RealGun
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Ruger GP100. I actually purchased a New new revolver.
- Thread starter JC111
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Hoppes Love Potion
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I doubt you could wear out your N-frame .38 Special, but I'll never question any excuse to purchase a new revolver.
RealGun
Member
A tuxedo gunReplaced the Houges with Altamont grips as well as the front sight which I ordered direct from Ruger.
There you goA tuxedo gun
Congrats on your new shooter.
My wife wanted a new pocket carry pistol, so off to the LGS we went for christmas... found her a brandy new p238, and while she was perusing, I found me a 1 year old, blued, 4" GP100. with the purchase of both, I was able to get the GP100 for 5 bills, looks like is has hardly been handled, minuscule turn line on the cylinder - serial number puts it late 2015 or early 2016. Been wanting one for years, now I have one! Maybe I will look into some extra grips for it. I have medium size hands (glove size) so the hogue fits ok, might be looking for something just a hair smaller though
My wife wanted a new pocket carry pistol, so off to the LGS we went for christmas... found her a brandy new p238, and while she was perusing, I found me a 1 year old, blued, 4" GP100. with the purchase of both, I was able to get the GP100 for 5 bills, looks like is has hardly been handled, minuscule turn line on the cylinder - serial number puts it late 2015 or early 2016. Been wanting one for years, now I have one! Maybe I will look into some extra grips for it. I have medium size hands (glove size) so the hogue fits ok, might be looking for something just a hair smaller though
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
Bought my 4-inch GP second hand about fifteen years ago. Agree with others that I consider it the most practical of all my handguns. Built like a tank, versatile (especially if one reloads), concealable if necessary. Several years later bought a second hand 3-inch specimen; I like the fixed sights and it is definitely more concealable. Looking to add the new .44 spl as soon as my LGS can get one in.
Congrats on joining the club. Just be aware that they are addictive.
Congrats on joining the club. Just be aware that they are addictive.
I tried several aftermarket grips on my GP, and settled on Pachmayr's Gripper, the only one that fit the frame right and fit me right.
I had a S&W M-686, but like the Ruger better. The Smith was too nose heavy. I retained my S&W M-66, but don't often fire full .357 ammo in it.
About 500 times a month (it seems), I read that Rugers are built like tanks, really strong.
But I've seen forcing cones severely eroded even on GP-100's, caused by excessive firing of full power loads with bullets of 125 grains or less. After conferring with several gun and ammo makers, I decided to use bullets of 140-158 grains and to limit use of all full magnum loads. They are for killing things, not for casual range use.
Buffalo Bore makes very hot .38 Special Plus P loads. I suspect that they'd suffice for 90% of what we should be doing with a revolver. If anyone here has shot a big raccoon or a coyote, etc. with those, how'd they perform? I'd still select full .357 ammo for deer, cougars, bears, etc. Not that I'd hunt a bear with a .357, but the bear might hunt me.
I had a S&W M-686, but like the Ruger better. The Smith was too nose heavy. I retained my S&W M-66, but don't often fire full .357 ammo in it.
About 500 times a month (it seems), I read that Rugers are built like tanks, really strong.
But I've seen forcing cones severely eroded even on GP-100's, caused by excessive firing of full power loads with bullets of 125 grains or less. After conferring with several gun and ammo makers, I decided to use bullets of 140-158 grains and to limit use of all full magnum loads. They are for killing things, not for casual range use.
Buffalo Bore makes very hot .38 Special Plus P loads. I suspect that they'd suffice for 90% of what we should be doing with a revolver. If anyone here has shot a big raccoon or a coyote, etc. with those, how'd they perform? I'd still select full .357 ammo for deer, cougars, bears, etc. Not that I'd hunt a bear with a .357, but the bear might hunt me.
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I had a similar experience with an SP101. I ended up finding that the internals were bone dry. Did a little lubricating and it was ready to go. I think it had somehow gotten missed before packaging.
RealGun
Member
I don't think there are enough choices of ammo in 357 without reloading. My 357s never see 38 Special of any stripe. I have good 38s for that.
SwaneeSR
Member
Nice purchase. I have been waffling between the GP100 and a Blackhawk .357/9mm Convertable with my "Toy Fund" money.
I am tired of picking up brass on the personal pistol range.... I need a accurate revolver. How to decide? GP100 is SS is gorgeous.
I am tired of picking up brass on the personal pistol range.... I need a accurate revolver. How to decide? GP100 is SS is gorgeous.
RealGun
Member
I would save the BH for calibers that start with 4. The GP to me is the ultimate full power 357 among reasonably affordable guns. I have to qualify my enthusiasm by the fact that nearly all Rugers I bought new went back for cylinder repair or replacement, always fast and always free, but jeez! Some required at least one visit to my gunsmith at $65 minimum charge and up.
We camp a lot, so, I wanted the .357 as a camp carry gun to go along with the 30-30. I would pick the rifle if I were hunted by a bear and had time to grab it, but dont think I would be undergunned with the GP and 158gr magnum loads in a pinch. We only have black bears here in my area.
hollywood63
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Nice very nice congrats
jeff-10
Member
Well what is a gun forum if not a bunch of enablers
I read this thread and decided that I was in the market for a new .357. In the past I have had both the 4" GP100 blued and an older 686 also sporting a 4" barrel. Despite the 4" barrel being kind of the go-to compromise length for the .357, I found them both a bit awkward. The Smith was too nose heavy, the longer barrel on the GP paired with the stock grips made the gun feel overly massive.
Conversely, I have often struggled with the idea of a heavy .357 snub nose. My SP101 2.25" was reliable and accurate as well as easy to shoot .357 through, but it was a brick for something stoked with only 5 rounds. On the flip side, a lighter .357 is no fun to shoot and might as well be a .38 special at that point.
I've often thought the 6 shot 3" .357 revolver is an ideal jack-of-all-trades. Large enough to push the .357 a little faster than the snubbie. Short enough to shift the weight of the gun back a little bit as well as conceal a little more easily than the 4+" versions. Beefy enough to handle .357 so that you aren't flinching and shaking your hand when you practice with your carry load.
Truth be told, when I stepped into the gun shop my mind was going toward a Model 60 for carry or maybe trying a new 686 in 4". However, while they had both of those guns on hand, the stainless fixed sites 3" GP100 called out to me. It was great balance of brawn and compactness. Holding it sort of reminds me how the right kind of Commander 1911 can "hang" just a bit better in the hand than the more classic G.I. It's amazing what just a little less material in the right places can do.
I traded off some stuff (including saying a fond goodbye to a couple of loyal SPs) and made out OK with some cash left over and a brand new 3" GP tucked under my arm. I did commit the cardinal sin of purchasing a 4" pancake holster as I'm an amateur leather bender with at least some marginal "good enough" talent to make my own, but I'm light on supplies at the moment and didn't have one to fit the GP. I went with a 4" holster because...well, it was what they hand, and I have a serious pet peeve of holsters that don't protect the crown and front sight.
I haven't shot it yet, but the action actually feels better than any other DA Ruger I have owned. Firm but smooth DA, nice clean break on SA. Bank vault tight lock up. I've cleaned her up and given her a couple of drops of oil to drink in her tender parts. I'm excited to maybe take her to the range tomorrow. I found some 158gr Federal .357 semi-jacketed wad cutters in my truck console and I think have 3 or 4 boxes of misc .357/.38 in my ammo boxes.
I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of off hand groupings I can get.
I will say, the chunky stock grips have got to go sooner than later
I read this thread and decided that I was in the market for a new .357. In the past I have had both the 4" GP100 blued and an older 686 also sporting a 4" barrel. Despite the 4" barrel being kind of the go-to compromise length for the .357, I found them both a bit awkward. The Smith was too nose heavy, the longer barrel on the GP paired with the stock grips made the gun feel overly massive.
Conversely, I have often struggled with the idea of a heavy .357 snub nose. My SP101 2.25" was reliable and accurate as well as easy to shoot .357 through, but it was a brick for something stoked with only 5 rounds. On the flip side, a lighter .357 is no fun to shoot and might as well be a .38 special at that point.
I've often thought the 6 shot 3" .357 revolver is an ideal jack-of-all-trades. Large enough to push the .357 a little faster than the snubbie. Short enough to shift the weight of the gun back a little bit as well as conceal a little more easily than the 4+" versions. Beefy enough to handle .357 so that you aren't flinching and shaking your hand when you practice with your carry load.
Truth be told, when I stepped into the gun shop my mind was going toward a Model 60 for carry or maybe trying a new 686 in 4". However, while they had both of those guns on hand, the stainless fixed sites 3" GP100 called out to me. It was great balance of brawn and compactness. Holding it sort of reminds me how the right kind of Commander 1911 can "hang" just a bit better in the hand than the more classic G.I. It's amazing what just a little less material in the right places can do.
I traded off some stuff (including saying a fond goodbye to a couple of loyal SPs) and made out OK with some cash left over and a brand new 3" GP tucked under my arm. I did commit the cardinal sin of purchasing a 4" pancake holster as I'm an amateur leather bender with at least some marginal "good enough" talent to make my own, but I'm light on supplies at the moment and didn't have one to fit the GP. I went with a 4" holster because...well, it was what they hand, and I have a serious pet peeve of holsters that don't protect the crown and front sight.
I haven't shot it yet, but the action actually feels better than any other DA Ruger I have owned. Firm but smooth DA, nice clean break on SA. Bank vault tight lock up. I've cleaned her up and given her a couple of drops of oil to drink in her tender parts. I'm excited to maybe take her to the range tomorrow. I found some 158gr Federal .357 semi-jacketed wad cutters in my truck console and I think have 3 or 4 boxes of misc .357/.38 in my ammo boxes.
I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of off hand groupings I can get.
I will say, the chunky stock grips have got to go sooner than later
Well what is a gun forum if not a bunch of enablers
I read this thread and decided that I was in the market for a new .357. In the past I have had both the 4" GP100 blued and an older 686 also sporting a 4" barrel. Despite the 4" barrel being kind of the go-to compromise length for the .357, I found them both a bit awkward. The Smith was too nose heavy, the longer barrel on the GP paired with the stock grips made the gun feel overly massive.
Glad to enable you.
p95
Member
I know the feeling......................
That is a nice looking shooter P95. I love the look of the SP101-like slab grips. I think it certainly gives the gun some personality.
I installed some Pachmayr Diamond Pro grips on my new GP. I'm not jazzed about them, but after taking the gun to the range, the chunky stock grips had to go. I just don't shoot as well with them. I've had the Diamond Pro grips before. Not my favorite, but they fit my hand a little bit better as I'm not big on excessively deep finger grooves. I will say that the PDP grips are a major pain in the rear to install. I only take them off every so often when curiosity gets the best of me and I want to see what kind of gunk has made its way down into the working of my gun.
I may pick up some compact grips from Ruger for my birthday to make the GP feel more like the SP. Actually, as silly as it sounds, I wish Pachmayr offered their compact grip in the GP configuration like they do the SP. I liked those on my SPs when hiking/sweating.
All around, I really like this new gun. I balances perfectly, and wearing it on my belt all day is a breeze. I think that has to do with so much of the weight falling right in the middle of the holster and not flopping about like a bottom feeder.
Monarch 158gr semi-jacketed hollow point .38 special and .357 did a passable job. I won't win any bullseye contests shooting it, but minute of bad-guy rapid yet controlled shots not off a rest yielded serviceable groups for cheap ammo. It's nice to be able to get "old school" expanding ammo for the same price of fmj. For bumming around in the woods, it would most likely hit what I needed hit and hopefully not through and through too much.
Federal 158gr semi-jacketed soft point was a little more accurate with a noticeable bit more report and recoil. Not punishing in the least, but I could certainly feel the concussive wave ripple off the wall I was standing next to.
The carry winner of the day was Hornady .38 +P 110gr. I have had a couple boxes of this stuff kicking around for a couple of years. Actually, I've had it loose in the ammo can and for so long I had to get online to figure out what it was called. Shot out of a light alloy pocket revolver, it's loud and punishing. It's why I still have some left. Shot out of a 3" 6 shot steel brick, it felt like shooting .32 S&W. 6 rounds printed around the size of my thumb at 10 yards from a standing near rapid fire. I'm not a particularly good shot, but I was aiming at the bottom "O" of the number 8 on the 8-ring (I had shot too many near the 10 ring and wanted to see how the groupings would be if I aimed at something tiny like the 8. I thought I had missed the paper. Looking closely I saw that the whole bottom half of the 8 was completely gone
Of course, I pulled a shot or two an inch out due to bad technique, but getting 3 of 6 rounds to touch is good enough for me.
I'll be picking up some more to keep on hand the next time I'm at Academy.
I installed some Pachmayr Diamond Pro grips on my new GP. I'm not jazzed about them, but after taking the gun to the range, the chunky stock grips had to go. I just don't shoot as well with them. I've had the Diamond Pro grips before. Not my favorite, but they fit my hand a little bit better as I'm not big on excessively deep finger grooves. I will say that the PDP grips are a major pain in the rear to install. I only take them off every so often when curiosity gets the best of me and I want to see what kind of gunk has made its way down into the working of my gun.
I may pick up some compact grips from Ruger for my birthday to make the GP feel more like the SP. Actually, as silly as it sounds, I wish Pachmayr offered their compact grip in the GP configuration like they do the SP. I liked those on my SPs when hiking/sweating.
All around, I really like this new gun. I balances perfectly, and wearing it on my belt all day is a breeze. I think that has to do with so much of the weight falling right in the middle of the holster and not flopping about like a bottom feeder.
Monarch 158gr semi-jacketed hollow point .38 special and .357 did a passable job. I won't win any bullseye contests shooting it, but minute of bad-guy rapid yet controlled shots not off a rest yielded serviceable groups for cheap ammo. It's nice to be able to get "old school" expanding ammo for the same price of fmj. For bumming around in the woods, it would most likely hit what I needed hit and hopefully not through and through too much.
Federal 158gr semi-jacketed soft point was a little more accurate with a noticeable bit more report and recoil. Not punishing in the least, but I could certainly feel the concussive wave ripple off the wall I was standing next to.
The carry winner of the day was Hornady .38 +P 110gr. I have had a couple boxes of this stuff kicking around for a couple of years. Actually, I've had it loose in the ammo can and for so long I had to get online to figure out what it was called
. Shot out of a light alloy pocket revolver, it's loud and punishing. It's why I still have some left. Shot out of a 3" 6 shot steel brick, it felt like shooting .32 S&W. 6 rounds printed around the size of my thumb at 10 yards from a standing near rapid fire. I'm not a particularly good shot, but I was aiming at the bottom "O" of the number 8 on the 8-ring (I had shot too many near the 10 ring and wanted to see how the groupings would be if I aimed at something tiny like the 8. I thought I had missed the paper. Looking closely I saw that the whole bottom half of the 8 was completely gone Of course, I pulled a shot or two an inch out due to bad technique, but getting 3 of 6 rounds to touch is good enough for me.I'll be picking up some more to keep on hand the next time I'm at Academy.
stchman
Member
Over the summer I traded a XDM9 + cash for a Talo 6" GP100 with the solid cylinder. Man that gun shoots nice and looks even better.
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