The Ruger GP100, something The Duke, himself might even consider as a back up to his lever gun if he were around today. There’s only so many ways a revolver can try to reinvent itself to maintain relevancy in today’s world of hand guns. Revolvers, obviously aren’t as light or as compact as their conceal carry semi-auto cousins, and when it comes to full size models, it is hard to compete against a stacked 21 round Sig P320 with a red dot, or a good ‘ol 1911 for that. Yet here we are, talking about a revolver in 2021. As we should.
No, this review isn’t going to get into the triple locking features this wheel gun possesses that ensures your cylinder doesn’t free spin. Nor will we get into the 10.5lbs of pull in double action (DA) or the 4.2lbs in single action. (SA) No, you’re here because you want to be convinced as to why you should have one. Needing that little bit of a push to convince yourself a revolver has its place in your inventory. Look no further my friends.
Wood grain grip panels outlined in a nice “grippy” rubber, suitable for all weather conditions, or the super ergonomic Hogue all rubber grips. Front high viz front sight with an adjustable rear sight, (because it’s a modern revolver, gotta look the part) and a cylinder housing up to seven chambers to hold seven rounds of screamin’ freedom. My second purchase ever at a gun show some 12 years ago, measuring in at 4 ½”, was a GP100 with a big black magnum sized… Hogue grip. Wanting to show all my new city friends in Las Vegas a good time, I doubled up my arsenal at the gun show and took us all out to the desert for a gang bang in the wadies. Sure, everyone took a turn on the ARs, and the other hand guns such as the Beretta M9, a shotgun for sure got a lot of lovin’. The kel-tec sub-2000 surprised a few folks as well, with its ease of use and accuracy… but something different happened when they picked up that lightly polished hunk of stainless steel. All the sudden the words from Boris, the Bullet Dodger rang clear, “and if it doesn’t fire, you can hit him with it.” There’s a look these classics get that the rest of the firearms don’t. Maybe its flashbacks of all the old westerns they watched as a kid, (aka my babysitters) or something in our DNA flares up when being reunited with an old ancestral friend. Some even get the hamster eyes. No lie, I’ve seen it. While the Mossberg 590a1 with a bayonet fixed got the smirk and the selfies for FB uploads, the revolver got the eye brows raised and “whoa face” with a slight dilation in one pupil. It’s heavy. It’s all business, and the GP100 still has a place in today’s firearms line-ups.
So, what can it do? Well, if you fancy yourself an outdoorsman, any iteration of the GP100 makes an awesome trail gun. During my time in Nevada, I always ensured I had my GP100 on me when I hit the mountain trails. With a hot steamy load… of .357 in the chamber, there’s not much this revolver can’t tame that might cross your path. If you face a territorial ram, there’s not much a pocket 380 is going to do except piss it off. For this reason alone, the GP100 is the right sidekick for any outdoor adventure. Not to forget to mention, there’s little that can go wrong when being placed into action. No safety, minimal moving parts, no failing to eject is going to jam up your action, no failure to reload should you have a bad round. There’s also no need to worry about a magazine not fully seated causing a malfunction. Still looking for more reasons?
Reliability like no other. Make it your truck gun, your night stand gun, your under your pillow gun, (freak) put it where ever you like, and forget about it until you need it. I’ve kept my gp100 loaded for almost 10 years in the safe. It has never needed any maintenance other than a little oil maybe once a year. The action still remains silky, crisp, and predictable. You can literally neglect this piece, and it will literally thank you for it. Seriously. Spit on it, and call it names, it likes it.
To be fair, I do have a couple cons to throw at you. Little things. After thoughts at best. So… It’s heavy, the trigger pull feels like it takes forever in SA, and the price has definitely gone up quite a bit the last 5 – 10 years. Compared to when I bought my first one new in 2011 for $610, to today’s pricing at an MSRP of $929, the average price of the basic Gp100, has gone up roughly $220 when considering what you’ll actually pay at a gun show. Inching closer to the base price of Smith and Wesson models. These GP100s are no longer your generic brand.
