A question about converting a revolver

**sgtgeorge** · December 10th, 2010, 08:17 PM

My original service revolver was a Ruger Police Service Six chambered for .38 Spl. ONLY. I just purchased a cylinder and crane in .357 Magnum to do a swap for the .38 cylinder. Is there anything else that needs to be done ti rechamber this revolver? How does one remove the old cylinder and crane. I believe I read somewhere that once the trigger group is dropped out, the crane can be pulled from the frame. Please enlighten me.

**knight0334** · December 10th, 2010, 08:49 PM

You need to check to see if the .357mag cylinder is longer than the .38spl. If it is, you'll either have to get another barrel with a shorter forcing cone or have yours shortened.

**Xringshooter** · December 11th, 2010, 08:38 PM

You can go to www.ruger.com and download the manual for the Security/Service/Speed Six and it will show you how to take it apart. Once you have the cylinder and crane out, install the replacement and see if it will close correctly. If it does then before you put everything back together rotate the cylinder completely to insure that the cylinder/crane assembly does not bind and has the correct gap between the cylinder and the barrel. If it does bind or the barrel/cylinder gap is not correct, it would be best to take it to a gunsmith to have them check to see why. As knight0334 said the cylinder on the replacement may be a bit longer and if so the barrel at the forcing cone area will either have to have metal removed to get the cylinder to close properly or the barrel may have to be replaced with one from a .357 Mag of the same series. If metal is removed from the forcing cone portion of the barrel then the forcing cone would probably need to be rereamed also, another job for a gunsmith unless you have done this yourself and have the proper tools and know-how.

As you can see, what seems to be (at face value) a easy swap isn't always that easy, there are many different things you have to check to insure that when completed, it functions correctly and SAFELY.

**sgtgeorge** · December 12th, 2010, 01:47 AM

thank you.

**Wiley-X** · December 12th, 2010, 01:59 AM

Also do some checking to make sure that the .38 frame is the same as the .357 Mag frame.

**Xringshooter** · December 12th, 2010, 03:45 PM

All of the Six series frames are the same, be they chambered for .357 Mag, .38 Spec or 9mm. The grip portion had changed slightly after s/n's prefixed 150 (the humpbacks) but the rest of the gun has not changed. The only differences are in the different barrel types (standard or heavy), barrel lengths and the reaming of the cylinders (and barrels) for the cartridge to be chambered.

A very good book to have on hand, if you plan on keeping and/or collecting the Six series guns is The Ruger Diuble Action Revolvers: A Shop Manual Vol I by Jerry Kuhnhausen. It is available through Brownells and midwayUSA IIRC.