Ruger Security-Six, Service-Six & Speed-Six — a Maker's Take

A revolver came across my bench that I've been asked about for years and never had in front of me until now: the Ruger Security-Six. A friend carries one his grandfather handed down to him, and he was good enough to let me build from it. If you own one of these old Rugers (a Security-Six, a Service-Six, or a Speed-Six), this one's for you.

For a long time I couldn't help Six-series owners, because I never had one to work from. That's changed. I can build for the whole family now, and after real time with one, I've got some honest thoughts on the gun.

What the Six-Series Actually Is

Ruger built the Six-series from 1972 to 1988: a medium-frame, double-action .357 Magnum that'll shoot .38 Special too. There are three of them, and folks mix them up all the time, so here's the plain version. Underneath, they're the same gun: same frame, same action, same cylinder. All that changes is the sights and the grip.

• Security-Six: adjustable sights, square-butt grip. Came in 2.75", 4", and 6".
• Service-Six: fixed sights, square butt. Came in 2.75", 3", and 4".
• Speed-Six: fixed sights, a rounded grip frame built for concealment. Came in 2.75", 3", and 4".

One tip if you're buying: if you ever see a "3-inch Security-Six" for sale, it's almost certainly a Service-Six or Speed-Six. The Security-Six's short barrel is 2.75", not 3".

That's the whole difference. A Speed-Six isn't a different-size gun. It's a Security-Six with fixed sights and a round butt. That matters to me, because a chest holster molds the frame, cylinder, and barrel, not the grip, so one fit covers all three.

My Honest Read on the Security-Six

It feels good in the hand. Really good. I'll be straight with you, though: I like my GP100 a touch better, only because it's a little fuller in the grip. The Six-series leaves the backstrap exposed in the web of your palm, where the GP100 fills your hand. That's personal preference, not a knock.

Where the Security-Six wins is size. It's a bit smaller and more compact, and if you've got smaller hands, or you're carrying for concealment, it's a great-handling gun. And let me be clear: this is still a completely viable revolver. If you own one, I wouldn't dream of telling you to sell it and buy a GP100. If anything, keep the Six and add a GP100.

Security-Six vs. GP100

The GP100 is the gun that replaced the Six-series, and it shows. It's beefier everywhere: a full underlug beneath the barrel, a slightly larger cylinder and frame, more weight all around.

That weight isn't just for show. If you're shooting hot .357 loads all day at the range, the GP100's extra mass soaks up recoil a little better, and your hand will thank you. But here's what most people miss: if this is a carry gun or a backcountry backup, you're not running boxes through it. You're carrying it and hoping you never need it. For that job the lighter Six-series is honestly the nicer thing to have on you all day, and either one will do the work.

Carrying a Six-Series

Size-wise, think S&W K-frame: a touch bigger than one, actually, and a little lighter. It sits right between a K-frame and a GP100, and that middle size is exactly why a holster built for either one won't fit it right. That lighter, in-between build makes it a natural on a chest rig.

For a Draekan chest holster, my pick is the 2.75" or the 4": compact, comfortable, right in the sweet spot. The 6" works great too; it's got a partial underlug rather than the GP100's full one, so it stays lighter than you'd expect, and that helps a lot up on your chest. There's no length in the family I wouldn't carry that way.

It also rides well on my Outdoorsman hip holster if you'd rather carry on the belt, and the 2.75" and 4" do great in a Classic Pancake for everyday carry. I wouldn't build a 6" pancake (that's too much barrel for that holster), but the shorter two are excellent in it.

The One Thing Owners Get Wrong

Here's the mistake I see, and it's an honest one. Folks tell me their Security-Six is "the same size as a K-frame Model 19," or "the same as a GP100," so a holster for one of those will fit. It won't. Not one of mine, anyway.

The Six-series actually sits between those two guns. It's too big for a K-frame Model 19 holster: too tight, won't seat right. And it's too small for a GP100 holster. The full underlug and slightly larger frame and cylinder mean the Six rattles around and won't hold the way it should.

What trips people up is that they're used to holsters molded loose enough that close is close enough. Mine aren't built that way. Every one is wet-molded to the exact gun, so the fit is tight and clean and the retention comes from the leather itself. That's the whole point of a custom rig, but it means a near-match won't cut it. It has to be built for the Security-Six specifically.

Getting One Built

This is exactly the kind of gun I love making leather for. Discontinued, hard to find a holster for, and owned by people who actually carry them. I get asked for guns like this all the time, and when I can get my hands on one to build from, I can make it happen.

Every rig is built to order and molded to your exact revolver: Security-Six, Service-Six, or Speed-Six, in 2.75", 4", or 6". On your chest for the backcountry, on your hip, or on your belt for everyday carry, I'll build it to your gun.

I'll leave you with this. Not long ago a man brought me his grandfather's Security-Six: a hand-me-down, the kind of gun that stays in a family. That's the sort of revolver that deserves leather made to last as long as it has. If you've got one like it, I'd be proud to build for it.

Want to see how it stacks up against the modern .357s? Have a look at my Six Shooter Showdown: Colt Python vs. Ruger GP100 vs. S&W 686.

Start your build here. Pick your Six-series revolver and barrel length, and I'll mold it to your gun.