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An answer to Colt's Detective Special and Smith & Wesson's Chiefs Special, the Ruger Speed-Six revolver was intended for use by plainclothes detectives and others desiring a more concealable handgun. The revolver, a variant of the Ruger Security-Six and Service-Six, incorporates fixed sights and a round-butt frame, and was available in .357 Mag., .38 Spl., .38 S&W (.380-200), and 9 mm Luger. The standard barrel lengths available were the same as those for the Service-Six, but also included a 3" length in certain law-enforcement contract orders, until the agencies using the revolver ultimately adopted .40 cal. semi-automatic pistols. For more on the the Ruger Speed-Six revolver, watch this "I Have This Old Gun" segment from a recent episode of American Rifleman TV.
Charter Arms updated one of the oldest models in its lineup with the new Pathfinder II, which features a lightweight 7075 aluminum frame, making it more well-balanced and easier to carry.
The 2011-style pistol was designed to address the capacity limitations of the single-stack M1911 platform, and Kimber's approach to the concept is its 2K11, a competition-ready offering with several notable features.
Manufactured in New Haven, Conn., in late 1940, this Hi-Standard pistol was shipped as a Model “A,” but a heavier Model “D” barrel was installed later to replace the original, light barrel, leading one American Rifleman reader to call it a Model “A-D.”
In the effort to help tens of thousands of critically ill children and their families across the nation through local Ronald McDonald Houses, Ruger is among some of the industry’s foremost Platinum-level sponsors of The Kids & Clays Foundation.
The future is shaping up to be a good one for fans of Smith & Wesson revolvers. The iconic American company had released 14 new models thus far in 2025 at the time this was written mid-year. And, with one exception, they have all shared a common feature—no internal lock.