.38 GP100?

[stonebuster]

View attachment 1047006

Should one ring the Ruger folks or send them an email message to initiate the history request? Not really seeing much on their website.

Google "Ruger letter of authenticity" and you will see a PFD you can click on to. The form will appear so you can print it out. Just fill out the form and mail to Ruger with $10. It took several weeks because of Covid to get my letter but worth the ten bucks. This is what to expect from Ruger.

 

[PapaG]

About five years ago we got in a dozen blue GP 100s in 38. Police trade ins from somewhere. Sold them all in two days at under $300 each. I bought one. Pretended it else's a 38/44 Smith. Don't think I'd pay $600+ even for a stainless one. Good guns. Tank strong. And heavy.

 

[stonebuster]

Would $639.00 be a fair price for this gun? Comes with box and paperwork, “new old stock”. Supposedly unfired though it does have a faint turn ring on the cylinder.

It's essentially a new revolver so considering what a new GP100 is going for in todays market, I think it's a fair price.

 

[Bennj]

That is a very nice looking Ruger. I couldn't get a good hold for follow up shots on mine due to the original Hogue finger grip, so got the old style grip and wood inserts from Chig's grips. Comfortable, and handle 357s pretty decently. Congratulations!

 

[ECVMatt]

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.
View attachment 1046859

I will second the Lee Hand Press. I have a full reloading set up in the garage, but the family likes me in the house from time to time. I bring in my Hand Press and go to town. I will usually work on about 200 pieces at a time. I have made 1000's of rounds like this. Occasionally I take it out to the desert to load and shoot at the same time. I know that components are challenging to find right now, but once you get started you can make tons of .38 Spls pretty cheap.

If you shoot this revolver and end up enjoying it, I would suggest looking hard at the Hand Press.

 

[WestKentucky]

Would $639.00 be a fair price for this gun? Comes with box and paperwork, “new old stock”. Supposedly unfired though it does have a faint turn ring on the cylinder.

SOLD

Without hesitation.

 

[JCooperfan1911]

I will second the Lee Hand Press. I have a full reloading set up in the garage, but the family likes me in the house from time to time. I bring in my Hand Press and go to town. I will usually work on about 200 pieces at a time. I have made 1000's of rounds like this. Occasionally I take it out to the desert to load and shoot at the same time. I know that components are challenging to find right now, but once you get started you can make tons of .38 Spls pretty cheap.

If you shoot this revolver and end up enjoying it, I would suggest looking hard at the Hand Press.

Thank you. I know people are having a fit scrambling for primers right now. Seems like a bad time to get into reloading for sure.

But I would love to take it up for this caliber. I need to research more about simple and cheap rigs. If I could make 2-300 rounds a month that’d be plenty, and I wouldn’t want to get tied up with a bunch of expensive equipment and would be just fine with a bare bones setup. Heck I roll my own paper cartridges for percussion revolvers so have plenty of patience.

It’s really sad what’s happening now. Only a few calibers left are affordable for me, and it’s been 2 years. I don’t think we’ll ever see a recovery like pre-covid.

 

[SDGlock23]

Real nice, I've seen a good number of 38 only GP100's on gunbroker as of late. I would say it should be very easy shooting, love the GP100

 

[rabid wombat]

@JCooperfan1911 what corner of the world are you in? I am in Texas…

 

[JCooperfan1911]

@JCooperfan1911 what corner of the world are you in? I am in Texas…

Southern Nevada, I do enjoy Texas yall have some great food down there. Love San Antonio.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

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.

I picked up a .38 Special GP100 2 years ago for that express purpose. Mine has a 4.2" barrel with half underlug, and fixed sights.

Other things came up and I didn't really do much of that. One thing I noticed is that compared with my S&Ws, the throats are tighter.

 

[stonebuster]

Thank you. I know people are having a fit scrambling for primers right now. Seems like a bad time to get into reloading for sure.

But I would love to take it up for this caliber. I need to research more about simple and cheap rigs. If I could make 2-300 rounds a month that’d be plenty, and I wouldn’t want to get tied up with a bunch of expensive equipment and would be just fine with a bare bones setup. Heck I roll my own paper cartridges for percussion revolvers so have plenty of patience.

It’s really sad what’s happening now. Only a few calibers left are affordable for me, and it’s been 2 years. I don’t think we’ll ever see a recovery like pre-covid.

I bought a Lee Classic 4 die turret press.about a year ago and have found enough components to make 5-6k 357 & 38 spl and 10k SPP stockpiled.. It takes patience to find primers but it can be done and even with inflated prices still saves you money vs factory ammo. Running me @25 cents a round now.

 

[NeroM]

Thank you.
I know people are having a fit scrambling for primers right now.
Seems like a bad time to get into reloading for sure.
I need to research more about simple and cheap rigs, would be just fine with a bare bones setup.
.

While components, currently, can be hard to come by - so is loaded ammo.
Any time, is a good time to start.
While I have a full.loading bench set up, like to use the Lee hand press.
Have loaded a lot of 38 SPL with this kit. While not super fast. It is quite fun to use and highly effective. After a couple uses, one develops a rhythum. For example, after I size the case and remove the case from shelI holder rotate the press 180 degrees and let the primer roll out
Of the press ram- then catch the primer.
Re-Priming is a very tactile process, feeling primers seat.
Charge the cases with the Little Dandy.
This set up is truly "hand loading"; simple and pragmatic.

 

[JCooperfan1911]

While components, currently, can be hard to come by - so is loaded ammo.
Any time, is a good time to start.
While I have a full.loading bench set up, like to use the Lee hand press.
Have loaded a lot of 38 SPL with this kit. While not super fast. It is quite fun to use and highly effective. After a couple uses, one develops a rhythum. For example, after I size the case and remove the case from shelI holder rotate the press 180 degrees and let the primer roll out
Of the press ram- then catch the primer.
Re-Priming is a very tactile process, feeling primers seat.
Charge the cases with the Little Dandy.
This set up is truly "hand loading"; simple and pragmatic.

Very cool. I remember not long ago guys were reloading .38 special for less than a dime a shot. But still, $0.25 is literally half as cheap as anything factory these days that isn’t steel cased or remanufactured. It’s definitely something I need to look into, as it seems ammo prices haven’t budged in many months and may well be permanent.

 

[golden]

JCooper,

The GP-100 is overbuilt for the .38 Special and even the .38 Special +P ammo, so you should not have problems with it. You can also use some of the boutique ammo companies hot products, like DOUBLE TAP or BUFFALO BORE to get better than .38 Special performance. Also, I have a fixed sight GP-100 with a four inch barrel, mine is not full underlugger and there is nothing wrong with it.

Good luck with it.

Jim

 

[PzGren]

I had bought one in a package deal with a S&W 4516 and Ruger Mini 14 about twenty years ago. Mine has the old rubber grips with the wooden inserts, which I consider to be among the most comfortable stock revolver grips. I still changed them for Nills.
There is not much to say about it; it worked well for thousands of rounds, some .38 Special +P+P+ reloads among them. I had gotten the Iowegan book of knowledge from the author and did some work on the trigger but the trigger characteristics in double action are what I still do not like on the GP.



Just to add a mini range report; here is an old photo of a target that my oldest son shot with the Ruger at 10 yards in double action. We used to shoot the GP a lot, I have more than a dozen HKS speedloaders for it and two old MTM speedloader boxes that have 60 rounds in each.