GP100 MC hammer shim

[Mark_Mark]

I actually like the regular mode Hogue ones with finger grooves. Sure they are ugly but for my average sized hands they are a perfect fit. Wood grips look better but rubber is easier to shoot.

Yeah! Going with a rubber grip! good thing it’s only 1 screw

 

[stonebuster]

9# works…

I need a new Grip. Still can’t get a good grouping under 1.5”

I'll be interested in the reliability rate. of the 9# main spring after @ 300 rounds as even a 10# had a FTF at 300 round mark for one of my GPs. I settled on 12# for all my Ruger double actions.After shimming hammer/hammer dog and polishing spring strut 12# main spring all my GPs & SP101 have nice triggers. But the best trigger at this point is a Service Six 4" 1987 mtg. Contrary to many folks opinion, my SP101 2.25" 357 has a very smooth action after a bit of work.

 

[Mark_Mark]

I'll be interested in the reliability rate. of the 9# main spring after @ 300 rounds as even a 10# had a FTF at 300 round mark for one of my GPs. I settled on 12# for all my Ruger double actions.After shimming hammer/hammer dog and polishing spring strut 12# main spring all my GPs & SP101 have nice triggers. But the best trigger at this point is a Service Six 4" 1987 mtg. Contrary to many folks opinion, my SP101 2.25" 357 has a very smooth action after a bit of work.

I shot about 100 rounds with 1 light strike. I bought these cases: trim, primed, & nickel. Theirs about 250-300 more of these primed cases left. But, I’ll definitely keep a record of the ftf and photos of the primer strikes.

Gun is brand spanking new

 

[UncleEd]

Suggestion: Leave the factory hammer spring (14 pounds) in gun;
go to a 10 pound trigger return spring (factory is 12 pounds) to still
provide positive trigger reset without as much chance of
short stroking. See how you like that combo.

 

[Tallball]

Mine came with two pairs of very nice wooden grips. Neither one of them worked well for me. Too bad. The one set is gorgeous.

I ended up with ugly black rubbery... I think they're Hogues. They work fine. Not pretty, but they feel good and I'm shooting it more consistently.

Ruger GP100 357

• Tallball
• Feb 12, 2023

 

[UncleEd]

Tallball, those are Hogue's on your MC sans finger grooves. The overfall
dimensions (width, depth) of those stocks are slightly smaller than the
finger grooved models more often encountered. For me, a favorite.

 

[Tallball]

Tallball, those are Hogue's on your MC sans finger grooves. The overfall
dimensions (width, depth) of those stocks are slightly smaller than the
finger grooved models more often encountered. For me, a favorite.

TY for the identification. My hands are very large. The finger grooves are almost always in the wrong place, so I usually go with grooveless, even if it's a bit smaller.

The MC isn't my favorite DA revolver, but it has as good a trigger as my Model 28. Way more accurate than I am.

 

[IWAC]

Grease never works for me. I place the hammer in the frame, use feeler gauges to slide the shims into place, starting with the right side shim so I can partially insert the hammer pivot pin to retain the first shim, then flip the revolver over and install the second shim on the left side. It's quick, it's easy, only takes a matter of seconds on top of the time it takes to install the hammer without the shims.

Of note, with Ruger Double Actions, I make a trigger plunger bushing (not the part most people think about, check exploded diagram in your owners manual) for all of the Ruger DA's on which I do action work, to help guide the trigger plunger within the trigger. This greatly improves the performance with reduced power trigger springs.

(**It's also worth considering doing a sear neutralization job to allow you to INCREASE your hammer spring and reduce your trigger spring. Rugers have positive inclination sears, so you end up, even in single action firing, fighting the mainspring as you pull the trigger. You can build a MORE reliable revolver with LESS trigger pull weight than factory condition by correcting the sear angle, increasing the hammer spring, and reducing the trigger spring - especially if you add the trigger plunger bushing I mentioned).

O.k., what is this "neutralizing" the sear you speak of? Not trying to break your rice bowl, so I don't want a full DIY explanation, but it seems like something to consider. I've polished and shimmed everything in my Ruger. What does your trigger plunger do, and what does it cost?
BTW...What are Hammer shims supposed to look like? My Match Champ was locking up on me; I started looking, and found one of the hammer shims, which looked like a very thin washer, was bent slightly and had damage on the edge. I removed both, with no further problems.
I ordered a pair of new shims from Ruger, and received what look like two very skinny wire circles...proper inner diameter, tho. That didn't look right, so I called Ruger again, and spoke with a man who seemed mystified as to what I had received, but is sending me a new set of shims, which hopefully, will look like the exploded view in the owner's manual diagram.
The shim installation trick you mention, with feeler gauges comes under the category of "Why didn't I think of that?" It seems to me using grease to hold the shims in place would only provide a place to gather dirt.

 

[Varminterror]

what is this "neutralizing" the sear you speak of?

Ruger revolvers (really, almost all Ruger firearms) have a positive sear angle, meaning the sear is cut at an angle such that pulling the trigger actually moves the hammer rearward ever-so-slightly MORE before the sear releases ("breaks") the hammer and the revolver fires. This means that your trigger is inherently working against the hammer spring, and such, the hammer spring weight contributes to the trigger pull weight. Ruger also typically uses around 40 thousandths of sear engagement length, around double what is really needed for a secure sear. So a gunsmith (or DIY hack with an appropriate jig) can cut a new sear angle and reduce the sear depth to a zero degree interface and only 25 thou of engagement. Especially polishing the sear face to reduce friction, AND evening the surface to ensure consistent and even contact from side to side, front to back. Doing this reduces (nearly eliminates) the hammer spring influence on the trigger pull weight, and reduces SA trigger creep significantly.

What you see in the revolver market are two juxtaposed paradigms - most custom gun builders will INCREASE the hammer spring weight, whereas most DIY spring kits include REDUCED POWER hammer springs... Why? It's because of this positive inclination sear. Sure, a lot of folks might want a lighter hammer cocking weight, and might want a lower DA trigger pull weight (in the case of DA/SA revolvers), but retaining the factory hammer spring weight and reducing the trigger spring weight, AND correcting the sear angle will reduce the SA trigger pull weight significantly, while still retaining the high ignition power of the full weight (or extra power) mainspring.

I use a Power Custom sear jig.

What does your trigger plunger do, and what does it cost?

The trigger plunger is the factory component which rides in the top of the trigger of a Ruger Double Action revolver and engages the trigger to the locking bolt. This plunger is a thin, bird shaped piece of stamped metal, which rides in a slot in the trigger more than twice its own width. When using reduced power trigger reset springs as included in DIY spring kits, this plunger can tilt or slant and bind, which causes it to hang during reset instead of popping back over the locking bolt cam. I started making bushings for all of the DA Ruger jobs I do starting about 18-19yrs ago, just to help guide the trigger plunger on a true track in the top of the trigger, instead of letting it flop around. This allows GREATLY reduced trigger spring weight with reliable reset. Be mindful to not go TOO low in weight, especially in 357mag/38spcl revolvers, or 22LR, where you might really be shooting quickly, because the trigger reset can actually become so slow that it can't keep up with your finger - Uncle Jerry used to use extra power trigger reset springs to keep up with his finger. I can make a Ruger Super Redhawks run reliably with 5lb trigger return springs, but even I can outrun the trigger, so the lightest I install is 7-8lb (factory is 15, Wolf is 10 & 12). But... The trigger plunger bushing goes a long way to improve consistency in trigger pull and reliability in reset, so a lighter trigger spring can be used.

I have made these bushings out of thick walled tubestock as well as cutting them out of bar stock. Either way works. I personally prefer the aesthetic of the tubestock, but it's a pain in the butt to get the right diameters ID and OD for what I want, then cutting clean faces on both sides, so I functionally prefer making them out of barstock. I'm headed to coach wrestling practice in just a few minutes, so I can't send a photo now, but I can tear down one of my SRH's later and send a photo. But all I'm talking about is a small stainless shim which rides on the trigger pivot pin (#79) in the top of the trigger (#77) to guide the trigger plunger (#58).

What are Hammer shims supposed to look like?

Hammer shims are just super thin washers. If they bend, they bind, so a bent or dinged hammer shim should be replaced.

 

[stonebuster]

Alright putting on a 9# trigger + 9# hammer spring in. 1st time taking this master piece apart.

BUT, how do you put the 2 hammer shims back in??? magic?

I just left it out for now, before I break something

9# feels GREAT

THANKS

Forgot all about "MC Hammer" until reading your post title. "Hammer time"

 

[Mark_Mark]

Forgot all about "MC Hammer" until reading your post title. "Hammer time"

Ooh Ohh, Stop, Hammer Time!