Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Holster question El Paso 1920 Ruger vs. S&W

Due to silly gun laws in Germany we are generally limited to just two handguns to possess simultaneously in a legal way. So there are plans to sell my way too big Ruger NMSBH 44 in favor to a S&W K- or N-frame or go the other way and buy a Ruger Security Six or GP 100.
Over the years I have bought some holsters made by the El Paso Saddlery Co. There are several Model 1920 Tom Threepersons for K-, L- and N-frame with four and six inches bbl-length. They are all marked "S&W K" respectively L or N.

Will a Security Six or GP100 fit into any of these holsters without beeing eather squeezed or rattling when hosted by the holsters? Does anyone of you have access to El Paso 1920 TTP or 1930 Austin to try and tell?

The other way would be just placing an order in El Paso for a custom made Ruger-ftting holster but first I would like to go this way.

Thank you.

I don't have an EP 120 on hand for a double action, but tried for fit a few other well made holsters with a Sec 6, K frame, L frame & GP 100.

Security sixes "almost always" share a holster size with a K-frame. The L Smith & the GP share a slightly larger holster. My GP & L-frame don't have the barrel under lug & they fit a lot of my K frame holsters. Doubt they would if the underlugs were present.

Not huge differences in K to L holster fit IMO. When you put a K in an N-frame holster is when the rattle starts. Heavily boned or tightly fitted security holsters are a lot more model specific.

Hope some, any of this helps.

One more thought. The newer 4" K, L, & GP's are now usually made with 4 1/8 - 4 1/4" barrels to accommodate a silly Canadian law, so the closed toe on an older EP 120 might cause a problem.

Thank you for your thoughts and hints. Especially the issue with the barrels Canadian style. I would always prefer the old Smiths.

My 2019 vintage 4" 686 has a 4.125" bbl measured from the face of the cylinder to the muzzle. In my experience the GP100 is a tiny bit "larger" in dimensions than the L frame S&W. In saying this I mean very, very slightly larger - for example the GP100 might be a bit tight in a holster that fit a 686 perfectly.

Many gun owners in Germany have suffered tragic losses of their handguns in boating accidents. Has that happened to you, yet?