Gp100 .44

[Lucky Derby]

OK S&W made the 696 based on the L frame revolvers.
Is there any reason Ruger couldn't do the same with the GP100. A 5 shot .44 Special based on the GP100 would be awsome. Perhaps even a .45 Colt?

Thoughts anyone?

 

[harmon rabb]

Maybe .44spl, but it certainly wouldn't be very ruger-ish in .45LC. A ruger you couldn't shoot ruger only loads out of? Blasphemy!

 

[C-grunt]

I believe some of the gunsmiths do just that. Ill try and find it.

 

[Lucky Derby]

They already make a Ruger you can't shoot "Ruger only" loads in. The New Vaquero .45 Colt.

 

[MortalWombat]

And the .45 Colt Redhawk.

 

[Hammerdown77]

I'd actually perfer if they put the .44 Special in the SP101 form factor, to have something a little more compact and lightweight. Similar to the Charter Bull Dog models.

 

[Old Fuff]

They could in theory make a 5-shot/.44 Special on the GP-100 platform, but I doubt they will.

1. Not enough demand. S&W and Taurus have both made, and then later discontinued these kind of revolvers. If however if they become convinced that there is a market large enough to justify the engineering, tooling and manufacturing costs they might consider it... but just maybe.

2. They worry about reloaders that just have to hot-dog the cartridge, and then if the revolver develops problems they send it in and expect the gun to be fixed under warrantee. If they don't (and they usually won't) they have a customer relations issue that will probably be spread - and misrepresented - all over the 'Net.

 

[Zundfolge]

I'd actually perfer if they put the .44 Special in the SP101 form factor, to have something a little more compact and lightweight. Similar to the Charter Bull Dog models.

That would be awesome, but I don't think you could fit .44spec on an SP101 cylinder. They'd have to build a gun from scratch. Basically an enlarged SP101 that sports a GP100 cylinder.

Then I think you'd lose the size advantages of the SP101 at little gain (.357 mag is no slouch).

Might as well go get a Charter Bulldog and have it spiffied up by a gunsmith.

Or better yet just buy this.

 

[CraigC]

David Clements used to build 5-shot .44Spl GP's so it is certainly feasible. Even as five-shot conversions go, it was never too popular and I don't know of a single person who owns one. I don't think Ruger would consider it.

 

[Lucky Derby]

I actually compared the cylinders of a SP101 and a Bull Dog. The Bull Dog cylinder is quite a bit larger than the SP101 cylinder. It is also as small as you could go for a .44. No way to do .44 in a SP101.

 

[RugRev]

Old Fuff said it when he mentioned demand for the product. If there were a big market S&W and Tauris/Rossi would still make the .44 SP revolvers. As another noted on the Bulldog cylinder diameter all the .44 Sp revolvers use at least the same cylinder dia. as a 6 shot .357. On that basis if someone had a lot of money maybe start with a Colt Magnum Carry with a custom cylinder and convert it to .44. But on of the major problems with these .44 conversions on most revolvers is the gun was designed around the .38/.357 and when the caliber goes to .429" the barrel shanks are relatively thin. Thus, the need to not hotrod the cartridge. This also prevents opening the caliber to .45 on these guns. I have a hunch in the case of the Taurus medium/large frame when designed they were thinking also of .44 and .45 caliber at the time and allowed the necessary height and width in the frame at its inception.

Dave Clements used to do the .44 Sp conversion on the GP and some other conversions (they were about $1200 at the time with a new barrel) but now only does 6 shot 10mm/.40S&W conversions on the GP. As an aside at one time several shops used to do .44 conversions to the GP predecessor, the Six Series and these show up at the auction sites sometimes.

 

[bsms]

Let's compare: GP100 (in 357) vs N frame (44 special)

Weight: 40 oz vs 37 oz
Cylinder dia: 1.56 vs 1.71
Length: 9.5 vs 9.6?
Shots: 5 vs 6

Just at a quick look, the N frame would have about 0.15 greater cyl diameter, weigh about the same in 44 special, be about the same length, and offer an extra shot...so what would your REALLY get with a GP100 44 special?

Meanwhile, S&W's last run of 44 specials is still available at Buds - $560-570, nickle or blue. Not sure when production stopped, but that tells me they were NOT big selling guns!

I'm considering buying one of the 44 specials from Buds. A 44 special can do everything I want without the omph I don't need of a 44 Mag. However, they also lack the option of shooting 44 mag, and 44 special ammo costs as much as 44 mag and is harder to get, and frequently isn't loaded to a more appropriate 850 fps range...which is why I'm still CONSIDERING even tho they are N-frames at an excellent price (by today's standards).

The 44 special is an awkward cartridge to market. Less energy than a 357 (and no, I don't think energy means very much in a cartridge, but lots of folks do), less flexibility than a 44 mag, less availability than almost anything...kind of a light 45 acp with more expensive ammo. If I am sitting on the fence, then I suspect a LOT of others never got on the fence, and that is why no one is making them in significant numbers.

 

[joed]

I'm lucky enough to have a Taurus 445 in .44 Spl. It's a nice gun, 5 shot like a Bulldog but at least 200% more durable and reliable. I'm smart enough to realize the gun for what it is and shoot nothing more then anemic .44 Spl loads out of it.

I have to laugh when I hear owners of the S&W 696 talk about hotrodding their gun. They don't last long if you go beyond a normal .44 Spl load.

 

[Old Fuff]

The 44 special is an awkward cartridge to market. Less energy than a 357 (and no, I don't think energy means very much in a cartridge, but lots of folks do), less flexibility than a 44 mag, less availability than almost anything...kind of a light 45 acp with more expensive ammo. If I am sitting on the fence, then I suspect a LOT of others never got on the fence, and that is why no one is making them in significant numbers.

I will confess that I'm a long-term, big fan of the .44 Special, but if you're going to shoot it very much cost considerations will force one the handload.

With that in mind, remember if .44 Special brass isn't available .44 Magnum cases can be trimmed to length, and you get a heavier web at the base as a bonus. Most .429" bullets made for the Magnum can be used in the Special also. Like joed I have a Taurus 445, and other then wishing it had a 3 or 3 1/2 inch barrel I love it. I don't hot-dog the loads, and believe it is a better fight-stopper at snubbie distances then a .357 Magnum out of a similar gun. The bullet doesn't have to expand if it's "expanded" when it leaves the muzzle.