SolaScriptura139
Member
I'm looking into buying a Ruger GP-100 3" .357 mag. I was wondering if you guys had any opinions on this gun, and how your experience was with them. I've heard that they are pretty decent, and are moderately inexpensive.
Ruger GP-100 Opinions Wanted
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cslinger
Member
I have a 3 inch fixed site model and love it. It is my favorite revolver. It fits my hand perfectly with the smaller grips and is probably the handgun I am most accurate with. Believe or not I like it better than a previous Smith Performance Center revo that I owned.
Two big thumbs up from me.
Double action tends to be a little gritty at first but like all Rugers with lots of trigger time through live fire or dry firing the double action will smooth out greatly. My GP100 and our SP101 have extremely smooth DA triggers now. Single action was always good.
Chris
Two big thumbs up from me.
Double action tends to be a little gritty at first but like all Rugers with lots of trigger time through live fire or dry firing the double action will smooth out greatly. My GP100 and our SP101 have extremely smooth DA triggers now. Single action was always good.
Chris
Cosmoline
Member
They are very tough and durable, sufficiently accurate, and have a minimum of internal parts. They work off a coil mainspring. The drawbacks are that they are quite heavy and some folks (myself included) find them a bit barrel-heavy. I also find the factory grips too thick. I prefer the Security Six design, which was the .357 Ruger made prior to the GP-100. I have found the GP-100 simply too big and heavy to conceal, while the Sixes are K-Frame size and will conceal quite a bit easier. Ruger's current CCW revolver is the SP-101, a great five-shot that I like a lot.
It's mostly a matter of preference, though. For a lot of heavy shooting, the GP-100 would have the advantage over the Six. Also some people prefer their balance.
It's mostly a matter of preference, though. For a lot of heavy shooting, the GP-100 would have the advantage over the Six. Also some people prefer their balance.
trickyasafox
Member
i've heard so much about them it will be my first 357 once i get my permit 
cslinger
Member
SteveW13,
Yes but they smooth out wonderfully and you can stage them very easily.
Chris
Yes but they smooth out wonderfully and you can stage them very easily.
Chris
B
Boss Spearman
Guest
A local gun shop owner I know used to work at Smith and Wesson. They tested a Colt Python, one of their S&W models, and a GP100 using the heaviest handload .357s they could make, to see what it would take for the revolvers to blow up.
The Python was the first to blow up, followed by the Smith. They never could get the GP100 to fail.
The Python was the first to blow up, followed by the Smith. They never could get the GP100 to fail.
Sharps Shooter
Member
I'm with Cosmoline all the way on this one. My son-in-law has a 6" GP-100. It appears to be strong and durable. And it's as accurate as I am with a handgun. But I still like the look and feel of my old 4" Security Six better.
cslinger
Member
On a somewhat related note, I know somebody who used a GP100 4inch as a jack handle to jack up a car when they got a flat. Basically I think you would be hard pressed to destroy a GP100 even if you set out to do so. With a modicum of care your grandkids, grandkids should be shooting it, while trying to take back planet earth from our alien overlords..........
Chris
DHart
Member
The 3" GP-100 is among the best revolvers you can buy. I have two of them, one blued and one stainless and they're both great. The triggers can be simply wonderful as well, all I did to mine was replace the springs with slightly lighter weight springs and some dry firing and they feel very good indeed.
The 3" GP is between the S&W 3" K and 3" L, just slightly smaller than a 3" 686 (which I also have). I actually find the 3" GP feels smaller, lighter, and more nimble than the 3" 686, which has a thicker cylinder.
The 3" GP is not a small nor light gun, but it's not all that big either! And with it's reduced size GP grip and relatively short barrel, I find it easy to pack and conceal.
Lastly, compared to my SP-101 3", the GP-100 3" feels like twice the gun and is much more enjoyable to shoot. Highly recommend a 3" GP if you can find one. (This coming from a hard core S&W lover! )
The 3" GP is between the S&W 3" K and 3" L, just slightly smaller than a 3" 686 (which I also have). I actually find the 3" GP feels smaller, lighter, and more nimble than the 3" 686, which has a thicker cylinder.
The 3" GP is not a small nor light gun, but it's not all that big either! And with it's reduced size GP grip and relatively short barrel, I find it easy to pack and conceal.
Lastly, compared to my SP-101 3", the GP-100 3" feels like twice the gun and is much more enjoyable to shoot. Highly recommend a 3" GP if you can find one. (This coming from a hard core S&W lover!
)
fallingblock
Member
The GP-100 is a fine modern revolver....
The smaller grips on the fixed-sight models (they are interchangeable with the adj. sight models) really fit my hands well, much more so than the
K-frame S&W.
As noted above, Ruger triggers will smooth out beautifully after some use, and the lockwork is very simple and strong.
The smaller grips on the fixed-sight models (they are interchangeable with the adj. sight models) really fit my hands well, much more so than the
K-frame S&W.
As noted above, Ruger triggers will smooth out beautifully after some use, and the lockwork is very simple and strong.
DillHarris
Member
I really like the larger grips on my adjustable sight, 6" model. For those with smaller hands, or for concealment purposes, they would probably be a bit much. At the range, however, they soak up recoil great. I feel like there's enough to hold onto. They're also wider than most grips, which I think is their primary benefit.
Dill
Dill
I don't own one, but have fired a shooting buddy's 4" GP-100 some. Not quite as smooth as a well broken-in S&W 686, but the GP-100 seemed to soak up more of the recoil with the same loads than his 4" 686.
I very seriously doubt that you would ever be dissapointed in the GP-100. Plus, the GP-100 is better handling FOR ME with anything from the mildest 'rodent flatulence' .38spl loads all the way up to the insane barn-burners. . .Those loads that blow the ceiling tiles off their tracks at the indoor range.
I very seriously doubt that you would ever be dissapointed in the GP-100. Plus, the GP-100 is better handling FOR ME with anything from the mildest 'rodent flatulence' .38spl loads all the way up to the insane barn-burners. . .Those loads that blow the ceiling tiles off their tracks at the indoor range.
P. Plainsman
Member
They really do smooth out with use. The improvement is clear, not marginal. After a year of regular shooting and dryfiring, my 4" GP has a lovely DA trigger. I didn't have to do anything more to it.
I shoot that gun better DA than SA.
I shoot that gun better DA than SA.
The GP-100 is a great revolver. I just bought mine about 1 month ago. 6" stainless model. The trigger was very heavy but I bought a set of wilson combat $8.95 trigger springs and it smoothed out great. I put the 8lb trigger springs in (it comes with a few different ones depending on how much pull you like). The DA pull is very light now and the single is like a hair trigger...I love it.
Nortonics
Member
Everybody should own at least one GP-100!
Yeah, they're not nearly as nice a trigger as a 686, but then again they're 1/2 the price too...
Yeah, they're not nearly as nice a trigger as a 686, but then again they're 1/2 the price too...
rbernie
Contributing Member
I personally feel that the 3" balances better in the hand than the 4" version. In the DFW area, the average retain for a used-but-good-condition 4" GP100 is around $325. Dunno how much a new or used 3" would cost, since I rarely see them...
As has already been covered in depth, the GP100 is hell-for-strong and a gen-yoooo-wine bargain in terms of functionality for the price. I can't imagine ever wanting to sell mine....
As has already been covered in depth, the GP100 is hell-for-strong and a gen-yoooo-wine bargain in terms of functionality for the price. I can't imagine ever wanting to sell mine....
Fumbler
Member
I have a 6" stainless GP-100.
The trigger, while heavy and gritty at first, is really not bad compared to something like a Taurus.
It will smooth up nicely after some shooting but will still be heavy.
I just replaced my trigger return spring and hammer spring with reduced power Wolff springs and I also took the time to carefully polish some parts with a very fine ceramic stone.
The result is amazing. The trigger pull is just as good as a well used S&W but still a tiny bit longer (can't fix that, it's in the design).
I still have to take it to the range to make sure its reliable with the reduced springs.
I also put on a Hogue rubber grip. It felt funny at first, but now I think I like it more than the factory grip because it's narrower and I like the grip angle more.
You won't be dissapointed with a GP unless you're looking for something lightweight.
But...If you read posts made by Clark, I believe he said that the GP-100 doesn't handle destructively large loads as well as the other brands. I do not remember the models he destroyed, but he said the GPs will fail before the others.
Keep in mind that he loads to insanely high pressures. He also said that while it won't handle as high of pressures as the others, the GP will not shoot loose with very heavy (but not heavy enough to cause a blow up) loads while the others will.
The trigger, while heavy and gritty at first, is really not bad compared to something like a Taurus.
It will smooth up nicely after some shooting but will still be heavy.
I just replaced my trigger return spring and hammer spring with reduced power Wolff springs and I also took the time to carefully polish some parts with a very fine ceramic stone.
The result is amazing. The trigger pull is just as good as a well used S&W but still a tiny bit longer (can't fix that, it's in the design).
I still have to take it to the range to make sure its reliable with the reduced springs.
I also put on a Hogue rubber grip. It felt funny at first, but now I think I like it more than the factory grip because it's narrower and I like the grip angle more.
You won't be dissapointed with a GP unless you're looking for something lightweight.
That's nice to hear from a former S&W employee
But...If you read posts made by Clark, I believe he said that the GP-100 doesn't handle destructively large loads as well as the other brands. I do not remember the models he destroyed, but he said the GPs will fail before the others.
Keep in mind that he loads to insanely high pressures. He also said that while it won't handle as high of pressures as the others, the GP will not shoot loose with very heavy (but not heavy enough to cause a blow up) loads while the others will.
DHart
Member
Sometimes people will make statements like "Rugers are built like a tank", and while it's true that they're well built and fairly rugged, they are not necessarily any tougher than some other revolvers... any of them can and will fail, wear out, or be a lemon right out of the box. I would say that the overall durability of a GP-100 is roughly comparable to that of a S&W 686... they're both well built guns that will last a long time. But if you abuse either one of them, you can shorten their lives considerably.
Mastrogiacomo
Member
The GPs are a great gun; shot my father's 3" last weekend at the range and had a blast. Best purchase I've made for him yet.
OldWolf
Member
I wish they made a 3" GP with adjustable sights.
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