GP 100 @ 44spcl???

[44thumper]

Just a thought but I have always liked the GP100 and am a big fan of the 44 caliber. I see where old flat top 357's are converted all the time to 44spcl. So would it be do able on a GP100 ? It would be one sweet gun with a 4" barrel , and sould be a lot nicer than the 4" redhawk. Just my opinon and thoughts.

 

[Boge]

It would have to be a five shot or use a larger frame window I believe. Ruger making it is about as likely as an LCR in .375 H&H. :wink:

 

[t-reg]

Taurus did it.

 

[piratedude]

Personally I don't see a use for .44 special, but to each his own.

That said, if they made a 5 shot .44 magnum on the GP100 frame..... then I would be very interested.

 

[targetshootr]

Clements used to offer them. I'd like one too but I'll be happy with a 6 shot 41 spl.

 

[TRanger]

Personally I don't see a use for .44 special, but to each his own.

Blasphemy!

 

[RidgwayCO]

David Clements did a 5-shot .44 Special for me on a S&W M681-3 L-frame. Turned out pretty nice...

 

[Anonymous]

The 696 is an L frame .44 Sp. gun too, but it is certainly walking the line in terms of strength in the cylinder and the forcing cone.

A better choice would be a 10 MM Mg. on an L frame or a GP100.

 

[Rclark]

Personally I don't see a use for .44 special, but to each his own.

Simple! Smaller and lighter revolvers. I have a CA Bulldog in .44 Special. Loaded weight is under 24oz. .44 Special can be shot from the medium frame Ruger, which is smaller than the large frame for the .44Mag. Bonus is you can shot fairly hot loads from it too. So smaller gun and does 99% of your shooting chores ... what is not to like? Of course, I am a .45 Colt fan more than .357, .44Mag, .44Spec.... But hay, I can see the value of the .44 Special too.

 

[RidgwayCO]

RedHawk44, Brian Pearce has researched the M696 in depth with S&W, and he believes the gun is capable of what he calls Category 3 loads (up to 25,000 psi). To quote him, "The factory conducted some rather strenuous torture tests, wherein the model 696 easily endured pressures well beyond anything we will present here."

A 250gr lead SWC at 950 fps does 95% of everything I need a handgun to do, and I can do this with selected powders at Pearce's "Category 1" pressure level of up to 15,500 psi (SAAMI max avg pressure for the .44 Special). My converted 681 is simply a 696 with a 4" inch barrel and fixed sights (which is exactly what I wanted). If (when?) the cylinder on my "691" blows or the forcing cone cracks, I'll be the first to let you know... :wink:

 

[c.r.]

RedHawk44, Brian Pearce has researched the M696 in depth with S&W, and he believes the gun is capable of what he calls Category 3 loads (up to 25,000 psi). To quote him, "The factory conducted some rather strenuous torture tests, wherein the model 696 easily endured pressures well beyond anything we will present here."

A 250gr lead SWC at 950 fps does 95% of everything I need a handgun to do, and I can do this with selected powders at Pearce's "Category 1" pressure level of up to 15,500 psi (SAAMI max avg pressure for the .44 Special). My converted 681 is simply a 696 with a 4" inch barrel and fixed sights (which is exactly what I wanted). If (when?) the cylinder on my "691" blows or the forcing cone cracks, I'll be the first to let you know... :wink:

i was thinking of that exact article, but i don't have mine with me and couldn't recall the specifics.

I think a 696 or similar 5-shot 44 special on a medium frame platform is just sweet.

 

[piratedude]

Personally I don't see a use for .44 special, but to each his own.

Simple! Smaller and lighter revolvers. I have a CA Bulldog in .44 Special. Loaded weight is under 24oz. .44 Special can be shot from the medium frame Ruger, which is smaller than the large frame for the .44Mag. Bonus is you can shot fairly hot loads from it too. So smaller gun and does 99% of your shooting chores ... what is not to like? Of course, I am a .45 Colt fan more than .357, .44Mag, .44Spec.... But hay, I can see the value of the .44 Special too.

I think we are talking about a GP100 here. Taurus was able to make the Tracker in .44 magnum. If the Tracker can fire .44 magnum, then I imagine a GP100 could handle .44 magnum loads as well (5 shot). I would much rather have a .44 magnum than a .44 special, especially in a large gun like a 4" GP100. I don't see why you would put a .44 special in a gun that could accept .44 magnum. .44 magnum is an all around more versatile and more useful round. You can use .44 magnum for hunting, bear defense or for self defense. With .44 special you are basically limited to self defense and target practice (or more likely sitting around and talking about your .44 special revolver). If you aren't going out in the woods, or if you are arthritic and can't handle .44 magnum anymore then you can always download a .44 magnum to .44 special.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I too want a GP100 in .44 Special.

Ruger already makes the Redhawk and Super Redhawk in .44 magnum; no need to try to stuff it in the smaller platform. The GP is plenty strong for a .44 Special.

Then again, my latest S&W 624 will be here tomorrow...

Hadn't thought about having an L frame fitted out in .44 Special. That would work, but at this point I'd rather have the GP.

-- Sam

 

[CraigC]

With .44 special you are basically limited to self defense and target practice (or more likely sitting around and talking about your .44 special revolver).

This is unadulterated hogwash. If you can download the .44Mag then you can certainly take advantage of the .44Spl's full spectrum of capability. In effect, the famous Skeeter 950fps load will handle 99% of anything most shooters will need a sixgun to do. If not, there's another 300fps to be gained with Keith's load.

I don't think the GP has sufficient cylinder length for the .44Mag anyway. :roll:

I imagine a GP100 could handle .44 magnum loads as well (5 shot).

What exactly is this based upon?

 

[catfish621]

It's my dream gun. Love my GP but don't like the 357. Too loud. The larger caliber would also make it better for hunting.

 

[ProfessorWes]

I'd love a fixed-sight, round-butt, three-inch barrelled GP snub in .44 Special.

Like an old-style Charter Arms Bulldog, but lots more durable. Great house gun...

 

[44thumper]

Like I stated at the beginig , this was a thought I had. I love the 44mag, but I also really enjoy shooting the 44spl. I have 2 blackhawks and a marlin in 44mag. Was thinking about adding a double action to the group and the redhawk is nice but not the best fit for me. I prefer the gp100 or super redhawk grip to the bantam on the redhawk. Those that shoot 44spl. know what I mean about sweet shooting big bores. Very acurate usually and very controlable. seemed like it would make a great ccw gun. Maybe an sp101 like some one else said even. :lol: :wink:

 

[Boge]

Something this size but SP100 tough is what I want. :wink:

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I would love to see a 5 shot .41 magnum or a 6 shot .41 special GP-100.
A .44 special would be ok too but I think that is even more unlikely.

...Jimbo

 

[piratedude]

This is unadulterated hogwash. [/qupte]

What is hogwash exactly? Do you drink it?

[qupte]If you can download the .44Mag then you can certainly take advantage of the .44Spl's full spectrum of capability. [/qupte]

Or I could just download .44 magnum (assuming I want to download, which honestly I don't). Personally I don't want to bother with .44 special. I like .44 magnum. I also work in Alaska where I would much rather be armed with a .44 magnum than a .44 special. .44 special is a popular caliber amongst a select vocal minority on this forum, but out in the world most people don't use it. 44 magnum and .357 are both much more popular than .44 special.

[qupte]
I don't think the GP has sufficient cylinder length for the .44Mag anyway. :roll:

The overall length of a ,44 magnum is only about 1mm longer than a standard .357. The Taurus tracker uses a S&W sized .357 cylinder and it fires .44 magnum just fine. I suppose you can't fire some of the heavy gran .44 magnum loads in it, but you can fire 240 grain loads in it. The GP100 cylinder doesn't seem any shorter than the Taurus one to me.

What exactly is this based upon?

Its based on the fact that the Taurus Tracker uses a .357 cylinder and frame and it has been re-chambered into a 5 shot .44 magnum. Are you suggesting that the GP100 cylinder is weaker than the Taurus .357 cylinders?

Sounds like pure hogwash to me.....

The fact is that Ruger is behind the curve here. Other manufacturers are already offering 5 shot .44 magnum rounds based on a .357 frame. There is no reason for Ruger to re-chamber the GP100 to an inferior caliber like .44 special when it could re-chamber the gun to .44 magnum, just like Taurus did. The fact is that .44 magnum is a much more popular caliber than .44 special and has a lot more utility.

Speaking purely for myself, I will never buy a .44 special. I just don't have any use for it. If I want something weaker than .44 magnum, I'll just use .357 or .45acp or 9mm. I don't need any other exotic calibers (especially something like .44 special which isn't cheap).

 

[no5shooter]

Catfish, I'm with you. I really like the versatility of the .357, on paper, but in reality the darn things hurt my ears! I hadn't thought about a GP100 in .44 Spl, but I'm sure going to now.

Thumper, you have a fine idea here. Why don't you go ahead and do it and then let the rest of us know how it works out??

 

[oldhunter]

When someone mentioned their S&W 696, I automatically begin to smile as mine is my favorite gun when the weather allows proper dress for concealed carry. Only "issue" is the weight after several hours compared to other smaller and lighter handguns. Very accurate and that large hole at the end of the barrel is reassuring to the one holding the gun and should be intimidating to anybody that it is pointed at. Love my .44 special.

oldhunter

 

[Boge]

... There is no reason for Ruger to re-chamber the GP100 to an inferior caliber like .44 special when it could re-chamber the gun to .44 magnum, just like Taurus did. The fact is that .44 magnum is a much more popular caliber than .44 special and has a lot more utility...

You are forgetting one thing that Ruger usually takes into account: the idiot factor. If they build a GP100 in .44 Spcl. many will load ultra hot .44 Spcl. loads in it. If they did it in .44 Magnum many idiots would load Super Redhawk thermonuclear handloads and beat the gun to death in short order and be on this site whining about it. Ergo, it behooves them to caution on the side of safety. :wink:

I remember on the SASS Wire years ago when the New Vaquero was introd some moron blew one up as he neglected to read the manual and promptly loaded a thermonuclear Super Blackhawk handload in it. That´s why .44 Spcl. is better in the GP100 IMO. Finally, the .44 Spcl. is not in any manner ¨inferior¨ as it can do 95% or more of what a .44 Magnum can do when using heavy hard cast SWC´s.

 

[surveyor47]

Ruger already makes a compact 44 DA revolver, its called the Alaskan. It looks like an overgrown SP101. If you want a 4 inch barrel, they make the Redhawk in 44. I think that Ruger pretty well has its bases covered. Now, if I had my preferences they would make a 3 inch Alaskan, but they dont and I cannot imagine what benefit an inch of barrel that would be worth the cost. The Alaskan is perfectly good enough for my purposes.

 

[Denny]

Back in the day I acquired a 696 cylinder and barrel from Brownells I send them along with a used 686 and has VAn in Ohio assemble me a nice 44 special. Brownells does not have anymore barrels but Delta will rebore your barrel to 44 and Brownells had a few cylinder assemblies left. Get it before its too late

 

[maxpress]

Personally I don't see a use for .44 special, but to each his own.

well, ya see the .44spl and 45colt shoot a bigger diameter and heavier bullet than a .357. caliber is close to its size points of an inch. so if you are firing a 125 gr bullet at 1400fps you can do the same thing with a 250gr at 700fps with much less blast and recoil. plus that frontal diameter. of course most .44sp/45colt ammo is 250gr at 900fps anyway giving it the power of a 125gr at 1800fps.

anyhow i handload for the .44mag/spl but think i would rather go for the 10mm gp

 

[Rclark]

With .44 special you are basically limited to self defense and target practice (or more likely sitting around and talking about your .44 special revolver).

Well, not quite . Look, you can load .44 Special to do 99% (100%?) of what needs doing. As already stated, you can use Keith loads in .44 Special which is plenty hot for any animal in North America (man or beast) that might be trying to harass you. No need to move a 240g bullet any faster than 1200fps from a 4" barrel . As for hunting, You already have 'hunting' guns in the RH, SRH, SBH, Bisley, and SBH Hunter. Put scopes on 'em if desired. Size and and Weight aren't a factor for that 'specific' purpose. I am a firm believer in using the correct gun for the correct job. If I am looking for a concealed weapon for example, the nod goes to my CA Bulldog in .44Spec. If it is target shooting, it might be any gun I have. If packing in the hills or fishing, the .45 Colt Ruger SA gets the nod. If I plan on hunting, the .44Mag or Hot loaded .45s get the nod. There is no gun that does everything well. You need different guns for different purposes. For this discussion, I just don't see the purpose of pushing a 'hunting' round (.44Mag) into the small GP-100 platform. makes no sense what-so-ever. The .44 Special does.

As for auto rimless cartridges like 10mm, 9mm, .45ACP.... It just doesn't seem right to shoot them in a revolver. That's just my opinion though . No other valid reason.

 

[maxpress]

Ruger already makes a compact 44 DA revolver, its called the Alaskan. It looks like an overgrown SP101. If you want a 4 inch barrel, they make the Redhawk in 44. I think that Ruger pretty well has its bases covered. Now, if I had my preferences they would make a 3 inch Alaskan, but they dont and I cannot imagine what benefit an inch of barrel that would be worth the cost. The Alaskan is perfectly good enough for my purposes.

its not that compact. its a much bigger frame than the gp100 and its over 3/4lb heavier than its 3" gp100 counterpart.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree that the GP would make into a 44 Sp. well, but like the 696, the safety factor is reduced to the point that it is walking the line in terms of safety and durability.

Load it to 44 Sp ballistics, or perhaps 100 fps faster (240 grainers at 950) and either one will serve you well.

Load it to 1200 fps, as some people will doubtless do, and it gets a little dangerous to handle. 8)

 

[surveyor47]

Ruger already makes a compact 44 DA revolver, its called the Alaskan. It looks like an overgrown SP101. If you want a 4 inch barrel, they make the Redhawk in 44. I think that Ruger pretty well has its bases covered. Now, if I had my preferences they would make a 3 inch Alaskan, but they dont and I cannot imagine what benefit an inch of barrel that would be worth the cost. The Alaskan is perfectly good enough for my purposes.

its not that compact. its a much bigger frame than the gp100 and its over 3/4lb heavier than its 3" gp100 counterpart.

The gun I really want is my friends pre-lock, pre-mim, 3" S&W 629. Its lighter than the Alaskan and a heck of a lot prettier, but Im sure kicks much much worse. A little larger than a 3" GP100 and you dont have to settle for 5 shots.