GP100 .38 - go for it?

[BeagleDog]

I have a chance to pick up a 4" 1/2 shrould, blued with fixed sights. NIB for $375.00. What do you think.

 

[Mtn Biker]

I just picked up the 357 version of the same gun for that same price. You don't see as many .38 only GP's as 357's and they are discontinued so that may make them more desirable to some but since they only use 38's they may be less desirable to some.
I like the option of shooting both rounds. Now if you could buy it out the door for $350 or a little less I would jump on it. I love the looks of the blued, half shroud, fixed sight GP.

VL

 

[welder]

I'd grab it in a minute. That's a good price IMO.

 

[Gregg1LE]

Grab it while you can.

 

[Landric]

I'd get it, but it really depends on what you want it for. I shoot IDPA in SSR with a 4" S&W L-frame .357, but if I could find a .38 Special only L-frame or GP, I'd get that instead. I only use .38 Special in IDPA, and it would be nice to have less chamber cleaning to worry about.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

That is a cool gun and kinda rare I think. Good price for a new gun. :shock:

...Jimbo

 

[RugerDoug]

I picked up on of those last year. Its a great shooting revolver. I heard that Ruger sometimes has these special runs of this type of revolver for private security companies.

 

[BeagleDog]

I just picked up the 357 version of the same gun for that same price. You don't see as many .38 only GP's as 357's and they are discontinued so that may make them more desirable to some but since they only use 38's they may be less desirable to some.
I like the option of shooting both rounds. Now if you could buy it out the door for $350 or a little less I would jump on it. I love the looks of the blued, half shroud, fixed sight GP.

VL

Yeah, it IS pretty cool looking. I know the topic has been around a lot but I'm a 1/2 shrould guy. I just think they look COOL and I have better luck getting onto target than with the full. I already have the 1/2 in 6" SS and I use to have the 4" SS 1/2 as well with adj sights but stupidly stupidly sold it to a member of the Forum 2 years ago. Well I'm going for it but I'm trying to beat the guy down for a few bucks as his shipping is pretty outrageous so I'll keep you posted. I agree with you on the .357/.38 but the fact that it IS .38 only makes it more unusual and the reason I was attracted in the first place - I personally had never seen one in this configuration.

 

[sdoyl123]

Hard to find caliber. I would go for it.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Plus with the strength of the GP and good brass if you handload you could really put some heat in those 38 specials if you wanted to.

...Jimbo

 

[BeagleDog]

Plus with the strength of the GP and good brass if you handload you could really put some heat in those 38 specials if you wanted to.

...Jimbo

That's the plan :wink: !

 

[nn]

I think a .38 only is for certain less useful than a .327 FM.

 

[jadek44]

I think a .38 only is for certain less useful than a .327 FM.

Ya but try finding the ammo

 

[revhigh]

That is a cool gun and kinda rare I think. Good price for a new gun. :shock:

...Jimbo

Rare schmare ... it's a GP100 for God's sake ... and in a far less desirable caliber than most ... buy a real GP100 if you want one. It's cheap because nobody wants 'em.

Flame suit on ... but still speaking the truth.

REV

 

[Jimbo357mag]

That is a cool gun and kinda rare I think. Good price for a new gun. :shock:

...Jimbo

Rare schmare ... it's a GP100 for God's sake ... and in a far less desirable caliber than most ... buy a real GP100 if you want one. It's cheap because nobody wants 'em.

Flame suit on ... but still speaking the truth.

REV

Kinda like nobody wants those 9mm GPs either. ha ha

"Bombs Away"

...Jimbo

 

[wixedmords]

I wondered what had happened to Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart Jimbo. Now I see he is at Gunblast.

 

[BeagleDog]

That is a cool gun and kinda rare I think. Good price for a new gun. :shock:

...Jimbo

Rare schmare ... it's a GP100 for God's sake ... and in a far less desirable caliber than most ... buy a real GP100 if you want one. It's cheap because nobody wants 'em.

Flame suit on ... but still speaking the truth (As spoken by Rev).

REV

I do believe this IS a "real" GP100 - just a caliber YOU do not want. Obviously SOME people like them. I happen to like GP100's period and according to YOUR vision of a "real" GP100, I have several "real" ones and I have at one time or another owned many. And as far as calibers go, I cannot for the life of me figure out why people like things like .327mag, .357 Maximo, .32 H&R - do I need to go on? All the above, including the .38 do something a little more than another caliber and something a little less than another caliber. Me - I'll stick to mainstream calibers, enjoy my .38, play with different loads, and let folks who want those oddballs enjoy theirs as well. I'm not going to judge a persons selection and I don't see why you have an obvious need to judge others

 

[revhigh]

First, BD, I was being facetious about it not being a 'real' GP100.

Second, there is a real propensity for some people to assign greater value to something just because THEY haven't seen many. The facts are that this model may be more scarce than 'real' GP's, but clearly, judging by the price, does NOT command any kind of price premium, and in fact has quite a large price PENALTY for being chambered ONLY in 38 special.

That would seem to indicate that it is NOT in much demand, rather it is in a negative demand situation, meaning that people do NOT want them, and the price shows that (find me a 'real' GP NIB for $359). A previous poster mentioned a 9MM GP. Now THAT would be an example of a gun being both 'rare', and in 'extremely high demand', if they exist at all, which they certainly may. For some reason that I don't quite understand, people seem to really like revolvers chambered in auto calibers, or combination auto calibers. Hey ... to each their own.

What do you think that 99% of the gun buying public would say if they encountered that gun in a used gun case .... can I see that GP ??? .... Oh, it's only a 38 special .... nevermind. That's why it's still sitting there NIB in the gun case for $359.

Just because something is different, does not make it valuable, rare, in demand, or worthy of a snap decision for purchase ... that's all I meant.

If the OP was LOOKING for a 38 special gun .... fine (were you ?) .... but if they/you were looking for a GP (which 99% percent of people probably consider to be 357's) then buying a 38 special would be a compromise that they shouldn't make just because some here consider it 'scarce' or 'rare'. Scarce and rare are two words that don't really belong in the same sentence with GP100.

You never mentioned originally that you're kind of a GP 'collector' until the previous post, saying that you own several... if that's the case, go for it, you probably won't see many in this 'undesirable for a GP100' caliber. It also sounds like you had pretty much made up your mind about it before even asking here, since you ALREADY had strong opinions about GP's, half shrouds, etc, and obviously like the platform (which I do too !). Plus, you obviously think it's a good deal.

For someone's first GP, asking your original question, and really not already knowing the answer, my advice would stand .... for you, kind of a GP collector, buy it, you know you're going to anyway !

They're spectacular guns, but scarce or rare ... not so much. As a previous poster mentioned ... I'd try to bargain the price down. Chances are that gun has been sitting for a LONG time in that case.

REV

 

[Blue Brick]

I bought a stainless Police Service Six in 38 special only by preference.

 

[revhigh]

The service six is a much more appropriately sized platform for the mild 38 SP round, IMO. They're nice guns.

REV