Ruger GP 100 44 SPC

[Glaciers]

I do like the CA 3" and my BIL has a CA 4" target model which of course has adjustable sights but still a light gun. I think, going by memoryth CA is 19 to 23 oz. and then you jump to 38 to 45 oz. I was looking for a 30 to 32 once gun, fixed sights, double action much like my Smith 45ACP 1950 model 29 with fixed sights 4" with fixed sights and light weight barrel. That gun is a nice compromise in weight. I may have my weights wrong but you get my meaning.
Funny thing is with my BIL who I've been giving some instruction on shooting and a heavy emphasis on gun safety as he has the 4" CA, which he's shot but has no ammo for, and a 12 gage he bought 5 years ago that he's never fired and has zero ammo for. So lots of basic instruction going on, good review for me as well. But I'm fixing Mark up with ammo for both and was watching him shoot the CA and he's shooting double action only, which he was doing quite well at. So I asked him to try a target single action. He looked at me like "what?". He had never fired his gun in single action mode. He did not even realize you could. Well as I said we are getting down to basics.
He just bought a Ruger 9mm Security 9, so more training for us both.

 

[Winelover]

Reading a post this AM on the other forum. Guy started a thread asking if anyone else had issues with GP 100 forcing cones cracking. He is two for two. First one, Ruger replaced the whole gun. Claims he shoots, nothing hot.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

I caught that post on the other forum.
I'm a bit skeptical.
The steel used by Ruger in the GP-100 is some of the toughest stuff I've ever encountered. And the GP-100 is built like an anvil to start with.
Me thinks his definition of "nothing hot" may be a be of a stretch.

 

[Brad]

I am skeptical when someone says “nothing hot”.
I would be interested to know what his load really is.

 

[Winelover]

Take it with a grain of salt. Been hearing a lot of complaints with that particular gun. Couple of long threads about quality issues with the 44 Spl version of GP 100, on the other forum, over the last couple of years.

Personally, it doesn't meet my criteria, for a packable piece.............it's too damn heavy for a five shooter.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

He didn't specify what that GP-100 was chambered in.

If it's 357 mag, I don't think the problem is in the gun.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

They offer in 10mm too.

 

[Winelover]

It's a 44, P&P. But I'm gusssing you found that out by now.

 

[Winelover]

I would like to see Ruger chamber the LCR in 44 Special. They could go with a unfluted cylinder to increase mass/strength, without adding too much weight. I'd even settle for one in the LCRx.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

Yeah I saw that. I'm still skeptical about the reported loads that broke it.

 

[Winelover]

Yeah I saw that. I'm still skeptical about the reported loads that broke it.

Someone else reported failure too. However, we have no control of their reloading practices. My experience with Ruger revolvers are they are way over built................baring double charges, they would be hard pressed to ruin.

 

[CZ93X62]

Anything is possible--but I am also skeptical. If someone has Quickload handy, give Skeeter's Load a look-see......Lyman #429421, 44 Special brass, 7.5 grains of Unique, CCI 300 primer. These clocked 950-975 FPS in a Model 624 x 6.5" I had some years ago. I would be interested in predicted pressure levels.

 

[gman]

To be honest the forcing cone is a little on the thin side on the GP100 44 SPL. More so than I would have imagined it to be. I held the Smith 69 and the GP100 side by side before I picked the Ruger. I already have quite a few 44 mags and really wanted the special. The Smith did have more meat in this area. I've shot two loads through mine that are both accurate in the 3 inch gun. One is with HP-38 and the other is Bullseye. If I want to shoot Skeeter's load I reserve that for the Flattop Blackhawk. Not sure what they chrono at and not saying Skeeter's load is bad for them.

 

[358156 hp]

Rugers stainless is very abrasion resistant. That wouldn't necessarily translate into fracture resistance. I don't see the 44 Spl GP offered in stainless anymore, I do see a Lipseys blued version though.

 

[Brad]

Anything is possible--but I am also skeptical. If someone has Quickload handy, give Skeeter's Load a look-see......Lyman #429421, 44 Special brass, 7.5 grains of Unique, CCI 300 primer. These clocked 950-975 FPS in a Model 624 x 6.5" I had some years ago. I would be interested in predicted pressure levels.

No data for the Lyman 429421 but with an NOE 255 swc QL shows 17.5 K PSI with 7.5 gr of Unique. Dropping to 6.5 gr gives 13.4 K PSI.
I doubt the 7.5 gr load is going to hurt a modern 44 special revolver.
I avoid the Skeeter load because I don’t want that level of recoil and don’t need the velocity for killing cans and paper.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

SAAMI limits for 44 Special are 15.5K PSI, which is pitifully low, IMO.

Even at 17.5K PSI we're only at 38 Special level and 38 Special +P is 20K. The GP-100 is more than strong enough to handle those pressures. Yes, the cross section of the forcing cone wall is much thinner when we are dealing with a 44 caliber barrel instead of a 38/357 barrel, but I think there's more than enough strength there and Ruger engineers agree with me.
On top of that, Ruger uses very good steel and there's not much of the barrel shank protruding beyond the frame. Nor does the GP-100 require a flat at the 6 O'clock position of the barrel shank.
If you cracked not one but TWO, GP-100 barrels, you're doing something wrong.

 

[Bret4207]

I found the 429421/7.5 Unique load was more than I wanted in my BD. 6.5 works great and you still get a pretty good thump to the palm in that light gun. It also shoots good in my Rossi Puma, short of like a 22 short in a 22 LR does. Great load for kids in that rifle. The full house 44 mags in that rifle definitely get your attention!

 

[Winelover]

I use that 6.5 grain load of Unique (240 grain bullet) in my Bulldog.

 

[Glaciers]

Like wise, ended up at 7.0 grains of unique under the LEE 200 grain (cast weight about 207 grains), for the Bulldog and the little Rossi 5 shooter. Pretty pleasant. Would like to come up with a 180 grain slug, been thinking about milling a LEE 200 down to see how that would work.

 

[Winelover]

The issue I have with light for caliber bullets, is they don't shoot to the fixed sights of my Bulldog. Borrowed a Saeco 200 RNFP from Rick. Ran 7.0 grains of Unique (815-891 fps) but they print very low. I can't tell the difference recoil wise, with the lighter bullet, either. So I stick to cast bullets ranging from 240 to 265 grains.




For practice, I use either 6.5 grains of Unique or 4.5 grains of Bullseye with a a 240 RNFP. Also like 5.5 grains of W-231 with a Lyman 250 RNFP, a sedate 660 fps............measured with Lab Radar.

For woods walking, a NOE 265 RNFP over 13.0 grains of 2400 @ 828 fps.