police Service Six, tending toward not rounding off as speed six.

The finish looked really drab in the case, but when I finally got it home, it was mostly due to gunk and a good cleaning with hoppes and some oil cleaned it up nicely. The blue is 90 percent there, and darker than my old Secuirty Six. Love the luster of those old blue Rugers.
 
I would take that in a heart beat, and I don't much care for anything Ruger offers in a revolver. I can't stand the full lug look and the finish on any new Ruger stainless guns I've looked at is just horrible, and the prices are way out of line to me. Anyway, I'm sure you'll enjoy that one and I may just have to keep my eyes open for same.
 
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