new wheel gun

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Pacsd

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I'm considering pickin up a wheel gun in .357. Any thoughts on the Ruger gp 100?
 
It's kind of subjective. You have to hold them all and then kind of imagine the physics! You can also think about purpose, leaning toward lighter the more chance you have of carrying.

I had a GP 100 a long time ago, and it was nice. Nice like a tank. I love the L frame.

Might be able to rent a GP 100, they are popular with rental establishments because they are so tough.
 
I like the idea of rugged. They have one one hand that I have a hold on. I missed out on the last SP 101. But, you guys are convincing me.
 
the gp100s are great. well built and will handle most anything you care to put through them.
 
While I prefer S&W, the GP100 is well made and I'm sure you would like it. I also prefer stainless and 6" barrel.
 
the question was asked, "what do I want it for"?. I'm guessing I wanna beat "O"-what's-his-name to the draw, so to speak on any more/other 2ad restrictions. I don't own a center fire wheel gun and I've got a few bucks burnin a hole.
 
Beat who?
O'Hara, O'Donnell, O'Henry, Obama???
I have the 6" blued GP100; only thing better would be a stainless one. Incredibly accurate, etc., etc., etc.
 
That would be my choice if buying new , or if I got a good deal on it used , over a pre-lock S&W .
 
I think the GP100 is a fine choice, but if it's a SP101 you really want, I think you should hold out until you can find one. Here are my two most recent handgun purchases...
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I love GP100 Rugers but can't stand the Houge grips they put on them and they seem barrel heavy to me in the 6". More so than a 6" Smith.

I have three N-frame Smiths and you can't go wrong with any of them either. They and the Ruger will last longer than you will. The L frame is easier to handle if you have smaller hands and seems to be more comfortable as far as weight is concerned.

As far as Rugers go if you want to shoot it often, say as a weekly range gun, you probably would want the GP over the Sp. I have a SP and with full house magnums it can be a handful, sometimes painful.

The maximum barrel length in a SP is 4.2", in GP it's 6".
In a Smith it can be out to 8-3/8" depending on what you buy.
 
I have the 3" SP101, BEST PISTOL PURCHASE EVER (as I say EVERY time someone posts about "what revolver to get" or similar in this forum.)

The 2.25" I rented seemed to be a tad light in the nose, and tended to flip more than my 3". I also like the increased sight radius on the 3". It's a bit heavy for pocket carry, so the added weight and length of barrel aren't an issue given IWB /OWB carry.

With the SP101 - Choke up on the grip! Don't hold it low like a GP100 or an K/L-frame - you'll get all battered around. Don't be afraid to clamp down on the rubber grip either. I've run 190gr slugs over ~13gr of 2400 routinely with it, no problem.

Outside of the blast, running Federal C357 (125gr JHP, the "FBI Load") full-house also isn't bad, but it's not something I'd want to run through 50-60 rounds of in one sitting. Frankly, full-house rounds are for amusement in the SP - the .357 Mag really needs a 4"+ BBL to make good use of the hottest loads.

The SP and the LCR are the only two revolvers left for rent at my local firing range - all their S&W's chucked barrels downrange or cracked frames. ;)
 
Current Ruger guns are far superior to current production Model 686 revolvers from the company masquerading as S&W. I keep seeing bad S&W builds at my LGS. Combine this with the obnoxious and unused LOCK, cruddy two piece barrels, cheap parts and a $700+ price tag...forget it. Prelock guns are a different story on a case-by-case basis.

Get a GP100. You can install night or target sights yourself and many companies make holsters and stocks for them.
 
If you liked the SP 101, get a 3 or the 4 inch barrel, I have one, had an action job done on it, I love it. Until 2 older Smiths came to live with me last weekend, a #14 and a #17, haven't had a chance to get them to the range yet, cold windy weather. Keep looking they're out there.
 
I really like my GP100. 4" stainless. Accurate and pleasant to shoot with both powder puff .38 Special and full house .357. The trigger was pretty good out of the box, both single and double action, and has improved with use. I have heard complaints about gritty or heavy triggers on these revolvers, but mine had a crisp break, smooth double action pull, and no creep in single action from day one.
 
Had a 4" blued GP100 years ago. Definitely a solid, well built revolver but didn't care for the way it handled and balanced in my hand. Felt awkward and overly bulky, especially compared to the older Security Six design.
 
A 3" SP101 or a 4"GP100 makes a great all around gun. I don't really see the point in going with an L frame smith for .357. They do make 8-shot models which are cool, but it is a huge gun for such a small cartridge.

I shoot my SP101 almost exclusively with near-max H110 reloads. It hasn't showed any sign of loosening up. I also don't think it hurts to shoot. It will give me blisters after awhile, but no real pain. Most recently I settled on some Badger Boot Grips after trying nearly everything out there. I like those a lot.
 
Everybody plays up the gp100 but I got a lemon when I got one. Oversized bore, not remotely accurate. Bad trigger....I'm not saying they are all bad but I am saying to be cautious. I like ruger a lot but wouldn't buy another gp100 after that crap that I got and they wouldn't fix.
 
A 3" SP101 or a 4"GP100 makes a great all around gun. I don't really see the point in going with an L frame smith for .357. They do make 8-shot models which are cool, but it is a huge gun for such a small cartridge.

I shoot my SP101 almost exclusively with near-max H110 reloads. It hasn't showed any sign of loosening up. I also don't think it hurts to shoot. It will give me blisters after awhile, but no real pain. Most recently I settled on some Badger Boot Grips after trying nearly everything out there. I like those a lot.
The L frame is the same size as the GP100. The 8 shot models are an N frame.
 
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