New Revolver GP 100

[3spur]

Just purchased a GP100 4.2 inch beautiful SS 357mag. I'm really excited to get it, I'm in Calif so I have to wait the ten days :cry:
What are your thoughts on this revolver, how is the recoil? What is the best ammo for home defense, the best for just plinking at the range, the best 38 round, I'm of the female persuasion so I would appreciate any and all feedback on this cool gun
Thanks
Mindy

 

[RICHGCOOP]

You will enjoy your new GP 100. Thy are a fine gun.

RICHGCOOP

 

[Tommy Kelly]

Mindy you have gotten a great little gun. I have a 4"gp myself and I shoot the cheap 38 specials from wal-mart mostly in mine they do fine and I also reload a lot of 38's using cast waddcutter bullets I cast myself. I have around 3000 38's I keep loaded all the time and several 357 revolvers I shoot them in. I shoot very little 357 ammo and only keep a couple of boxes of it around to keep loaded in the guns between shooting sessions. Most of the time I remove the 357's and keep them to reload with after shooting 38's for the day and occasionally I will shoot them up and replace them with new ones after I return from shooting. I mostly just plink with the 357 guns and have bigger guns for hunting purposes. I love shooting 38's and keep a good supply on hand ready to play with. I put a pen to my reloading cost and as close as I can figure it making my own cast bullets. It's costing me around a nickle per shot with the 38's and with the loads I'm using hulls last almost forever. But I ocasionally go out and buy a fresh box to have new hulls to work with

 

[SamV]

Great gun. It will outlast you. Mine, like most, wasn't the best trigger out of the box. A good cleaning,(boy was there a lot of crud in there) a good lube, lots of dry firing, have made a a really decent trigger. The gun makes me look really good. For me it is my best shooting handgun.
I have the older style grips which I prefer to the newer style.
The GP is a heavy gun, so it tends to dampen a lot of recoil. I would argue that it is probably the softest shooting .357 simply from a weight factor. The Hogue grips probably help too. I don't know what your shooting experience is to give you some comparison. Never fired a firearm before? You are probably in for a surprise. Been shooting .22 cal. handguns? Then mild 38s probably won't be a big deal. A hot loaded .357 is still pretty noticable in the GP. The same loads in a friend's revolver are much more of a handful, but his model is several ounces lighter. It doesn't bother some shooters but I am not the type to want to shoot a 13 ounce J-frame Smith and Wesson with .357s.
Be safe and have fun.
P.S. Welcome to the forum. It is a nice bunch of people here.

 

[woodsy]

I have a 6" GP100.
The recoil, even with full-house loads, is almost non-existent, and I am a small male. Accuracy is phenomenal.
There are no easy answers to your ammo questions. For home defense you must decide what to do, such as scare someone off with a low-power non-expanding bullet, or really hurt the intruder with a hollow-nose expanding round. Whatever you decide, stick with familiar, national brands to help assure reliability. With your revolver, functioning won't be an issue, because you provide all the forces to move the mechanisms.
My trigger is as sweet as could be, in SA mode, because I followed the "poor man's trigger job" as soon as I got it. You can search for it somewhere on this site; it was posted not long ago.

 

[Lefty SRH]

I use a 4" GP100 in IDPA competition (handloaded .38spl) and just love it.Several of my competitors are suprised I'm shooting a Ruger instead of a Smith&Wesson.
I also carry it as a back up gun in the woods when I'm hog hunting loaded with some HEAVY .357mag loads.
But some of the more accurate store bought ammo I have fond has been Blazer Brass (CCI Speer) 158gr JHP.
Recoil is very tolerable in my opinion.
Yes the triggers brand new aren't the best but they do improve with dry fire practice, GOOD cleaning, and if you able, installing a reduced spring kit. Just make absolutely sure the gun is still 100% reliable after changing out springs.
Just about any .38spl ammo is fine for spractice but you may find that .38spl and .357 ammo will not have the same point of impact on your target.
GP100's are built like tanks! Good luck with yours and hope you enjoy it.

 

[spotch]

Fwiw I carry hornady FTX. They make some very decent self defense rounds in 38spl +p and 357mag

http://www.hornady.com/ammunition/handgun

 

[meshugunner]

I've fired my shooting buddy's GP100. It's a great gun. It feels a lot like my S&W 686. I want one. It has a great repution. Ruger's cust. service is outstanding and their guns are indestructible. Firing .38Sp in that gun is very comfortable and the .357mags are not bad either. Did I mention that I want one? Are you selling yours? :)

As someone else said, if this is your first handgun in heavier caliber it's an excellent choice because it is so comfortable to fire although it still takes a little getting used ot.

Ammo: You want two kinds of ammo.

Plinking or practice ammo - basically the cheapest you can find - its hard to beat Walmart prices for this.

The 'real stuff' for self defense. This is the stuff you keep in your gun and speedloaders for 'social work'. You want something like Hornady Critical Defense, Remington Home Defense (nasty looking hollow points with skives around the sides) or some such. Expect to pay over a dollar apiece for these rounds.

You also need to think about whether you want to carry 38sp or 357mags for self defense. I load .38Sp in my house because of penetration issues.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Welcome. Practice with cheap 38 special ammo. I like Mag Tech 158gr FMJ (full metal jacket). For self defense you want a good self defense round like Federal 38+P 129gr Hydra-Shok.

Keep the chambers, cylinder and barrel clean and the gun oiled a little once in a while and enjoy.

Ruger has a lot of videos on their website on maint. and other topics.

http://ruger.com/resources/videos.html --click tech tips.

 

[41manor44]

Congrats on your purchase. That is one fine gun to start your shooting career. Looks like all the previous posters have covered about everything. Just remember to keep it clean and lubbed. I srarted with a 6" than found a 4" and just recently picked up a 3". They are well designed to help absorb recoil. It won't be long before you'll be able to handle the full house loads. Enjoy that toy and relax your facial muscles, you're smiling to much!

 

[woodsy]

Too bad that neither I nor the other knowledgeable posters mentioned that the .357 Mag is arguably the most versatile caliber around.
I hope you really enjoy your new revolver when it gets into your (by then) hot little hands.

 

[opos]

Hi from "Tijuana Norte" (San Diego)...among other Rugers I have a stainless GP100 that is the primary home defense weapon...I also love to shoot it just for grins as well....I usually shoot hand loads for practice ....but before handloading for it I shot Federal American Eagle which is a good moderate priced ammo. I shot mostly 38 special because of cost involved...I'd suggest you be sure to clean the gun well after shooting 38 special in it to remove the crud (technical term) that is left in the cylinder throats when shooting 38 special in lieu of the 357. If you want to "plink" with some 357 Federal has a "Champion" brand that can be found at some of the wall mart stores.

As to the self defense ammo I keep loaded at home I use Speer Gold Dot +P 38 special ammo. I shoot it about a cylinder every couple of months just to keep in practice with it...I like it the best for the self defense role. I'm a big Ruger fan and can't see where you would ever have any issues with the 4" GP100 ....... they are the best!!

 

[Mik3e]

I agree with the above, excellent gun, cheap 38 for target practice (almost any FMJ) and 357 for home defence (almost any JHP). From time to time practice with 357 so the increased recoil and sound will not be a surprise. Also, I use some serious hearing protection, both ear plugs and 35 db rated ear muffs.

 

[meshugunner]

I use some serious hearing protection, both ear plugs and 35 db rated ear muffs.

Yes!

 

[3spur]

Thanks everyone for all the great advice!!

 

[RedlegM109A1]

My GP100 is one of my very favorite firearms. Reliable, accurate, and built like a tank. A very beautiful firearm too. Here is mine tricked out with Hi-Viz front sight and Hogue Pau Ferro grip:

 

[stantheman86]

I love the GP100 so much I have one in nearly every configuration. 8)

 

[jrod]

Hang in there Mindy! Your wait is almost over. I hate the 10 day wait. You made an excellent choice.

 

[Chris Brines]

Nice. If I had just bought a GP100, I'd be up posting about it at 5am too.

 

[woodsy]

The only thing wrong with the GP100 is the silly writing they (Ruger) puts on the left side of the (6") barrel.

 

[stantheman86]

The GP100, along with it's predecessor the DA Six series, are the best "working" revolvers in the world, period.

Only maybe the Dan Wessons and Mark III Colts can give the GP100 a competitor for raw durability and strength, but the GP100 is still the winner in these categories. The S&W equivalent, the 586-686 simply cannot match the GP100.

 

[GP100man]

Congatulations 3spur on your purchase of The Most Robust Productin DA revolver !!!

& WELCOME to the Ruger Forum.com !!!

I take it from ya handle your not new to revolvers ,maybe an action group of sorts ???

Many have suggested useing 38 spec. ammo & that`s fine ,but be informed that the 38 case is .135 shorter than 357 mag & will leave a crude ring in the chambers & may/will cause chambering & extraction problems , it will also raise pressures if left to build up enuff as the case can`t release the bullet as intended.

For this reason I rarely shoot 38 length cases in my 357s, I handload & use mid range loads in 357 cases.

I have`nt shot a factory round (other than 22s) in many years , but I feel practice with the WW 38 cheepys then carrying a quality +p 38 for HD/SD is as good as any.

Also want to mention grips , I despise the new Hogues they`re just too stiky & clunky feelin for me I much prefer the Lett panel grips , either full sized or compact!!

These 2 are home to stay !!

 

[plstu]

I LOVE my GP100 and it almost always come with me when I shoot. The only thing I don't really care for on it is the sights. The all black rear with the all black front can make it difficult to pick up a black bullseye. Other than that, I like it as much as my Smiths.

 

[DPris]

Newer one here came with a white outline rear blade, I ordered the red insert front blade from Ruger, swapped 'em in a hurry, works great.
I can't handle black on black anymore very well at all in regular use.

You CAN obtain a white outline rear & replace your older black one.
Denis

 

[roaddog28]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new GP100. I just bought a new 4 inch stainless steel one about a month ago. Actually the double action trigger is good. Not quite as good as a S&W but more than serviceable.
Any good quality 38 special round will worth fine with your GP100.
My favorite round is the CCI blazer 158 gr 357 magnum hollow point. I shoot a lot of them at the range. Your GP100 will handle the recoil and you should be able to control it with practice.
Good luck,
Howard

 

[stantheman86]

Not a single one of my numerous adjustable sight GP100's still has the stock front sight on it. I can't stand it at all. The Super Redhawk red insert blade is my favorite choice, and one of my older 4" GP's has a Redhawk blade.

I also like the Meprolight sights and the XS big and small dots.

I'm personally not a huge fan of fiber optics but I do have a Marble's orange front sight that works pretty well, along with a Hi-Viz.