Ruger GP-100 awesome EXCEPT…

[dsf]

Truly a great revolver and I love that these seem impervious to timing issues. All of the Ruger DA revolvers seem to be hell for stout when it comes to timing, this is an area where I believe Ruger just slaughtered both S&W and Colt.

But I must get this off my chest, it's the reason that I opened this discussion. While the trigger and lockwork that is all modular was a fine way to skin that cat, whoever came up with the cylinder and yoke arrangement was a torture artist.

In the last 15 years I have pulled and replaced Ruger cylinders from yokes maybe five times and each and every single time it has been a total nightmare.

Some may say that the answer is to not do it. To that I wish that I could agree, but simply… the cylinder's ability to freely rotate has an extremely large affect on trigger pull or even simply cocking the hammer in single action. So unless you do not and will not EVER care that you DA trigger pull will eventually grow more heavy, you'll have to pull that cylinder eventually.

It's just a horrendous juggling of small pins, rocker arm, spring loaded detente and not a one of them is a smoothly finished part that glides and falls in to place.

If you have never done it… it sucks. If you have done it and you don't think it's awful, maybe you know something that I've simply never figured out.

We naturally compare great guns from different manufacturers. The S&W vs Ruger debate has been done a million times, and I enjoy both in my collection. But it's fact that my S&W cylinder pulls from the yoke and yoke from the frame with ONE small screw. The Ruger DA cylinder removal and reassembly is like trying to build a ship in a bottle. I really loathe it.

It would bother me less if the entire revolver was lousy, but that's 180 degrees from reality, the GP-100 is a fantastic revolver.

Off is easy - if I'm missing a point getting it back on can be a challenge. Although I don't see anything in the above post specific to removal only. Why is removal difficult?

If it's reassembly, I use Tetra grease or Gunslick to hold the cylinder yoke retaining tab spring in place during reassembly. I have an 8 penny finishing nail tapped into a workbench to depress the tab. I hold the cylinder yoke assembly in my left had, wiggle the pin in with my right.

Re Rugers and timing. They're not really timed same as Colt or SAA revolvers. The hand drops down with plenty of clearance, but it snaps right back up and leaves a drag line just like S&W.

 

[Rock185]

Years ago, I bought one of those Ruger D/A ejector bits. I don't recall why, never learned how to use it, etc. My GP100 seems to function just fine, so I don't think I'll take the cylinder apart anytime soon. But seeing the video, at least I know now what the tool is used for

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I have a bunch of Colt Woodsmans, the Ruger is a *****cat.

Yep. those Colts have that little button in the slide for a reason.

 

[03hemi]

Love my GP100! Mine's been customized and has a trigger that rivals the Python.
Here she is at the gun shop trying on some new clothes in leather and next to her new sister .357, a new 4.25" Colt Python (sans timing issues) I just purchased!

 

[VictorLouis]

I'll see your Ruger 22 and raise you getting the slide back on any .....model of Grand Power..

With a minor correction. Mine sits in the safe until the next time I meet up with a buddy who has the technique down-pat. Something about crossing his legs, and which tooth he uses to bite down on his lip.

 

[Racer X]

Cool; now field strip and reassemble a Mark III in two minutes

I know people who can. Are you just talking about removing the upper and bolt, then reassemble? If so I can easily do that in under 2 minutes.

 

[BB57]

This will be received as heresy I'm sure, but I've owned and shot revolvers for over 40 years now and they've pretty much all been working guns.

I hear time after time that too much oil will cause gunk in the action. That may be true *if* you are using an excessively heavy oil *and/or* your revolvers just sit around unused most of the time letting that oil dry down to a form or varnish.

On the other hand, with revolvers used for duty or concealed carry and/or out in the weather and fired on a regular I have liberally oiled them for literally decades and never encountered the above mentioned issue with congealed oil. On the rare occasions when I remove a side plate, they are well lubricated inside, but gunk and varnish free.

In terms of the cylinder rotating on the ejector rod and crane, I wipe down and then apply some oil to both ends of the ejector rod as part of the regular cleaning process. It keeps any grunge in there loose and effectively keeps it flushed out over time.

My go to oils tend to be either Rem Oil or CLP and neither are prone to gumming up.

For surface protection on a stored firearm, or for oiling the slide and frame rails on a 1911, Hi Power, CZ 75, etc, I use a heavier oil like Hoppes gun oil, but I don't use it on the internals of a revolver.

In any case, none of my several Ruger revolvers or my S&W revolvers have ever developed heavier DA trigger pulls due to the phenomenon the OP describes and none of them have ever needed to be detail stripped to that degree.

 

[jeffrefrig]

I think I may be missing something, but I have a GP100 (had 2) and the hardest part of anything was getting the trigger assembly out & back together. Small file fixed that. But after the trigger assy. came out the cylinder just slid off then back on. I hope I'm not missing any parts, but the gun shoots great.
Now, that spring & cap thing on the 1911s wanna rip my head off! Goggles are a must!
Now, I did notice on my .327 FM that if I shoot regular .32s in it for a while I'll have to brush out the cylinder for the longer shell; kinda like .357 after a .38 spl sometimes. That ejector star gets gunked up more on the GP100 than the other revolvers. Maybe it's just the caliber.