police service six: an early double action from Ruger

Today we are looking at an early double action from Sturm, Ruger & Co: the Police Service Six.  The Police Service Six is a line extension of the Security Six model marketed towards law enforcement in the ’70s and ’80s.  They are rugged and inexpensive, made from an investment casting and with fixed sights.   The Police Service Six made for an attractive option for budget-conscious departments, being cheaper than Colt or S&W’s options at the time.  Police Service Six models were chambered in .357 Magnum, .38 Special and 9mm.  The 9mm model had a cylinder designed for use without moon clips.  Barrel lengths for the Police Service Six were 2 3/4″ and 4″.

Spyderco H-1 shown for scale. The Police Service Six is relatively compact for a .357

The cylinder is locked at the bottom and the rear, and the revolvers featured a transfer bar safety, good features to have on a revolver.  My particular model has a bit of cylinder movement both with the hammer cocked and uncocked.

Cylinder Lock

This particular .357 Magnum model was discontinued in 1988 with a final MSRP $287.  Current values hover around the $200 mark, depending on barrel length and whether or not they were used by MP’s.  Models purchased by the U.S. government for MP use or USPS contract will have a prominent “U.S.” stamped on the frame, and are worth slightly more than others.

One of my favorite features of the Police Service Six, the sight channel

These revolvers were offered in either a blued or stainless finish.  My blued model has a distinct plum hue to the frame.  The finish is still excellent, despite being over 35 years old and used quite a bit.  The weight of my blued 4″ model is 2lbs 1.7oz.

Police Service Six

revolver range results

Though by no means my favorite revolver, the Police Security Six performs adequately at the range.  Even with heavily loaded modern .357 loads, this little revolver isn’t uncomfortable to shoot.  .38’s enable the Security Six to stay on target, while .357’s require conscious front sight reacquisition.  Trigger pull in double action is a bit heavy, but in single action is a crisp 3lbs, 7oz.  The sights are easy enough to line up in daylight conditions, but obtaining a good sight picture is somewhat difficult indoors or in low light conditions.  One of my favorite features of the Security Six is that shells fall easily out of the cylinder, even without the assistance of the plunger.

Front Sight

The grip and stocks sit well in the hand, and the strap doesn’t have any hot spots that bother one’s hand after several cylinders. The overall footprint of this revolver isn’t too large, and makes concealed carry a possibility should one need to do so.

Rear Sight

My particular model prints quite differently elevation-wise depending on the load.  One should definitely figure out the sight hold for each load when using this revolver.

Police Service Six

overall assessment

Cheap, tough, and easy enough to work on, the Police Security Six (or any Service, Security or Speed Six, for that matter) is still a good option for those looking for a cheap and reliable revolver.  Should one come across one of these wheelguns, give it a try and a critical eye.  You might be surprised and satisfied to add one of these classic budget wheel guns to your collection.

Police Service Six