GP100 in Special only?

[Jason280_2]

How common are .38 Special only GP100's, and are they necessarily worth any more than standard chambered .357s?

 

[GP100man]

New, ok price IF I wanted 1 .

& how many of us has shot 38spcl in our 357 MAGNUMS???

Don`t underestimate the potential of 38 spcl. with todays bullet selections.


YMMV.

 

[epj]

I shoot .38's almost exclusively in all my .357 guns. Reason? Lots of free brass. I reload, so the .38's can be at any power level I desire, including .357 level. I don't load much hot stuff, and if I do, I'm sure to mark the loads as .357 guns only.

Anyway, if you could buy a .38 only GP at a really good price, you wouldn't be giving up much. You could always have the cylinder reamed to accept .357's. Lots of old N frame Smith .38-44's had this done. Not sure they had the same level of heat treating as the .357's, but I don't read about them blowintg up with any regularity either.

 

[P94/GP100]

For many years Ruger catalogued .38 Special only versions of the GP100. Most, if not all of them were fixed-sight, compact grip varients, as Ruger perceived their primary appeal to LEO/security orgaziations on a budget and wanting to provide a quality revolver without the additional training time/expense needed to train and familiarize their individuals on the increased power, recoil, and muzzle flip inherent to the .357 magnum cartridge. The ones that I've seen over the years have tended to be slower sellers, as most shooters usually prefer at least to have the option of loading .357 magnum, and subsequently are a bit lower priced.

Personally, I agree with GP100man-I almost always use .38 Special +P ammunition in both my GP100 and Security Six in both competition and carry, for reasons of increased controllability and decreased recovery times between shots. But I do keep some .357 magnum ammunition on hand, and I like having the option to use it...

Best, Jon

 

[GP100man]

Not to say I don`t shoot 357 magnum rounds , I shoot 38 in 38revolver & 357 length brass in my 357 s , nuttin like a good cast 358156 gas checked with a good dose of 2400 under it !!!

I most opt for a HP 358156 swc De gas checked (bare bottomed) with 13.5 grs. 2400.

Then a low pressure load with 3.5 grs. Clays & a 357477 swc or a 358091 wc

 

[welder]

There was a new blue one at my LGS that stayed there close to a year. I also remember a SP101 in .38 but can't remember how long it was there. Both new guns and haven't seen any more after these finally sold.

 

[weaselmeatgravy]

This .38 was made in 1997 but didn't ship until 2007, I s'pose as part of a warehouse cleanout:

This one is a GPNY with 3" barrel, made for NYPD in .38 only and DAO:

 

[lfpiii]

The 38 special GP100 was the only way Ruger could compete in the security guard market after they discontinued the Speed & Security Six. Most states only permit security guards to carry 38s unless they had served in the military and can qualify with auto.

The big problem Ruger faced was GPs size. S&W M10, Taurus and Rossi guns are the smaller K frame size while the GP is the L frame. If you have several hundred guards are you going to buy two sizes of holsters or one size of gun?

I honestly believe if Ruger had kept production of a K frame gun Taurus and Rossi would have been pushed out of the market a long time ago.

 

[Blue Brick]

Not a GP100, but 38 Special only.

 

[Gary in Pennsylvania]

WOW Weaselmeat! that is one DANDY looking revolver!
I didn't know that Ruger did a fixed sight 4" FULL lug model! Sweeeeeet!



ANYWAYS - for all......so what makes it .38spl only????
Ruger didn't change the frame size. Is the cylinder dimensionally identical to the full-size .357mag??? Or is it shorter and the forcing cone just reaches out a tad further???
What measures did Ruger take to disable the ability of a magnum to be accidentally loaded/fired???

 

[weaselmeatgravy]

ANYWAYS - for all......so what makes it .38spl only????

Just the depth to which the chambers are bored.

 

[welder]

WOW Weaselmeat! that is one DANDY looking revolver! QUOTE

I've come back to this thread to look at that pic more than once. It is a goo looking gun indeed.

 

[mdewitt71]

OK, so it looks like Davidson's has a sale on 38 special GP100 pistols.
I could get on out the door from my local for $400..... I got excited when I seen the price.

But, being 38 Spec, my dealer said they WONT shoot 357 rounds.

Question is, how hard to find is 38 spec rounds versus 357 in the stores and for $400 is this such a bad thing?
Will it still fire 38+P rounds?

Gun would mainly be home defense gun and taget shooter on the weekends. Not too mention it will fill the "revolrver shooting" requirements for the CCW classes needed by me and the wife.

 

[41manor44]

If the priced were right I might invest in a GP 100 38 Special but I'm more into 357s. I don't shoot 38s in my 357s because I don't like to clean the carbon ring associated with the shorter cartridge. If I want low powered loads in my 357s I use 357 brass and a starting load for the 357. That's just me. I always start with new brass and lately have been using Starline exclusively.

 

[Glupy]

Around here the .38's seem to be worth less. I suspect there were fewer .38's made than .357's but many seem to be hung up on not being able to shoot .357 rounds even though the majority use only .38's.

I admit having said this too.

But if I look at an auction website, I see that 38 only Security Sixes seem to go for more money than the 357s.

Sancho

 

[hittman]

You'll notice someone resurected this thread from 2009. :shock:

 

[mdewitt71]

Yea, after looking at the ballistics of a .38 special compared to my 9mm, I will stick with getting a .357 for $150 more. Sure just to shoot and say you have one is OK but, I am sticking to .357 for my next purchase and it will have more punch than my 9mm as well.

 

[FergusonTO35]

I wish Ruger would bring back the .38 GP-100 with a 4.2 half lug barrel and adjustable sights. I think the Ruger half lug barrel handles and carries way better than the full lug.