My 5.5" SS .45 RH was bought new 3/04. A friend ordered one, too, picking his up the day after I did mine. His went back after mine, too... Ruger sent him another new RH - his original new one had a crooked frame! I cannot find the sales slip - but I think we paid $460. Some months later, CDNN had them on closeout, of course! Incidently, when we called Ruger with the s/n, they offered to send the pick-up slip - an oddity for Ruger (S&W will send you a pick-up label if you don't like the finish on your new S&W... and even the call is on their dime - an 800#!). He got his replacement revolver - and sold it - before mine was returned.
BTW, part of my 'cosmetic' QC problems 'revolved', so to speak, around the cylinder's exit bore face - there were burst casting bubbles between exit bores! Whether they appeared during finish grinding the face or not, only a blind QC inspector should have passed that!
I have no doubt a new 4" RH in .44M or .45 Colt is better, QC-wise, than my RH was. The GP100s look/feel so much better than the earlier examples I tried. But... my experiences in 'cleaning up' rough innards, etc, of BHs, Vaquero's, as well as that RH and a .32 M SSM & SP101 had been enough... they all went. My Ruger 'collection' now consists of an Old Army SS .45 BP and a MKII, the latter actually being on shakey ground. Over six years ago, my wife bought me a new 625MG in .45 Colt - I traded a 5.5" SS .45 Bisley BH for an older version 2.5 yr ago - my .45 Colt needs are now aptly met (See below.) - the pair's only other .45 Colt friend here is a 24" SS oct barrel Rossi/Puma M1892. The 625MGs in .45 Colt are keepers.
The MGs are periodic offerings, with the only pictures of them, actually a .45 Colt 625 and a blued .41 Magnum 57, I've seen in an S&W catalog being in the '06 catalog (pg 29). Mine was $519 8/02 - the current latest production 625MG in .45 Colt in my pusher's display has crept up - it may be over $669 now. Believe me, they are fine revolvers, with none of the ftf problems - or ejector star riding over the rim problems, either - like I had with my RH. No, they are not rated at nuclear level loads, but the 25/625 S&W revolvers share their components with the 21+ kpsi .45 ACP, so a bit more than the 14 kPSI of a SAAMI spec'd .45 Colt shouldn't hurt. Great feel, even at SAAMI limits, with Ahrends wood - or the S&W Dymondwood grips. Just fun... but I'll bet that 4" RH will also be fun.
Use a dedicated 'pull' and Federal primers, and you can have zero ftfs. Allow gravity to help empty spent rounds , ie, point the muzzle up, and jamming that ejector star may be someone else's fable. Good luck - enjoy your new popper!
Stainz
PS The far right round shown above is a .45 Schofield (S&W) round - also called the '.45 Short Colt'. It was originally a detuned .45 Colt round made for the US Calvary - with changes by Col. Schofield - that fit a S&W Model #3 top break variant of the old '.44 Russian'. It's rim is 'normal size', ie, larger than that of the .45 Colt, so extraction is more sure - 100% with my RH. Starline makes the brass.
