Ruger GP100 question.

F

freebird72

New member
I have been thinking of getting a GP100 for some time. However, I have a question about the single action on the gun.

On almost ever GP100 I have tried, except for a Wiley Clapp GP100, there seems to be a little hiccup right before the gun is fully in SA. I do not know how to describe exactly what I mean.

Say I am pulling the hammer back, and right before the hammer is fully back there is some kind of resistance that I have not felt on other DA revolvers. This feeling is very clunky.

I hope someone knows what I speak of. For those of you who do, is this normal, or have I been handling sub par guns? Most the GP100s were supposed to be new.
 
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I think I understand what you mean.

I wouldn't describe it as a hiccup so much as actually feeling the tension on the mainspring as the hammer is being drawn back.

It does smooth out at become easier with use/wear - either that, or you just get used to it
 
It is simply because of the geometry of Ruger's design. It is completely different from a S&W or a Colt. It's not better or worse, just different.
 
Freebird, If I understand you correctly, you may be feeling the cylinder stop climbing up and into the recess in the cylinder.
The trigger in my GP100 is very smooth, but I notice two distinct, if slight, actions in Double Action mode. The first is the cylinder stop dropping to allow the cylinder hand to rotate the cylinder; the second is the lock pushing back up and locking the cylinder for the next charge. I have changed the stop to see if it affected the feel, but I don't notice any difference. In anything faster than a slow deliberate trigger stroke I don't feel the stop lock up in DA.
In Single Action the stop rides up and locks just before the hammer hits full cock. Perhaps this is what you are feeling?
 
I am a Long time S & W fan and owner and I recently got a GP-100 and I don't feel what you are feeling. I got this gun from a friend who bought it new a little over a year ago and he hasn't shot it much. The one I have feels like my Smith 586 when I cock for SA or use it DA I can tell no difference in them. I can say this I think the GP-100 is a stouter frame and it takes my hot handloads much better then the 586 Smith did.
 
I think what you are feeling is the hammer strut camming over when the hammer comes to full cock. The mainspring doesn't compress very far until the hammer is almost all the way back. Kind of like a cam on a compound bow. Remove the grip and watch the hammer strut and mainspring as you slowly cock it in SA. I would be completely amazed if someone could "feel" the cylinder bolt engage the cylinder lock notch. That's a very tiny spring driving a very small part. Of course some people do open heart surgery. You really cannot make any comparison between a S&W action and a Ruger action. They are completely different.
 
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I would be completely amazed if someone could "feel" the cylinder bolt engage the cylinder lock notch. That's a very tiny spring driving a very small part.
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You don't feel the cylinder bolt move, you feel the cylinder stop rotating. It's just a little twitch. I think the reason it feels so much different than a S&W is that the Ruger cylinder locks up much earlier.
 
While you've got the grips off as drail suggested, observe the hammer strut and all parts you can see. There may be a rough spot that will wear in after a time or could be polished down if you are in a hurry.

Just be sure you can get that mainspring back on the strut if you decide to take it off. If you do, I recommend doing it under a blanket or inside a tent so you don't have to look very far for it if it goes flying.:eek:

Lost Sheep
 
Here`s a pic of a GP trigger what ya feel is a ruff finish on the underside of the top part of trigger . I know there`s probably a technical name for it ,but I call it the "SA lift slide".

This is part of the trigger SA sear , if attempting to smooth it I suggest going slow with correct stones & doing no more than nessacery to correct the said condition . I have seen burrs & ruffness that my suggestion was to send it back to Ruger ,as they don`t cover my bo-bos !

I`m not a Gun Smith nor claim to be ,but I`ve been takin GPs apart since `85

PS: If ya look into the hammer well as you`re cocking it SA ya can see it happenin.The pawl is well past the ejector starr by the time SA sears come to ready position.

102_0706.jpg
 
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Just get a Nagant revolver and dry fire the heck out of it in both single and double action.

After that, all of your other revolvers will seem like they've just had expensive trigger jobs done on them.
 
I do not believe it is the cylinder stopping or lining up. It is right before the hammer comes to full rest back. It makes a sound much like a lock locking. However, it feels Much more tense then any Colt or S&W I have ever felt.

On ever Colt and S&W revolver I have felt, pulling the hammer to single action feels very smooth and not forced. Yet, when trying on the GP100(I have tried several) it feels like I am breaking something every time I pull it in SA. I asked the GS clerk what it was, and he said he felt it too, but thought it was just that the gun's internals were not smooth.

I really like the GP100, but this feeling going into SA is such a turn off. The first time I felt it, I thought I was holding a broken gun. This must be common though, because I have felt it on several GP100s; except for the Wiley Clapp and well used guns.
 
The other problem area on the GP is the cyl latch ,the 1 that falls into the notches, look at it while pullin the hammer back , if it`s surface is`nt smooth& the triggerplunger (the arrow head lookin peice) it`ll give ya a little hitch just before it releases the plunger for reset.

Also the plunger/spring asm. (3 of em) in the GP give trouble to smoothness of feel ,but as youve found smoothes as they wear/burnish.

Trust me the GPs trigger can be massaged into a very smooth feelin pull.
 
I would be completely amazed if someone could "feel" the cylinder bolt engage the cylinder lock notch. That's a very tiny spring driving a very small part.
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I can, it's mainly how I figured out where in its travel the trigger breaks and has become my reference point for such. It's useless during fast-fire, but when going for precision, I find that faint "click" very helpful

It is right before the hammer comes to full rest back. It makes a sound much like a lock locking. However, it feels Much more tense then any Colt or S&W I have ever felt.
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Mine does it as well, being relatively new. My FIL's however is smooth as butter, but it's got a few thousand rounds down it. The sounds remains the same to an extent, but does smooth out
 
I do not believe it is the cylinder stopping or lining up. It is right before the hammer comes to full rest back. It makes a sound much like a lock locking. However, it feels Much more tense then any Colt or S&W I have ever felt.
Click to expand...

Something else that might be an issue.
I am told that if the main spring strut is replaced facing backwards it will produce a binding feel when cocked. The left and right faces of the strut look the same but on mine there is a "C" stamped into the right side.

You say that you have handled several, and I can't believe they would all have the mainspring strut reversed...unless they were maintained by the same person.
 
I own both Ruger and S&W revolvers. My suggestion is, if you don't like the pull in SA on your GP100, then send the revolver back to Ruger and let them fix the problem. These type of problems are somewhat typical of Ruger revolvers. Either you get a good action or not. Most the time the action can be fixed. But I would leave it up to Ruger. Afterall, they made the revolver.
Good luck,
Howard
 
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