Can a GP100 trigger job equal Smith trigger?

[bluzman]

I shot a couple of hundred rounds using a 686+ and I loved the trigger in either DA or SA. Eventually, I bought a GP100 Match Champion. I can't honestly say that I wish I'd bought a 686 instead. YMMV

 

[gk3]

I just picked up a 7 shot GP100 with 6" barrel. I think the trigger is very nice out of the box, but the only other revolver I have to compare it with is very heavy j frame trigger.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I could be convinced that after an expert trigger job a S&W's double action trigger might be better than a Ruger.

There is no "might" to it, if you mean overall trigger feel...SA, not so much

I think this is in part why S&W revolvers dominate the action shooting sports like ICORE across all divisions, and IDPA, and USPSA Revolver divisions.

"Part" yes, but a much larger part would be the use of the Apex Tactical Specialties hammer as part of their action tuning

 

[mcb]

There is no "might" to it, if you mean overall trigger feel...SA, not so much


"Part" yes, but a much larger part would be the use of the Apex Tactical Specialties hammer as part of their action tuning

I have no personal experience with Apex. I have heard good things and a few buddies have use their parts but no personal experience.

My 610 I start competition with has a hammer nose firing pin so it's not Apex compatible. My 625 has had at least two previous owners and someone did a pretty spectacular trigger job on it, it is the best double action trigger I own and rivals most of my rifles in single action (~1.25 lb trigger pull single action, shame I almost never shoot it single action). My 627PC (my current competition gun) is an Internal Lock gun that probably could benefit from an Apex trigger job but I can't really point to the trigger as the reason I am not a Grand Master so I keep blasting away with it, as-is.

But at least in USPSA the rules play an equally large part in S&W's dominance as the tune-ability of its trigger. Before 2014 the 625 was King and Ruger (or anybody else for that matter) did not make a revolver that could compete with the 625 and 45 ACP on moonclips. After the rule change allowing the 7-shooters and 8-shooters to play; again no one really made a viable option other than S&W with the 627/327/R8 and 929 introduced right at the rule change. Ruger finally released an 8-shooter but the initial 2.5-inch 8-shot Redhawk was a strange first offering to me, and not really competitive. With this years longer version we might see Ruger make some tentative inroads.

IDPA is a bigger puzzle. The revolver rules are pretty S&W vs Ruger neutral and even written slightly in Ruger favor in some aspects (barrel lengths limits for sure) and although Ruger seems to have a greater representation in the sport at a club level, but still less than S&W, by the time you get to the State and National level matches S&W again seems to dominate the Revolver division. The S&W double action trigger is a part of that for sure but I can't help but wonder if there are other reasons.

 

[ATLDave]

After the rule change allowing the 7-shooters and 8-shooters to play; again no one really made a viable option other than S&W with the 627/327/R8 and 929 introduced right at the rule change. Ruger finally released an 8-shooter but the initial 2.5-inch 8-shot Redhawk was a strange first offering to me, and not really competitive. With this years longer version we might see Ruger make some tentative inroads.

Of course, the USPSA rules on stage design mean that the 7-shooters are completely non-viable. Lots of 8-shot arrays, and you can't even get to major PF scoring with the 7-shooters. I get the sense they are similarly without a home in even ICORE, which seems to have equipment divisions to make most other common, full-sized revolvers feasible for the game.

 

[mcb]

Of course, the USPSA rules on stage design mean that the 7-shooters are completely non-viable. Lots of 8-shot arrays, and you can't even get to major PF scoring with the 7-shooters. I get the sense they are similarly without a home in even ICORE, which seems to have equipment divisions to make most other common, full-sized revolvers feasible for the game.

Yeah 7-shooters are worst off than 6-shooters in USPSA from a competitive point of view. At least with my 6-shooter you can go Major for a scoring advantage.

I think the 7-shooter might do a little better in ICORE. I am not super familiar with the rules but in Open and Limited the 7-shooter may do OK given the 6-round arrays common in ICORE stages. Not sure that is "hard coded" in the rules but a lot of stages are made with lots of 6-shot groups so at least you have a seventh round for a miss on steel.

Steel challenge it pretty 7-shooter friendly.

 

[earplug]

One can buy S&W parts if your over zealous with a stone or dremel. Ruger parts can be difficult to obtain.
With the shortage of federal primers which allow very light DA springs in revolvers. I'd guess that the two brands can be made very equal.