GP100 vs 686

[Redlegvzv]

Yesterday, at the the range, I had the opportunity to shoot my 3 week old SR1911. I was interested in doing a comparison to my 35+ year old Gold Cup. about 10 rounds in the front site snapped off at the base. Only half the blade is attached to the base. The site is manufactured with over hang to the front. While looking for contact information I looked through FAQ's. The warranty is at the company's discretion. The comments or answer was that they (Ruger) would be held to strict guidelines if any warranty card was given.
....

It is always unfortunate when something goes wrong with a gun. Stuff happens. But I can affirm that Ruger's "no warranty" customer service is BETTER than warranty service. Generally their attitude is "no questions asked, send it in and we'll fix it on our dime..." Generally the gun is back in 7-8 days and fixed perfectly. I've done this 3 times in the last 5 years (I own a lot of Rugers; most never need service) and all three times it was a great experience.
Example: I bought a very old, used, but very nice Ruger Mark I .22 pistol sold on consignment. God knows when the gun had last been fired. Anyway, it had issues on my second range outing with it so I sent it in. It came back 8 days later with a letter explaining that they had replaced a significant number of parts in the trigger group, etc. No charge. This was for a gun that was likely 30 years old and I was not the original purchaser. Oh, and the gun has shot perfectly ever since.
Say what you want about Ruger, but their customer service is second to none.

 

[SAWBONES]

I own both.

The GP100 has been slicked up by Marc Morganti and has an excellent action.

The Smith 686 has always had a good action without gunsmith attention.

The Ruger is stronger and a bit heavier.

The Smith has a 2.5" barrel, while the Ruger has a 6" barrel, so if I was using one for CCW, it'd of course be the Smith.

If it was a matter of outdoor open carry, I'd carry the GP100.

If I could keep only one of them, it'd be the Ruger.

(Yes, I know this is a S&W forum. )

 

[Pizza Bob]

I worked for the Border Patrol back in the 90s, where both were issued. I saw problems with both...the GP100s we had would sometimes lock up during a qualification course after 30 rounds of 110 gr 357.

I shoot IDPA and USPSA so literally all of my revolver shooting is DA. I'm wondering if the above is a result of a characteristic of the Ruger revolvers of which I recently learned. If a GP100 is short-stroked it will lock-up and the cylinder must be opened to clear the "malfunction". If a S&W is short-stroked it skips that chamber and simply revolves to the next on the subsequent pull, but doesn't tie-up the gun.

For me, that is reason enough to choose the Smith over the Ruger - it's lost time in a competition. It can be a lost life if it happens in the midst of a gun fight.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[Wheeler57]

Yeah... What Bob pointed out PLUS ... its a smith and Wesson. You either get it or you don't.
Like HD vs HondaSuki

 

[Redlegvzv]

Yeah... What Bob pointed out PLUS ... its a smith and Wesson. You either get it or you don't.
Like HD vs HondaSuki

I get it.