So I've had my RPAL for over a year now. Financials are now in order, finally found a half decent range that doesn't consider 20 yards "long range" and that's not that far out from Toronto. Membership is taken care of, now I just need to go through their proprietary safety courses and I'll be on my way.
So I need a gun. I want something cheap but not low quality cheap like Norinco. Something I wouldn't mind actually keeping for the next bit and be proud of. I was thinking a Glock 17 but most places charge up to $800 for the latest version and I really want to get in touch with a guns mechanics as this will be my first gun. A futuristic harmerless design just doesn't seem right.
So I got my sights set on a Ruger GP100. The .357 Magnum 4.2" Blued edition. I feel that a revolver is the best type of gun to start with.
A few pieces of advice, as not long ago I was in the same position as you.
If you have any any interest in tinkering with the gun's internals, the double-action revolver is about as complex as guns come. Excepting of the arcane labyrinth of certain obscure gun makers, you will find the external simplicity of the DA revolver does not reflect it's interior. As far as quality modern-production handguns go, the Glock is about as simple as it comes with very few parts overall (something like less than 40 components for the entire gun, including the magazine's parts?). If you want to delve into the guts of your gun, I think the Glock is actually probably the best option, unless you have some interest in single-action revolvers.
The Glock 17 is a great gun. They're commonly available both new and used for reasonable prices, they have a huge user base so aftermarket support is everywhere, gunsmiths are familiar with them if something goes wrong (unlikely) or you want modification, and it's extremely robust. 9mm is a good, cheap centrefire round to shoot. If you ever catch the bug to enjoy action shooting, the G17 is pretty much a cornerstone of all games and you won't have to worry about competition categories or legality of your gun. Magazines are everywhere and cheap. Really, it's just a great gun.
I don't say this to dissuade you from picking up a GP-100. Revolvers are my favourite guns, to the point that I've purged all my semi-automatics except for a CZ-75. Using the revolver as my primary handgun also has been good for other reasons: they teach you real trigger discipline if you ever want to learn to hit targets, they are actually fun in dry-fire practice (if you ever want to really learn to shoot and aren't rich, DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THIS!), and the ability to load the .38 and .357 both is a perk. I think overcoming the double action trigger has made me a better shooter with every gun I pick up.
Also, a note on prices. Spending $800 on a gun can seem like a lot of money, mostly because it is. But consider that the gun you are buying has potential to be a lifetime investment. Your interest in shooting or physical ability to shoot will probably die off long before most guns of modern manufacture stop working. Also, how much are you going to shoot? I consider myself a moderate volume shooter, and I VERY quickly shot an amount of ammunition worth more than the guns I use. What I'm trying to get around to is that looking at things in the long term, don't be afraid to save and then spend more to make sure you get a gun you really want. You're going to have it for a long time. $800 for a Glock 17 is $800 extremely well spent. Each individual gun could be considered a hobby unto itself if you take shooting it seriously enough.
I like 4" barrels, seems short enough yet not excessively long. A staple barrel size for a revolver with a tad bit extra to make it CAD compliant. It's a .357 so unless I'm wrong I can load .38's into it when I first start and when I eventually get good enough at things like recoil control, I can move up to .357s. I think .38s are also quite affordable too, next to 9mm and .22LRs.
For barrel length, I like the shorter ones as well, but the 6" barrels are definitely easier to shoot. It's a judgment call. I wouldn't turn my nose up at a 6" GP-100. Handle it and see if you like the way it balances out in your hand.
Owning a revolver also motivated me to get into handloading, since even .38 is considerably more expensive than 9mm. Once I started handloading and discovered the joy of powderpuff wadcutters and supercharged .357 fireball rounds, I lost any interest in shooting factory ammunition out of my wheelguns. It's a whole hobby unto itself and it's time consuming. There's startup costs, but it's worth it both monetarily and for the experience.
Problem is? Where can I find this gun, everywhere I look... SOLD OUT. Since this is going to be my first restricted gun I want the transaction to be a smooth as possible, so I'm ruling out member trades. I'd also like to know, how can I pay for this. Do online gun stores here accept VISA or do I need to do email money transfers or some other unorthodox form of payment.
Welcome to buying guns in Canada. You'll be looking for some time if you have your mind set on less-popular guns, or guns are popular enough to sell out. It can be frustrating, but it can also lead to learning experiences. I was literally hoping for the exact same gun as you--GP-100, blued, 4.2" barrel--when I got my RPAL. Unable to find it for so long, I "compromised" on a S&W 686. That gun is now my best inanimate friend, and I wouldn't trade it for two GP-100s. Not to say it's a massively superior product but having handled both a bit now, I can safely say I prefer pretty much everything about my 686.
Consider the shortage of GP-100s an opportunity to shop around. You might pick up something that just clicks as being proper in your hand and the GP-100 can happen another day. A good example of this was a friend of mine, upon getting his RPAL, was absolutely set on getting an Inox Beretta 92fs. But in the shop, after handling it and picking up a Smith and Wesson M&P 9, he swerved to buy the M&P. He'd never even considered an M&P before that day. I strongly recommend considering private sales since very cool revolvers are put up for sale at gun shops and the Equipment Exchange here all the time. Some of these used pieces also have a lot more character than modern, recent-manufacture ones.
Good luck with the search!
