Comparing S&W 686 to GP100 help
- Thread starter Troy1760
- Start date
wayupnorth
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northern Alberta
at the end of the day for the price difference id say get the GP100 and see if you even like wheel guns.
after a year if you like them then pick up a S&W.
then youd have both.
the wife cant fault you for buying one gun a year, right?
thats like a given rule that you can have one gun a year without having to ask, right?
now that i think about it i dont think ya need to ask until you hit the 5th one, or maybe its the 7th.... i can never remember the etiquette with that.
after a year if you like them then pick up a S&W.
then youd have both.
the wife cant fault you for buying one gun a year, right?
thats like a given rule that you can have one gun a year without having to ask, right?
now that i think about it i dont think ya need to ask until you hit the 5th one, or maybe its the 7th.... i can never remember the etiquette with that.
I'm no pro at this but I think any cylinder can be machined to take moon clips. Have you had experience with them? I have heard mixed reviews...at least to the ploint that maybe some are better than others.
That may be true but are there moonclips available for that particular revolver? A machined cylinder isn't much good if you can't get moonclips to use in that wheel gun....
Critical point...although if you are going to go to the trouble to machine a cylinder for moon clips...maybe you are going to manufacture the moon clips at the same time
Even of there are not moon clips advertised as available for that particular revolver (perhaps it was never designed for moon clips so no manufacture lists them), existing moon clips may fit it if you can match the correct size.
So gents, I would like to thank all of you for your advice. I had the oppurtunity to see both wheel guns side by side and tried both SA/DA on both. This is what i came to on the comparison.
Upon holding both, i found myself stragely more comfortable with the ruger in hand. May have been the Grip as they are stock with hogue style rubber. The smith was slightly lighter but i think that was due to the more narrow grip i am thinking because of the open back on the Smith. I found myself able to choke up on the grip of the ruger than the Smith
the Trigger, hands down, the Smith, in the DA/SA, smith has it, smooth, and concise, not hangups at all. The DA was good and comparable to the GP. The SA, no chance, it is the better of the 2. Almost so smooth that it was sorta sneaky when the action was pulled.The Gp, although still very good, was more of a thud when in DA, but also not mych different apposed to the longer pull in SA. something i like, as i am a shooter that likes the feel of the shot, s apposed to a sneaky round.
The over all, the ruger has my attention, Im not one for bulseyes, more about pop cans and fun and versatility. The ruger feels more like a tank, beefier, hefty sorta say, which apeals to my type of shoting. though the Smith is very good looking and much nicer trigger, i have to go with the hand on this gun, and choose the ruger. I know grips can be bought later, but for something to fit my hand out of the box, and plastic this nice, Ruger is my choice. I am also a fan of colt pythons, nice beautiful revolver, but like the smith, for me, to shinny, i like the dull finish and the rugged look of the beefy ruger GP100.
Thanks for all the advice, when i finaly get the debit card out of the machine, i will let you know how my new hand canon shoots.
Upon holding both, i found myself stragely more comfortable with the ruger in hand. May have been the Grip as they are stock with hogue style rubber. The smith was slightly lighter but i think that was due to the more narrow grip i am thinking because of the open back on the Smith. I found myself able to choke up on the grip of the ruger than the Smith
the Trigger, hands down, the Smith, in the DA/SA, smith has it, smooth, and concise, not hangups at all. The DA was good and comparable to the GP. The SA, no chance, it is the better of the 2. Almost so smooth that it was sorta sneaky when the action was pulled.The Gp, although still very good, was more of a thud when in DA, but also not mych different apposed to the longer pull in SA. something i like, as i am a shooter that likes the feel of the shot, s apposed to a sneaky round.
The over all, the ruger has my attention, Im not one for bulseyes, more about pop cans and fun and versatility. The ruger feels more like a tank, beefier, hefty sorta say, which apeals to my type of shoting. though the Smith is very good looking and much nicer trigger, i have to go with the hand on this gun, and choose the ruger. I know grips can be bought later, but for something to fit my hand out of the box, and plastic this nice, Ruger is my choice. I am also a fan of colt pythons, nice beautiful revolver, but like the smith, for me, to shinny, i like the dull finish and the rugged look of the beefy ruger GP100.
Thanks for all the advice, when i finaly get the debit card out of the machine, i will let you know how my new hand canon shoots.
If one was buying a brand new one today, would a Smith still be the hands down choice?
I've been reading here and there about QC issues over these last couple years of panic buying and ramped up production.
I saw a used 686 at a gun show recently for $700. They do hold their value, don't they?
I have a family member who always seems to place dollar cost highest in these descisions. He's looking at Alfa Proj for a .357. I'd rather convince him of any used Smith instead (or a used Ruger Blackhawk for that matter).
I've been reading here and there about QC issues over these last couple years of panic buying and ramped up production.
I saw a used 686 at a gun show recently for $700. They do hold their value, don't they?
I have a family member who always seems to place dollar cost highest in these descisions. He's looking at Alfa Proj for a .357. I'd rather convince him of any used Smith instead (or a used Ruger Blackhawk for that matter).
Depends on what you value. If you value DA, then yes, a Smith out of the box typically has a better DA than the GP100. If you are looking for grip, that is more of a personal thing, as you have just read. If you value SA, then they can be similar. If you value spending the least dollars, then the Smith is on the losing end of the stick.
He will still be paying more for a used Smith or a used GP100 or a used Blackhawk than for a new Alpha. So if he values the least cost option, Alpha is what he may be happiest with.
That would certainly eliminate the conversation that one has a better DA than the other
Depends on what you value. If you value DA, then yes, a Smith out of the box typically has a better DA than the GP100. If you are looking for grip, that is more of a personal thing, as you have just read. If you value SA, then they can be similar. If you value spending the least dollars, then the Smith is on the losing end of the stick.
He will still be paying more for a used Smith or a used GP100 or a used Blackhawk than for a new Alpha. So if he values the least cost option, Alpha is what he may be happiest with.
That would certainly eliminate the conversation that one has a better DA than the other
He does shoot strictly single action. He's got an old model 14 that was tuned and setup for bullseye shooting by a prior owner, and the trigger is sublime. I know that a Blackhawk with its transfer bar won't ever beat that.
I'm less picky. I have an old Webley milsurp that I can shoot decently (for me) either single or double action. The NiB Alfa I handled wasn't that heavy, but it wasn't terribly smooth either. Of course it was also NiB. I've not seen a GP100 in the wild yet, so have not handled one.
Nobody mentioned it, so I will. I don't think you can get either in satin finish & that's a good thing. They are a bugger to clean compared to a stainless or blued gun. I know I use to own a satin finished Taurus Model 66 when 1st got into shooting. That gun was accurate but b.s. to clean.
I'm probably one of the oddballs that prefers the GP100 trigger because it's less refined. For me, the appeal of shooting a double action revolver is the longer, heavier trigger; I deliberately started out with a double-action revolver so I could be more versatile and less picky about triggers.
I don't necessarily agree, here's how I feel about guns in general; if there's something about the gun that bothers you, that you absolutely cannot get over, then that gun isn't for you. Granted, I'm not talking about an extreme example where someone with hands so small can't get a secure grip, that's just unsafe and irresponsible, but I'm constantly amazed by people's ability to adapt, with the right attitude.
Ruger's aren't as finicky as S&W's, a S&W will go out of whack long before a Ruger does and that's a fact. It doesn't take a lot to put a revolver out of order (Rugers included), the myth of revolvers being more reliable than semi auto's is just that, a myth.
10$ worth of springs and 10min of my time polishing the internals on my GP100 made it a completely different gun.
Ruger has lawyers involved in the manufacturing and design of their revolvers, the springs are WAY heavier than they need to be.
10$ worth of springs and 10min of my time polishing the internals on my GP100 made it a completely different gun.
Ruger has lawyers involved in the manufacturing and design of their revolvers, the springs are WAY heavier than they need to be.
jlagman.
Regarding picking 'harder trigger'
Good strategy. Once you learn basic skills on the 'hard trigger' everything else is a treat. I did the same with a LEM P2000, took lots of courses with it. Afterwards pure single actions and short trigger guns like Walthers and Glocks were easy!!!
Regarding picking 'harder trigger'
Good strategy. Once you learn basic skills on the 'hard trigger' everything else is a treat. I did the same with a LEM P2000, took lots of courses with it. Afterwards pure single actions and short trigger guns like Walthers and Glocks were easy!!!
- Location
- The Badlands
Go with the Ruger GP 100.......they are built like a tank , and can shoot hot loads day in and out without issue......
