Riomouse911
Member
Well I recently added to the set of .357 revolvers, and increased the growing list of Ruger firearms in the safe, by picking up a nice used GP-100 4” 6-shot .357 Magnum. I really didn’t need it but I’ve never had a Ruger .357, and the price wasn’t bad, so I thought I’d pick it up. While waiting to pick it up I ordered a Wolff spring set.
This gun has the Hogue grip rather than the original rubber-wood panel ones like my .44 Spl. GP-100 has. It fits my hand pretty well and the GP’s frame allows the rubber to wrap around without an exposed back strap like the Hogues on my S&W revolvers. This made for a pretty comfy grip.
One thing I noticed right away is the DA trigger pull on the new GP is not at all like a Smith & Wesson or Colt revolver. This GP has what almost seems like a two-stage trigger.
The first part of the pull rotates the cylinder until the cylinder stop drops into the slot. It literally staged itself as I was pulling it to the rear without my trying to. I’m not really a fan of staging the trigger, but I didn’t have a choice not to.
After the cylinder is locked the trigger still has more to go, stacking a bit as I kept pulling to the rear until it finally broke. To be kind, I wasn’t all that impressed with the trigger set up as it came.
This trigger action is not like the 5-shot GP-100 .44 Spl., it really threw me for a loop. The .44 Spl., like my 6-shot Colt and all of my 6-shot S&W triggers, doesn’t lock the bolt until a fraction before the hammer falls. I guess the offset bolt notches, combined with the 6-shot cylinder of the .357 GP, cause the early lock up. It took a while to get used to when shooting today, I think the gun will shoot a lot better once I figure out the unique trigger pull this gun has.
These targets were pretty large so I ran them out to about 12 yards and shot DA. I had a partial box, so I started with 40 rounds of .38 Spl. 148 gr WC over 2.8 gr Bullseye. First shot was low. I didn’t bring a small enough screwdriver so my astigmatism kept my shots a bit to the left.
Then another partial box of 15 mid range .357’s: 158 gr SWC over 6.2 gr Unique. Again, my first shot was low with these, too.
Keeping with the 5-shots-each regimen, I shot some really stout loads: 165 gr coated RN over a book-max charge of AA-9. The blue circle on the right was the first one I fired at, the first shot went high then the next 4 went closer together. The next one I really took it slow. 3 shots in one cluster… then I chunked one. The last was back with the first shots.
These loads had sharp recoil even with the Hogue grips. I think I’ll finish the remaining 40 off the next time I shoot and then retire this load. They’re probably too much for my K frames, and too long for the Dan Wesson with the counterbored charge holes, so it’s the 4” L frame or the GP only. (The bullets are too pointy for me to safely use in my Rossi 92.)
Once I got home and cleaned the gun I then checked the trigger pull with the Lyman gauge. 5 pulls averaged 10 lb 6 oz DA, 4 lb 1 oz SA. I popped it open, smoothed some of the surfaces and put in the Wolff 12 lb mainspring and 10 lb trigger return spring. After reassembly, the trigger pull is a smoother and less-stacky 8 lb 5 oz DA and 3 lb 4 oz SA and still should have plenty of firing pin ooomph for my reloaded ammo.
All in all it’s a good revolver. The trigger pull is not one I’m used to so it’ll be like learning to shoot all over again as I figure it out.
Stay safe.
This gun has the Hogue grip rather than the original rubber-wood panel ones like my .44 Spl. GP-100 has. It fits my hand pretty well and the GP’s frame allows the rubber to wrap around without an exposed back strap like the Hogues on my S&W revolvers. This made for a pretty comfy grip.
One thing I noticed right away is the DA trigger pull on the new GP is not at all like a Smith & Wesson or Colt revolver. This GP has what almost seems like a two-stage trigger.
The first part of the pull rotates the cylinder until the cylinder stop drops into the slot. It literally staged itself as I was pulling it to the rear without my trying to. I’m not really a fan of staging the trigger, but I didn’t have a choice not to.
After the cylinder is locked the trigger still has more to go, stacking a bit as I kept pulling to the rear until it finally broke. To be kind, I wasn’t all that impressed with the trigger set up as it came.
This trigger action is not like the 5-shot GP-100 .44 Spl., it really threw me for a loop. The .44 Spl., like my 6-shot Colt and all of my 6-shot S&W triggers, doesn’t lock the bolt until a fraction before the hammer falls. I guess the offset bolt notches, combined with the 6-shot cylinder of the .357 GP, cause the early lock up. It took a while to get used to when shooting today, I think the gun will shoot a lot better once I figure out the unique trigger pull this gun has.
These targets were pretty large so I ran them out to about 12 yards and shot DA. I had a partial box, so I started with 40 rounds of .38 Spl. 148 gr WC over 2.8 gr Bullseye. First shot was low. I didn’t bring a small enough screwdriver so my astigmatism kept my shots a bit to the left.
Then another partial box of 15 mid range .357’s: 158 gr SWC over 6.2 gr Unique. Again, my first shot was low with these, too.
Keeping with the 5-shots-each regimen, I shot some really stout loads: 165 gr coated RN over a book-max charge of AA-9. The blue circle on the right was the first one I fired at, the first shot went high then the next 4 went closer together. The next one I really took it slow. 3 shots in one cluster… then I chunked one. The last was back with the first shots.
These loads had sharp recoil even with the Hogue grips. I think I’ll finish the remaining 40 off the next time I shoot and then retire this load. They’re probably too much for my K frames, and too long for the Dan Wesson with the counterbored charge holes, so it’s the 4” L frame or the GP only. (The bullets are too pointy for me to safely use in my Rossi 92.)
Once I got home and cleaned the gun I then checked the trigger pull with the Lyman gauge. 5 pulls averaged 10 lb 6 oz DA, 4 lb 1 oz SA. I popped it open, smoothed some of the surfaces and put in the Wolff 12 lb mainspring and 10 lb trigger return spring. After reassembly, the trigger pull is a smoother and less-stacky 8 lb 5 oz DA and 3 lb 4 oz SA and still should have plenty of firing pin ooomph for my reloaded ammo.
All in all it’s a good revolver. The trigger pull is not one I’m used to so it’ll be like learning to shoot all over again as I figure it out.
Stay safe.