Ruger GP 100

[Endurokids]

How is this pistol for USPSA/IDPA matches?

I'm new to the revolver thing so what would I need done to it, to get started.

I have AA belt set up for my XDm 9mm and mags. Will the belt work for the revolver gear?

What speed loaders/holders are good to use?

Any other tips out there?

Thanks in advance.

[GOF]

The Ruger GP-100 is a very sturdy and reliable revolver. There are only two screws on the gun that need to be addressed -- the grip retaining screw and the small screw under the cylinder release. S&W guns have three screws on the right hand side plate, one on the rear sight, another on the cylinder release, and another on the mainspring to tension it. If anyone of those loosens up, you can have a malf. I've seen rear sights, cylinder latches, and even cylinders (when the crane screw backs out) fall off in a match. Then of course, there is the mainspring tension screw. It it loosens you get light strikes. That happened to me on the first stage at 2006 USPSA FL State, and killed me.

S&W has also changed it's rifling in the last five + years and they do not handle lead bullets as well as the Ruger, and do not offer the same level of accuracy if you prefer to shoot lead. I couldn't get better than 4 inches from a 25 yard bench rest with my last 686, but I can get 2.5-inches with my Rugers. I'm a IDPA SO and I have also seen that a lot of 158 grain lead bullets, cast and swaged, have tumbled when I score the targets (and from my previous gun as well). The Ruger shoots lead well, and the factory barrels are more than accurate enough for ICORE (which is the most accuracy oriented of the action games).

I shot S&W revolvers in competition (and carried them on both military and LEO duty) since 1968. I changed to the GP-100 in 2006, and never looked back. I now have four of them. I am biased in their favor, but I think my reasons are backed by experience.

The 4-inch GP-100 is a legal IDPA gun. It weighs in right between a S&W K-frame and a S&W 686. It uses the same speedloaders as the 686 (L-frame) I have 2 dozen Safariland Comp III L-frame speedloaders that work just fine with the Ruger.

What I have done to my Rugers is this: smooth the internal action parts and install a Wilson Combat spring kit, the DA pull is 8.25 pounds and butter smooth.... polished the chambers.... replaced the factory rear sight with a Bowen Rough Country (Ruger offers an interchangeable front sight model, and Hi-Viz makes a good fiber optic front sight that mates perfectly with the Bowen Rear). Grips are a matter of choice. Hogue offers hardwood Mono-Grips for it.

It doesn't take much to tune a GP-100 for competition, and for a lot less bucks than a S&W. I can feel Bones cycling up now... but those are my thoughts on the GP-100 and sorry for the long post.

Edited October 15, 2012 by GOF

[toothguy]

The Ruger GP-100 is a very sturdy and reliable revolver. There are only two screws on the gun that need to be addressed -- the grip retaining screw and the small screw under the cylinder release. S&W guns have three screws on the right hand side plate, one on the rear sight, another on the cylinder release, and another on the mainspring to tension it. If anyone of those loosens up, you can have a malf. I've seen rear sights, cylinder latches, and even cylinders (when the crane screw backs out) fall off in a match. Then of course, there is the mainspring tension screw. It it loosens you get light strikes. That happened to me on the first stage at 2006 USPSA FL State, and killed me.

S&W has also changed it's rifling in the last five + years and they do not handle lead bullets as well as the Ruger, and do not offer the same level of accuracy if you prefer to shoot lead. I couldn't get better than 4 inches from a 25 yard bench rest with my last 686, but I can get 2.5-inches with my Rugers. I'm a IDPA SO and I have also seen that a lot of 158 grain lead bullets, cast and swaged, have tumbled when I score the targets (and from my previous gun as well). The Ruger shoots lead well, and the factory barrels are more than accurate enough for ICORE (which is the most accuracy oriented of the action games).

I shot S&W revolvers in competition (and carried them on both military and LEO duty) since 1968. I changed to the GP-100 in 2006, and never looked back. I now have four of them. I am biased in their favor, but I think my reasons are backed by experience.

The 4-inch GP-100 is a legal IDPA gun. It weighs in right between a S&W K-frame and a S&W 686. It uses the same speedloaders as the 686 (L-frame) I have 2 dozen Safariland Comp III L-frame speedloaders that work just fine with the Ruger.

What I have done to my Rugers is this: smooth the internal action parts and install a Wilson Combat spring kit, the DA pull is 8.25 pounds and butter smooth.... polished the chambers.... replaced the factory rear sight with a Bowen Rough Country (Ruger offers an interchangeable front sight model, and Hi-Viz makes a good fiber optic front sight that mates perfectly with the Bowen Rear). Grips are a matter of choice. Hogue offers hardwood Mono-Grips for it.

It doesn't take much to tune a GP-100 for competition, and for a lot less bucks than a S&W. I can feel Bones cycling up now... but those are my thoughts on the GP-100 and sorry for the long post.

OK I will bite, but just this once. Rugers are great revolvers solid strong actions so are Dan Wessons. You can get the Smiths smoother and lighter because of the leaf spring vs the coil. It's not hard to get in the 6.5 range with reliability and good trigger return. For competition the trigger is a huge deciding factor. If I saw a GP-100 at a good price for a hunting pistol or carry I would not hesitate to buy it. Please come out and shoot Action Pistol with us and you will find it is the most accuracy oriented of the action games.

[GOF]

I would love to come out and shoot Action Pistol with you with my GP-100s, but living in NE FL I don't know where you are.

I readily agree that you can get a better trigger, in the 6.5 pound range, on a well-tuned S&W than the 8 pound trigger on the Ruger. I'm not certain that... if... both triggers are butter smooth and the shooter is used to that trigger rhytmn... that a 6.5 pound trigger is an automatic match winner over a 8 pound trigger. I do know that the 6.5 pound trigger... and the S&W revolver in general... is more maintenance intensive... and more prone to malf in a match... than the Ruger, and I've shot both in State Championship matches. Based upon what I learned there I chose the Ruger for IDPA National and World Championship matches.

In terms of "accuracy intensive' I'll take a Ruger over any post 1970 S&W when it comes to shooting tight groups with a 158 grain lead load. If the load of choice is jacketed, there seems to be no difference, but I'm happy with a 158 grain LRN at 120-125 PF (depending on the match I'm shooting) because it works and costs less.

Please don't take this as argumentative, because it is not intended to be. I shot S&W guns for a long time... in matches... and find the GP-100 a better bet for both cost and performance, than the current crop of S&W guns. Just MHO.

[jester121]

How is this pistol for USPSA/IDPA matches?

I'm new to the revolver thing so what would I need done to it, to get started.

I have AA belt set up for my XDm 9mm and mags. Will the belt work for the revolver gear?

What speed loaders/holders are good to use?

I'm just finishing my first year of USPSA so I was in your shoes last spring. Shot my XDm a couple times in Production and wanted to try out my GP-100 (5" model). It was a heck of a lot of fun, and I've had a great time this summer shooting revolver (culminating in the Memphis Charity Challenge in a couple weeks).

I bought a cheap Fobus paddle holster and some Safariland Comp II (should have bought Comp III) speedloaders and belt holders. I also got set up to handload .38/.357 ammo, which was a great idea, it let me do a lot more shooting in matches and practice, once I took the hit paying for all the setup. My GP-100 hasn't had any work done to it, other than a new Hiviz front sight, and I still love it dearly. I was real close to sending off the cylinder to TK Custom to get it cut for moon clips, and probably will do that some day.

But right up front everyone here told me to find a deal on an S&W 625, shoot .45 ACP with moon clips, and be done with it. And they were right.

I'll continue shooting my GP-100 with speedloaders for ICORE retro division, and whenever I want to at the range, but convention wisdom is that the 625 is where it's at for USPSA revolver I think.

For some info on the GP-100 in IDPA go check out Caleb Giddings at gunnuts.net -- he had a bunch of blog posts and videos of him running a Ruger at Nationals this year, doing work on it, etc.

[ChrisC]

When I get back from nationals I'll take pictures of my full custom classic gun, 6" gp 100

[Bosshoss]

I would love to come out and shoot Action Pistol with you with my GP-100s, but living in NE FL I don't know where you are.

I readily agree that you can get a better trigger, in the 6.5 pound range, on a well-tuned S&W than the 8 pound trigger on the Ruger. I'm not certain that... if... both triggers are butter smooth and the shooter is used to that trigger rhytmn... that a 6.5 pound trigger is an automatic match winner over a 8 pound trigger. I do know that the 6.5 pound trigger... and the S&W revolver in general... is more maintenance intensive... and more prone to malf in a match... than the Ruger, and I've shot both in State Championship matches. Based upon what I learned there I chose the Ruger for IDPA National and World Championship matches.

In terms of "accuracy intensive' I'll take a Ruger over any post 1970 S&W when it comes to shooting tight groups with a 158 grain lead load. If the load of choice is jacketed, there seems to be no difference, but I'm happy with a 158 grain LRN at 120-125 PF (depending on the match I'm shooting) because it works and costs less.

Please don't take this as argumentative, because it is not intended to be. I shot S&W guns for a long time... in matches... and find the GP-100 a better bet for both cost and performance, than the current crop of S&W guns. Just MHO.

99% of the competitive revolver shooters will disagree with you on that. Ruger guns are good guns but if they were that much better than S&W then we would all be using them. I'm glad they are working for you. I don't care what revolver you shoot as long as your shooting a revolver

[No.343]

I'm shooting a S&W right now. I think that the Ruger can be a viable competition platform. I saw at the IRC two Ruger shooters and both of them made it to the shoot-offs.

[Endurokids]

Thanks for the replies to all.

I just checked out a S&W 629 for the trigger feel (I still have to find a 625 to check out)and was not impressed with the trigger pull and distance from the grip for my medium size hands.

That being said, I still like the feel and fit of the GP 100, again, I need to find a 625 to check out.

Why do people prefer the moon clips over the speedloaders?

Aren't the moon clips a PIA to load and unload? They are used in my CC 9mm S&W J frame pistol.

How are the Safariland C3's to load and use?

How many should a guy have to compete comfortably?

[toothguy]

Thanks for the replies to all.

I just checked out a S&W 629 for the trigger feel (I still have to find a 625 to check out)and was not impressed with the trigger pull and distance from the grip for my medium size hands.

That being said, I still like the feel and fit of the GP 100, again, I need to find a 625 to check out.

Why do people prefer the moon clips over the speedloaders?

Aren't the moon clips a PIA to load and unload? They are used in my CC 9mm S&W J frame pistol.

How are the Safariland C3's to load and use?

How many should a guy have to compete comfortably?

The good advice that I got when I started was to find out what game you want to play first. Then go to a match and ask questions. The shooting sports are full of great people who will be very happy to help you. See what they are using and try different equipment at the match. It will make more sense to see it in action and will save you money, frustration and time.

[ChrisC]

i think about 7 or 8 is average for icore and uspsa. for most people moons are faster than speed loaders. the 625 loads pretty quick so matching it with a 38 special speedloader fed gun is going to be a challenge but it can be done i.e. Josh Lentz.main thing is what do you want to accomplish? there are far too many people in this sport worried about keeping up with the other guy instead of just having fun.

[GOF]

If you intend to primarily shoot USPSA revo then a 625 moon clip gun is the most efficient choice -- Major caliber, and .45 ACP moonclips do produce faster reloads over speedloaders. Those .45 ACP charge holes are BIG, and rounds fall in. I'm not so certain the moonclip advantage extends to .38, with the smaller charge holes. You still have to get all six aligned, but once done the Comp III springs do drive the rounds home a bit more positively than pushing them in with a moon clip.

If you choose a 625 with a 4 inch barrel it will be legal for IDPA ESR division, and will work for ICORE (especially if you can develop some accurate 135-140 or so PF loads). Shooting Major loads in ICORE against a 120 PF does, IMHO, put you at a disadvantage.

If you wish to expend most of your time in IDPA & ICORE, I would go with the .38/speedloaders. IDPA requires a barrel no longer than 4.2 inches, and that will work for ICORE. I have a 4 inch GP-100 for IDPA SSR and a 6 inch GP-100 for ICORE. I can also run that 6 inch in USPSA... and a 200 grain slug at 850 fps will make Major for USPSA. From a 6 inch gun it's not a hard kicking load.

As others have noted, your gun choice might be more dependent upon which game you intend to spend most of your time & resources in.

[Endurokids]

Absolutely correct on the fun factor being the primary reason to do this.

I checked out several S&W revolvers yesterday and have not found one to fit me better than the Ruger so far.

I did however find out that the older S&W frames are smaller than the new ones and fit me better.

I mentioned my interest in wheel gun class at our league shoot last night, and several guys said they would bring in their

'wheelies" in if they knew more people would shoot them.

I might be starting something here.

Thank you to all for your feedback.