.38 GP100?

Status
Not open for further replies.
.455_Hunter said:
I know Ruger made these to meet customer requirements for non-magnum duty weapons (security guards, armored car personnel, etc). Other than the barrel stamp change, I am unsure if the cylinder actually has .38 Special chambers, or still has full .357 depth. Enquiring minds want to know.
Click to expand...

I don't know if this applies to the 38 spl GP100.

I met and had a conversation with a rep from Ruger back in the 80s at Rodman's Neck. NYPD had approved the Speed Six for duty use and he was there to take care of any issues (there were none) and promote the gun. He said there the only difference between the 357 6s and the 38 spl 6s made for NYPD was the cylinder was chambered to 38. If you reamed it out for 357 there would be no issues.

My educated guess is the same was done for 38 spl GP100s. Why screw up a good contract when you only have to back off the reamer a bit. Chambering the cylinder to 357 would be a blatant contract violation.

I have helped write specs for LE Firearms. I am not a contract attorney.
 
I can’t imagine Big Red would chamber the guns in .357 Magnum while having them stamped with just .38 special on the barrel. But we’ll see as I’ve got a box of 357Bs hanging out in one of my bins.
 
JCooperfan1911 said:
I have purchased the revolver.

I am incredibly excited. I’ve been out of the double action revolver game for some years now, focusing on autos and black powders.

I am going to get some Safariland Comp III speedloaders for it and diligently practice reloads as well as dry fire practice to help with aim. I don’t at current reload (small apartment no room work a lot) so will need to purchase ammo for it.

But, thankfully I’ve always found dry fire quite effective with revolvers like this. I also plan on getting a box of Speer Gold Dot 135 grain +Ps and might make it my dedicated nightstand gun paired with my Surefire flashlight.

Also, I don’t like the Hogue finger groove grips so will be ordering the Hogue ones without grooves. Those look comfy. Also, I’ll be needing a nice holster for it. I’m think an LE style thumb break of some kind. An a carrier for the speedloaders too. And I’m going to paint the front sight with orange nail polish as I always do that.

REVOLVERS FOREVER. Look forward to a full review soon guys.
Click to expand...

The standard old school GP grips with the inserts are by far the best in my opinion. I highly recommend them. They look great and handle recoil very well so it’s the best of both worlds. You can find different inserts for them at Altamont and custom makers.

https://shopruger.com/Rubber-Grip-w_-Rosewood-inserts/productinfo/70083/

F5A2AF77-498F-43D2-A16D-14CBCBCF3496.jpeg
 
Last edited:
wcwhitey said:
If you like it buy it. If you need something more powerful than standard .38 specials that gun would easily handle Buffalo Bore’s close to magnum level +Ps
Click to expand...
Or find a reloader that will make some of Elmer's .38-44HV loads for those rare times when more power is desired. Load data is still available.
 
JCooperfan1911 said:
I have purchased the revolver,
Don’t at current reload (small apartment no room work a lot) so will need to purchase ammo for it.

REVOLVERS FOREVER. Look forward to a full review soon guys.
Click to expand...

Nice!
Always room to reload, especially straight wall pistol cartridges.
Everything you need fits nicely in a shoe box - attached pic.
Have used this set up to load 38SPL, 357 Mag, 41 Mag, 44 Mag and 45 Colt.
IMG_20211223_075336_burst_01.jpg
 
I think you did pretty good, $639.00 for a new gun built 10 years ago or yesterday is still a new gun.
I would have preferred the adjustable rear sights instead of the trough.
I would make a hell of a house gun with the right ammo. If the cylinder is full length and bore short for .38 special you could use probably all the heavy for caliber ammo that's currently made for it. Especially all the heavy, wide flat nose variants.
 
Congrats on the new revolver. Recently got a 6” 357 version. 99% of the time I’m shooting 38spl and it handles like a cap gun. Have fun, enjoy it. I put in a set of wolf springs and polished the internals and it made a remarkable difference in trigger pull.
 
I bought a 3" that was 38 Special only and had it converted to 41 Special, 6 shot. It was ideal because it had the beef and the longer throats.
 
I have a blue GP-100 .38 Special. Model is GPF-841. It has fixed sights and a 4" barrel. It came with the Hogue grip, but I switched to Ruger compact grips with insert (ordered from Ruger shop). I purchased it NIB in Oct 2012 at a local gun shop. I've fired it exactly six times and never shot it again. I guess it didn't really appeal to me like my SP-101 and Blackhawk did.
 
At most gun shows before the Pandemic; the GP100 in 38 special went for about 400.00. One guy sent one back to Ruger to have it turned into a 357 magnum.
 
Order enough units, sign a contract, you can get what you want. Recall seeing a picture of a Speed Six chambered in 38 S&W for an Indian police agency.
 
JCooperfan1911 said:
Does anyone know who these 4” fixed sighted .38 only GP100s were built for? Security? Corrections?
Click to expand...
If you want to determine if your GP was a special contract run made for a specific agency you could request a Ruger letter for $10. If it's an over run it wouldn't have any unusual markings on it. Nice find and good luck!
 
stonebuster said:
If you want to determine if your GP was a special contract run made for a specific agency you could request a Ruger letter for $10. If it's an over run it wouldn't have any unusual markings on it. Nice find and good luck!
Click to expand...

I am going to do that for sure.

Payment for the GP100 submitted today. I am INCREDIBLY EXCITED to own it!! I also found a few speedloaders full of FBI loads in one of my gun bins today. Should be right at home in the chambers of the GP100 to thwart attackers.
 
That is a good find! A friend of mine is the head of security for a large hospital and they have a few of those in the security headquarters, left over from when they used to arm their own staff (They contract that part of the security out now). I have seen both 4" and 6" at his work.

I have had a GP for over 30 years and they are solid. Since you like the AK, I think you will appreciate the simplicity and strength of the design. A quick word to the wise, once you remove the trigger guard from the frame don't pull the trigger to see how things work or the pawl plunger spring and plunger will go flying. I was lucky enough to find them, but that will shut down your shooting until they are recovered or replaced.

The gun is heavy, so a quality holster is warranted. I have had good luck with the Glaco DAO Outdoorsman, Simply Rugged, and Bianchi 5BHL. The 5BHL's can often be found on Ebay for a good price. The best I have seen so far is the Diamond D Alaskan Hunter Hip Holster. It is very high quality and has the ability to add a flap for use on a horse or ATV.

I agree with others that the original rubber/insert grip is the best. I have tried them all and go back to that one. You can get custom inserts to add flair if that appeals to you. Have a set of elk horn inserts for one of my field pistols.

I hope you enjoy that GP as much as I enjoy mine. Be sure to give us a range report once you shoot it.

Edit to add: https://loadoutroom.com/118039/ammo-evolution-38-special-treasury-load/

Great article on the .38 Treasure load. The .38 is not so weak as some would claim.
 
Last edited:
ECVMatt said:
That is a good find! A friend of mine is the head of security for a large hospital and they have a few of those in the security headquarters, left over from when they used to arm their own staff (They contract that part of the security out now). I have seen both 4" and 6" at his work.

I have had a GP for over 30 years and they are solid. Since you like the AK, I think you will appreciate the simplicity and strength of the design. A quick word to the wise, once you remove the trigger guard from the frame don't pull the trigger to see how things work or the pawl plunger spring and plunger will go flying. I was lucky enough to find them, but that will shut down your shooting until they are recovered or replaced.

The gun is heavy, so a quality holster is warranted. I have had good luck with the Glaco DAO Outdoorsman, Simply Rugged, and Bianchi 5BHL. The 5BHL's can often be found on Ebay for a good price. The best I have seen so far is the Diamond D Alaskan Hunter Hip Holster. It is very high quality and has the ability to add a flap for use on a horse or ATV.

I agree with others that the original rubber/insert grip is the best. I have tried them all and go back to that one. You can get custom inserts to add flair if that appeals to you. Have a set of elk horn inserts for one of my field pistols.

I hope you enjoy that GP as much as I enjoy mine. Be sure to give us a range report once you shoot it.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the holster recommendations ECVMatt! I do need them. So the hospital has these fixed sight GPs? That’s way cool. I am for sure going to contact Ruger and try and root out the history of the gun.
 
Should one ring the Ruger folks or send them an email message to initiate the history request? Not really seeing much on their website.
 
In a sense the old 4-inch fixed
sighted GP100 has evolved
into the GP100 3-inch fixed
sighted model, one of Ruger's
most popular.
 
You did good. The GP 100 is a great little gun and will last you forever.

Ruger builds a solid gun. You can shoot .38s and there is a wide selection to choose from including target wadcutters up to full house +P loads for self defense.

One thing I love about revolvers is you can dry fire them forever. When I was shooting competition I would dry fire 1000 times a night. It helped smooth out the trigger and also strengthened my index finger so that on a long stage I wouldn't get tired.

You can't go wrong with the Safariland Comp IIIs.
 
JCooperfan1911 said:
Thought on this rare fixed sighted .38 special only Ruger GP100?

View attachment 1046734

I might buy it as I really don’t care for the noise and recoil of .357s. Seems like a nice house gun.
Click to expand...

Is it DAO?
Try cocking the hammer back...
Let us know. (sorry if already answered)

Most of today's 38sp only bigger framed revolvers use 357 frames with a shortened cylinder, creating a big ugly gap, and push the barrel back to that cylinder.


.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

biogenic
  • Locked
gp100
Replies
10
Views
720
Yarddog
Yarddog
H
  • Locked
GP100 - 38 Special ONLY, not 357?
2
Replies
26
Views
8K
Old Fuff
O
B
  • Locked
GP100 3" blued in .38 Special?
Replies
17
Views
1K
ArchAngelCD
ArchAngelCD
P
  • Locked
GP100 Fixed Sight 4"
Replies
12
Views
2K
slick6
S
A
  • Locked
Fixed Sight GP100 grips on an Alaskan?
Replies
3
Views
439
10-Ring
1
Back
Top