Which would you shoot? GP100 vs Trooper MK3

Which would you use?

  • GP100 + mods

    Votes: 23 56.1%

  • Colt Trooper Mark III

    Votes: 18 43.9%
  • Total voters
    41
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S

stompah

Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
191
I have two revolvers.

Stock Colt Trooper Mark III with bright nickel finish. This firearm is stock and in very good condition. I shoot this firearm extremely well.

I also have a GP100 which is stock (I purchased second hand.) I do not shoot this firearm well. It shoots very high. I am not 100% sure if the front sight was replaced or its me. I have used various brands/type/power of ammo. I am going to give it one more outing and make sure the rear sight is cranked down fully before spending money for a new sight.

The Trooper groups very tightly for me. The Ruger, not so much.

So I have to weigh spending money on the Ruger to make it fit me better or slowly wear down the Trooper.

I shoot mostly light loads and the boomers every now and then.

s8uTxQY.jpg
 
Those Colts are getting too valuable to shoot. IMHO you should not shoot it too much, if at all. Have you checked prices on your gun lately? They are considered collector's items now.

GP100s are great shooters. If you're having bad problems with the sights, call Ruger and talk to them. Every GP100 I ever owned shot great. They are very common and still being made, parts and service are still available etc.
 
Parts & service available for the Ruger.
Colt, not so much.
Colt has a vulnerability to trigger breakage. Not common, but enough so to be a known potential issue.
Denis
 
The GP is a terrific shooter and is well built. IMO they seem to be built to a higher standard than the Blackhawks.
Plenty of front sights available and they swap real easy.
Do you have the old style rubber w/wood panel grips? If not you need to at least try them. I wasn't in love with the stock Hogue finger grooves, so I found a set of panel grips on Gunbroker real cheap and they shoot much better for me.
The GP is far and away my favorite 357 for shooting full power ammo, I prefer it to my Freedom Arms SA for that role.
 
IMHO there is no difference in build quality between the GP line and the Blackhawks. I would rarely shoot the Colt due to their collector value and their fragility compared to the Ruger. I agree with the advice to dump the factory grips for Hogues.
 
CraigC, it's not about the money. If it was I would have bought an unfired Python and kept it that way.

I bought the Trooper because I always wanted a Colt Revolver and when I saw this one at my local gun shop I knew it was for me. I did not expect I would shoot it so well.

If Colt was still in the revolver business and getting mechanical repairs was easy I would swap out the stock grips, take care of the nickel and shoot the crap out of it. But the reality is that if something breaks it likely won't be easy or cheap to fix.

Keep in mind I am about to dump a bunch of money into a GP100 that I will never see back other than possibly making it an enjoyable shooter. I will spend more money on the GP than I am likely to see in appreciation of the Trooper in the next 5-10 years (barring some anomaly.)
 
A front site blade for the GP100 isn't very expensive. Changing it isn't difficult either.

It's a shame that every time you shoot that beautiful Colt it lessens in value. If repairs are needed parts and a gunsmith that knows how to fix them are getting hard to find too.

I would shoot the GP100.
Replacement front sight directly from Ruger, $15.95:
http://shopruger.com/Ruger-GP100-Red-Front-Sight/productinfo/90074/

HiViz red/green front sight from Ruger, $34.95:
http://shopruger.com/GP100-Lite-Wave-Front-Sight-Set/productinfo/80630/

If your rear sight isn't working correctly a factory replacement is only $7.95:
http://shopruger.com/Double-Action-Revolver-Steel-Rear-Sight-Blade/productinfo/90036/
 
You can get a new sight front from Ruger for $15. There are plenty of aftermarket sights for $20 - $30. I would not consider that a lot of money. Additionally the front sight on most GP100's can be changed out in under a minute. Heck I bet Ruger will send you a replacment front sight for free if you call them.

You say the Ruger shoots high but do not mention the group size. If the group size is the same as the Colt and only need to adjust the Point Of Impact the correction should be simple.

The Trooper could easily appreciate $100 to $200 or more in 5 years. While possible to spend that much on the Ruger there should be no need. You can buy new mainsprings, hammer shims, trigger shims, hammer strut(if needed), all for under $100.
 
The GP100's group at 5 yrds is tennisball size versus the Trooper's group where they are all touching.

To make the GP100 more of what I want I will probably end up with new sights, new grip and new springs. If the trigger doesn't feel that great then I'll have a Smith tune it up for me.
 
If you're getting tennis ball size groups at 5 yards it most likely is not the gun's fault.
 
Of course a Trooper would shoot good! I like GP-100's too, but the only .357's I owned that shot better were the 2 Pythons I owned. I did trigger jobs on several Smiths to get them as good as that Trooper, and I put spring kits in several friends' GP-100's in order to match my Trooper. I also put one in my .44 Redhawk. Speaking of, the sight kits for the Redhawk will fit the GP-100. I really liked the V-notch-gold bead set. It was great for 100 shooting.
 
It most likely has to do with the way the grip frame fits your hand and how you hold it and cycle the trigger and handle the recoil impulse. The grips on a handgun have a huge influence on how well you can control the gun. A Colt DA trigger also has a completely different trigger geometry and feel than a Ruger. I never really liked Colt DA triggers but many do and have won trophies with them. If you know any instructors have them watch you shoot different guns and see if they can see what you're doing differently with each one.
 
My first .357 was a Colt Trooper Mk.III. It was a fine revolver, built like a tank, and it's only shortcoming was a double action trigger pull that was slightly heavier and not quite as smooth as a comparable S&W. I foolishly traded it in as I was lured by the call of the semi-auto.

I also had a Ruger GP100. The trigger pull in both double and single action was much heavier that the Colt's and also rather rough in comparison. Never really cared for the overall feel and balance of the gun along with the shape and composition of the grips. Sold it when i needed the money for school.
 
I'd use the colt any day of the week and twice on sunday, quality over quantity always. The gp100 is nothing more than the pinto of the revolver world.
Think about it, ruger has it made. People that buy rugers expect to not only work on them, they put large amounts of time & $$$ into them just so they can say. LOOK, my ruger is just as good as xxx after I worked on it.

At the end of the day you can pick up the colt and go out and enjoy years of excellent quality range time.

Or

You can jack up the ruger logo on that gp100 , set it on blocks and:
Change out the sights.
Change out the grips.
Have the thread lock in the bbl removed.
Have the cylinders honed (Ruger uses machining that cuts 3 holes at a time. They us chamber reamers and cut 3 chambers, re-index and then cut the other 3. Their's nothing wrong with that. The problem starts when they get dull or break. Ruger only replaces the dull or broken reamer. The end result is the cylinders are produced with a luck of the draw on sizes. It's extremely common to have a ruger's cylinders have 3 different dimensions for the 6 holes in them. Caused by 1 new reamer, 1 used reamer & 1 heavily worn reamer in the machine at the same time.)
Polish the trigger group and change out the springs.

Then all you have to do is glue the ruger logo back on the gun and you now have a ruger gp100 that might be as good as your colt. I say" might" because seeing how ruger did a rural job on everything else on the gun. What makes you think the bbl is any better???

Stick with the colt and enjoy yourself at the range. Or buy several gunsmithing 101 books and enjoy the ruger at the work bench.
 
Hi...
i have and regularly shoot both a Trooper MkIII and MarkV. Never owned a GP100, but I have shot a friend's quite a bit.
My favorite DA .357Mag revolver is my stainless S&W 686 Silhouette model...it is also easily the most accurate. Just a bit large with its 8-3/8" barrel.

I have never regretted buying the two Colts and never worry about them breaking either. Never even considered buying a GP100...nothing wrong with them, my friend's is accurate and reliable. With my three DA .357s and another three Blackhawks in .357Mag, I just think my needs in .357Mag are covered, although I have considered acquiring a couple of Uberti or Cimarron SAA clones in .357Mag.
 
stompah said:
If Colt was still in the revolver business and getting mechanical repairs was easy I would swap out the stock grips, take care of the nickel and shoot the crap out of it. But the reality is that if something breaks it likely won't be easy or cheap to fix.
Click to expand...
I've never understood worrying about something that is never likely to happen. Or not buying guns I wanted for worrying about potential breakage. Guns are not cars. If I wanted to shoot it, I'd shoot it. Worry about the problem when it actually arises.


forrest r said:
I'd use the colt any day of the week and twice on sunday, quality over quantity always. The gp100 is nothing more than the pinto of the revolver world.
Think about it, ruger has it made. People that buy rugers expect to not only work on them, they put large amounts of time & $$$ into them just so they can say. LOOK, my ruger is just as good as xxx after I worked on it.

At the end of the day you can pick up the colt and go out and enjoy years of excellent quality range time.

Or

You can jack up the ruger logo on that gp100 , set it on blocks and:
Change out the sights.
Change out the grips.
Have the thread lock in the bbl removed.
Have the cylinders honed (Ruger uses machining that cuts 3 holes at a time. They us chamber reamers and cut 3 chambers, re-index and then cut the other 3. Their's nothing wrong with that. The problem starts when they get dull or break. Ruger only replaces the dull or broken reamer. The end result is the cylinders are produced with a luck of the draw on sizes. It's extremely common to have a ruger's cylinders have 3 different dimensions for the 6 holes in them. Caused by 1 new reamer, 1 used reamer & 1 heavily worn reamer in the machine at the same time.)
Polish the trigger group and change out the springs.

Then all you have to do is glue the ruger logo back on the gun and you now have a ruger gp100 that might be as good as your colt. I say" might" because seeing how ruger did a rural job on everything else on the gun. What makes you think the bbl is any better???

Stick with the colt and enjoy yourself at the range. Or buy several gunsmithing 101 books and enjoy the ruger at the work bench.
Click to expand...
All pure nonsense. Most Rugers need nothing but ammo. Sure, they benefit from tuning but so does every other gun on the market. It's not like Colt is the pinnacle of perfection and the standard by which all others are judged. They have turned out some real turds in the last few decades. Unlike Colt, Ruger has ZERO periods of time when their quality is questionable. They didn't have several years when all their guns were either grossly over-polished or bead blasted over a rough machine finish because their polishing staff went out on strike. They've been extremely consistent throughout their 67yr existence. Sorry but folks who make such broad sweeping generalizations about prolific gunmakers lose a lot of credibility with me.

Ruger used to gang ream all six chambers at once. They no longer do that but use a single reamer for all six chambers.

I've had lots of work done on Rugers but never was it to make them "just as good". I'll put a tuned Ruger up against any other production revolver.

IMG_0384b.jpg
 
If I am choosing which 357 mag revolver to shoot, my first pick is always the Trooper Mark III because I shoot it more accurately. My second choice is the Ruger GP-100.
 
CraigC said:
I've never understood worrying about something that is never likely to happen. Or not buying guns I wanted for worrying about potential breakage. Guns are not cars. If I wanted to shoot it, I'd shoot it. Worry about the problem when it actually arises.



All pure nonsense. Most Rugers need nothing but ammo. Sure, they benefit from tuning but so does every other gun on the market. It's not like Colt is the pinnacle of perfection and the standard by which all others are judged. They have turned out some real turds in the last few decades. Unlike Colt, Ruger has ZERO periods of time when their quality is questionable. They didn't have several years when all their guns were either grossly over-polished or bead blasted over a rough machine finish because their polishing staff went out on strike. They've been extremely consistent throughout their 67yr existence. Sorry but folks who make such broad sweeping generalizations about prolific gunmakers lose a lot of credibility with me.

Ruger used to gang ream all six chambers at once. They no longer do that but use a single reamer for all six chambers.
Try Hatachi 3 bangers.
I've had lots of work done on Rugers but never was it to make them "just as good". I'll put a tuned Ruger up against any other production revolver.
My point exactly, you need to redo everything on the rugers just to try to compete with them.
IMG_0384b.jpg
Click to expand...

Well there it is, strait from the horses mouth. You' put a "tuned" ruger up against anything.

That colt doesn't need "Tuned".
 
ALL revolvers benefit from an action job and I've spent more time stoning the actions of my Colt's than Italian replicas.

The GP above is box stock and that's a 50yd group.
 
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