Ruger GP-100 with 6 inch barrel

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SeanSw said:
I cannot give a fair evaluation of the difference in accuracy between the sp101 and the gp100. Hickock45 on youtube has a 3" Ruger gp100 video available for viewing and he shoots it as well or better than many handguns in his other videos. My gp100 has had fewer than 150 rounds through it and wears much larger and more comfortable Altamont grips than the sp101 in factory rubber. My significant other can shoot the sp101 better than I can and the gun has returned respectable groups for us casual shooters, at least well enough that we do not suspect the gun for any poorly placed shots. At 5-15 yards I can see no difference between 2 1/4" or 3" barrel lengths. I do feel less difference in recoil between the sp101 and the gp100 than there is between the LCR and the sp101. The LCR seems to be a more selective with ammo as well but that is an incomplete evaluation. I suspect that some standard pressure 158gr lrn ammo is so slow that it will not stabilize in the short barrel.

As mentioned, I traded into the gp100. I requested a fixed sight 3" revolver in trade for another firearm and would have preferred an older service six or S&W to the gp100. As it arrived I don't care for the longer and less steady trigger of the gp100. The action itself is smooth (not gritty) but it feels too long and uneven compared to it's brothers despite a lighter pull. For what it's worth, the GP100 has more slop in it too. Lockup is great but there is slop in the hammer and trigger. Less so in the sp101. Not trying to start an argument with any of that, it appears to be de rigueur for Ruger . These are all 2013 and 2014 guns with very low round count.
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The SP-101 feels good in my hands. I don't know if they make SP-101 in 4 and 6 inch barrels.
 
The SP-101 is currently available in 2.25, 3.06, and 4.2 inch barrel lengths (For .357)
 
JSH1 said:
The SP-101 is currently available in 2.25, 3.06, and 4.2 inch barrel lengths (For .357)
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Well if I got another SP-101 it would probably be the 4.2 inch. I will have to see what a GP-100 feels like in 4 inch vs. 6 inch barrel.
 
stinger 327 said:
Well if I got another SP-101 it would probably be the 4.2 inch. I will have to see what a GP-100 feels like in 4 inch vs. 6 inch barrel.
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I have a 4.2" SP-101 chambered in .32 H&R Mag. I like it a lot, the grip fits my hand well and the weight is well balanced. The only problem is finding a holster. All the holsters I see in stores are made for stub nose guns. One of these days I'll break down and order one online.
 
JSH1 said:
I have a 4.2" SP-101 chambered in .32 H&R Mag. I like it a lot, the grip fits my hand well and the weight is well balanced. The only problem is finding a holster. All the holsters I see in stores are made for stub nose guns. One of these days I'll break down and order one online.
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The SP-101 snubby in .357 feels good in hands just can't hit anything on paper at range.
 
stinger 327 said:
The SP-101 snubby in .357 feels good in hands just can't hit anything on paper at range.
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The increased sight radius of the 4 inch barrel combined with adjustable sights may help that. Snub nosed revolvers are hard to shoot accurately.
 
Confederate said:
I'm not crazy about the Ruger GP-100...I have a Smith 686
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The new Smiths have a horrible trigger. I had, and traded away, my 4" 686PLUS. The trigger would hit a wall right before the break, and I would jerk it off target every time. The GP100 has a trigger that stacks predictably, but has a longer stroke than the Smith. I shoot the GP100 better. I now have a few GP100s, and no more Smiths. I prefer the GP100. Its excellent.
 
Both my 4" and 6" GP100's have been fantastic. A simple spring swap with a wolf kit and a judicious polishing of the hammer strut have resulted in clean, smooth, and considerably lighter trigger pulls. While they do not match the speed of the hammer fall, and general crispness in my 19's, they are more than on par with trigger feel. My buddy's 686 is pretty rough by comparison.

While I would never expect it to win a beauty contest with a smith k frame or a 686. It's got a character all it's own that is beautiful in it's own right.

20150109_170739_zpsl4pjueg5.jpg
 
May I ask what spring weights you have settled on? Did you change the trigger return and hammer spring?
 
Have to agree with Confederate. The 6" GP100 I had was just way too muzzle heavy. Felt like a brick compared to my Sec. Six. It was very disappointing and I ended up trading it...something I almost never do with guns. Wasn't paying attention when I bought it. A 4" GP100 might be better; it would certainly be less muzzle heavy.

I also have a 6" 686. With the full underlug it too is a bit muzzle heavy, but there's more steel in the grip to counter-balance the muzzle weight. I can certainly shoot it better than I ever could the GP100.

If I ever look at another GP100, it'll have a 4" barrel.
 
As to the SP101, my 3-incher had/has three problems:
1) As received from the factory, it shot very low
2) By the time I filed the front sight enough to bring the POI up, the front sight was nearly invisible under all but perfect lighting conditions. Wasn't any too visible before I started monkeying with it.
3) The grip seemed small for my medium-large hands and it took some thought to obtain a consistent grasp of the gun.

IF...you could get everything right, it was accurate; certainly better than the GP100 I owned at the same time.

Remedied problems 1 & 2 by going to an X-S Big Dot front sight and accepting a different sight picture. Also installed a set of Crimson Trace grips; which provided a sighting alternative.

Problem 3 remains; my hands are just a bit too big for that gun. Therefore it takes work and concentration to shoot it well.

Mine was an early model purchased sometime in the 1990s. I imagine Ruger has improved their frame-bore alignment to the point that filing on the front sight isn't necessary anymore.

I'd like to try the SP101 with a 4" barrel and adjustable sights, but the grip size problem would remain.
 
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I bought a 6" full-lug stainless GP100 about two years ago.

I love the action, and the gun was dead-nuts accurate... but... it's pretty darn big and heavy.

I love the GP itself so much though, that I had to get a 4", same gun I knew and loved but in a much more manageable package. I got a fixed-sight 4" bbl KGPF-340, and the gun is just awesome. I still have the 6" gun too, it gets used for occasional range use.

IMHO the Ruger GP100 is the best American made medium frame .357 magnum double action revolver currently being produced.
 
Cooldill said:
I bought a 6" full-lug stainless GP100 about two years ago.

I love the action, and the gun was dead-nuts accurate... but... it's pretty darn big and heavy.

I love the GP itself so much though, that I had to get a 4", same gun I knew and loved but in a much more manageable package. I got a fixed-sight 4" bbl KGPF-340, and the gun is just awesome. I still have the 6" gun too, it gets used for occasional range use.

IMHO the Ruger GP100 is the best American made medium frame .357 magnum double action revolver currently being produced.
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It seems to be that the 4 inch GP-100 is the favorite over the 6 inch version.
Is there much of a accuracy difference between the 4 inch and 6 inch barrel in the GP-100?
 
Cooldill said:
I bought a 6" full-lug stainless GP100 about two years ago.

I love the action, and the gun was dead-nuts accurate... but... it's pretty darn big and heavy.

I love the GP itself so much though, that I had to get a 4", same gun I knew and loved but in a much more manageable package. I got a fixed-sight 4" bbl KGPF-340, and the gun is just awesome. I still have the 6" gun too, it gets used for occasional range use.

IMHO the Ruger GP100 is the best American made medium frame .357 magnum double action revolver currently being produced.
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Is this 6 inch GP-100 heavier than the S & W Mod. 617 .22 6 inch revolver?
 
I've had 2 of the 4.2 SPs in .357, still have one.
No difference in overall accuracy between them & the 4-inch GP.

There IS a difference in DA trigger pull, but the SP can shoot every bit as well in that barrel as the bigger gun.

Denis
 
DPris said:
I've had 2 of the 4.2 SPs in .357, still have one.
No difference in overall accuracy between them & the 4-inch GP.

There IS a difference in DA trigger pull, but the SP can shoot every bit as well in that barrel as the bigger gun.

Denis
Click to expand...
Is this the SP-101 4.2 vs GP-100 in 6 inch?
 
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