ECVMatt
Member
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2004
- Messages
- 2,870
Well I got some trigger time with both the Smith 69 and the new Ruger GP100 this weekend. I have had the Smith for a while and have several hundred rounds through it. This was my first outing with the Ruger, but I have been shooting Ruger revolvers since I was about 14, I'm 49 now. So I will talk a bit about the Ruger, then the Smith, and finally how they compare. Here are the two contenders:
Overall the Ruger was great! Very nice fit and finish with a very small gap under the front sight. I had to hold it to the light to see the gap. The Roper style grips fit my hand great and the gun even better. They had a slight wiggle, but I had to physically manipulate the gun and grips to make this happen. Lock up is very tight and the sights were straight and clear. I am not sure about the brass bead yet, I may go to a simple black front sight; time will tell. I was not able to shoot for extreme accuracy on this trip, more about that later, but the gun shot very well with three different loads (185 JHP, 200 RNL, and a 240 SWC). Here is a general representation of groups shot off hand at 25 yards or so:
This one is a keeper for sure!
Next up is the Smith 69. This gun has logged some miles with me and has renewed my interest in more modern Smith handguns. I have plugged the hillary hole to make it more palatable. I will say that Smith has moved more in the direction of a "refined Ruger" and away from the superior craftsmanship of days gone by. All that aside I really like this gun and with the X frame grips, it is a joy to shoot with most loads. Since it is sighted in with my .44 magnum loads, it was shooting a bit low. The Ruger shot better than the Smith, but with magnum loads the 69 is pretty awesome. Here is a general representation of off hand groups from about 25 yards:
And some pictures for comparison:
....just because when you are shooting things you might want to stab something too....
Now to the best part of the day. I got to be there with my daughter when she shoot her first bullseye! She was over the moon happy and made me take a picture and send it to all the relatives.
She's a keeper for sure!
And here she is learning in the best classroom around, the outdoors:
So overall which would I say is best: Both! Not to cop out, but they both appeal to me for different reasons. The Ruger is something I have dreamed about for a long time. Growing up reading Skeeter Skelton made me lust for a 5" .44 Spl and this pushes all my buttons. The Smith appeals to my utilitarian side and is a solid companion on my trips to the mountains and hill country where larger critters might reside....and it is just a solid shooter.
Anyways I hope this information is helpful and I will continue to update as I get more time with the Ruger.
Thanks for the read,
Matt
Overall the Ruger was great! Very nice fit and finish with a very small gap under the front sight. I had to hold it to the light to see the gap. The Roper style grips fit my hand great and the gun even better. They had a slight wiggle, but I had to physically manipulate the gun and grips to make this happen. Lock up is very tight and the sights were straight and clear. I am not sure about the brass bead yet, I may go to a simple black front sight; time will tell. I was not able to shoot for extreme accuracy on this trip, more about that later, but the gun shot very well with three different loads (185 JHP, 200 RNL, and a 240 SWC). Here is a general representation of groups shot off hand at 25 yards or so:
This one is a keeper for sure!
Next up is the Smith 69. This gun has logged some miles with me and has renewed my interest in more modern Smith handguns. I have plugged the hillary hole to make it more palatable. I will say that Smith has moved more in the direction of a "refined Ruger" and away from the superior craftsmanship of days gone by. All that aside I really like this gun and with the X frame grips, it is a joy to shoot with most loads. Since it is sighted in with my .44 magnum loads, it was shooting a bit low. The Ruger shot better than the Smith, but with magnum loads the 69 is pretty awesome. Here is a general representation of off hand groups from about 25 yards:
And some pictures for comparison:
....just because when you are shooting things you might want to stab something too....Now to the best part of the day. I got to be there with my daughter when she shoot her first bullseye! She was over the moon happy and made me take a picture and send it to all the relatives.
She's a keeper for sure!
And here she is learning in the best classroom around, the outdoors:
So overall which would I say is best: Both! Not to cop out, but they both appeal to me for different reasons. The Ruger is something I have dreamed about for a long time. Growing up reading Skeeter Skelton made me lust for a 5" .44 Spl and this pushes all my buttons. The Smith appeals to my utilitarian side and is a solid companion on my trips to the mountains and hill country where larger critters might reside....and it is just a solid shooter.
Anyways I hope this information is helpful and I will continue to update as I get more time with the Ruger.
Thanks for the read,
Matt
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