Trading a Ruger GP-100 6" for a 4"

M

Model12Win

Moderator
Hey everybody, well I've been the proud owner of a 6" stainless steel GP-100 for about 6 months now. I've put about 2000 rounds downrange with the gun, and I like it very much... however, I'm beginning to think it might be too big for what I need it to do, and that is: Home Defense, Car gun for under-seat carry, and range gun/recreational plinking.

For the range, my 6" Ruger is very nice. At first I thought the gun was quite muzzle heavy, however I've adjusted to this and I know find the weight up front to steady my hand, but after some shooting all the metal up there really lets me know it's there if you know what I mean, and my accuracy starts to diminish as the gun gets heavier and heavier. I've heard a 4" barrel is fine for range use. Is this true?

For home defense I am comfortable with the 6" length. It know it gives added power and reduces muzzle blast somewhat, but I'm not so sure a 4" barrel would be much less advantageous and has the advantage of being more compact and handy. If you had to choose this gun for HD, would you use a 4" or 6" gun and why?

Now here is were I start to have problems with the 6" GP-100. It is simply too cumbersome for car carry. I carry under the seat, and getting the big revolver out from under there and maneuvering it around for a shot isn't very fast or easy. I've practiced it. I think the 4" barrel would be much better for this purpose.

So I have the opportunity to trade my 6" GP-100 for a brand new stainless GP-100 with a 4" tube. What do you think about this? Should I go for it, or do you think I should just stick with a 6" gun?

Thanks for your help.
 
Hi there, I'd say that if it's just not an amazing shooter in your hands and you think you'd like the 4" better, get the 4", especially if trading a used gun for a new one. I've traded some good guns for better (more expensive guns) and regretted it, but that had to do with my performance with them. I have a 2, 4, 5 and 6", the 4" is the most comfortable for me and what I pick for every day use.
 
Hi Model12,

To my way of looking at revolvers, those with 4" barrels have best balance. Revolvers chambered for .357 Mag lose a lot of velocity and become harder to control with barrels under 4".

My advice would be to go with what feels best for you.

BTW, I just bought a blued 4" GP 100.
 
Hmmm, I'd say keep the 6" gp100 for range use and HD, and get an SP101 for concealed and car carry. :D That's the way I went.
 
I would choose a 4 inch over a 6 inch because I think it's more practical in a variety of situations. I found a 6 inch was too impractical for carrying in a vehicle or on my person. A 4 inch just worked better. And if you think about it, the 4 inch is suitable at the distances you might expect in the home. And at the range, I had a 3 inch that was fine for bowling balls and steel plates- but not so great at 50 yards. That's about where I think a 6 inch would be best- out at 50 yards. If 50 yards is not so important, a 4 inch should do pretty well.
 
I own a 6" Security Six and my wife owns a 4" S&W Model 19 that I gave her (after declaring that it was hers the first time she shot it at the range), that serve as HD/bedside guns. I wouldn't give the 4" to my wife if it wasn't a piece fit for the job. Trusting my life to a weapon is one thing, but trusting a loved one's life means so much more. The 4" should meet all your needs.

If you can do a straight trade between your GP100 and a revolver of similar quality/condition with a 4" barrel, I think, based on your identified needs, you should go for it. I would not try to "trade up," because at that point, the added expense might justify getting a second pistol to assume Car carry. While you might be hard pressed to find a 4" GP100 for straight trade, you might come across a Six Series or S&W K frame that would serve you well. Keep an eye out, but don't rush.
 
I prefer a 6" barrel over 4" especially at the range. I do not believe that a 6" barrel hinders you in a home defense situation. With that said, car carry or carrying concealed would certainly be easier with a 4" barrel.

I'd suggest trying a 4" and see if it really makes a difference to you. If you really plan on carrying you GP, like someone suggested above, it might be worth checking out a Ruger SP.
 
IMO for a all around gun, SD/HD the 4" will serve you well for both. All the 6" gives you is a longer sight plain for long distance shooting. The 4" can be carried in the right holster in a CCW situation. Just my opinion and hopefully the deal will happen as a straight swap. Gun for gun.
 
The 4" is much easier to carry on your hip IMO and is just as easy (or not easy) to control as the 6".

I had a 6" Security Six and it was a fantastic gun. I now have a 4" GP100 and a 2 3/4" Security Six and they see much more action.
 
If it were me; Keep the 6" and get a SP101 for the car and the belt.

You will miss that 6" GP as soon as you sell it. Save your pennies and get a SP.
 
I have both and like both. The 4" is definitely more portable, but the 6" handles full house .357 loads a LOT better. Those two inches make a noticeable difference.
 
Have you ever read those threads where somebody laments, "I had xxx gun, and it was a great gun, but stupidly traded it off years ago. I wish I had it back!"

That'll be you in a couple of years if you part with your 6 inch GP100. I agree that a four inch carries better, but a 6 inch .357 is the top of the breed.

I agree with the other poster who said keep the 6 inch, and get a 3 or 4 inch SP101.
 
I bought a 4" GP100 as my first gun for HD and range use. When CCW went shall-issue a year later I got a 2.25" SP101 for concealed carry/car. Looking back now I think I would have been better off with a 6" GP100 for just HD and range. If I was going to have just one 357 the 4" makes more sense though. Later on I got a 6.5" Blackhawk so I've got the longer barreled 357 covered for range use anyway. If you can't pony up for a SP101 for car carry then trading for the shorter barrel is the way to go. Otherwise get a second gun and keep the 6".
 
You probably have the 6" full-lug variant, like so:

426587_02_ruger_gp100_stainless_6_full_l_640.jpg


Ruger used to make a really amazing gun - the 6" half-lug:

RugerGP100Blue6ind-1.jpg


I have held a 6" half-lug in one hand and a 4" full-lug in the other. The "muzzle weight" appeared to me to be close to identical. The 6" half-lug seemed to be wonderfully light and pointable yet retained the velocity and sight radius of the long barrel.

Your 6" full-lug is stainless, so...speaking seriously here, any machinist or gunsmith with a mill could do a "lug trim" to lighten the barrel. Easily. Being stainless there's no refinish needed. If you wanted, you could leave a small section of "flattened" lug at the rear that could be drilled and tapped for an under-barrel rail :).

If your gun shoots well now, I would really consider this. Finding a half-lug 6" will be very difficult and they go for a premium used.

The other "modder's option" is to chop and re-crown, which means doing a different front sight...but if you want to alter the sights significantly anyways this too might be an option.

Then again, I say all this as likely one of the most radical homebrew gun modders on this forum and the owner of what may be the most heavily modified revolver in history, "Maurice the FrankenRuger" with gas-powered auto shell ejection and magazine feeding on what started life as a New Vaquero :D.
 
Sick and twisted thought: instead of removing the lug, using a mill you could "blade it". Go slow, use a rotary carbide burr, you could basically turn the underside edge of the lug into a knife blade capable of a brutal downwards chop action while losing at least 70% or so of the original lug weight.

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Jim March, as a matter of fact I was looking in to removing the under lug from my 6" gun. I contacted a firm known as "Cylinder and Slide" but they mentioned they were back-ordered by 11 months! I like the knife blade idea to an extent. I could only imagine beating down a foe with that, but it seems somewhat impractical. Still very neat idea though!

I'm still pretty torn on what to do about this. In many ways I think I'll like the 4" barrel better as it fits my purposes as an all-purpose .357 magnum defensive handgun, but I've heard alot of folks mention I might have "traders remorse" so to speak. Don't know what to do :(
 
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