Ruger Speed-Six
- Category
- Revolver
- Barrel
- 102 mm
- Weight, empty
- 880 g
- Introduced
- 1972
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Ruger Speed-Six is a double-action/single-action revolver chambered in .357 Magnum, part of Sturm, Ruger & Co.'s 'Six' series alongside the Security-Six and Service-Six. Introduced in 1972 and built on investment-cast carbon steel, it pairs a six-round swing-out cylinder with fixed sights and a compact round-butt frame intended for plainclothes detectives and concealed carry. A transfer-bar mechanism allows the revolver to be carried safely with all chambers loaded. Offered with 2.75-inch and 4-inch barrels in .357 Magnum, .38 Special, and 9mm Luger, the Speed-Six served numerous police and security agencies before production ended in 1988.
The 'Six' series was Bill Ruger's first foray into the double-action revolver market, engineered around investment casting and a coil-spring lockwork to undercut Smith & Wesson and Colt on cost while matching their strength. The Speed-Six's snag-free round butt and fixed sights made it a favored backup and plainclothes sidearm in the 1970s and 1980s.
The Speed-Six differs from the Security-Six by its round-butt grip and fixed sights, and from the fixed-sight Service-Six by its concealment-oriented round butt. Stainless steel versions were added from 1975. Also chambered in .38 Special and 9mm Luger (with moon clips).
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Sturm, Ruger & Co.
- Category
- Revolver
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1972 to 1988
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 102 mm
- Overall length
- 235 mm
- Height
- 133 mm
- Width
- 38 mm
- Weight, empty
- 880 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Revolving
- Firing mechanism
- Double action single action
- Trigger
- Double action single action
- Capacity
- 6
- Magazine
- Rotary
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 410 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 680 J
- Effective range
- 45 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Swing out cylinder
Transfer bar safety
Fixed sights
Round butt grip
Investment cast steel frame
Exposed hammer
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 53 .357 Magnum revolvers | 880 g | 1.10 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 50 .357 Magnum revolvers | 235 mm | 245 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 53 .357 Magnum revolvers | 102 mm | 107 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 53 .357 Magnum revolvers | 6 | 6 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the Ruger Speed-Six
How much does the Ruger Speed-Six weigh?
The Ruger Speed-Six weighs 880 g (1.94 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Ruger Speed-Six?
The Ruger Speed-Six is chambered in .357 Magnum.
How many rounds does the Ruger Speed-Six hold?
The Ruger Speed-Six holds 6 rounds, fed from a rotary magazine.
How long is the Ruger Speed-Six?
The Ruger Speed-Six is 235 mm (9.25 in) long overall, with a 102 mm (4.02 in) barrel.
Who makes the Ruger Speed-Six?
The Ruger Speed-Six is made by Sturm, Ruger & Co. (United States). It was designed by Harry Sefried / Henry Into.
When was the Ruger Speed-Six introduced?
The Ruger Speed-Six was introduced in 1972 and discontinued in 1988.
How does the Ruger Speed-Six operate?
The Ruger Speed-Six uses a revolving action, and its firing mechanism is double action single action.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Royal Ulster Constabulary
- United Kingdom
- U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/ruger-speed-six' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "ruger-speed-six", "name": "Ruger Speed-Six", "manufacturer": { "id": "ruger", "name": "Sturm, Ruger & Co.", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1949, "website": "https://www.ruger.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "99f742e0e01d24b135a262603a4191a9c848e3f1d9fbb1e0caaccabcfacb5e23" }, "category": { "id": "revolver", "name": "Revolver", "description": "Handguns with a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1972, "barrel_length_mm": 102, "weight_empty_g": 880, "action_type": "revolving"}