Praise for the Gp100

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Tony_the_tiger

Tony_the_tiger

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I just returned from a range session with my KGP-141 Ruger Gp100.

This was my first firearm. It's accurate, powerful, heavy, reliable, and ruggedly handsome. It is my dedicated woods carry piece that has been up and down the Great Smoky Mountains, the Rocky Mountains, and the Southeast. I carry it strong-side OWB at 2:30 - 3:00 with a Simply Rugged Sourdough Pancake. It has a little over 2000 rounds through it.

Today I shot Speer Gold Dot 125 grain .357 JHP rounds, Buffalo Bore 180 grain Heavy .357 Hardcast Lead, Underwood Gold Dot 158 grain .357 JHP rounds, and Corbon Hunter 200 grain .357 Hardcast Lead. Amazingly, all are around the same point of impact using factory sights that have been sighted in to my liking.

I got a kick out of installing the Wiley Clapp special edition grips onto the 4" frame.

gp1.jpg

Please share your GP100 and SP101 photographs and stories.
 
I like the GP100/SP101 family very much, all have had some minor trigger tweaking and offer a very smooth DA and SA trigger. Perhaps not as pretty as some S&Ws they offer a very well designed and built revolver that is without a doubt one of the toughest ever built.

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Getting the six inch in two months time.

I do like that wiley clap grip!

After that is a wheelgun in 45 colt. Can't decide on Blackhawk, Vaquero or a non ruger...
 
I only have one GP100, but it is a very good shooting gun and I like it a lot.

IMG_0436-XL.jpg
 
I'm a big fan of the fixed-sight 3" model.

gp100forumpic.jpg


In fact, I like them so much that I bought a second one when i found it languishing in the used counter at my LGS for a good price.

bothgp100s.jpg
 
If I had to narrow my entire handgun collection down to 1 gun for the rest of my life (GASP!), my 4" stainless GP100 would be in the top 2 or 3 choices. I can't really think of a more versatile revolver, no matter how hard I try.

My GP100 started out as my dad's back in about 1989 or 1990, so I grew up shooting it. It's like an old friend. I have carried it camping, hiking, and deer hunting as a backup. It's kind of the "Goldilocks" of outdoor handguns - it's just right (for about 95% of all needs). It's also been a trusted home defense gun for my wife when I'm out of town.

It's also my favorite gun for breaking in a new shooter, using light .38 Special loads. Makes it feel like a .22, and newbies seem more comfortable learning on a revolver rather than a semi. I like to have them put a few cylinders full of .38 through it, then have them step up to 125-grain .357. Nothing beats that "smack-you-in-the-nose" concussion of a fast and light .357 round. It always gets a smile.
 
Though I am more likely to actually carry my S&W Model 19 concealed these days, I love the GP100, and have several, with 3" to 6" barrels. The original factory grip, pre-Hogue, is absolute perfection in my hands.
 
Back during what I call The Great Assault Weapons Panic of '08, I sold a Romy AK for $600, and immediately went and bought a 6" GP100, which began my gradual shift away from AW's and towards guns that will likely be at the end of the coming bans,but I digress.... Anyway, this pistol is one of my most treasured toys. It's deadly accurate, has the tightest lock-up I've seen on any Ruger ( any tighter and it'd be a Python). It's an excellent pistol that all of my freinds love,too, especially with the Hogue cocobolo grips i now have on it. You just can't go wrong with these things.
 
If I had to narrow my entire handgun collection down to 1 gun for the rest of my life (GASP!), my 4" stainless GP100 would be in the top 2 or 3 choices. I can't really think of a more versatile revolver, no matter how hard I try.
Click to expand...
Yup, me too.
My 4" GP is a new gun and the quality is very impressive. Smooth bore, chambers and throats. Excellent DA stroke, good SA trigger that seems to be improving towards excellent. Shoots jacketed and lead well.
It is my proverbial "if you could only have one handgun" handgun.
 
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I really like the look of those 3" barrel fixed sight models. Seems like a great set-up, giving you a well balanced revolver with a decent length barrel for both open and concealed carry.
 
Bill Ruger was a master at designing reasonably priced guns that delivered excellent value.

The GP100 is the personification of this
 
I, too, would select a GP100 as my "only" gun, though I would have to turn back the clock to 1997 to "grandfather" the GP100 as a duty handgun, as my employer went all-DA-.40-autos for primary duty handguns at that time, though we could keep carrying our existing duty handguns by keeping the quals up to date.

The GP100 is quite heavy for a duty handgun, with all the other stuff we carry on our belts, but I could do it again. Off the clock, a GP100 is small enough to conceal, with just a bit of care in holster and cover-garment selection. The GP100 is an excellent field/woods gun, of course.
 
Well I do consider the 3 inch GP100 near the top of the line as for do-all revolvers.

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Bit heavier than my Speed Six and S&W 65-3 Ladysmith but not alot.

I use magnums alot in the GP but not as many in my Speed Six and few in my Ladysmith.

And the GP, if it runs dry of ammo, makes a dandy club!

Deaf
 
A question about GP100

For about 6 months, I've been looking for a .357 to go with an SP101 in .38 Spec. that I may inherit (if I live long enough).

I have looked at the EAA "Windicator", a Rossi (back of trigger guard rubbed badly on 3rd finger's knuckle), a S&W 686, and the GP100, in a mix of 4" & 6" barrels. The longer barrels seemed to be a little too "nose heavy" but the 4" balanced much better. The 686 I looked at was priced at $770 :)what:) while a 4" SS GP100 was $570.

Then I found a blued 4" GP100 w/ adj. rear sight at a pawn shop, with no box or manual. According to Ruger's website, the gun was made sometime last year (2011), looks to be in excellent shape with Ruger rubber grips (no wood). The one "fly in the ointment" is the cylinder gap. This pistol has a gap between 0.008" and 0.009" and is big enough to let light through when viewed from the side.

My questions are:
Is this gap too big? (Ruger doesn't think so.)
Does anybody know how to shrink this gap w/o returning it to Ruger?
What would you consider to be a fair price for this piece?
 
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