Ruger GP 100 44 SPC

oscarflytyer

oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
Have a little gun nest egg. LGS has a nice wood grip GP 100 stainless 3" 44 SPC. ~$700 OTD. Already fully set up to cast/load 44 SPC. I am going to pin gauge the cylinders. If they pan out for cast, think it will come home with me. Any negatives? Anything to look for?
 
Glaciers

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
I was wishing that Ruger would bring that out in a 5 shot 44 mag as well. But... Ended up with a S&W 69 with a 4" barrel. Wanted something a little lighter then the m29 Smith. But the GP 100 should be a good choice in the special. Great cartridge.
 
CWLONGSHOT

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
I really like the idea of this revolver. I was smitten by the 3" Wile Capp 10mm. Then the Lipseys 5" Blued 10mm. Still looking harder at that one. But a nice 44 Spl would be a treasure as well and probably make more sense then the 10mm Auto caliber. But for my affection for the 40/10.
Good luck with it!

CW
 
Bret4207

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
I've always felt the Ruger DAs after the Speed Six were a bit overbuilt, IOW- they had a lot more meat than they needed to have for things like the 44 Special. But, they aren't going to get stretched or be "weak" if you hot rod it. If you don't mind the extra weight inherent with the design or the somewhat coarse sights (again, a personal observation) it should serve you very, very well. As far as price, I think everything is obscenely high these days, so I'm not one to comment on that.
 
hporter

hporter

Active Member
Be sure you pin gauge it before buying. I did not, and found they were a bit large.

GP100 44sp.jpg

This isn't a big problem, as I have a couple 44 molds that cast large. It is a nice gun, and I enjoy shooting it.

I sent in many requests over the years for Ruger to produce this exact gun. So when it became available, I purchased the first one my LGS got in.

I paid $700 3 years ago for mine. So the price you are looking at sounds about right.

Good Luck!
 
oscarflytyer

oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
hp: I have read where the early ones had large throats. This is a later one, I am pretty sure. But will still pin gauge if I get it. And yeah, for the Talo version I have seen them stay right at the $700 mark.
 
Missionary

Missionary

Well-Known Member
Good morning
We bought the plain one as soon as the price dropped to about $600 after the feeding frenzy died out. No regrets ! A bit heavy but will probably digest any sane 44 Special load stuffed into it.
We are very happy with a 250 grain FB cast of 50/50 chugging along at 750-850 FPS for all sorts of applications. Rides with me in a kayak in a holster attached to the kayak in a handy place.
 
oscarflytyer

oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
guess I should really be transparent. The 100 is kind of my second tier choice. Wanted one when they came out and funds weren't available. Things have changed, and I have diligently been trying to get into a Colt New Service and also looking at the S&W 24/624/25-2/26. I love shooting revolvers, and set on my SA revolvers. Looking to get a cpl of the old school Smiths and the Colt DAs. I have the smaller frame Colts and some Smiths. But also love the big bores. I cast and load for all the calibers, including the odd ones. So no real issues with ammo.
 
hporter

hporter

Active Member
In that context then, I also have a S&W 24 Lew Horton 3" model. I prefer it to the GP100. It is much smoother and very accurate. Though I admit I haven't tried putting a spring kit in the GP100 yet.

I share your desire for the large frame Colt DA revolvers. I have a 44-40 Colt New Service, but the sickness is strong within me. I still want a 45 Colt and a 45 ACP New Service. Revolvers are wonderful things.
 
W

Walks

Well-Known Member
I have one each of the Security/Service/Speed Six Variations. Took a look at the GP100 4" when they came out. Heavier then my M27 5".
Same reason I didn't like the M586/686. If I want that much weight, I'll just pickup a NM Blackhawk.
And if I want a light .44Spl, I have a M624 3" bbl. Good enough to hit a soda can at 25yds with the Skeeter Load. A heck of a lot less recoil then a Charter Arms Bulldog.

It's an interesting idea though. I remember hearing a story about Colt trying out the Python in a 5 shot configuration in .41Mag back inthe middle 1960's.
 
W

Walks

Well-Known Member
gman,
You Have a very rare thing, a Ruger with a Good Trigger.

No sarcasm, No offence intended, No tongue in cheek. In 45 years of shooting Ruger's, I've never picked up an out of the box revolver with a Good Trigger.
 
oscarflytyer

oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
hporter said:
In that context then, I also have a S&W 24 Lew Horton 3" model. I prefer it to the GP100. It is much smoother and very accurate. Though I admit I haven't tried putting a spring kit in the GP100 yet.

I share your desire for the large frame Colt DA revolvers. I have a 44-40 Colt New Service, but the sickness is strong within me. I still want a 45 Colt and a 45 ACP New Service. Revolvers are wonderful things.
Click to expand...

Yeah - I have a huge affinity for what I call thumb bores in handguns and medium and big bores in rifles. all the 44s/45s (used to swear off 38s! lol! Now have a bunch of .358s and 32s in handguns! lol!). Also used to swear off 30-30s! Now have a few, and 32s. Cpls 30s and then get big - 35s, (soon 38-55) and 43s/45-70s! I like em bigger mostly, but learning to also enjoy the 38s and 32s! Crazy shifting moons for me!

But/And - for some reason, and now that I have somewhat of the means, I am really working on big bore (non-magnum) Smiths and anything in a Colt New Service! But I start at 40+ yr olds and work WAY back in time!
 
RicinYakima

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
"But/And - for some reason, and now that I have somewhat of the means, I am really working on big bore (non-magnum) Smiths and anything in a Colt New Service! But I start at 40+ yr olds and work WAY back in time!"

I don't have much interest unless it is older than I am.
 
CZ93X62

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
If I use that standard, I am deep into the black-powder era. There were some decent smokeless arms made in the early 20th Century, and I wouldn't want to DQ myself from their enjoyment.
 
oscarflytyer

oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
yeah, I am def like Rick. some of what I am looking at now is early 80's, and would be some of the newest in my safe. I go all the way back to 1867 RB action, and two original 1889 RBs...
 
P

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
For years I looked at the GP-100 platform and quietly willed Ruger to build a GP-100 chambered in 44 Special.
The cylinder diameter was large enough for 5 rounds and the frame was more than strong enough.

Now that the 44 Special GP-100 is in production, I'm waiting for the right one to come along. There are a few guns ahead of it on the wish list, but it's on the list.
 
JonB

JonB

Halcyon member
I've never seen a 44 Special GP-100 for sale in my area.
Personally I'd love to see one in 41 mag...I have no idea if the GP-100 is strong enough for factory 41 mag ammo?
 
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