Revolver Rescue - AR15.COM

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Posted: 2/9/2017 3:20:12 PM EDT

Last Friday I did one of those things that my credit card whines about, I visited my local gun store and cruised the used gun case. Pickings were slim.....except for one that caught my eye. First impression was

, what a shame that poor Ruger Speed Six was neglected like that. There was considerable surface rust, and one spot on the trigger guard that was encrusted and had to be pitting underneath.

Don't often see Speed Six revolvers in the wild around here. The other thing that caught my attention was the price - $265. I looked it over and decided it was a diamond in the rough, and for that money I would go for it. Owner said it was brought in 2 days previous, and the guy said it had been 25 years in the back of a closet. And never wiped down.

Serial number dates to late 1984.

In my exuberance to get started cleaning it up, I failed to take photos in original condition.

Here it is disassembled.

I spent about 3 hours cleaning it. I slathered it in Kroil. The copper penny technique of rust removal is nothing short of amazing.

Very apparent this revolver has not been shot very much. There are still cosmetic issues, but it is now respectable and looks like a solid shooter. Will get to the range this weekend and give her a go. Very impressed with the design of this revolver, very easy to strip down and reassemble.

Here she is -

Posted: 2/9/2017 3:34:08 PM EDT

[#1]

I like it.

I'm a big fan of Ruger wheel guns, especially the older ones.

Congrats.

Posted: 2/9/2017 4:58:24 PM EDT

[#2]

The copper penny technique of rust removal?
Tell me more of this magic you speak of

link maybe?

EDIT
google-fu found

Penny rust removal
Also Nice wheel gun rescue

Love me some wheel guns for sure

Posted: 2/9/2017 6:38:00 PM EDT

[#3]

Not a big fan of Ruger double action revolver but at that price for that model I would have been tempted. Nice job cleaning it up.

Posted: 2/9/2017 6:45:54 PM EDT

[#4]

looks good...

Posted: 2/9/2017 7:22:08 PM EDT

[#5]

With the factory grip/gripscrew on it you can use a dime to remove the grip screw and then the pin in the frame and so on till it's all apart.

I love those things. Got a couple of the stainless speed sixes in .357 magnum from back in the early 80's. Great guns.

Edited to add - there should have been a little pin in that hollow grip alignment pin in the bottom rear of the frame. It's used like you used the allen screw, to hold the hammer spring in compressed mode so you can get the guide and spring out of the frame. You could probably make one from a piece of drill bit. It's just got to be the right diameter to fit in that hollow pin and the hole in the bottom of spring guide.

Posted: 2/9/2017 7:56:55 PM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:
With the factory grip/gripscrew on it you can use a dime to remove the grip screw and then the pin in the frame and so on till it's all apart.

I love those things. Got a couple of the stainless speed sixes in .357 magnum from back in the early 80's. Great guns.

Edited to add - there should have been a little pin in that hollow grip alignment pin in the bottom rear of the frame. It's used like you used the allen screw, to hold the hammer spring in compressed mode so you can get the guide and spring out of the frame. You could probably make one from a piece of drill bit. It's just got to be the right diameter to fit in that hollow pin and the hole in the bottom of spring guide.

View Quote

I am liking this one the more I fondle it!

I looked for the pin inside the grip but did not see it. Not a big deal, I grabbed the next best thing within reach on my bench. But I see what you mean about making one to leave in the frame. I will do that. Thanks!

Posted: 2/9/2017 8:38:47 PM EDT

[#7]

Nice work. I believe you added at least $200 to the street value of the revolver.

Posted: 2/10/2017 12:48:37 AM EDT

[#8]

Nice OP, great price and nice work spiffing the old girl up.

Posted: 2/10/2017 11:14:43 AM EDT

[#9]

For that price I can't fault you. Cleaned up pretty good.

Posted: 2/11/2017 12:45:28 AM EDT

[#10]

I found a Service Six in much worse condition a few years back for $150 with a holster and 100 rounds of ammo. It had pitting on the back strap and when cleaning up with oiled 0000 steel wool does not yield satisfactory results, a rust blue can be done at home. I found a nice set of wood grips and traded the Goodyears for a Tyler grip adapter.

The gun made a good present for my son.

Posted: 2/11/2017 2:08:26 AM EDT

[#11]

Good save!

Posted: 2/11/2017 10:19:29 AM EDT

[#12]

Andyd - Nice job! Looks good. Excellent gift for a young man.

Posted: 2/12/2017 2:18:27 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
Andyd - Nice job! Looks good. Excellent gift for a young man.

View Quote

Thanks, it was his first .38/.357 Magnum revolver and inspired him to rust blue an Israeli surplus FEG HiPower clone. His first and only job. It is actually pretty easy and can be done with equipment found in about every home.

Posted: 2/12/2017 3:01:36 AM EDT

[#14]

Nice find and great job fixing up that revolver! The Ruger "six" series guns are tough as nails and excellent shooters.

Posted: 2/12/2017 10:30:24 AM EDT

[#15]

Got the revolver out to the range yesterday. Felt good knowing this was the first this gun had been shot in over 25 years. Took a variety of handloads to see which would shoot to point of aim.

Got back about 15 yards and had at it.

A little high, but decent for the first six shots.

Put about 50 rounds through it. Trigger pull was good in both single and double action. Mechanically it was perfect. Later it was ringing a 1 ft square steel plate at 50 yds with regularity. Fun day at the range with my new find!

Posted: 2/12/2017 4:55:20 PM EDT

[#16]

And no lost brass!! If you reload, not losing brass is good.

Did you shoot .357 magnums or .38's? Lighter bullets will usually shoot lower than heavier bullets.

My father in law had an old Colt SA revolver, a Frontier Scout. He used to tell me, "You've got to hold a fine bead or you'll shoot over the target." I didn't have that problem. I shot a empty soda cans, he was shooting at quarters and nickels.

Posted: 2/12/2017 5:17:57 PM EDT

[#17]

Nice work op.

Looks like you still have some bad spots on the trigger guard.

If it were mine (and because it is a seperate piece) I believe I would polish the heck out of the part that shows and do a cold blue on it . If I wasn't happy with it It could always be sent out for a blue job or a ceracoate

Posted: 2/12/2017 6:08:34 PM EDT

[#18]

If you want to replace the takedown pin in the grip panels cut a paperclip to fit. I lost the pins on every one I owned, paperclips work great.

Posted: 2/12/2017 6:37:06 PM EDT

[#19]

Nice work! I am a wheel gun fan and appreciate seeing them brought back to life and then shot! Enjoy that new revolver.

Posted: 2/12/2017 6:56:33 PM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:
And no lost brass!! If you reload, not losing brass is good.

Did you shoot .357 magnums or .38's? Lighter bullets will usually shoot lower than heavier bullets.

My father in law had an old Colt SA revolver, a Frontier Scout. He used to tell me, "You've got to hold a fine bead or you'll shoot over the target." I didn't have that problem. I shot a empty soda cans, he was shooting at quarters and nickels.

View Quote

Not losing brass is great, especially since it would be gone until spring with the snow. I mainly shot 357 Mag loads with cast 158 gr bullets. But I did try some 148 gr wadcutters in 38 Special. I have many bullet molds, so I've got to try some of these and a few of those....

Posted: 2/12/2017 7:00:50 PM EDT

[#21]

Quote History

Quoted:
Nice work op.

Looks like you still have some bad spots on the trigger guard.

If it were mine (and because it is a seperate piece) I believe I would polish the heck out of the part that shows and do a cold blue on it . If I wasn't happy with it It could always be sent out for a blue job or a ceracoate

View Quote

Thanks! It has been fun. And yes, the trigger guard area is still a problem. Been considering what to do, and will likely do as you suggest.

I was really looking forward to shooting it, so did not work that area as well as needed. I see some cold blueing coming up soon.

Posted: 2/12/2017 7:06:28 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
Nice work! I am a wheel gun fan and appreciate seeing them brought back to life and then shot! Enjoy that new revolver.

View Quote

Thank you! Some more work to be done, but it is a fun project.

Posted: 2/12/2017 7:38:05 PM EDT

[#23]

Nice job.

Posted: 2/13/2017 2:54:41 AM EDT

[#24]

I soooooooo want a Speed Six in blue...or stainless.

Good work, OP.

Posted: 2/13/2017 3:08:44 AM EDT

[#25]

I've seen one old Speed Six that had been bead blasted, parkerized and had an old school lanyard loop added to the butt and it looked really cool.

Posted: 2/13/2017 5:07:37 PM EDT

[#26]

Nice work OP... What is the "Copper Penny Technique???"

Posted: 2/13/2017 7:45:14 PM EDT

[#27]

The third post in the thread by Buzzworth gave a link to a video explaining it. The copper is soft enough to be easy on the blue while removing light rust.

Check out the vid.

Posted: 2/14/2017 11:20:50 AM EDT

[#28]

Quote History

Quoted:
The third post in the thread by Buzzworth gave a link to a video explaining it. The copper is soft enough to be easy on the blue while removing light rust.

Check out the vid.

View Quote

Thank you Vly, and Buzzworth! I have a nice almost mint Blued M36 manufactured in 77 or 78, the year I was born. However, it has about 10 small/fine specs of rust from sweat no doubt on the back strap of the grip. I'm 90% certain this pistol was never shot more than maybe a cylinder or two full in it's whole life because everything is so tight, the trigger, lock work, the crane upon swinging out the cylinder... I'm going to use the Penny Technique to remove the flakes and get it to a new range. My current range burned down in late December, ha!

Nice work you did on that old wheel gun you have there. Feels good to restore something worth restoring!

Posted: 2/14/2017 8:11:03 PM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:

The copper penny technique of rust removal is nothing short of amazing.

View Quote

Share this, please?

Posted: 2/14/2017 11:42:38 PM EDT

[#30]

Man, I just LOVE the Ruger Six series revolvers, especially the Speed Six.
I have a very similar story with a 2.5" Speed Six that I found cheap at a pawn shop. It looked like it spent its entire life in someone's tackle box or something. I sanded the pits out, stripped it down and re-blued it with the Birchwood Casey stuff, and it turned out pretty nice. You did the right thing (and a fantastic job I might add) by cleaning up the original finish though. Yours looks great now, and I know you will enjoy it!

Posted: 2/15/2017 12:13:16 AM EDT

[#31]

That's a late model speed six, you can tell by the dished recoil shield on the right side. On earlier speed sixes that was round.

Attached File

Posted: 2/15/2017 9:30:32 AM EDT

[#32]

Quote History

Quoted:

Share this, please?

View Quote

BobCole - Check the two posts above yours. The copper penny technique has gotten interest in this thread and poster Buzzworth posted a link to a video describing the procedure.

The technique is not magic. All rust is a matter of degrees of rust. It works on light surface rust and leaves the blue intact. More severe rust and pitting are beyond what the copper penny can handle. Metal rusted away is gone forever.

Check out the vid at the link posted by buzzworth. ( 3rd post in thread )

Posted: 2/15/2017 10:16:03 PM EDT

[#33]

Quote History

Quoted:
Got the revolver out to the range yesterday. Felt good knowing this was the first this gun had been shot in over 25 years. Took a variety of handloads to see which would shoot to point of aim.

Got back about 15 yards and had at it.

http://www.fototime.com/CF53A13AF244668/standard.jpg

A little high, but decent for the first six shots.

http://www.fototime.com/9DC71CA57ED9D65/standard.jpg

Put about 50 rounds through it. Trigger pull was good in both single and double action. Mechanically it was perfect. Later it was ringing a 1 ft square steel plate at 50 yds with regularity. Fun day at the range with my new find!
http://www.fototime.com/71ABEE143800725/standard.jpg

View Quote

Looks great! Great work rescuing that gun.

I have a blue 3" Police Service Six that I bought for a song some years back. Still wore the original grips. It was a long-retired cop's off-duty piece, but had hardly been fired over the years. "Carried a lot, shot very little," as they say. It cleaned up more easily than yours and has become one of my favorites for the range and occasional carry ever since.

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