Suddenly have the itch for a revolver...everyone needs a revolver...right!?!?

Thinking about a GP100. The two I’m considering is the stainless 4” and also the match champion 4”. For you guys with experience, would you pay the extra for the match champion or just go with the base model?

wish i still had my 4 inch gp. built like a tank

Mine is a 4" stainless.  Only mod's I've made are a couple of springs to lighten the pull a tad.  

I effing' love that revolver.  The trigger is as smooth as my S&W's, it eats everything and it puts the lead where I want it to go.

Just a range toy, or do you have specific tasks in mind for this revolver?

No specific need. Something to carry in the woods or the like. No competition shooting, just wondered if the extra 100-150 was worth the upgrade on the Match Champion model.

Great guns.  Built like a tank.

I paid extra because I wanted the half lug and I liked the novak sights. Haven't had a chance to fire it yet though.

Holy Billboard!

Sent you a email about your grip.

Do it. Either would be great.

Also put the S&W 686 on your consideration list. Prelock preferably.

I've got the base model. Stop considering, start buying! They're rugged, accurate and just generally awesome handguns.

Mine is the first in the range bag and can frequently be found in a Simply Rugged holster on my belt.

You would be happy with either. I have S&W 686's and sp101 and a Match Champion. Get the Match Champion. Love shooting that pistol. I do run 38's through it plinking/cost . I have the  factory wood grips on it . I cant even tell you how great of a feel the pistol and grip combo has. I have small hands .. Its perfect. WarDawg

If your going to shoot it a lot the full under lug and rubber grip of the regular GP100 would be of benefit.  If you going to carry it more and shoot less or just shoot 38 Special than the match champion might be good as it will be ~2 oz lighter and supposedly the trigger and other internals has had some factory work done on it.  I would go handle both.  Only you can decide if the extra work on the internals is worth the premium price for the Match Champion.

For a general use gun, I'd much prefer the fully adjustable sights on the standard model over the windage adjustable only sights.

I think you can get the match champion with adjustable or fixed Novak sights. I’d probably got with the adjustable as well.

The other side is just as billboardy.

I have been wanting a gp100 for awhile, it just feels perfect in my hand in 357 with 4" barrel. I sold the xbox i bought my nephew cause he was being a brat and bought a s&w 65 and that is pretty sweet. I shot a colt trooper a while back that had the best trigger I've seen in a long time, on any gun let alone double action revolver, but it had that dang barney fife pencil barrel. Too many guns, so little money.

I love my GP100. It's really easy to slick up the trigger on your own. Also it handles super hot loads with ease. Great revolver.

Either the GP100 or Match Champion your good to go. My only complaint on the MC is it's only a 5 shot. Went to LGS last month to buy SS GP100. S&W 686 Plus (7-shot) was on sale and ended up with it instead. No buyer remorse, but I'd been just as happy with a SS GP100. Great revolver!

Say what?

Wrong.

OP, I would pass on the Champion because I hate the billboard and not a fan of the sights.

Get the standard 4" SS.
Put a Dawson FO front sight on it.
Get the Wolf trigger spring pack, do some testing to find what you like that will still ignite hard primers reliably.
Change out the grips to the old model GP and get some Attero panel inserts.
Send your cylinder out to be milled for use with moon clips. TK Custom
Buy a bunch of moon clips and demooner tool.

Shoot and enjoy.

Nice GP!  I’m convinced.

Don't ignore a nice used K-frame or a 586.

I've had both the regular 4" GP100 and the Match Champion.  They're both good, but I still have the Match Champion (with adjustable sights). The wood grip on the MC is far more comfortable than the rubber one on the GP and better than the very similar wood Hogue grips. The action has been noticeably smoothed.  The chamfered cylinder holes are a nice-to-have.  Personally, I think the MC is worth the additional expense, but it's not as if the GP is junk.

Oh, and it's a six-shooter.  There is a SP101 Match Champion as well. That's a five-shot revolver.

K-frames are nice, but you won't get away with a steady diet of magnums for nearly as long.

I've got 16 smith revolvers, 1 POS Colt revolver. I'm always looking for older model Smiths in .38 or .357. The other day, I was waiting on old gal to show up to eat Mexican so I stopped into the gun shop next door. I was eyeballing the Smiths, nothing I really cared to see or handle in there. BS'ing with the shop owner for a while and he said he had a Ruger revolver that I would be interested in. I said I doubt it. He came out with an older gp100 6" with "action work" no boxes, no papers, no info on work done. I know nothing about Ruger revolvers, but I'll be damned if it didn't have a very sweet action and trigger. Excellent condition, priced at $530. I asked if he could get me out of there for $530 and he said for cash, yes. So I figured what the hell and brought it home. I don't know if I got a good deal or not but...
I've put 200 rounds through it the last couple days and I'm absolutely in love. I seriously shoot it better than any other revolver I own.

It sure sounds like you got a good deal to me.  I've spent a lot more on a gun and been much less happy with it.

Yes, you can get the Match Champion with adjustable sights. I bought one so configured a little over two years ago.

I bought the Match Champion because I hate the full underlug on a revolver.  It makes them feel muzzle heavy for me.  I originally wanted a S&W 686SSR but couldn't find one any where and waited severals months.  Picked up the Match Champion and couldn't be happier.

Find a Smith & Wesson 28 in 357 mag. N frame and handles hot loads all day. Great trigger and great grip.

The only N-frame in 357 Magnum that makes sense is a 627 8-shots.

Although I've never even held, let alone shot, a Match Champion, I do have a standard 4" stainless GP100.

The GP100 is a very good revolver. Very comparable, size and weight wise, to a S&W 686. They are well known for durability and the ability to absorb thousands of full house .357 ammo.

Mine is probably 10-11 years old now. When I bought it, the trigger was so bad that I thought something was wrong with it (I bought it on sale for a good price at Gander Mountain and they forbade you from dry firing in the store). Took it home and stripped it, the action was so full of dirt and metal chips that it looked like Ruger was saving money on trash removal by dumping all the floor sweepings into the guns. Got it cleaned up and the trigger was pretty good. Not great, but pretty good. Followed some directions I found at rugerforum.com, detail stripped the action and deburred and slicked it up. The action is now as smooth as a S&W, although the trigger is a bit heavier because I left the stock springs in it. VERY pleasant to shoot. I understand that newer guns come already pretty slick.

Mine is very accurate, as well. .38, .357, it doesn't really matter, they all shoot very well. With .38, the gun is heavy enough that there is very little recoil. With .357, you know that you've touched off a powerful pistol round, but recoil is still easily controlled.

My opinion, if you plan on shooting both .38 and .357, I'd get the adjustable sight version. That way you can adjust the sights for light .38s, heavy .357s or anything in between. If you only plan on shooting one particular load, then the fixed sight version should work well.

The only real complaint I have about my GP100 is that it came with the full sized rubber grips with the wood inserts. I like them, they are comfortable, fit me well and handle recoil very well. I'd like to put the compact rubber grips on it, however, for a little smaller package. I never bought them after I bought the gun, thinking I'd be able to buy them later. However, the company that made them for Ruger went out of business before I could buy them and the prices shot WAY up. IIRC, a set of the compact rubber grips was selling for $75.00 or more because everyone wanted them but there weren't any available except on the used market. Someone is making them for Ruger again, the next time I have the spare $$$ I plan on buying a set. It's not a real big deal because I don't shoot it much, just something I want to get.

Overall, VERY good gun. Reasonably priced (for a revolver, anyway), comfortable, shoots well, what's not to like?

Bub75

I have the compact grips on my 3" GP 100.
Transformed the pistol, in my hands.
The GP is a tank, only pistol i would compare it to
is a S&W Mod. 28.Still kick myself
for letting it go.


Oh, i found the grips on the EE here.

I would go with the standard GP, the champion is just to flashy for my taste.

My Match Champion has the Novak sights. Love it. I wish the Match champion wasn't down the side, but I don't fixate on it . It handles better than a standard GP100 IMO . I own 686's , GP100 and now  a MC . All are great . But if I had to carry one it would be the MC hands down.  Also you have to handle a MC to appreciate what we are stating about the how the grips feel . Best set on a production revolver Ive ever held. I haven't handled everything .But have finger banged a lot WD

I got  4inch stainless GP100, I got in 1998, first gun I bought actually. Last week a few of us from work  went to the range together, They were all Glock shooters. The one lady asks is that all you brought, I said "What more do you need?" She shot is and was impressed, thought it was easier to shoot than her Glock.

I so want a 3" clapp edition.

I've had mine since 1987-88 and never once regretted getting it. It was the gun I used during my basic academy training. I liked it enough to get the sp101 in 357 when they came out and carried it for years as an off duty weapon. I would recommend getting the smaller scale grips for the gp100 as the original are beefy. You can't go wrong with either model. Pick the one that appeals the most to you.

I don't know why people say this. They will last a very long time on heavier bullet .357s.

I sold off a tuned up 4" full under lug a while ago when I was getting into competition shooting. of all the things I've sold, that's the only one I miss. It had fixed sights, not adjustable, and I've not seen another like it at a price I'm willing to pay. It sucked to carry, but I was new to CC and probably used shit holsters. It was nice to shoot, 38s were great, 357 weren't terrible, and I could hit a piece of printer paper at 100 yards freehand.

May need to find a replacement for it one of these days...

Can't go wrong with the GP100, it's probably my favorite .357