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Hard Chroming the Security Six

3K views 21 replies 14 participants last post by  Brent Chambers 
#1 ·
After several months of consternation and gnashing of teeth, I decided to send my old Ruger Security Six to AP&W for hard chroming. It's a 1976 "Liberty" gun and the first .357 that I bought.

But, the cylinder had begun to turn plum, and the bluing was getting thin on the edges. Through the years, my preference in revolvers has turned to stainless, and this was the only remaining blued gun that I own. So, off it went. AP&W has done a couple of other guns for me with excellent results, so I'm excited to see what it looks like when it comes back.

I saved a little money by breaking it down before sending it in.
 

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#3 ·
Guys like Skeeter Skelton would shoot a gun until it needed a rebuild then either send it to a gunsmith they really liked or back to the factory for the rebuild. From his writings it appears he would also have a well travelled and loved gun engraved then refinished.

I think it's great that you are having an old friend and loyal companion like your old Sec Six refinished and hopefully give it some more shooting love. Can't wait to see the results.
 
#4 ·
It truly is an old friend. I bought this gun when my wife and I had been married only 3 years. We used to enjoy walks down by the river near where we lived, and I'd often take the Security Six along. One day, she shot a cylinder of .357's and decided that those were not for her. She's not shot a .357 since that day. On another day, this is the gun that I used to knock a noisy crow out of a tall tree along the edge of a farm field on a lucky shot.

Many other memories associated with this fine old revolver, too. That's why I'm keeping it. I don't want to see it turn into just another ugly gun. I owe it more than that.
 
#5 ·
Security Six was also my first 357, good solid guns although the grips are small like a lot of Rugers.

A bit OT but my first wife bought it for me as a present and hid it, I found it while looking for something and thought UhOh. It was a few days of wondering there...
 
#6 ·
Stop the value is up on the made in 200th year of america guns.
I seen a gf32/‘75 sell for $750 no inscription. That puts the inscription ones at $1,000+++?
 
#8 ·
Just in case anyone is still interested, I got the Security Six back from AP&W about a week ago, freshly chromed and ready to be reassembled. I'm really pleased with how it turned out.
 

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#9 ·
Thanks for the photo's, Larry. It really looks sharp. I've always wanted a hard chromed revolver - have blued & stainless models. Have a hard chromed 1911 I had custom built about 20 years ago. It's easily had 50K rounds thru it and looks as good as the day i took posession. I think you'll be very happy with your HC.
 
#10 ·
Looks great, terrific way to revive an old workhorse.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for posting! I have debated sending them a couple things to have that done. I always liked the look of hard chrome better than nickle. The climate down here can be rough on things, particularly when prior owners leave them in leather holsters in the car in 90% plus humidity...

That said, I actually rather like the plum color some of the old guns can develop, like the old Blackhawks often do.
 
#15 ·
Sure! I'd be the world's worst spy, anyway.

Chroming the revolver was $250. Not the least expensive, and certainly not the most expensive hard chroming service out there, but I think that's pretty reasonable. Normally, there is an additional $55 fee for disassembly of the gun, but I sent the gun to them disassembled, so I was able to save that fee. With shipping back to my FFL, the total was $290.

Thanks to everyone for the compliments!
 
#19 · (Edited)
That's how I look at it. The original price for the gun was amortized a long, long time ago, so that was not a consideration. I'd stopped shooting the Six because I didn't want to degrade the blued finish any more in the firing/cleaning cycles. Unlike many, I'm not one who finds "character" in ugly guns.

This feels like a whole new "old" revolver. Can't wait for the ranges to open up again so that I can shoot it for the first time in a long while.
 
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