Ruger GP100 Scratches?

Mine is blued, brand new, but a counter demonstrator when I bought it. Other than the cylinder drag mark (some call it the "Ruger Ring", it remains flawless to this day. I am fortunate to have got it when I could, and I let everyone who wants to shoot it, do so, and they all would be overjoyed to have one! I searched for a good used revolver for almost a year. I wanted a 4-5" barrel, and kept an open mind. I ruled out Arminius and Alpha Proj very early on, while fit and finish was OK, DA triggers were terrible, and SA were not very good either. I judged Ruger and S&W about equal based on their triggers and feel (they are different, but both are good), and the reputation on both was excellent. I started shopping with a modest budget of $600.00, within a couple weeks this one showed up on (rhymes with Fun Post) at my price point. I jumped on it. Came with the original packaging, paperwork, warranty info and the other accessories. Basic blued finish with the rubber combat grip; super comfortable.

I was loading DRG bullets in Lead Round Nose, flat point, and they worked perfectly with my speed loaders. During Covid, I bought a bunch (few thousands) of Lead SWCs at an auction, and they don't work well at all with speed loaders, always hanging up on the cylinder. I will be switching to likely RN Campros in the future.

Any one have any tricks to get SWCs to work with speed loaders?
I have a 6Inch stainless half lug with aftermarket pachmayer grips that I bought used on the EE for about the same... I always liked the look of the shorter full lug GP 100 but with the longer barrel I prefer the half lug though I'm sure the extra weight would help with recoil for a range shooter.

I agree about the very different trigger pulls between S&W and Ruger. Both are good they are just different, I find with the Ruger's I can stage them a bit more in double action if I want to which I like, some prefer the more "suprirse break" of the S&W. I usually shoot mine single action but sometimes I will load it up with snap caps and dry fire practice double action to give my finger a workout.... :)
 
Ruger is well known for not spending a lot of time on finishing.
I had an SR1911 a while back, it was stainless so it had no scratches but lots of sharp edges on the hammer and other places. Rough internal machining meant that it took quite a few rounds down range before it was a reliable firearm.
Around the same time I got a #1 safari in 375 h&h, the receiver and breach block had so many razor sharp edges that I used to lose skin from my thumb and fingers just loading and unloading it until I took a stone to it and got rid of them.
 
I suddenly feel the need to go play with mine.

How common was the GP100 in 44Special?
The 44 special in the gp100 was only ever a lipseys special edition as far as I’m aware. They were introduced in 2018 I believe. Not a lot of time on the market really between then and the freeze given how long things generally take to trickle across the border. Probably not a whole bunch out there.
 
The only solution I would have is a bit of a dodgy one...recess the projectile into the brass. Good news/Bad news...good news is it's a Ruger so it's built like a tank...bad news, a potential pressure spike might result in setting the bullet back, testing out the tankiest aspects of your GP100?

That and a very slight crimp rounding out the brass case edge and those cartridges will slide into the cylinder like s hit through a goose.

If you have access to a chronograph, experiment with .38's...not magnums. Get a baseline, then see how much if any speed is gained by setting the bullets back into the cases and slightly crimping them. I'm assuming more pressure equates to more speed. Once you understand how much, if any, pressure is created, then muck about with magnums...carefully. baby steps.

Oh, and $600.00 Cnd for a GP 100 is a very good deal. I don't recall what I paid for mine, but I don't believe it was $600...I wanna say more?
Tried that, with a good crimp too. If I don't substantially crimp (using lubed lead bullets) they sometimes back out from recoil and jam up the cylinder. We do think the same way. LOL
 
I have a 6Inch stainless half lug with aftermarket pachmayer grips that I bought used on the EE for about the same... I always liked the look of the shorter full lug GP 100 but with the longer barrel I prefer the half lug though I'm sure the extra weight would help with recoil for a range shooter.

I agree about the very different trigger pulls between S&W and Ruger. Both are good they are just different, I find with the Ruger's I can stage them a bit more in double action if I want to which I like, some prefer the more "suprirse break" of the S&W. I usually shoot mine single action but sometimes I will load it up with snap caps and dry fire practice double action to give my finger a workout.... :)
I shoot PPC and occasionally use it for IDPA so I shoot mostly double action. The GP100 makes it easy to shoot well; a friend has an older S & W Highway Patrolman; it is easy for me to shoot well also.

BTW, the half lug on the 6" is as it should be, these are not light to start with.

I do like also the disassembly for cleaning of the Rugher; something I do only about once a year.
 
I own a GP 100 with 6" barrel in stainless, such a fantastic gun, everybody who shoots it loves it.

I purchased it 35 year ago, and it still functions and looks like new.

This is my only 357 revolver, all the S&W 27s and 28s (and some other models I don't remember) are long gone, but the Ruger stays.
 
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