My eyes pick it up fast and line the green dot up with the rear sight instinctively. The Jeff Quinn Memorial Ruger GP100 44S&W Special is a nice Revolver. I think after all these years I may have to purchase a new Ruger GP100 and 44 special. Hazmat is for powder and primers. Only downside of the Contender, is that you cant actually shove a .30-06 round into it. These arent bad guns, and they serve a purpose, but they arent nice guns, and they dont have the longevity of nicer guns. Also a fantastic carbine round. Im good to guns, but I do expect them to work, hard at times. The GP100 was controllable, and I warmed up to the fiber-optic front sight a little more during this phase of my test. I just wish S&W would produce an L frame 44 spec. Unfortunately, it would also chamber in a 38 S&W cylinder which produces about a third of the pressure of a 9mm. Ruger continues down the .44 Special trail with a stubby 3 barreled version of their GP100 chambered to hold five rounds in an unfluted cylinder. Double Action). well, they stink compared to a decent S&W. Available barrel lengths are 2.5 inches (64mm), 3 inches (76mm), 4 inches (100mm), 4.2 inches (110mm), 5 inches (130mm), and 6 inches (150mm) with partial or full length underlugs. $319.00 AFAIK the Charter guns are not meant for hot loads and if you do run em hot itll decrease their service life post haste. I am really glad to see Ruger produce this pistol. The .44 Special offers that advantage, and the Ruger GP100 is an excellent vehicle for it. That 77/357 is totally indifferent to the ammo it is fed, unlike lever guns that I have had. A soft lead 240-250 grain, 44 caliber SWC travelling at 900-1000 fps will do 95% of what a 44 caliber handgun is asked to do. The GP100 in .44 Special reminds me why. Adjustable sighted versions of the S&W or the Colt were holy grails. 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The finish is mediocre, and the pin coming out of the rear sight during firing was annoying. Sorry about the typo. Ruger likes to build their revolvers to be very, very stout, and some of their single action revolvers in .45 Colt can be loaded to absurdly high pressure levels, and survive. If you want a .44 Magnum, buy one. Follow them. I was saving for a Colt Python with 4 inch carry Barrel in stainless steel or the royal blue. A custom holster made just for this short 3-inch barreled revolver would make its size even more comfortable for day-long carry. The Dan Wesson patent (U.S. Patent 3,683,535) was granted in 1972 and Ruger's patent (U.S. Patent 4,625,445) was granted in 1986. Ruger GP100 44 Special Guns.com (See Price) Specs Model: 1767 Caliber: 44 Special Capacity: 5 Action: Double Barrel Length: 3" Overall Length: 8.5" Finish: Satin Stainless Grips: Hogue Walnut Weight: 36 oz. But the .44 caliber bore and five big drilled out cylinder chambers lighten its overall feel and the revolver balances nicely in the hand. With a 36-ounce handgun, you need a heavy-duty belt, so I chose one from Versacarry made of double-ply leather. Great suggestions on the loads, Ace! With newer and stronger swing-out-cylinder revolvers from Colt and S&W, a more powerful .44 cartridge was called for, so the older .44 cartridge case was lengthened by 0.2 inches for added powder capacity, and the 246-grain LRN bullet of the Russian load was retained. With the exception of the two pelvis shots in the 7- and 8-rings, the rest of the shots stayed within the 9-, 10- and X-rings of the white inset within the target. The push button style cylinder release works intuitively and the ejector rod pushes spent cases out easily. That round was going 1,100fps, generating 700 ft. lbs. I agree. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. If you have any thoughts please let me know. A frequent repeat cops want a powerful round and then find it kicks and is harder to control than a medium bore handgun. And the gun shop just down the road just happens to have that nice GP100 in their display case. Skeeter Skelton tried to talk Bill Ruger into making a .44 Special single action Blackhawk on the .357 frame, but Ruger said it didnt make business sense. Handloading the .44 Special is easy due to its straight wall case and loads from mild to wild are inherently accurate. If that were my gun, it would live in that Threepersons holster and never see the Fobus again. Looks like a drunk plumber decided to add a longer barrel to his gun. Small, heavy bullets moving very, very fast work extremely well but there is a price to pay in recoil and wear and tear on the guns. He also wrote prolifically about firearms, combining guns with his southwest lifestyle in a manner that was superbly entertaining. The 3-inch barrel length keeps the Ruger compact for any kind of carry. Keith hot load was pretty mild by toadys 44 magnum standards. Keith and Skelton were also involved in the development of the 41 Magnum for law enforcement and hunting. That included 200- and 240-grain LSWC, LSWCHP and jacketed hollowpoints from several manufacturers, as well as my own home-cast boolits. I like it. Was tickled to discover the Blazer with the Gold Dot bullets, which the gun seems to like a lot. I would pay for a Ruger rather than accept a free SW if I had to keep it and not sell it. Cut to still allow smooth ejection of spent cases, they feel and work just as well as the rubber grips. His father and grandfather were shooters and collectors before him, so its pretty much in his DNA. Its a surprising choice for what is essentially an L-frame sized revolver. The guns were all stainless, chambered in .357 Magnum, had 4 inch barrels, serial numbers with "NRA" prefixes, and rosewood grip inserts engraved with "NRA". A handgun without the extra frame size and barrel length required to shoot .44 Magnums. The Hogue grips aid further by positioning your trigger finger in excellent alignment to give outstanding control. I just wanted to say that this was an awesome review, very well done. The Hogue Monogrip helped in reducing muzzle flip, and it absorbed whatever felt recoil wasnt soaked up by the GP100s 36-ounce weight. While the rubber grips work superbly at taming the recoil of hotter .44 Special loads, I couldnt resist purchasing a set of Ruger/Hogue hardwood grips from their website with a 20% off coupon I had received. This was a stout, sharply recoiling load. 5 shot 41 magnum. Everything from powder puff .38 Specials to fire breathing .357 Mag Bear Loads, not to mention Shot Shells, etc. The Colt Dragoon, which it barely beat. More isnt always better. Got my GP100 .44 Special 3 for $529 on Wednesday. Panels on the side, made of black plastic, goncalo alves wood, or rosewood, provide contrast to the flat black of the Santoprene. Ruger GP100 Ballistics Ruger GP100 Capacity But Skeeter knew that a lighter weight, smaller frame .44 Special was easier to carry out in the field for days at a time. My standard .44 Spl. Not legend, pure myth. I put 500 rounds through the gun, shooting both steel and brass cases, without cleaning. For this review, we requested a .357 Mag./.38 Special GP100 in stainless steel with a 4.2" barrel from the good folks at Ruger. He was a certified firearms instructor for his department for 28 years. Its dependable design emerged from the older Security-Six, and was introduced as the answer to ending 3 different guns that were being manufactured by Sturm Ruger Incorporated at that time. Compared to the easy shooting 200-grain factory Federal Load, the Hornady round made the GP100 feel like a different beast entirely. Very manageable. . Stay tuned for my review (coming soon at a RevolverGuy website near you!) Ruger GP100 Stainless 3" Revolver 5 RD 44 Special $849.00 (Save up to 20%) Price $675.00. Unless and until there is an approved loading beyond the current SAAMI specs for this revolver, theres no need to push it. The .357 Mangum is a great caliber, but has taken every North American game animal from a handgun many times over is a stretch beyond anything close to reasonable. I used a modified isosceles stance with a two-handed hold and just put the glowing green fiber-optic front sight on each plate as I stroked the double-action trigger. It fired any and all rounds I put through it, including rounds that should have never been put through it. Breaking out my old Brown and Sharpe calipers, I discovered that the S&W cylinder on the Magnum was 1.69 inches wide, while the Ruger GP100s was 1.59. Put one of the old compact GP grips on it, makes it a bit more hideable than the MOE grips. I agree on the .357 Magnum; has to be the most versatile center fire handgun cartridge. A magnum load of many powders in a short-barreled .44 Mag (ie, CCW piece, with a 3 barrel or so) is going to result in not much improvement in muzzle velocity or any other difference from a .44 Special, other than a huge muzzle bloom. Honestly, Ive never seen the point in non-magnum caliber revolvers. In Iowa, I have to have a 4 barrel before I can take it hunting. The double-action trigger has a long yet smooth pull, and the grip fits well into most hands. For this new take on the GP100, Ruger chose a black rubber Hogue Monogrip with pebbled texturing for traction. The GP100 is a family/line of double action five- (.44 Special), six- (.357 Magnum, .38 Special, & 10mm Auto), seven- (.357 Magnum and .327 Federal Magnum), or ten-shot (.22 Long Rifle) revolvers made by Sturm, Ruger & Co., manufactured in the United States. Im looking forward to more information on .44 special, and would really like to hear your opinion on appropriate defensive loads for this weapon. Though my rear sight pin also kept coming out. The only thing Ive had to replace on the entire gun is the rear sight blade eventually broke partially and Ruger sent me another blade for free no questions asked. Then they switch back to a medium bore with less power. It was hard enough to settle on a GP100 over a Dan Wesson (among other revolvers). Ill just get a .357 so I can run both if I so choose. When I think one shot power from a handgun, .44spl isnt on the list, and then I think tool for personal defense, I dont look for something with less power and half the capacity of a 1911, unless its far lighter and smaller, and designed to be easy to carry. There is a certain gravitas to the .44 Special that is apparent to those who treasure history and respect those who blazed the trail. The fact that that very gun (misidentified as a Contender) is the signature weapon of one of my favorite fictional characters is just an added bonus. Item Number: 1761; Ruger GP100 44SW Special Double-Action Revolver with Walnut Hogue Grips $899.00 $669.99; Notify Me When Available; Brand: Ruger; Item Number: 1767 Pistols will no longer ship with braces. Estimated New and Used Values for a Ruger GP100 Values are based on a basic model with no options or colors. I put 20 of those through the gun with no ill effects. The other big speed-assisting factor: the GP100s sights. DeSantis makes a nice thumb break pancake that allows easy carry under a cover shirt. Their factories have the ability to take an idea to reality quickly. I could do without the skid mark on the side of the barrel. Im getting 481 ft lbs of energy at the muzzle for these amazing .44spl loads of 240 grains at 950 fps. This thing would look awesome on the rack next to the Desert Eagle and the Raging Judge. The Price for a Ruger GP100 has increased in cost by $10.51 in 2023 compared to 2022. It is our first review of a Ruger round gun. Black Hills of South Dakota. Compare that to the soul-stealing .45 ACP and youll soon see the .44 Specials superiority. Theres a good reason why reloaders running Ruger revolvers and Thompson Center single-shot pistols are rewarded with a separate section in most reloading manuals. When the cylinder is closed and the gun is at the point of firing, the cylinder crane is locked into the frame at the front and rear of the crane and by the cylinder lock at the bottom of the crane opening. Back in 1986, when the .357 Mag. Concealing the Ruger GP100 would most easily be done with a shoulder holster, though concealing it along your belt can be done with the proper holster and attire. As a lifelong fan of the .44 Special cartridge, its exciting to have a fairly compact but robust wheelgun in a versatile caliber that can handle light loads or some pretty heavy-duty stuff if needed. Especially if you consider that a 230gr +p .45 auto can deliver more, -and- from a platform that in single stack configuration (1911 for example) holds 2+1 more rounds then the 5 in this weapon here( not to mention the double stack .45s from Glock, S&W, Springfield, etc that are prevalent today). It just isnt sanctioned. Looking forward to hearing more from you here. CapArms Question of the Day: Is Your Kids School a Gun Free Zone? You went out to the car and brought in a box and it had a few different model GP100 in it and he opened up every box and set them up on the counter then he brings out this gun that is mounted to a piece of plastic as a display piece and I noticed theres a 3/8 inch Bolt stainless steel screw down into the barrel in the muzzle of the gun then he pops the cylinder out and pulls out and empty brass full load 357 Magnum charge an empty piece of brass and he says does that Barrel look messed up to you other than the bolt being screwed into the front of the muzzle? Then the tacticool guys. HAVE A 44 SPECIAL GP 100 AND WONT SHOOT GOLD DOT 200 GRAIN ANY ONE KNOW SOMETHING I DONT KNOW THANKS, 2016 to 2023 RevolverGuy.com, All Rights Reserved, RG101: Revolver Grasp, or How to Hold a Revolver. The .44 Special is very manageable, even for novice shooters. Especially Little Gun & H 110. The numbers in the reloading manual are there to keep you safe. The grips are now Hogue one piece rubber grips standard. GP100 . and pay hazmat + shipping, and wait forever? Plenty of S&Ws and Colts have passed through my hands or reside in my safe. If I could only have one gun, it would be a 357 revolver. The stock grips are made of Santoprene, a soft, chemical resistant elastomer that helps absorb the recoil of firing. of energy. The 44 magnum was developed by a man named Elmer Keith. I really like that GP100. The factory continues to enthusiastically embrace our special editions and we constantly have new models in the works. A smaller, more versatile gun. Im not a fan of revolvers with rubber grips, especially heavy magnums. It took multiple shots. Plus, you get an extra shot in the same size package, and its cheaper to shootand you can find it. This exclusive version of the Ruger GP100 comes with rubber grips and wood inserts Moose? 250g Hornady XTP over 25g of Lil Gun in a 45 Colt case will give you an average fps of 1434 with a 7.5 barrel on a Super Red Hawk chambered for 454 Casull/45 Colt. I can buy a case (1000 rds) of decent brass new 5.56 for 29 cents a round (I refuse to shoot nasty steel russian crap) with either free shipping or maybe up to $15. What Id really like to see in the .44 Special is something in-between the S&W 396, which is almost too light, and the S&W 696, which is about as heavy (or heavier) than this Ruger revolver. Cooking up Hornady 180gr XTPs today. Available in a wide array of models, the Ruger 44 Special for sale are affordable revolvers with exceptional quality and performance. This is my first Ruger double action revolver. The top strap of the Ruger in .44SPL was actually slightly thicker than the Model 29. I could always see it before it completely came out, so just a press with my finger put it back in. Ruger is TALO's largest special edition partner. This meant that to have a round butt concealed carry version and a square butt holster or target version of the same gun usually meant having two different frame shapes. The SAAMI pressure limit for the 44 Special is 15,500 psi. Great work! I usually prefer lighter pulls but the overall mechanics of this GP100 work very well in my hands. They sold out very quickly. The Ruger GP100 is a double-action revolver chambered in .357 Magnum and has a 5 round cylinder. Good medicine for a variety of chores one ight want a heavy sixgun to perform. Certainly a part of that is down to the guns handle. Like Ace, I think the .44 Special is more than adequate for self defense with stoked with the Gold Dots (which I use) or the Buffalo Bores. SOLD !!! Ruger recently introduced some exciting new products, especially handguns. 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