Ruger GP100 "Match Champion"

[Twisted Canuck]

I really appreciate the info you brought about cylinders Canuck44. I just went and checked mine, and come up with:

1. .3575
2. .3575
3. .3570
4. .3570
5. .3575
6. .3580

Should I be pleased with the consistency on this? I'm shooting jacketed rounds only. Seems like it's right where it ought to be, no?

 

[Canuck44]

If you are shooting jacketed or plated they should be ok. For lead you want .358.

Ruger throats are known to vary notoriously and yours are about as close to being on as any. The 45Colt guns suffer the same. Ruger uses gang cutters to cut the cylinders and would appear to be a little lax on when they change out the cutters. The GP-100 is a very nice platform and I believe superior to current production S&W's and not near as fragile as the Colt's from another era. Ruger doesn't finsih off their guns quite as nice as they could but then we are not paying for them to do it either.

Take Care

Bob

 

[BillD]

I should add a simple test is to drop bullets into each cylinder. They should pass through or require a slight nudge. If they don;t you will have degraded accuracy as a result of your bullets being swagged down to pass through the cylinder.

Take Care

Bob

Great tip Bob, thanks again! With mine and a Campro plated 158gn bullet, they all hung up very slight there at the throat. But the slightest tap with a wooden dowel and they dropped free. So really intrigued now, I juggled some duties to make a quick trip to the range and put a box of factory Winchester 158gn +P through it - took a pic of one target below after a few warm up shots (10 meters, standing, free hand). I'm no crack shot by any stretch LOL, and the gun seems to be shooting a touch high (aim was combat style, center dot). Didn't make any changes to the adjustable sight at this point, want to do up some handloads that I know work well in my .357 Rhino and give those a try next outting. Also took along the SR1911 for it's first range visit too - very happy with it's function and accuracy too with some factory S&B 230gn ball ammo.

A test target from the SR1911, very easy to shoot...for the second pic, and my last mag of 7 rounds I bore down to see what I could do really taking time and concentrating - one of my best results (which is not saying much LOL) ever at 10 meters with a few rounds through the same hole and very first time out with this pistol.

 

[tobin]

Ruger doesn't finish off their guns quite as nice as they could but then we are not paying for them to do it either.

Bob

i recently purchased an older GP100 blued in 4" (12.6) and noticed a considerable difference in the fit and finish to the ones I have looked at recently in the stores. This gun is smooth by comparison, not any tool marks, and an excellent trigger without any changes so far. It is a pleasure to shoot full house .357 and .38 wad cutters are like a .22 in this gun.

I saw in an earlier post someone mentioned shims and I thought Match Champions come from the factory with shims.

 

[plinker 777]

Yep, the SR1911s are keepers and were undervalued when they came out. I paid $700 BNIB for mine and I feel it ought to have been easily worth twice that. YMMV.

 

[Canuck44]

BillD Excellent results, nice to see. You have a good one. Enjoy. Nothing wrong with the GP-100. Loaded hot or not makes no difference. I shoot a lot of 200 gr rn out of mine. Bullet is a destroyer of rabbits I am told down in California. Works pretty good on 2 legged versions as well. I load them for the four legged fellows we have around here.

Take Care

Bob

 

[BillD]

BillD Excellent results, nice to see. You have a good one. Enjoy. Nothing wrong with the GP-100. Loaded hot or not makes no difference. I shoot a lot of 200 gr rn out of mine. Bullet is a destroyer of rabbits I am told down in California. Works pretty good on 2 legged versions as well. I load them for the four legged fellows we have around here.

Take Care

Bob

Thanks again, looking forward to trying out my own handloads next time out in both .38spl and .357

 

[wayupnorth]

Very similar to Nils, but stippling instead of cross-hatching and are a Ruger item AFAIK. And the other Ruger I landed earlier this week

Excellent pics. I love my SR1911 and one of these days when i justify it to myself, I'll pick up the Commander.

you have to watch those SR1911's, they breed when you leave them alone in the safe!
i left my SR1911 in the safe and one day i came home and a SR1911 CMD had joined it!

 

[hatman1793]

The problem with the MC Ruger GP100 & the S&W performance Center revolvers is that they advertise them as target quality, but they're not.
Both of these fine companies have failed to break out of their standard 1 in 16" twist rate for their barrels. Great looking, great features, poor twist rate. Knowledgeable revolver accuracy shooters know that factory barrel twist rates for the 38special chambered revolvers is mediocre. I cannot why these companies refuse to step up to the plate on this...

 

[Canuck44]

The problem with the MC Ruger GP100 & the S&W performance Center revolvers is that they advertise them as target quality, but they're not.
Both of these fine companies have failed to break out of their standard 1 in 16" twist rate for their barrels. Great looking, great features, poor twist rate. Knowledgeable revolver accuracy shooters know that factory barrel twist rates for the 38special chambered revolvers is mediocre. I cannot why these companies refuse to step up to the plate on this...

Well first off the Ruger GP-100 Match Champion is a purpose built revolver for IDPA SSR Division now known as part of the Revolver Division. The 4.2`` GP-100 gun was designed to accommodate the Canadian market and meet the maximum length barrel for IDPA Revolver Division. The 686 Smith known as the Canadian Edition version at 4.2`` followed to meet the IDPA Revolver Division. S&W is a major sponsor for the IDPA Winter Indoor Nationals. The guns certainly are not Olympic Slow Fire target guns or PPC revolvers designed to shoot 148gr bullets.but are as accurate as most of their target market can shoot.

To answer your question though, the answer is simple there is no money to be made right now in the market you think they should serve. The longest shot in IDPA for scenarios is 25 yards with Standard Exercises extending out to 35 yards. The guns ideally might be expected to hit a 8`` circle at 35 yards which they are most certainly capable of doing. The companies have been using the same twist rate foe the past century I expect and ar not likely to change any time soon. The US market also includes those who wish to own a revolver for self defense purposes and both revolvers meet that markets requirements in spades.

FYI the twist rate on the Ruger GP-100 is 1:18.75 as does the 686 not 1:16. We don`t shoot 148 gr wadcutters in IDPA.

Take Care

Bob
PS The Ruger catalog used to asterisk the 4.2`` gun description with a direct reference to Canadian Legal requirements to explain why the gun was 4.2`` as opposed to the older 4`` version.