Old GP100's or New GP100's

357smallbore

357smallbore

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Does anyone have a preference to old vs. new Ruger GP100's
I have a SS 1998 and a Blued 2008 GP. The 98 is a true 4in, not one of the 4.2in guns. My 2008 is a 6in half lug barrel gun Mine have the Ruger rubber grips with the rosewood inserts. Not those Hogue ugly grips.
I love the older models that came like this vs. the new stuff they have been putting out for quite sometime.
 
I bought a new one and changed the grips to make it like an old one---those Hogue's are hideous. But love the Hogue grips on my SP101--more of an ice cream cone shape.
 
Hogue grips are ugly as sin. But they do work quite well for the intended purpose.

I believe the older GP's had the lawyer-vomit billboard splattered conspicously on the side of the barrel.

I'm pretty sure the vomit is stil splattered on every GP, except it is smaller font, and on the bottom side of the barrel.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, as I'm not a GP owner.
 
W.E.G. said:
Hogue grips are ugly as sin. But they do work quite well for the intended purpose.

I believe the older GP's had the lawyer-vomit billboard splattered conspicously on the side of the barrel.

I'm pretty sure the vomit is stil splattered on every GP, except it is smaller font, and on the bottom side of the barrel.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, as I'm not a GP owner.
Click to expand...
no more vomit
 
357smallbore said:
Does anyone have a preference to old vs. new Ruger GP100's
I have a SS 1998 and a Blued 2008 GP. The 98 is a true 4in, not one of the 4.2in guns. My 2008 is a 6in half lug barrel gun Mine have the Ruger rubber grips with the rosewood inserts. Not those Hogue ugly grips.
I love the older models that came like this vs. the new stuff they have been putting out for quite sometime.
Click to expand...
Reads like you do.
 
I have two, a 3” .44 Spl and a 4.2” .357.

I swapped out the original grips on the .44 and put on GP compact grips with inserts from Chigs.

The .357 has the Hogue fingergroove grips still on it. I did swap the FO front sight with a red ramp sight, it seems to shoot better for me with the new sight.

IMG_2809.jpeg

And like all of my other Rugers, both have the stupid warning label stamped into the steel, 😞

I like them a lot, even though I don’t shoot Ruger DA revolvers as well as S&W’s.

Stay safe.
 
I generally buy the older GPs & SPs because they're less expensive, Ruger will repair if needed, the actions have usually smoothed from use and I like the older non-mim triggers/hammers better. Grips are a non issue because the older style can be put on the newer GPs and are easily found. I've got a 171 prefix blued fixed sight GP100 3" 357 w/OE compact grips and a 2015 blued 4.2" GP100 357. The three inch is my favorite and I just traded in my 5" GP in on a S&W Model 65-2 3" 357 I'd been looking for. I'd looked for an old fixed sight, half lug GP100 without success and then discovered the Service Six 4" that had all that plus a full grip frame in a slightly lighter package. Since then I've focused on the Six Series Rugers and the GP100s have taken a back seat the past few years. The only downside of the Sixes is Ruger doesn't support(repair) them anymore.
 
Last edited:
I have a blued 4in from 1986.
I have a stainless 3in from 2012.
Slight (minor) differences over the years.
The original grips on the 86 are worn, so it got Altamonts years ago.
The 2012 came with Houges, they have sat in the box since the compact grips were delivered not long after purchasing.
The 1986 still has smoother action, but it
has a few thousand more rounds through it. 20211221_084429~2.jpg
Both have been solid, reliable and great shooters.
 
Last edited:
stonebuster said:
I generally buy the older GPs & SPs because they're less expensive, Ruger will repair if needed, the actions have usually smoothed from use and I like the older non-mim triggers/hammers better. Grips are a non issue because the older style can be put on the newer GPs and are easily found. I've got a 171 prefix blued fixed sight GP100 3" 357 w/OE compact grips and a 2015 blued 4.2" GP100 357. The three inch is my favorite and I just traded in my 5" GP in on a S&W Model 65-2 3" 357 I'd been looking for. I'd looked for an old fixed sight, half lug GP100 without success and then discovered the Service Six 4" that had all that plus a full grip frame in a slightly lighter package. Since then I've focused on the Six Series Rugers and the GP100s have taken a back seat the past few years. The only downside of the Sixes is Ruger doesn't support(repair) them anymore.
Click to expand...
I have three GP100s. All are older stainless models with rollmarks, not laser engraved markings. Two are 4' and one is 3". The 3" model has fixed gutter rear sights. All three wear came with the OEM rubber grips with wooden inserts. One of the 4" guns right now wear a set of Pachmayr Gripper Grips.

I have more Ruger Six series guns than GP100s. My 3" GP100 is my favorite. Now, you can get the OEM grips. But for a while, the compact OEM grips that came on the 3" guns were impossible to find since the company Ruger originally contracted to make them went out of business. Fullsize OEM grips were a dime a dozen, but the compact GP100 OEM grips were hard and pricey.
 
I've had GP's for decades and have never had an issue. My current one is a Match Champion III and I have no complaints. Biggest win is the vomit is on the bottom of the barrel. Comes with no finger groove Hogues which I'm warming up to but as said you can switch grips to the old if you like. To use the old style grips you will need the large pin as they don't come on the new guns. I don't think you can go wrong with a GP of any era.
 
How do you tell the older from the newer? What is the difference (mechanically and material wise) between the older and newer SP101s and GP101s?
 
Dave DeLaurant said:
Outside of some minor styling differences on some special edition models, about the only change I've noticed over the years is the price.
Click to expand...
Ain't that the truth. :rofl: I walked into one of the local shops today just to browse and see if there's anything of interest. They had a run-of-the-mill 6" stainless GP100 with the laser etched markings. The gun was scuffed and not well-treated. They wanted $680 for it. I remember buying my 4" stainless for $399 new back during GWB's second term. I see new GP100s going for $1,000.
 
Dave DeLaurant said:
Outside of some minor styling differences on some special edition models, about the only change I've noticed over the years is the price.
Click to expand...
I did read that, like S&W, early on Ruger used to use forged internals instead of MIM parts. Not sure how true that is. If true, it's odd that Ruger hasn't been getting bashed for the move over the decades like many like to make a big deal over when it comes to S&W.
 
Styx said:
early on Ruger used to use forged internals instead of MIM parts
Click to expand...
Cast or stamped. Some triggers and hammers on newer SP/GP are MIM. I have a 2023 22lr GP and the trigger and hammer are cast. I have an SP from 2012 and the trigger and hammer are MIM.
 
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