The Evangelist Cowboy
Member
I guess the masters of big bore shooting were wrong.... Guess Elmer Keith, Skeeter Skelton, Brian Pearce, and John Taffin dont know what theyre talking about.
Ruger GP100 in .44 special
- Thread starter DannyLandrum
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For the folks (.44 Spl fans) interested in this thread, I bet the question is irrelevant.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
First and foremost, gimme a moderately loaded big bore over the .357 any day of the week. Diameter and mass trumps velocity every time. That goes triple when we're talking cast bullets.
The front sight on the model in question is easily replaced. In fact, I've had all three .44Spl GP's and changed the front sight on all of them. It's a standard Novak dovetail. Not as easy to change as the plunger type, nothing is but it can be changed. Here's my 3" with the Novak McGivern style sight blade, just before I traded it.
Up until recently, the only DA's I cared for were older S&W's. Don't care for the new ones at all and the Rugers didn't really appeal to me. All that has changed. I now have four GP's and three SRH's and love them all. A 10mm GP is on the short list. Both the 10mm and .44Spl are viable cartridges for your purposes. The .44Spl makes things a bit easier with heavier cast bullets but the 10mm will yield a little more velocity without compromising durability. A 220-230gr 10mm is quite effective and comparable to the .44Spl Keith load for penetration.
As far as the model 69, I really don't want to shoot full bore .44Mag in an L-frame. Where you gain effect with the .44 is with heavier bullets. Not pushing standard weight bullets faster. So where the .44Mag shines over the .44Spl is with bullets of 300-355gr. For those, I want a beefier sixgun as a launching platform.
The front sight on the model in question is easily replaced. In fact, I've had all three .44Spl GP's and changed the front sight on all of them. It's a standard Novak dovetail. Not as easy to change as the plunger type, nothing is but it can be changed. Here's my 3" with the Novak McGivern style sight blade, just before I traded it.
Up until recently, the only DA's I cared for were older S&W's. Don't care for the new ones at all and the Rugers didn't really appeal to me. All that has changed. I now have four GP's and three SRH's and love them all. A 10mm GP is on the short list. Both the 10mm and .44Spl are viable cartridges for your purposes. The .44Spl makes things a bit easier with heavier cast bullets but the 10mm will yield a little more velocity without compromising durability. A 220-230gr 10mm is quite effective and comparable to the .44Spl Keith load for penetration.
As far as the model 69, I really don't want to shoot full bore .44Mag in an L-frame. Where you gain effect with the .44 is with heavier bullets. Not pushing standard weight bullets faster. So where the .44Mag shines over the .44Spl is with bullets of 300-355gr. For those, I want a beefier sixgun as a launching platform.
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Velocity is pretty over rated - except for rifles. In a handgun I'll take all of the mass I can get and I really don't care how long it takes to get to the target. Velocity drops off quickly but mass is forever. I shot pins for a while and while a .357 will knock one down a heavy .44 or .45 drives them off the back of the table into the weeds. Big heavy Ruger revolvers excel at launching big heavy bullets at stuff.
Zaydok Allen
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Sure wish a discussion could be had about a gun that shoots a particular cartridge without someone walking in and making a blanket statement about how another cartridge is better. Especially when the statement is baseless.
Use and intent should dictate cartridge choice.
@CraigC , why'd you trade that one away? Just favor a longer barrel?
I keep eyeing these things up and thinking I need one.
Use and intent should dictate cartridge choice.
@CraigC , why'd you trade that one away? Just favor a longer barrel?
I keep eyeing these things up and thinking I need one.
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As mentioned above Novak makes several different sight configurations for the GP:
http://www.novaksights.com/Products.aspx?CAT=9509
I put a smaller tritium Novak on my GP 44. I also concur with the above posters about the forcing cone being thin. American Rifleman did run some Buffalo Bore 255 gr "Keith Loads" through the test gun (3" bbl.) at 934 fps but do not think I would do this very often. Wish Brian Pearce would update his .44 SP reloading articles to include loads for the GP100. In the past when discussing the early demise of some 696 forcing cones some have maintained what was especially hard on the forcing cones were the hot loads with jacketed bullets. I would welcome any comments on this.
http://www.novaksights.com/Products.aspx?CAT=9509
I put a smaller tritium Novak on my GP 44. I also concur with the above posters about the forcing cone being thin. American Rifleman did run some Buffalo Bore 255 gr "Keith Loads" through the test gun (3" bbl.) at 934 fps but do not think I would do this very often. Wish Brian Pearce would update his .44 SP reloading articles to include loads for the GP100. In the past when discussing the early demise of some 696 forcing cones some have maintained what was especially hard on the forcing cones were the hot loads with jacketed bullets. I would welcome any comments on this.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
The 900fps Buffalo Bore or "Skeeter load" equivalent should be fine. It's the 1200fps Keith load I'd be leery of, until we know better.
I bought the 3" just because but wanted a longer barrel. Got exactly what I wanted with the blued 5" half lug. Had a new friend who wanted it and a holster and I wanted his Chuck Burrows rig and dagger so I made him a holster and did the trade. It was a good deal for both parties and it made me feel good to partially trade some of my leatherwork for my first examples of Chuck's work.
Me too!
I bought the 3" just because but wanted a longer barrel. Got exactly what I wanted with the blued 5" half lug. Had a new friend who wanted it and a holster and I wanted his Chuck Burrows rig and dagger so I made him a holster and did the trade. It was a good deal for both parties and it made me feel good to partially trade some of my leatherwork for my first examples of Chuck's work.
SwampWolf
Member
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
That...was...just...wrong.
No, my great grandmother was full Cherokee. My father told me a story of eating at her her house on the rez in Oklahoma when he was very small. Dinner was dog stew. He said Grandma told him to dig down deep in the pot - "... there's dog meat in the bottom...." Mmmmmm.......
Riomouse911
Member
I like mine, it shoots well and packs plenty of oomph for anything I fear I'll run into.
I shoot 240 gr LSWC over 7 gr Unique as my max load in this gun. I prefer to shoot the 240 gr LSWC/6.5 gr Unique as a plinking/target/people defense load. Recoil with the 7.0 gr load is noticeable, but not punishing or uncontrollable. The 6.5 gr load is a pussycat.
Some may push it with the 7.5 gr/240 gr Keith bullet, but I'll play it safe with this one.
This was a 30-round qual course I shot a while back with the 6.5 gr loads in the gun at 5-7-10 yards.
I shoot 240 gr LSWC over 7 gr Unique as my max load in this gun. I prefer to shoot the 240 gr LSWC/6.5 gr Unique as a plinking/target/people defense load. Recoil with the 7.0 gr load is noticeable, but not punishing or uncontrollable. The 6.5 gr load is a pussycat.
Some may push it with the 7.5 gr/240 gr Keith bullet, but I'll play it safe with this one.
This was a 30-round qual course I shot a while back with the 6.5 gr loads in the gun at 5-7-10 yards.
dickydalton
Member
The most accurate load out of my S&W 24-4 is 7.5 grains of Unique under a Matt's Bullets 185 grain wadcutter. They are fun to shoot.
Riomouse911
Member
I'll opine that Unique isn't the best at anything, but it sure does everything 
gotboostvr
Member
Does anyone want to venture a guess on the velocity of 7.0gr Unique under a 240/250gr WNFP from the 5" barrel?
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Probably 850-900fps.
gotboostvr
Member
850-900fps should be sufficient for my tasks.
7.0grs of Unique is generally accepted as a safe load in the GP100's? Shouldn't tax the gun too much?
7.0grs of Unique is generally accepted as a safe load in the GP100's? Shouldn't tax the gun too much?
wankerjake
Member
I’m going to get one of these. I think I’m going to go 10mm, but I may end up with both
mcb
Member
The 10mm version would be an excellent woods gun, deer revolver and IDPA Revolver division competition gun.I’m going to get one of these. I think I’m going to go 10mm, but I may end up with both
CZF
Member
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2003
- Messages
- 2,034
The .44 revolver that I thought we wold never see from Ruger.
New grips feel great.
Shoots a bit to the right.
The 200 grain cowboy ammo shot high.
Adjusted the rear sight to the left a bit.
Police duty or CCW, I've always had far better luck with
Ruger than S&W revolvers, and double than Taurus.
Am curious to see how it shoots now.
New grips feel great.
Shoots a bit to the right.
The 200 grain cowboy ammo shot high.
Adjusted the rear sight to the left a bit.
Police duty or CCW, I've always had far better luck with
Ruger than S&W revolvers, and double than Taurus.
Am curious to see how it shoots now.
wankerjake
Member
Looking awesome!
Was looking at the 10mm offerings last night, torn between the 3” like that one or the 4.2” match Champion...
Probably won’t CCW it and the 4” is cheaper...
I need to go hold them I think
Was looking at the 10mm offerings last night, torn between the 3” like that one or the 4.2” match Champion...
Probably won’t CCW it and the 4” is cheaper...
I need to go hold them I think
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
They just unveiled a blued 5" half lug at Lipsey's.
wankerjake
Member
Ah jeez
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