[10-Ring]

I've been told to stick w/ S&W because the Rugers just aren't as well finished as the Smiths. I've also heard that if you ever plan to modify the gun, the S&W is more open to have work done on it that a RUger. I'd like to pick up another revolver & I'm torn between a 4" GP100 & a 4" S&W 66
I like the smoothness of the S&W, but like the apparent ruggedness of the RUger.

[Rob96]

Had a 686. Do own a KGP-141 and a SP-101. Perfectly happy.:D

[tbeb]

I've owned both. Either will serve you well. I prefer the S&W trigger action. Are you really ever going to do any modifications? Ruger's ruggedness may be advantageous if you plan on shooting a whole bunch of full-power .357 magnums. Most of us shoot .38 specials in our magnums most of the time. I'd go with the Model 66.

[Mal H]

It's true that S&W triggers are, in general, better from the factory than Ruger's. But, there's nothing wrong with the finish on a Ruger. I am very happy with my 3 Ruger revolvers.

I've never once seen a reloading manual that stated, "Caution - these loads are for Smith & Wesson revolvers only and are not to be used in any other make or model of firearm."

[Penman]

The 66 is a slightly smaller frame, and won't have the service life of the GP 100 if you shoot a lot of magnums. The sideplate design on the 66 allows you to get a better look at the internals, but of course that also makes the frame less rigid. If you anticipate carrying the gun concealed, go with the Smith. If you plan to do a lot of shooting with the .357's, the Ruger will do better.

[Shane]

Overall, I'm very happy with every Ruger revolver I own. My GPs do have some fitting problems though. One has a glitch pulling the hammer back to SA--there is a rough spot pulling the hammer back that only shows on two of the chambers. The other chambers the hammber pulls back with ease. Something is not quite fit right, but since the gun shoots ok I chose to let it go. Its done this since being NIB, and has not gotten worse.

My other GP occasinally binds slightly during cylinder rotation--not enough to affect reliability, but enough to notice. It did this since NIB, and hasn't gotten worse. Its also sporatic so its hard to trace the problem and find out whats causing it. If I open the cylinder and let the cylinder spin on its own, I can occasionally get it to slightly bind (like something <dirt?> is affecting its spinning). This GP also shoots good, so I'm not going to rush it back to Ruger.


My SP 101 is nearly perfect in fit, as our all my single-action Ruger revolvers. I think with Ruger, its just luck whether or not you get one well made or not. I've had excellent luck with SP 101's and single actions, and not-so-excellent luck with the GP100's. Even so, I recommend Rugers provided that you check them out on-site in the gun store before buying.

[JohnK]

It's more a question of degree not Smiths have great triggers and Rugers suck. They definately feel different though - not necessarily better or worse - and some just like the feel of the Smith better. After many thousands of rounds and thousands of dry firing over the years my GP100 has a very smooth trigger, I wouldn't complain about it at all.

A good gunsmith can make either one have a very nice smooth trigger.

[RussB]

I'm yet to handle a NEW S&W that has a good trigger out-of-the box, and that includes some VERY pricey performance Center guns (a 586+ and the 38 Super 8-shot)

The Ruger GP-100 are very durable, and to my hands, more comfortable. Both guns' triggers can be worked over with excellent results...whoever "told" you otherwise, misled you :)

[Tom B]

In the past 4 months my purchases have been a NIB S&W M66, a NIB M686 and a 1977 vintage M10. I'll let you quess which has the best trigger. Shane my M66 has the same problem with cyl or related parts causing a slight bind at times during DA but problem appears to be going away as gun is broken in. Anyway my next purchase will be a 4in blued GP100. SS just doesn't smooth out with break-in like carbon steel IMO nor does it look as nice. Smiths are great firearms but I have owned several GP100s over the years and they are just as nice and I have never had any complaints with the triggers.

[DeltaElite]

Rugers are great guns.
I believe that Smith and Colt actions smooth up better, but the Rugers are great guns that are more durable than their competition. YMMV

[45-auto]

I've owned three (and still own 2) SP 101s. I've done a lot of shooting with a GP 100.

I don't know about comparisons, but I never had a problem with the finish on a Ruger and it's easy to put a 9 pound Wolfe (sp?) spring in. In my experience, the stock trigger ain't bad, but going to a 9 pound Wolfe gives you a great, easy, silky smooth DA pull with a crisp let off.

I do like my Rugers.

But then I've been introduced as "This guy never met a gun he didn't like."

[Bob]

Well, I had a model 10, 13, and 581. I now have SP-101, GP-100, and SBH. The only smith I still have is a Brazilian contract 1917. I strongly prefer the Rugers. Triggers can be improved at home without the expense of a gunsmith, sights are better (for me any way), far more durable construction. I have never had a problem with my Rugers. I have no interest in going back to smith.
Would like to see Ruger come out with a GP chambered in 44 spec. though.
Bob

[Baron Holbach]

I have a stainless 4-inch Ruger GP100. Through the gun, I've fired several hundred rounds of .38 special and .38 special +P, in addition to about 200 rounds of full .357 magnum loads. When shooting the magnum loads, the kick was so vicious, I had to put on leather gloves to protect my shooting hand's index and third finger from the trigger guard during the gun's recoil. Although the double-action trigger is heavy, it is consistent and if you practice enough, accuracy can be improved each time you shoot. My GP100 is so ruggedly built and the stainless finish so durable, it looks as new the day I first bought it. The durable transfer bar can be dry-fired endlessly without any ill effect. I keep the gun on my nightstand, loaded with Speer Gold Dot 158 grain .357 magnum JHP cartridges. I will never sell or trade in this gun. It is a keeper. I highly recommend this gun in the stainless version.

[Kahr carrier]

Rugers are fine ,Ive only had problems with on a 6 Gp100 a friend sold me ,he had bent a trigger part and I had the Gunsmith at the shop fix it while it was in for the ten day wait.:D

[Stephen Ewing]

If there is one product Ruger makes which it would never occur to me to knock, it would be the wheelguns. You want to knock their rifles or autos, you'll have plenty of company, but knocking their revolvers?!?!:confused:

Steve

[Gila Jorge]

Only buy Ruger Single Actions and of course their
rifles. For Double Actions I buy Smiths. I had a Ruger GP100 and got rid of it in favor of the Smith 686. Would never look back. Have since bought other Smiths....629 5inch Classic, 60LS, and last week a 696. Am very happy with Smiths.
Will buy more. I am more incluined toward DA than SAs (although I already have 5 other Ruger SAs.)

[mbott]

Just brought home a 3" SP101 today. Won't make it to the range until Friday afternoon, but I'm pretty sure I'll be happy with this one, too. This is my 6th Ruger handgun.

--
Mike

[rugerfreak]

My current 2 and only revolvers are S&W---despite the screen name---no problems with Ruger revolvers----its just that my current Ruger handguns are autos.

My Smiths just have features that Ruger doesn't even offer---an Airweight .38 that weighs 13-14ozs---while the closest Ruger offering is like 25 ozs.

And a 66 .357 with 3in barrel and adj Hi-Viz sights----nothing in the Ruger catalog comes close to that either.

Nothing wrong with Rugers----they're just not offering the things I'm looking for at this time.

Does this sound confusing???

[Hkmp5sd]

I have a dozen or so Rugers in both SA and DA models and I have 2 S&W revolvers. Guess which brand I like best? :) But then, I have a half dozen S&W autoloaders and no Ruger autoloaders. No one can claim I'm prejudiced against either manufacturer!

[ruger357]

I'm a S&W fan, but I also owned Rugers, (GP100,SP101, and Vaquero. I never had any problems at all from them.

[PALongbow]

Looks to me like we should change this thread name to "Are Rugers really that good?"

All my guns are rugers and they are well built and I'm not afraid to run hot handloads through them.


Ron

[M1911]

I'm yet to handle a NEW S&W that has a good trigger out-of-the box, and that includes some VERY pricey performance Center gunsInteresting. That hasn't been my experience. The J-frames that I've gotten have all needed trigger work. But the K, L, and N frames that I've gotten have all been pretty good out of the box.

[GW45]

5 Revolvers - all Ruger - never had a problem with any of them.....

[Tim Schlosser]

Six Rugers currently, one on the way, and I think I've sold three more over the years. Ruger is a good solid product that won't disapoint. Whoever told you otherwise didn't have much experience.

[Adventurer_96]

I was lucky enough to get a tour of the New Hampshire Ruger facility where as I understand it all their longguns and revolvers are made. As my wife and I were walking through the plant with my father-in-law, she asked our guide if any of the revolvers get sent back during in-house quality control checks. Just then a pushcart with revolvers, rifles, and shotguns passed us by to go back up the line to be refit, rechecked, etc. by the folks in the facility. Our guide was a bit embarrassed, she said maybe that wasn't the best image that they wanted to portray. However, my father-in-law summed it up in my eye when he said that it was the best advertising they could do because it shows that they take quality control seriously.

I'd have no problem buying any revolver or longgun from Ruger because I've been lucky enough to mee the folks who put them together, and they're very good at what they do. Plus, on the off chance that there's a problem, they'll make it right to the best of their ability. Maybe if I visited S&W I'd say the same about them, but I haven't, so I won't.

I hope this long, rambling post will help you out a bit in your decision.

[Snaps]

I've never actually owned any, but my dad has 2 and loves both of them. They're nice especially if you want ot add a scope on. Already set up

[triggertime]

The only disadvantage to the GP100 and the SP101 is the design of the ejector unit. Since there is play in the unit, its prone to allow cartridge cases to slip underneath the extractor star during ejection and jam the gun.

Personally, I do not find that to be an acceptable 'feature'.

[JohnK]

Since there is play in the unit, its prone to allow cartridge cases to slip underneath the extractor star during ejection and jam the gun.

In over 5,000 rounds through my GP-100 I have never, as in not once, seen that happen. It's happend once on my Smith 25-7, and happened fairly often on a Taurus M 94 but never on the GP100. I've never even heard of anyone mention that problem with the Rugers before.

[Bullet]

I don't think anyone has mentioned Ruger GP 100s have crane locks. Smiths don't. For mags go with Ruger.

[Mal H]

triggertime, I've got to agree with JohnK. Since the word "prone" essentially means "more likely than not", I am wondering where you got the information concerning the Ruger ejector mechanism. My GP-100 has never had that problem (or any problem for that matter) after many thousands of rounds. And I haven't seen or heard of anyone else owning either a GP or an SP with that problem. :confused:

[WESHOOT2]

I personally prefer the feel of my Ruger DA's.

[cratz2]

Ruger sells plenty of revolvers and most owners seem to be happy. That doesn't really mean a whole lot but it is a good sign. I don't think I've ever seen a DA Ruger as smooth out of the box as an average S&W but if you want the ruggedness of the Ruger, you can always have someone clean up the action a bit.

Talking purely DA revolvers, I think the Smiths are smoother, but either can be made to be super buttery smooth. Just depends on what you want in the end.

[mbott]

I just brought home my second SP101. I, too, have never heard or experienced a situation where a cartridge case has slipped underneath the extractor star during ejection.

--
Mike

[triggertime]

JohnK & MalH: You will always hear different comments from those of us who train with their revolvers versus comments from recreational shooters who don't. In otherwords, a casual shooter will never experience these issues first hand unless they practice strictly in a defensive setting while performing speed and tactical reloads under stress.

But to elaborate on my original comment using a Ruger SP101 as an example: If you release the cylinder and press the ejector rod to its full extention and then grab the extractor star, you'll notice that there is a considerable amount of play in the unit as you wiggle it back and forth. This 'play' is what usually allows cartridge rims to slip underneath the extractor star during ejection as the two inside most cartridges in the cylinder impact the grip panel on their way out. Yes, I have experienced this issue many times with both the Ruger SP101 and the GP100 regardless of what manual of arms was used, be it the old FBI technique, the FLETC technique or even the LFI technique.

From this, I have come to the conclusion through personal experience that Ruger revolvers are not the ideal choice for defensive use and are best left to the recreational shooter. Of course, as always, your opinions and milage may vary.

edit: typo

[10-Ring]

Thanks everyone, all of this experiene re: Ruger really helps!

[Steve B]

I used to be a S&W-only guy but I now like my Rugers a bit better. I find them to be really strong and able to handle the hot 44 mag loads. I`m more confident shooting hot 44mag from my Blackhawk than my Smith. The BH is extremely accurate, as well. I don`t have a problem with either fit or finish on any Ruger I own, nor have I heard that Rugers were in any way inferior to S&W in this regard.

Just my opinion........

[charleym3]

I've had multiples of both. I have gotten triggers on GPs that are every bit as good as S&W with less effort and expense. The only reason I've been adding Smiths to my collection is because they're cheap right now.
I really believe that most people buy Smith & Wesson because they're popular, not because they are superior.

As for the alleged jamming thing, I train with a GP, carry one, and shoot IDPA with it. It is a non-issue. Now if only I could find a grip that looks like a S&W round butt...

[Diesle]

No, their really that GOOD.


Diesle

[Greg All Calibers]

Ruger GP-100 Pawl / Extractor Issue

The trigger on my GP-100 had some internal dragging during the last 10% of trigger travel (furthest back position). And with the lighter Wolff trigger spring, the trigger would not always return on it's own, depending which of the 6 cylinders it was on.

I did a careful inspection and noticed the pawl was moving TOO FAR UP on the ratchet/extractor ring grooves causing the trigger to be heldback in the furthest position. So I worked the pawl over and smoothed out the extractor grooves (slightly!) and now they engage with no problem.

I have since tried a handful of new pawls, and every one of them cause the trigger to hang back, unless I work them over. Pretty strange !

Question:
- have any of you ever experienced the pawl and extractor grooves not mating properly which caused the trigger to hold back?
- are the pawl's 'handfit' at the factory?
- are pawl's typically made in slightly different lengths to keep them from sticking?

[Kahr carrier]

Nope they make a quality revolver at a fair price.:)

[stiletto raggio]

I don't own any Smiths, but the only ones I am interested in are small .357s for defense. Otherwise, I will take Ruger hands-down for fit, strength and, in my opinion, balance. I have heard that wolff srpings make a huge difference in trigger pull and I know taht the Rguer mechanism is simple and tough. Double or single action, if it is a big bore, it is going to be a Ruger.

[braindead0]

As far as the ejecter star play issue, I've done 1000's of fast reloads on my GP-100 (at the range, IDPA and practice with dummy rounds) and never had a round hang up on the grip (sounds like a case of not swinging the cylinder out fully) or any other sort of hang-ups.

[MCNETT]

Among other Ruger revolvers, I have had my 4" GP-100 Stainless since 1986, the first year they were offered to the public. It is more accurate than I am and has digested more than 25,000 heavy .357 handloads with no ill effects. I will pass it on to my grandchildren in 50years!
-Mike

[Marshall]

Have 2 Rugers, a Redhawk and Super Redhawk. Both have been perfect from day one, never a single problem! Tough Guns!

[SodaPop]

I am very happy with my 3 Ruger revolvers.

Mal H- I was never happy with that 5 shot GP-100 you have. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! CLICK!!:scrutiny:

[Mal H]

:D

Well, Geoff and I thought it was funny! :neener:

(You've got the sequence wrong. As I recall, it was: Bang - Bang - Click - long wondering stare - Bang - Bang - Bang.)

[SodaPop]

Next time..... next time...........:cuss:

[280PLUS]

While I havent had any experience with ruger revolvers i do own the newer stainless target .22 with the 6 7/8" heavy barrel and that thing will shoot 10 rounds in the space of a dime at 50' (bench rest), the trigger could use some work. seems to creep occasionally.

m

[Mark G.]

I should develop and manufacture a gun so bad. Ruger manufactures a super revolver IMO.

[coonan357]

my rugers, Kgp161, and a bisley vaquaro , are good in my terms and my smiths 686 and66 models are good too , but compairing the two are like compairing a compact car versus a luxury car , the smiths have better triggers but the cost is almost 2;1 in price , as a duty gun my Gp is perfect it will take the abuse of being dropped (when teaching newbies ) extra hard loads for when I am doing research ,and just getting ah abused?? :o , I would cringe if someone where to drop my S&W clark custom on the ground probably would break there hands , but my gp has been dropped and kicked ( that person I wouldn't let near a squirt gun now ) and all i had to do is polish out the scratches . I look a my smiths as art and my rugers as tools.