Match Champion questions

[otis24]

I like the Ruger Match Champion revolvers. Both the SP and GP models. But I also like my revolvers to be robust, durable, and problem free.

I was reading a review of the GP100 Match Champion. The person doing the review stated that the revolver had a shimmed hammer and trigger and that his revolver showed rub marks on the side of the hammer due to the shims falling out.

So, what gives? Do the MC revolvers have shims and are the shims prone to falling out? Are there functionality issues with these revolvers if the shims are displaced?

 

[gunzo]

If the shims are installed correctly they are captive & couldn't fall out unless they broke.

If a shim was allowed to wander around in the action, it could certainly cause problems.

Proper installation is the key.

 

[Captain America]

I have a GP100 Match Champion, there's no way for the shims to fall out. Mine has a nice turn ring developing and a light rub mark on the hammer, I love the marks, they make it look like a gun to me. My MC is wonderful, it feels great and it shoots great, I bought it as a replacement for my Security Six to carry on my chest in the woods and I don't regret my purchase one bit.

 

[22/45 Fan]

Your "reviewer" has to be incompetent or mistaken. As noted, unless the gun was disassembled and reassembled incorrectly the shims can't possibly "fall out".

 

[gunzo]

I have to come clean & admit that I am/was a bit down on my MC due to the fact that I had to have a cyl. replaced. But, thank goodness they did that as my gun had near zero barrel choke. They could have gone either way, but went the best way & replaced the cyl. instead of the barrel for cyl. gap issues. Mine returned without hammer shims, not sure I care, they are mostly gimmick IMO for a field gun. Maybe a liability.
Now........ my MC is a machine, a tool. Wandering closer to a tight nit group of firearms I consider the final word in their category. And... I'm not flippant about this statement.

 

[otis24]

I found the post and re-read it. It said that Ruger says the hammer and trigger are shimmed so that they are centered. He states that his hammer was definitely not shimmed because it had the drag marks to prove it. Must have been another article regarding disassembly and shims falling out.b

 

[gunzo]

Hammer dragging the side of the mortise in the frame is looked at, looked at for one of the ingredients of a finite tune. The MC's seem to have better action feel than previous offerings, but a super tune it is not. Simply a good tool for the money.

 

[contender]

Disregard the article,, and mis-information. I have a pair of MC Rugers & both are just fine! Shims,, as mentioned are used to center align the hammer to avoid rub marks,, AND make the action feel smoother.
I've added them to other guns too.
Lance Shivley makes & sells shims for those who want them.

 

[jsh]

Now that these have been around for a while, is there anything over and above a regular GP, that one could not "bolt on" for them selves. (Making their own match champion so to speak)

I ask this because of my findings of a SW 625JM. I know of several folks local to me that also bought them. All five of them had issues with the cylinder and clocked barrels just to name a couple. For what I had to do to mine to make it shoot, I could have just had one built and came out better.
Jeff