ruger gp100 review

There is no doubt about it. Ruger makes great firearms. They are not always the prettiest, or the lightest, but damn it, they perform flawlessly and they are priced modestly. Anyone who has owned a Ruger can agree with me. Not to mention their customer service is second to none, better than some other companies who charge thousands for their products, and put you thru the gamut to exchange a defective magazine. As an avid shooter, these are important factors when purchasing a firearm. "Hey not everyone can afford a Kimber or Dan Wesson". Should we have to sacrifice quality and customer service for that? Ruger says "NO" and I agree. They sell firearms that are reliable and accurate for a modest profit and have excellent customer service. This makes them one of my favorite companies in the industry. I have called Ruger, Kimber, Sig Sauer, and also Smith & Wesson. Smith is a joke (like calling Verizon), Sig is pretty good, Kimber okay, Ruger was excellent.

So what is the deal? Here is the deal, The GP100 meets if not exceeds everything you would expect from Ruger. They will stand behind their product and will amaze you with their customer service. I once called Ruger because my P345 would shoot all over the place. I had to send it in (boooo) however, they paid for shipping and also determined that my barrel was defective. They not only sent me the gun back professionally sighted, with a new barrel, I also received a free gun lock. All this and I never once mentioned who I work for!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
This gun comes with a few different barrel options. There is a 3 inch, 4 inch and also a 6 inch barrel. The 4 inch barrel being the one we are using here. This gun is well built. I also have a Stainless Steel Smith & Wesson in 357 Magnum. After handling the Ruger, the Smith feels sub par. The Ruger is bulky and can clearly handle any load fired. I am no gun guru, but compare the two for yourself and draw your own conclusion. For me the Ruger is feels superior. The grip is more comfy, and the steel thicker. In a 357 these are key factors. The cylinder was well balanced and spun for about 4 seconds. The cylinder walls of the Ruger look thicker than that of the Smith.

SHOOTING
What can I say? Shooting this 357 Magnum is a lot like going to a strip club. My gun was hot, the rounds were heavy, and oh man was I excited. The gun was accurate as expected and recoiled much less than the Smith & Wesson version. It felt stout, heavy and easy to aim. The sights were good and found the targets quite easily. They are also adjustable for windage. As all revolvers do, it fed everything without a hiccup. It ate many different types of .38 special, and 357 magnum, hollow points, LSWC, shot shells etc. Blowing up melons with the frangible ammunition was especially fun. The trigger is very good. I did not find it at all difficult to manage in double action. Single action was as smooth as glass and broke very clean without stacking. I have no complaints whatsoever with the trigger. After the day at the range, I found it superior to my Smith version and much easier to shoot. I may be parting with the Smith & Wesson soon (perhaps for an AR-15) but the GP100 will be staying with me.

CONCLUSIONS
I am simply sold on Ruger revolvers. They are comfy, easy to shoot and reek of quality. Anyone in the market for a .357 revolver should take a hard look at Ruger. It will not take long, you will choose Ruger over Taurus, Charter, and even some Smith & Wessons. They are fine firearms and built to easily last a lifetime. Combine that with Rugers excellent customer service and moderate pricing and I think we have a winner.

- Jeff | ballistics101.com

GUN SPECS.

do you like the ruger gp100?