I feel bad about GP100

[omalon]

About a month ago a friend came to me for my thoughts for a gun for HD and I recommended a GP100. He was leaning towards a 9mm pistol and I sold him the GP100 would be less hassle and could be counted on for many years of shooting. I asked him if he wanted to buy a used gun or new. He said new so he bought a new GP100 SS 4' 357mag from Bass Pro Shop and was very happy. However, yesterday he was shooting with his son, an experienced shooter and the cylinder won't lock up after only 124 rounds of 38 specials.

I offer to take the gun apart to check it out, but he said no he was going to send it back to Ruger. My question to this form is "How offen does something like this happen with new guns"?

 

[epj]

Not very often. I have bought dozens of new guns and never had a problem with any of them that required a return to the factory. You hear about all sorts of problems with various guns on iternet forums, but you never hear about the thousands of others that had no problem.

 

[G. Freeman]

cylinder won't lock up after only 124 rounds of 38 specials

Could you clarify what happened? Some forum members may be able help u out.

 

[omalon]

When he closes the gun after loading bullets the cylinder just spins.

 

[Leucoandro]

Has he taken the gun down for a cleaning?

If he has not a small metal shaving could have gotten caught in the works and be causing the problem. It could also be lube (but I would anticipate problems from the start if it was a question of lube) Unless he used a very liberal amount of lube in the area of the prawl.


Charlie

 

[deac45]

I would suggest a complete take down, clean out and re-lube. Rugers are notorious for debris and chips in the innards from the factory. I've seen a few cylinders bind up or triggers not reset at their first range session due to the crud inside.

deac45

 

[roaddog28]

I would suggest a complete take down, clean out and re-lube. Rugers are notorious for debris and chips in the innards from the factory. I've seen a few cylinders bind up or triggers not reset at their first range session due to the crud inside.

deac45

I agree that there is probably a chips or shavings in the gun causing the problem. If your friend does not what to do a complete take down, maybe in his area their is a gunsmith that would do it. You tube has videos on taking apart a Ruger revolver but you do have to had some previous experience.

Good luck,
roaddog28

 

[ProfessorWes]

"Chips or shavings in the gun."

Hmmm.

The other day, after I gave my Lipsey's .44 Special Blackhawk its weekly wipedown with a silicone cloth, I found I couldn't cock the gun when I did a function check prior to reloading it. The transfer bar kept catching on the firing pin. I pulled the cylinder base pin and found some oily gunk and what looked like some sort of grit and granules caked around the plunger at the end of the pin. A couple of passes with an old toothbrush and a wipedown with an oily rag took care of the pin; a Q-Tip moistened with Break Free did for the matching hole in the frame. The gun now works fine.

I've only put about two hundred rounds through my Lipsey's .44, and cleaned it after every trip to the range, so I shouldn't have a problem with fouling unless my gun came "pre-fouled," as it were, from the factory. Perhaps it's time to attempt a detail strip to see what else might be lurking in the dark recesses of my .44...unless somebody knows a good gunsmith in the Kansas City area that could do it for me?

 

[I_Like_Pie]

Sounds like a casting burr caught some gunk from shooting and it built up enough to prevent the cylinder latch from engaging.

It should be something that you should be able to fix without having to go back to the factory. They are pretty simple designs.

If you have the IOWEGAN manual for that gun you should be able to walk through the action job and it will take care of the problem and make you a master gunsmith to the shooter with the bum gun.

 

[Carry_Up]

I offer to take the gun apart to check it out, but he said no he was going to send it back to Ruger. My question to this form is "How offen does something like this happen with new guns"?

How often? I have 2 GP100's and 2 SP101's. When new, all of them were in the "back to Ruger" category. On the other hand, the fix was the same for all of them - complete disassembly, removal of rough casting marks, removal of razor sharp edges and burrs and other obvious roughness caused by careless factory assembly. This work does not involve technical readjustments, just careful smoothing with the correct stone or fine file. (leave the engagement alone).

The cylinder locking lever is not popping up out of its window as it should. A person familiar with disassembly could probably get this gun running in 30 minutes or less, by just fixing that one problem. Good Luck.

Carry_Up

 

[omalon]

I now feel real BAD because my friend sent the gun back to Ruger and it cost him $58 via UPS. The local UPS location would not take the gun and he had to drive to the Main UPS Service Center.

I would have though Ruger would have offered to send a shipping label and pay for the return on a new gun.

 

[mustang99]

If there is something wrong with the gun they will reimburse the shipping.

 

[GP100owner]

Wow. I'm rather surprised to learn about this, or that any Ruger is "notorious" for malfunction.

I've put thousands of rounds through my 6" SS Gp100 without a single malfunction of any kind. And I've used this gun as a trail gun for going on 10 years.

I consider my GP100 the single most reliable gun I own, and I own a lot of guns.

 

[poncaguy]

Sorry to hear that, my 2 GP 100's have been perfect as well as my new SP 101 I just got and shot today with no problems and good accuracy........all my Rugers have been great, 77 22-250, 77 260, HawKeye 338 Federal, P95, P90. P345, SR9 and LCP 380........

 

[Rick Courtright]

I agree that there is probably a chips or shavings in the gun causing the problem.

Hi,

It's been my opinion, based only on my personal experiences, that Ruger threw out their trash cans years ago, so when the janitors sweep the floors, they just dump the debris in the new guns.

A field strip, complete cleaning and lubing, straight out of the box, has been automatic practice on my new Rugers for years.

Unfortunately, imitation's said to be the ultimate form of flattery, and OTHER mfrs are following Ruger's lead... so I follow the Ruger drill w/ other makes now, too.

Sorry to hear the fellow already spent the $$$ to send it back to Ruger: a half hour of inspection and cleaning would probably have solved the problem. Guess we'll hear when he gets it back?

Rick C

 

[johnbh]

My Ruger GP 100 locked up last weekend, the problem with mine the
screw for cylinder latch,works it way out. The cylinder does not align right. This has happen a couple of times. I finally used some removable loctite.

 

[brushy bill]

I have had two GP100s. First was just fine. So good in fact, I ordered a second. When I got it home from the dealers, the cylinder "froze" in place. I literally had to pound it out while keeping the cylinder release depressed. Liberal lubrication and repeated opening and closing of the cylinder coupled with working the action and then some magnum rounds and the gun is now fine. Just came from the factory very rough. Didn't have the problem you're experiencing, but believe the others are correct and this is probably due to a burr or shaving. I am not sure if Ruger just relies on computers to make everything work out with very little human intervention or QC just isn't what should have been (this was between 98 and 01 -- can't recall exactly, so things may be different now). Don't know this helps you any.

 

[Burley]

http://www.rugerforum.net/


Join, make 10 posts, log off and back on. There will be a new thread available; Library. Open and look at the GP 100. Complete fluff and buff. There's one for most Ruger revos and Marks.