I carried a four-inch-barreled stainless-steel revolver on duty in the early 1980s. 38 Special, and there were numerous variants: the Police Service-Six Speed-Six and variations with a square butt and round butt, respectively. The barrel was four inches long, and it was chambered in. In production in 1971 and generally available by 1972, the revolver was offered in blue steel. Ruger designed this midsize revolver with an investment-cast frame to provide a strong and reliable but relatively lightweight service handgun at 34 ounces. The price was right-about half the cost of a new Colt Trooper and considerably less than a Smith & Wesson Combat Magnum. Ruger’s double-action revolvers were competing squarely against Smith & Wesson and Colt brands. It seems strange to say, but my grandfather was leery of the relatively new Ruger brand.

They are becoming collector guns like the old three screw single actions and the prices going up.I think you did good on your buy.You can go into e-bay and the guns sales and auction sites in there parts sections and find all kinds of different grips for them.Almost 50 years ago I was ready to obtain my first. If other companies start producing guns that can be turned out cheaper not cheaper made just labor wise then changes have to be made and that is the case with the security six versions.Sitting down with a reloading manual speaks for it self when you see ruger only loads. Rugers history has always been to produce a high guality and affordable gun so they have always desighned guns that can be made efficiently but still live up the reputation of being over built. Where I am from they are still very common and most of them are loaded with hot loads that would blow a model 19 to pieces and shot with these loads for decades with zero problems.A lot of people think they are ugly but personaly I think its a matter of taste and they are very good looking guns.I have small hands so even the factory magna grips are comforatable to me. There biggest down fall is heavy trigger pulls.

They have a solid frame with no side plate making the frame a lot stronger and heavier locking lugs and wider back straps to name a few things.Total disassembly of them takes minutes and there are you tube vidoes showing how its done. If you compare the security six to a model 19. The gp 100 that replaced them is just as good but the manufactureing process makes them more cost effective to produce. There is plenty of history on them if you surf it up. The last few made ruger barely broke even on. The security six, versions were very well made guns that became to exspensive labor wise to produce and keep the prices down.

Ruger police service six .357