New GP100 Issues

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justinvance892

Bearcat
Joined
Nov 7, 2024
Messages
8
Location
Missouri
I just had a pretty bad experience with two separate brand new Ruger GP100s that I felt worth sharing. I ordered a 6" blued GP100 new from a gun store about 2 weeks ago. When it came in, I opened the box and was appalled by how rusty the "brand new" gun was. The pictures of this revolver are below (IMG_0240, IMG_0241, and IMG_0242). Thankfully the gun store ordered me a new one instantly with the intent to send the rusty one back. The new one came about a week later with its own issues. While this one wasn't rusty, it did have a scratch on the sights, a few machining marks on the top strap, and a slightly rotated barrel that makes my sight angled. The pictures of this revolver are also below (IMG_0296, IMG_0302, IMG_0307). I've already contacted Ruger CS and I'm assuming they will fix/replace it based on how good I've heard they are. Unfortunately, I will not be able to hunt with this revolver as it will likely spend most of the season with Ruger.

Normally this would not be a major issue, but I purchased a Ruger over a Taurus with the expectation of the Ruger being a much better gun. However a few people ordered Taurus revolvers when I ordered mine and they came back flawless. So now I'm out more money and I can't hunt with it yet.

Just wanted to post this information changes someone's opinion on what revolver to buy.

11-23-24 update: to anyone who doesn't wanna read the whole forum, Ruger repaired and returned the second gp100 within 2 weeks. They fixed every issue I had on it and got it back to my in time to use for deer season. Quality control wasn't great, but their customer service sure was.
 

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Yeah that was our reaction when we saw it too! The rust would not come off, the manager of the gun store tried to wipe it off for a few minutes before giving up. The pictures are after he tried to wipe it off.
 
Dang, what did the box it came in look like? Any water stains or any other indications of water intrusion? Did you buy direct from this dealer or have shipped there from another major supplier?

I'll add, from the pics there's no way the store guy should have tried to scrub it off, should have said we need to send this back immediately because it's F.U.
 
The box was in perfect condition. I looked through the plastic box and the little plastic bag it came in for any evidence of water or physical damage but there was none. I believe he said he ordered both revolvers from Lipseys, but I'm not 100% sure on that.
 
I would certainly talk to the place you got it from and get a definitive answer exactly from where he got it. Of course under FFL laws the chain of transfer is a certainty under federal law. You might want to go over this guys head and make some calls yourself. Anybody who tries to scrub off that mess and hand over a 'new' revolver looking like that, I would avoid like the plague
 
The seller should call Lipsey's if thats where they got it.
I suspect they'll exchange or refund with no problem.
 
I would certainly talk to the place you got it from and get a definitive answer exactly from where he got it. Of course under FFL laws the chain of transfer is a certainty under federal law. You might want to go over this guys head and make some calls yourself. Anybody who tries to scrub off that mess and hand over a 'new' revolver looking like that, I would avoid like the plague
I'm gonna by to talk to him when he opens in around half an hour. I've brought from him before and he's always a stand up guy, I'm sure he will be more than willing to help. I don't think he was trying to fix it by scrubbing it, I think he was just kinda in shock when he saw the horrible condition of the first one. He stayed late both times for me to get the gun and gave me the best price in town (I compared 3 places) even before it came in looking like that.
 
The seller should call Lipsey's if thats where they got it.
I suspect they'll exchange or refund with no problem.
They already did replace the rusty one without me buying it, but they're saying they can't refund/replace this one and that it's now Ruger's to deal with. I just dropped it off to be delivered to Ruger with the guy I bought it from. I'll post an update whenever Ruger tells me what they can do about this.

Hopefully third time's the charm.
 
First off,,, "Welcome to the Forum!"

Now,, Ruger can & will take care of this,, and it won't take very long. They have an excellent reputation for great service AND most often,, quite quickly.

It is interesting about the rusty one. Very, very unusual, especially for a new gun.

As for Taurus,, well as a person who has witnessed a LOT of their guns, NIB,, that were much worse & required a return immediately,, that took a very, very long time, (I know of one that they kept on giving excuses,, ) including well over a year to get a replacement.
You are right in that Ruger is a better option & while you may know of some Taurus guns that were fine,, I can also point to a lot of Rugers that are also excellent.

Ruger is well know to take care of things. Give them a fair chance.
 
I have dealt with Ruger in the past and they usually treat you very well. But none of this should have happened to you to begin with. I had been thinking about getting a new GP100 but no longer after reading your post.
 
What a sad situation, hopefully the dealer or Ruger will take care of it.
My last two online purchases were the last two, if a store doesn't have it I will not buy it.
My Ruger Bearcat was repaired three times and cost me three transfers because of replaced guns and serial numbers.
The .45 convertible Bisley was repaired (new barrel) and sent straight back to me.
Rear sight machining on Bearcat.
DSC00511.JPG

Off center front sight base on Bisley
DSC00546.JPG
 
Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry that you are having to deal with all of this. I'm sure that Ruger will take care of you and make it right, but I know it is disappointing. I will say that I'm pretty sure that when you finally get your GP100 in good condition your are really going to like it. I can assure you that there is a world of difference between your GP100 and a Taurus. I look forward to hearing your progress and seeing pictures once you get your GP100 back.
 
I had been thinking about getting a new GP100 but no longer after reading your post.

Thant's a shame. Very strong and dependable revolver. I have had several GP100s....only have two now. The most recently purchased had the only "issue" but it's minor, and there is an easy fix. The hammer pivot assembly tends to back out while live firing or dry firing. The grip will stop it from fully walking out. No big deal. A small piece of tape out of sight under grip cured it.

Go to a LGS that has them in stock. GPs are very common and often in stock. That way you know what you are getting. They are fantastic revolvers that will last long enough to be passed down to great grandchildren and beyond.
 
OP, hope you get a good resolution to this issue. I wouldn't buy any new revolvers anymore without handling/inspect them first. All manufacturer's QC seems to be sloppy these days. Ironically, I've bought over a dozen 30-40 yr old revolvers online(S&W, Ruger & Dan Wesson) without any issues at all. Lucky I guess.
 
I sometimes wonder if it is simply less expensive to repair or replace then to have a qualified inspector look at the guns before they leave the factory?
I wonder... but if that's what they are doing it's a short term solution to a long term problem. They might get away with it for awhile, but that reputation will catch up with them eventually and it may hurt their bottom line. If it is significant enough, they may tighten up, if not they might roll with it for awhile until it is. Unless the issue is severe, I bet a lot of people would just deal with it rather going through the hassle and expense of sending it back. I bought a brand new SP101 and the rear sight leaf had come out of the base but was in the bag. I just dealt with it, figuring it was easier and cheaper, but I also 'let Ruger get away with it', which may perpetuate the problem. I don't know how many, if any, QC inspectors Ruger has at the end of the line, but SOME ONE had to be the last one to touch it and pack it up.

I would expect something to get by occasionally, but there's no excuse for a company like Ruger to routinely let issues like this reach a customer. Granted, Ruger has sold millions of great guns to many very satisfied customers, otherwise non of us would be here. However, one 'oh crap' can wipe out a thousand 'atta boys'...

Does any one know if Ruger has a rep that gets on here to see what's being posted? It seems like it would be worth their wile to do so if they care, and I hope they do.
 
From being a RO at my club for many years. I have seen a great number, more than ever of Taurus Popularity with Revolvers and semi auto's. Excellent reliability. I never owned a Taurus in my life. Not because of the internet against them, just because I would just choose other firearms and I own many. However, the owner of my LGS called me over and had me handle the GX4. I loved the feel of the gun immediately. Called a number of shooters from my club and we did a heavy Test on the gun and we all ended up purchasing one. I now have two and running like a champ. I did a complete 1.000 round review on this gun over a year ago.
Taurus has also flipped their customer service to now be excellent. Not perfect but as good as the majority of New Guns out there. If I were to get another revolver for a "best buy" all around revolver, I would for sure, check out the Taurus.
 
Cofaler,, I think I can answer a few of your questions.

I'll preface my comments with this.
I have been to a Ruger plant,, watched them build guns, and witnessed them making them, inspecting them, from start to finish. And yes,, some of the Ruger management people DO visit places like our Forum here,, but do NOT post or answer stuff.

Let's look at the process of gun making. Ruger is a publicly traded company. They are in the business of MAKING MONEY. Even Bill had a picture in his office of a wooden barrel overflowing with money. The gun is the route/product to making money.
The actual return rate for "bad" or "defective" firearms is actually very low percentage wise. Very low.
Ruger doesn't offer a written warranty because long, long ago, Bill discovered it was actually cheaper to NOT offer a written warranty,, than it was to just fix issues when they arise.

Now let's look at production & QC.
Look at the sheer numbers of guns built. They are built on an assembly line type of process. A gun may visit 30-100 different stations of assembly from the very beginning to the end. At each station, the assembler is performing a specific job, AND checking it to see if it fits their QC requirement. (Example; screw in the barrel, torque it, check the torque, and pass it on.) By the time a gun is completed,, it goes to a test fire point. A machine, where they mount the gun in an enclosed machine, fire 1-3 rounds, if it functions, it gets taken out, boxed up & shipped.
QC.
Along the assembly line,, each person is a QC person for their specific part of the build.
Some of the people I met at the plant,, were obviously NOT serious gun people. They didn't understand what we seek in the end product. These assemblers are hourly wage workers with production in mind. A barrel that's slightly off center,, or a rear sight that's not cut properly, (I actually have a RST4 that the notch was cut at the very end edge, not the center of the sight,) can easily get overlooked.
There is not a separate person who is an actual QC inspector at the end of the assy line.
So, you have assemblers,, not gun shooters.

BUT,,,,,,,,, there are also several of the workers who ARE gun people and they do try & get it right all the time. I remember one guy who I spent a bit of time with,, how he impressed me with his knowledge, AND dedication to doing a top quality job AND doing so under production schedules.

Now,, let's throw in a fact. Not an excuse, just a fact. The crazy covid crap. At one point,, Ruger had 65% of their employees OUT due to covid. Several lines of guns were suspended with a focus on getting guns built that were easier & quicker to build where they could keep making a profit. Many of these same, trained assemblers never came back to work. It takes time to train & get people back into a specific job. They are slowly re-building the work force.
New people,, fewer skills, and again, things get missed.

Management at Ruger DOES look at the return rates, the why's & where's. If a specific problem pops up,, they can isolate it because of how they build guns. If a batch of guns have crooked barrels,, they can go back to WHO that individual was that did it.
When Bill was running things,, production was lower, and it was mostly gun people working at Ruger. But we all suffered from the lack of availability of product. They could introduce a model, yet not get enough built & in the hands of the masses for 2-4 years.
Now,, they have a MUCH higher production rate & new guns get into the masses a LOT quicker.

Nobody is perfect. The guns are built by humans. Humans make mistakes. None of us are perfect. But you are right, it often seems that one complaint can be louder than 1000 atta-boys. Everybody listens to complaining,, but praise is just accepted quietly.
Just remember,, if they were so bad,, and the product lines have so many issues,,, they wouldn't be able to stay in business. And as a stockholder,, the financial stability of the company is very strong. No outstanding debts that they can not pay if they want to. They are strong enough to buy back their own stock often, later selling it at a profit. And if they do decide to borrow money,, it's for tax & profit reasons. it's often better to use someone else's money than your own.

Lastly,, how much complaining would everyone do if Ruger folded & went away? And what would happen to the values of Ruger firearms already here?
 

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