[Tony Mig]

I'm working on getting a new Ruger GP-161. I've been to the gun shop about a dozen times to look it over...(with a fine tooth comb)....I've dry fired it about a dozen times in both SA & DA, I've inspected every part of it, and I've compared them to a couple of other brand named revolvers, and I'm certain that this particular GP-161 should be mine.....

I filed for the handgun puchaser's permit today....(it's a Nu Joisey thing).... and I've been stashing money away a little at a time. Sold some stuff on E-Bay, and have a couple more items still listed, but by the end of next week I should have both the needed funds, and purchaser's permit in hand to rescue this big blue beast from it's gun shop confines.......

I can't wait to shoot it, since it has been around 20 years since I shot a .357 Magnum out of a 6" barrel...and that was out of my old Blackhawk SA revolver.

Any other GP shooters here, I'd like to hear how you like your wheel guns.....
What holster do you use for it....?
What speed loaders do you use....?
What brand & type of ammo are you shooting out of it.....?

[JohnKSa]

Most people don't get into the nitty-gritty of the Ruger model number. If you look on this forum under Ruger GP100 you'll find a lot of discussion on the pistol--nearly all of it good.

I have a 4" (my first firearm) and a 6". Great pistols!

[Tamara]

Any Ruger GP-161 shooters here

You mean people who own 6" Ruger GP-100's? :uhoh:

No, but I know someone who owns a Springfield PX9151L... :scrutiny:

[Roger Williams]

I have a KGP-141. The stainless 4". I like it a lot, and it is my wife's favorite gun. I put a goncalo alves Hogue grip on it and it's beautiful! It's a sweet shooter too. And it's super tough too. Hang on, I'll remember more good stuff about it in a minute...

But...... you know what? I originally wanted to buy the blued 6". Nobody around here had 'em. I'd trade my 4 incher for a blued 6 in a heartbeat!

You're one lucky son of a gun! :D

[JohnKSa]

I've only seen one blued GP100. It was a 6" model and was displayed at the Bass Pro Shops in Springfield a couple of years ago.

Very nice looking gun. Ruger claims that their blued steel is stronger than their stainless. If so, a blued GP100 must be totally indestructible!

[go8dalejr]

Have stainless 6" love it puts them in 2" at 25yrds thats good for me.

[Sisco]

I have a stainless 161. Set of Wolff springs and lots of dry fire and the trigger will come in real nice. Added a Millet front sight, bead blasted it then polished out the cylinder flutes. Refinished the grip insert with tung oil.
It's a keeper of a gun. Thought about trading it off a while back but couldn't make myself do it.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid63/p1b28d020bdc3e2827d1703197b67dd51/fc1957cf.jpg

[Tony Mig]

Thanks for the positive feedback so far, it's good to hear good things about something you plan to purchase....

(BTW.....the GP-161 is the blued version with a 6" barrel. I appologise if I confused some of you buy reffering to it that way)

What about the ammo you guys feed your Ruger GP's.....any particular brands or types of .357 mag that works better than others......?

Since this wheel gun will be my primary shooting range gun, what would be a good holster for it.......?
(I'd like to eventually get a nice tan leather holster, belt & double speed loader pouch for it)

Thanks again for the feedback......

[8ring]

My KGP-161 has been great! It is a 1988 vintage that I bought near new from a friend for $300 last year. Double action trigger was quite stiff but it improved by dry-firing it a few thousand times with snap caps. It also made my index finger much stronger. A fellow IPSC shooter did a trigger job for me and the DA trigger is now very smooth. SA trigger is not crisp; just soft and light.

I bought an orange insert front sight from Ruger and some oversize wood grips from Hogue. It is simply a solid, good-looking revolver that's strong and a pleasure to shoot. It is at the gunsmith now gettting the cylinder cut for moonclips. The heavy barrel tames my 357 reloads and the recoil with .38s isn't even noticeable.

Get one, have a trigger job done, and fire away. You won't regret your purchase.

Chris in Denver

[Tony Mig]

Well I finally got the gun, and you guys are right about one thing, you just don't see too many blued GP-100's at all, lot's of stainless models, but not many blued ones.

The gun was priced at $429.95, but they offered a package deal, for another $10.00 they threw in a box of Magtech .38 Spl, a box of Magtech .357 Mag, a Hoppe's pistol cleaning kit, a bore brush, a set of Hoppe's ear plugs, an HKS speedloader, and a pack of targets. So for $439.95 I got a lot of extras, and I added a second speedloader, an Uncle Mike's Sidekick holster & speedloader pouch, and two boxes of S&B .357 Magnum.

I've got a pretty good variety of ammo to shoot through this wheelie whenever I get to the range. Older Remington / Peters .38 Spl LRN, CCI / Blaser .38 Spl LRN, Federal .38 Spl. LRN, Magtech and Federal .357 magnum LRN, Remington .357 magnum SJHP, and S&B .357 Magnum SJSP.

Now all I need is for this winter storm that's bearing down on the east coast to blow through by Sunday morning so I can at least get an hour or two in on the firing line.......

[JohnKSa]

Federal always shoots well in my guns.

When I can find the Fiocchi 142 grain FMJ load, it shoots very well in my 4" and is very reasonably priced.

I've never had very good luck with the LRN stuff, but I haven't shot much of it either--I got tired of cleaning lead out of the barrel.

Hope the weather cooperates!

[444]

I love the .357 cartridge.
I have a whole bunch of guns chambered for that caliber.
My stainless 4" Ruger GP-100 (whatever model number that is) is hands down my faviorite.
It is the only gun I have ever owned that I have no desire at all to change it from bone stock configuration. I like everything about it just as it came from the box. Trigger is great, stocks are great, sights are great.
I have shot mine quite a bit and 99% of the ammo was cast lead 158 grain bullets.

[mtnbkr]

I have a 4" GP100. I've done a trigger job, replaced the springs, replaced the factory grip with a Hogue cocobolo grip, and installed Firesights.

I had a gunsmith tighten the barrel/cylinder gap, recrown the muzzle, and do a "Taylor Throat" on it.

I didn't do this work all at once, it is 4 years worth of mods.

I've had this gun for over 4 years and it is my favorite. If I could only have one handgun, this would be it.

I carry it in a Galco FLETCH holster.

I haven't shot any factory ammo in it in years. My standard load is a 180gr SJHP at 1200fps. I also shoot lots of light 38spec SWC for plinking and such.

On a very good day, I can put all 6 shots on a bowling pin at 100yds, shooting double action, with my magnum handloads.

Gun, holster, and my 180gr reloads:

http://home.mindspring.com/~mtnbkr/GP100_2.jpg

Chris

[Z_Infidel]

I have a 4" blued GP-100, and it is one of my favorite guns. I have an express sight set-up on it consisting of a heavy-duty shallow v-notch rear sight from Bowen and a Big Dot Tritium front sight. Makes for very fast sight alignment. I also replaced the stock grip with a Lett Hybrid grip that is made of simulated ivory and a dark hardwood (they don't make it any more). The grip is beautiful and handles nicely, although a bit smoother than I would like.

For range shooting I use S&B in both .38 Special and .357 Magnum, and I keep more expensive JHPs on hand for other uses. I shoot more .38 than .357 although the gun makes shooting magnums very manageable.

Overall, I find the GP-100 a very solid and functional firearm that I really enjoy shooting.

[tomthel]

Actually, it is my second. Let the first get away and missed it immediately. Got a second one and had a action job done, put in Wolff springs, had the cylinder chamfered for speedloader use, trigger rounded in combat style, added an orange Millet front sight and Bowen rear sight and Hogue Kingwood grips with cap and without finger grooves. It is my favorite .357 (I have several). After doing all this I have a crisp 2.5 pound single action and 7.75 pound double action. For once I didn't have to play with barrel/cylinder gap (it was .006" evenly) nor headspace (it was .060" near minimum).

For speedloaders I use Safariland and holster is a thumb snap custom Tauris holster (their High Ride Pro). Holster choice will depend upon what you want to do with the GP (woods holster, action games, concealment, etc.). For target shooting I reload 125 grain Laser Cast lead bullets and for other uses have some Corbon 125 grain JHP's.

I think you will have many years of enjoyment out of yours. Happy shooting.

[Shane]

My 6"ers are of the short shroud variety (KGP-160). To me, the KGP-160 balances wonderfully, and gives me more sight radius than a 4".

[Tony Mig]

I got off of work at 08:00 this morning, and headed straight for the range.
The temp was 31° F, winds out of the NW at 25 to30 MPH, and snow on the ground.......(yes gentlemen, it was cold)
The weather conditions didn't matter, I was going to shoot this new gun come hell or high water, and I did. I only lasted for 170 rounds of .38 Spl's, and 18 rounds of .357mags, but that was enough to get my rear sight dialed in to where I was hitting some pretty tight groups in the 9 and 10 rings. Once I got it dialed in I shot at the steel plates, and I've never knocked down those plates with this kind of consistancy from any other gun I now own. This thing is incredibly accurate, and easy to control, even shooting .357 mags I was able to knock down six out of six with ease.

This gun just feels good to hold, and shoots like a dream. Having big hands, I did find the stock grips just a little small for my comfort, so on my way home I stopped at the gun shop and picked up a Houge rubber mono-grip, and swapped out the stock grip for the Houge while cleaning it. I also found that when shooting the CCI/Blaser rounds with the light aluminum cases, they tend to back out of the cylinder while shooting, and causes un-neccessary friction while pulling the trigger in DA. This seems to be an ammo issue and not a gun issue, but I still have one more box of the CCI left, and next week I'll compare it with the other brands and types of .38 Spl's I have to make sure it actually is the ammo and not the gun.

I just hope the weather next weekend is better than it was this weekend.....I'm still thawling out.....:D