First handgun...Ruger GP100 6"

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chilly460

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I shot a handgun for the first time last weekend at an indoor range, and I decided to pick up a decent revolver to learn on.

I figured the .357Mag would work well because I could download it with .38spl and learn with a lighter load. I shot a .38spl SW, and a .357mag 2" Charter Arms so I was very comfortable with the recoil, and figured the large framed GP100 with full underlug 6" barrel would be a mild shooter.

I am just starting to understand ammo choices, and picked up some cheapie Remington UMC and American Eagle (Federal) in 130 and ~150gr..and some Remington 158gr .357Mag. I know this isn't the most accurate ammo, but I figured that it will be good enough to learn on...it's all semi jacketed wad cutter which I understand to be a decent target bullet.

I'm new to handguns, but shoot sporting clays on a weekly basis so I do know general gun safety. I do fully intend to take handgun safety course, as well as a handgun techniques course if possible.

Any tips or ammo suggestions are welcome, thanks!
 
Your gun choice is a good one. The GP100 was the first gun I purchased also. I started with 38spl ammo also and still shoot it when im low on funds. I like to use Fiocchi 357mag 142gr & 38spl 158gr for the range. I am going to be putting on some meprolight tru dot adj sights in the next few weeks on mine Ive heard good things about them.
 
Yep, that GP-100 is a great choice. It was my first centerfire handgun and is still with me. Certainly you can use the .38 Spl ammo as it's cheap, and you can try the other brands you mention. Save your brass, because if you start reloading, then you can download them and make great practice rounds. I've got a pet load that is about .38 Spl ballistics with the .357 case and that GP-100 loves it, and is pretty accurate to boot. Enjoy!
 
I shot the gun for the first time today. It performed as well as could be expected, the SA trigger feels very nice...and once I get accustomed to the heavy pull of the DA trigger I think it will be fine. The trigger does feel very smooth and linear to me, which is all I can ask right now...the gun is a better shooter then me by a wide margin.

I was getting some very consistent groups at 20yds, shooting offhand.

The recoil was lighter then expected, it's an absolute creampuff with 158gr .38spl, and easily handled with 158gr .357mag.
 
Great gun.

Several points...

1) There are alternate grip sizes and types available. Ruger shipped a smaller GP100 grip for the fixed-sight variants that is only slightly bigger than the SP101. Try holding an SP101 and if it fits your hand well, Lett Grips will have the pieces needed to switch to the smaller grip. You need a new rubber core and new wood (or micarta or whatever) side panels.

2) Is this a "full underlug" version or a "half lug"? The "half lug" has been discontinued for some time. What I'm talking about is the amount of extra metal under the barrel. I *love* the way half-lug 6" GP100s feel in the hand but I prefer "muzzle light" handguns over "muzzle heavy". If your gun is full lug now, any decent metalshop can shave the underlug down and make it look nice without pulling the barrel or otherwise harming the gun.

This gun is full lug:

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=55154657

Half lug will have a shorter "undertube" thingie just covering the ejector rod and then sloping up into the actual barrel.

Here's one:

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=54992613

Obviously, if the gun is blue and full-lug a half-lug conversion will involve re-blue. But if stainless, it's not hard at all.
 
I think you made a good choice on the revolver. I have a 3" GP100 that I like a lot. Dry fire the revolver (with no ammo of course) and the trigger will begin to smooth out.

The GP100 is the only Ruger revolver I have. (Lots of Smiths & Colts) I bought it mostly because of folks on this board saying such good things about it. Got it for a fair price and I have not been let down by the advice given on this board.
 
I'm happy with my 4" GP 100. I could get more hits at full speed with max loads on multiple targets than I could with several other revolvers, including a really nice 6" Python...

:), Art
 
That is an excellent choice. My dad and i have been shooting together for about 30 years now. When the talk of first guns comes up, we always discuss this--train with the 38's, then load up to 357 mag for defense, and plinking when you get better. Makes perfect sense. The GP100 is an awesome revolver, built like a tank. I did have one that was slicked up very nicely, i still kick myself for selling it!!!
 
The gun is 6" full lug. My understanding is that they used to make a half lug 6" but stopped. I don't mind the barrel heavy balance at this point, I do think they 4" model feels a bit livelier, but I like the smoothness that seems to come with the heavier 6" barrel. However, I've only shot this model so things may change when I get my hands on a similar 4" gun.

The grips feel great to me as is, but I could actually go a bit larger if something is available. I see that Hogue has a full grip available that I may try out.

Is there any danger with shooting .38 and .357 throughout the day without a cleaning? I was reading about problems with going with .454 after shooting
.45Colt do to buildup with the shorter case, and didn't know if this issue existed with the .38/.357.
 
Having handled them side by side, I recommend seeing how the 4" full-lug version feels, maybe test-shoot one if possible. If you like it's "feel" better, I can assure you that half-lugging the 6" gun will make it feel identical to the 4" full lug, but you'll get 6" worth of velocity and sight radius!
 
In your gun, .357 mag. will go a longer way toward range fun than .38s. The GP-100 was built for .357 mag. and, although you can shoot them in the gun, .38s are boring.

Two recommendations:
* Get some 125-grain .357 magnum ammo. The Remington UMC stuff is fine for practice, I've never had a misfire, and it's a total blast to shoot. For defense, I've got some Federal 125-grain personal protection ammo. It shoots the same as the UMC but has a defense-oriented hollowpoint bullet.
* Order a set of Wolff reduced-tension springs. My GP has the 10-lb mainspring installed, and it makes double-action shooting way easier.

As for practice ammo, you can warm up with whatever .38 you like. They all shoot the same in my experience; the cheaper the better. For a little warmer cartridge, try the S&B 158-grain magnum, followed by the MagTech 158-grain magnum, which is a REAL .357 magnum cartridge (the S&B kinda sucks).

For real fun, load with 125s.

For defense, my GP is stashed in a quick-access safe in the basement, loaded with the Speer SB .357 mag load (same as my SP-101 snubby).
 
A GP 100 or a 686 are great for the first handgun, but a 4" gun would be more versatile. 6" is pretty much limited to range or home defence - where it is superior - but not for carry.

miko
 
Congrats. The GP100 is a great revolver. I use my 4" version with .38 spls to introduce new handgun shooters to something more than a .22. I also find it a good walk-around gun for the woods. Yours should serve you well for many years to come.
 
Congrats on the Ruger GP 100.Excellent pick.Had 2 fellows come to a local IDPA match.Loaned them 4 HKS speedloaders for use during the match.It was their first time.Yes the barrel length seems a might long for this but then they stood each at a little over 6feet tall.They shot in the Stock Revolver class with Remington 125 gr. full house loads.For beginners they put in a decent score.Now how many people do you know who shoot full 357 loads at a match?.357 was the only type of ammo that could be found at short notice.The Safety Officer was flinching at times at certain stages because of the muzzle blast. Use any .357 whether revolver or pistol was rare at the time.Enjoy.PS No one at the shoot had any.38 special rounds to spare.
 
my new (used) GP100

Just got a 6 inch GP100 and took it to the range today. The gunsmith I bought it from did a trigger job and polished/jeweled the parts as well. I will be hunting with it and let me just say...the SA trigger is so good, it makes me want to scream uncontrollably. The DA is very manageable as well, and it has a convenient stage right near the end so that you can kind of shoot SA in the middle of your DA pull (maybe this is normal, but I'm new to revolvers).

Shot Independence 38 and 357 ammo. No complaints about the ammo...it was SOOOOOOOOO cheap. It all fired fine. I think the accuracy is OK, but I thought I was shooting a bit better than what was showing up. I wasn't sure until I fired two Buffalo Bore (158gr) 357's at 15 yards--they were touching each other on the bullseye. So that means I was doing ok and the Buffalo Bore was doing great! But at $6.50 for 38 special and $8.50 for 357, I have no complaints about the Independence ammo.

Like someone said before, the 38's were almost too easy. It was like firing 22 rimfire. Plus, I think that I might get annoyed about the extra dirt/grime in the end of the cylinder from the shorter 38 cases. After a while, it can make the 357s not want to fit in there easily. For my next range trip, I want to shoot more accurate 357 ammo and get ready for hunting. Great gun in every way. It's heavy and I love it!
 
You made a great first gun choice , switching back and forth with 38's and magnums present no danger at all so go ahead and do it .

If you want to avoid slightly sicky ejection problems with magnum casing just make sure you clean the cylinders really well , all that it requires to do it correctly is to use a 45 brush rather than a .357 one , the oversized brush will help get all of the crud out of the cylinders and rifling of the barrel .

If you are having serious extraction problems with magnum casings your gun has a problem "my S&W 586 did , magnum cases would lock up to the point I had to push the ejector rod against the shooting bench to extract them when I first got it" an over sized extractor/ejector will cause them to hang up . If you have this problem have it fixed by Ruger and it will never bother you again .

I fired thousands of rounds in my 586 using 38's and magnums after having S&W fix it it never bother me again period .

The whole 38 ring causing extraction problems in a magnum are a an excuse for those to lazy to clean their guns correctly , as I have owned 3 magnums and have never had this problem with proper cleaning , nor have any of my friends who correctly clean their 357's .
 
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