GP100

[dedstr8]

What can anyone tell me about the GP 100? I am considering the purchase of one in stainless steel with a 6"bbl.

 

[hittman]

Welcome to the Forum.

First, do a "search" and you'll come up with dozens and dozens of GP100 mentions in threads here.

Secondly, the only better revolver is the Security / Service / Speed Six's that were replaced by the GP series. Nothing to fear owning one. They'll function flawlessly long after you and I are gone from this earth.

Know that the 6-inch barrel is plenty heavy. I don't know what your intended use is but they're also offered in 3, 4, 4.2 and 5 inch models.

 

[contender]

Welcome to the Forum!
+1 to hittman
Get one with confidence.

 

[wolfee]

IMHO, this is the benchmark against which any other mid caliber double action should be judged. Make sure you handle the various barrel lengths before buying. Mine is a 4" and it is plenty heavy, but it is just a range plinker so I like the weight. Also, note that Ruger has released several variants of non cataloged versions lately. Including guns chambered 38 Special only. Then you get to decide blue or ss, full lug or half, barrel lengths as noted, fixed sights or adjustible, and for most of us we go thru a decision process of choosing to keep the current fat Hogue grips installed or switching out for the traditional "panel" grips, or some fancy solid wood.

btw, most of the non catalogued guns show up at gungenie.com You just have to check regularly to see what they got. Often, they get a batch of something weird and offer them at substantial discount to the line item.

 

[GP100man]

The GP100 is the most robust 357Magnum production revolver made ,there`s a few custom makers that offer stronger ,but just a few!!

The 6" full shroud/lug is a bit muzzle heavy , but some like a heavy muzzle , & it`s a fine hunting/range gun . Not easily concealed, but can be with the rite holster & clothes.

The 4.2" model has good balance & is a good General Purpose 357 magnum, It`s a good SD/HD revolver & with the rite holster & compact grips is alot easier to conceal.

The 3" models are nice ,the shorter barrel does help with concealment & qwiker handling for a SD/HD revolver, however the fall back on it for a true concealment revolver is the big 6 round cyl.

You don`t specify your intentions , but if used for hunting check your states regulations on handgun hunting , there may be restrictions on caliber & barrel lengths.

IMHO the 357 magnum is 1 of the most versatile rounds avaiable for handguns/carbine use topped maybe by the 44 magnum especially if you handload !

& WELCOME to Ruger Forum.com !!

GP

 

[dedstr8]

I prefer the 6"bbl simply due to the fact that I am no fan of shorter bbl. revolvers. Plus, it seems to me that a 6"bbl. would have greater accuracy than a 4.2", especially in .357 magnum.

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

I have 4 GP`s. 3" .357 fixed sight , 4.2" .38 special adjustable sight , 4.2" .357 and 6" .357. They are all very accurate but the 6" shoots like a laser with every load I have tried in it.
Your choice is a good one!

 

[Kevin]

I have a inch model blue and I mounted a scope on it. I am not the best shot with a handgun but with the GP I can regularly hit the steel plate at 100 yards, sometimes 200 if there is no wind and I'm lucky. Yes it is plenty heavy so it doesn't get shot that often but it remains a lot of fun when I do take it out to the range.

I think if you buy the 6 inch you will want a shorter barrel GP 100 in the future. At least I do. They are great guns and easy to take apart and change springs etc. Never had any issues with the operations of the gun either. Well except some ammunition (seller and Beloit) had unusually thick case rims and that caused some drag when the cylinder is closed. This of course was not the guns fault.

 

[WESHOOT2]

A perfect choice.

I prefer the feel of my pair of 4"" versions.

 

[jimbo1096]

I have had three and currently the match Champion which is the best of them all. The S&W has a better out of the box trigger, but the GP is one outstanding DA revolver, overbuilt and cared for properly will last several lifetimes. Ruger has an excellent workmanship record and their warranty is outstanding. There are smaller, lighter revolvers out there, The SP101 being one of them, but overall the GP100 can't be beat for value and reliability. I prefer stainless, and the shorter half lug barrel as a Personal Defense weapon and ocassional target shooter, if hunting you may want the 6" with full lug or somewhere in between.
Good luck and let us know what you decided and why.
Jim H.

 

[wolfee]

Jimbo, I have not got a chance to handle the Match Champion yet, but might want one. Are these guns tuned some at the factory--trigger smoothed or lighter springs etc? Is the finish done to any higher standard? If you want to adjust poi, do you drift the front or the rear sight? I assume elevation can't be adjusted, yes?

 

[Jimbo357mag]

The GP-100 is a little heavy and a little rough around the edges but is one sturdy, dependable revolver. With a little work (which you can do yourself) it can become a great joy to shoot.

 

[RoninPA]

Don't forget, you can get one in 5 inch also so that might be the best of both worlds (long enough to give good accuracy but not as muzzle heavy as the 6 inch).

 

[22/45 Fan]

I also have a 6" stainless GP-100 and a 6" S&W 686. They compare favorably and weigh within 1/2 oz of each other. The GP is significantly less expensive these days.

The S&W has a better out-of-the-box trigger pull and mine is now wonderful since it was tuned by S&W's Performance Center years ago.

My GP is now much better after some minor work with 600 wet-or-dry abrasive paper and the trigger pulls, both DA and SA, are very acceptable. The GP is easy to work on and there are a bunch of tutorials and videos on-line to show you how.

I installed fiber optic front sights on both the S&W and the GP. The GP is the simplest front sight replacement I've ever seen. No tools but a small punch or even a pen point. The GP is not drilled and tapped for a scope mount but Jack Weigand sells a very good scope mount that requires no drilling and tapping.

I'm also a fan of 6" barrels. They are no more inherently accurate than 4" barrels but easier to shoot well due to the forward weight and longer sight radius.

 

[Chief_10Beers]

I prefer the 6"bbl simply due to the fact that I am no fan of shorter bbl. revolvers. Plus, it seems to me that a 6"bbl. would have greater accuracy than a 4.2", especially in .357 magnum.

Go for it, the GP100 won't disappoint you. Rugged, Dependable and Accurate. First Handgun I bought is the 4" Blued Model with the Rosewood Side panels. Still goes out with me 90% of the time when I go out to have some fun with my Guns............................

 

[WendyZXZ]

The GP100 is a very nice revolver. We have one here and it is one of my favorites.

 

[jimd441]

I chose the 6 inch in stainless for my GP100 because of the sight radius and fact that stainless is easy to keep looking new. I couldn't be happier. If the stock grips don't fit your hand well there are options. The original rosewood / rubber grips which are still available fit my small hands better.

Jim

 

[22/45 Fan]

If the stock grips don't fit your hand well there are options. The original rosewood / rubber grips which are still available fit my small hands better.

I like the factory Hoque rubber grips on the GP (and S&W L-frames too) but the finger grooves don't line up properly for me. The lower "bulge" winds up under my pinky when I take a high grip on the gun. My cure was to use a Dremel with a sanding drum to (carefully!) sand it off and down to the contour of the rest of the grip. Work slowly and test the feel frequently. This modification really helps the grip to fit my hand better.

 

[Kyhunt]

Don't forget, you can get one in 5 inch also so that might be the best of both worlds (long enough to give good accuracy but not as muzzle heavy as the 6 inch).

I chose a 5inch one for that very reason. I thought to me the 6 inch just felt a little unbalanced. I ordered a 5 inch without being able to handle one and I think it is about perfect.