Yeah, I must admit that (probably like many of us here) I've been a bit of a S&W purist when it comes to revolvers. I've owned eleven over the years (now down to three) and I'd always considered them superior to Rugers, although I'd never even shot a Ruger. Well, I saw this stainless 4" GP100 come up for sale recently for a price too tempting to resist and thought that I should probably give it a try! Since the GP100 model is 25 years or so old many of you have already tried or own one, but for those who haven't here are my thoughts.

Overview

• The revolver certainly doesn't have the slim, clean lines of a S&W revolver, but it does have a chunky, businesslike appeal. I like the finish more than the older S&W brushed stainless finish but less than their newer bead-blasted finish. There are more pins visible in the frame but I don't consider that a big deal.
• The grip is just about the perfect size and shape, and is very comfortable. It's better than anything I've ever tried on a square butt K/L frame or N frame S&W. Rubber Hogues and Ahrends Retro Targets come close but the Ruger beats them both. I have always liked the pairing of wood and rubber on the older GP100 grips--it's too bad that Ruger doesn't include them with the GP100 any more.
• I like the dovetailed-in serrated black front sight a lot better than S&W's older machined-in red ramp sight, although it's set back a little in the barrel reducing the sight radius a bit.
• The revolver has excellent balance--it migh be heresy but I like it better better than the 4" N-frame.

At the range
I had it out the the range recently for the first time for a quick shakedown. I had my youngest daughter out for her first try with her new Henry Mini-bolt and wanted to spend most of our range time having her shoot.




Here are my initial thoughts on the Ruger.

• The double-action trigger pull is not bad at all--better than I was expecting. It stacks a little just past the start of the pull but it's smooth after that. It's a little heavier than a typical S&W pull but not by much.
• The single action pull is also heavier, and there's more trigger movement than with a S&W but not objectionable.
• The cylinder release takes a little getting used to after 26 years of S&Ws. Not bad but slower than what I'm used to.
• The cylinder locks up earlier in the DA pull--this was a little distracting at first but easy to get used to.
• The smooth trigger is just about the perfect width for both DA and SA shooting.
• It seemed to be certainly accurate enough--a 4" revolver is at a bit of a disadvantage and I'd also not shot a handgun since last October. The first SA group I fired (see below) was six rounds into about 2" at 15m.
• 125 grain .357 Magnum loads were no problem at all--the grips proved very comfortable

Conclusion
I like the chunky little devil a lot! Great balance, nice sights, super grip and not a bad trigger. I'm glad I picked it up!

It cleans up pretty good, too!