Dragonfly
Well-known member
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
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.
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!
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!





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