Dismayed by revolver quality generally, with very few exceptions

[Ron3]

I have put a lot of rounds through a GP-100.
I fought with the DA for quite a while and eventually tried using a Wilson spring kit but the gun's overly stout firing-pin spring turned out to be an obstacle.
The firing-pin is captured in the frame with a cross pin that is blended to the frame. Its designed not to be removed. (I think the newer revisions are captured by a removable bushing)
If I had a mill I could square up one end of the retaining pin and drive it out of the frame but making it look nice again would be a challenge.

Convinced I reached the limit, the best I could get to work was a 10lb trigger return spring and a 12 lb mainspring that I then shimmed to achieve reliability. Now the DA is not awesome but I'd call it reasonable. No failures in the last 2k rounds since I made the changes. This is with various factory ammo and/or Winchester primered reloads.

The good points are:
the GP-100 handles 357s very well and accurately.
The cylinder notches don't peen even if you run the gun with 1/4 sec splits. I assume this is due to the offset notch geometry.

This was a new gun in 1996.
If you look at a new one now, check to see how the firing-pin is retained. If it can easily be accessed to replace the firing-pin-spring, you should have a reasonable chance of improving the DA trigger pull.

After messing with the GP-100, I bought several used S&W revolvers.
IIRC, S&W tried several different design changes to cope with the fouling that accumulates where the cylinder turns on the yoke. Depending on whether the gas ring is part of the cylinder or whether it is on the yoke and how the gas ring is mounted in the cylinder apparently makes a difference. Somewhere around engineering change "-4" they got it sorted out.
Simply by dumb luck, my 19 and 64 are -5 and I have not had the fouling issue you describe.

Thanks for relaying your experiences.

When it "gummed up" I had been mild .38's BNH 12 and warm (@915 fps) 187 gr .357 BNH 18 double grease ring bullets. I fired a newer Colt King Cobra with the same ammo. Even more in fact, and it never slowed down.

There was no barrel leading.

[m1a_scoutguy]

I just bought a new S&W 627 4inch bbl.I always wanted this model, only been out 1 time with it and maybe put 60/70 rds through it, it ran fine but yea it got dirty fast. I was shooting warm 38spl and some 357 loads, all my reloads, while warm all the brass dropped right out. I'll keep tabs and report back as shooting season heats up.

[Ron3]

I'm going to trade a relative for a like-new GP100 he acquired and never fired.

Will see how it shoots then see what I can do with the trigger.

Pretty sure it's just a 6-shooter, not the 7. Not ever sure what barrel it has. Will find out when I visit in a couple weeks.

[m1a_scoutguy]

I'm going to trade a relative for a like-new GP100 he acquired and never fired.

Will see how it shoots then see what I can do with the trigger.

Pretty sure it's just a 6-shooter, not the 7. Not ever sure what barrel it has. Will find out when I visit in a couple weeks.

Will be interested in your findings for sure. I had a GP100 6inch blued years ago and ended up trading it for a M&P in 40 LOL,what was I thinking! Anyway I bought it NIB and had it several years,I shot it a fair amount but never really abused it and it always seemed fine. Trigger was OK,but I remember sitting around and just dry firing it forever and it seemed to help.Keep us posted on how she runs.

[SeriousStudent]

If you want a revolver you can beat like a rented mule, you'll probably need a Ruger. I'm saying this as somebody with 80+ revolvers, and I have shot a couple out of time.

About 15 years ago, I wanted to get better with my G19 carry gun. So I got a fairly new Smith 686-5, and shot it in classes. I would be that weird guy with a belt full of speedloaders at the end of the line, and everyone else shooting Glock 19's and 17's. These were two-day classes where we would shoot 700-1000 rounds. I put 13,000 rounds through that pistol in 9 months, all double-action.

S&W sent me a call tag when I explained what I had done, as they wanted to see it. They kept it for a month, and rebuilt it. It runs like a champ again.

My new "forvever" gun is a 3" GP-100 in .38 Special. It runs likes a scalded dog, and has a great trigger courtesy of a friend.

And that advice served me well. If you want to get good with a striker-fired gun, shoot a DA revolver for a year. Wayne Dobbs taught me that, and it worked well for me.

[Wildcat]

.....If you want to get good with a striker-fired gun, shoot a DA revolver for a year. Wayne Dobbs taught me that, and it worked well for me.

Sound advice.
Doing that will train your hand muscles better trigger control. The (much) reduced capacity will also force you concentrate on good technique.

[Ron3]

If you want a revolver you can beat like a rented mule, you'll probably need a Ruger. I'm saying this as somebody with 80+ revolvers, and I have shot a couple out of time.

About 15 years ago, I wanted to get better with my G19 carry gun. So I got a fairly new Smith 686-5, and shot it in classes. I would be that weird guy with a belt full of speedloaders at the end of the line, and everyone else shooting Glock 19's and 17's. These were two-day classes where we would shoot 700-1000 rounds. I put 13,000 rounds through that pistol in 9 months, all double-action.

S&W sent me a call tag when I explained what I had done, as they wanted to see it. They kept it for a month, and rebuilt it. It runs like a champ again.

My new "forvever" gun is a 3" GP-100 in .38 Special. It runs likes a scalded dog, and has a great trigger courtesy of a friend.

And that advice served me well. If you want to get good with a striker-fired gun, shoot a DA revolver for a year. Wayne Dobbs taught me that, and it worked well for me.

Thanks for the advice!

My carry guns are all DA...at least the first shot.

A Ruger GP100 needs trigger-smoothing for sure.

I've found a similar phenomenon with pistol optics: Shooting / training with an optic on a pistol has made me better with irons. Only I haven't been carrying an optic.

[m1a_scoutguy]

If you want a revolver you can beat like a rented mule, you'll probably need a Ruger.My new "forever" gun is a 3" GP-100 in .38 Special.

Your thoughts intrigued me so I went and looked for this revolver and didn't really find it? I wonder if I'm not looking in the right spot or if that particular model is no longer offered. I was looking on the Ruger website,there is no GP 100 in 38 only 357,there might be a 101 in 38 but I didn't see the GP 100. I'll look on GB and other spots also,if ya find a link or info send it along,thanks.

[Ron3]

Your thoughts intrigued me so I went and looked for this revolver and didn't really find it? I wonder if I'm not looking in the right spot or if that particular model is no longer offered. I was looking on the Ruger website,there is no GP 100 in 38 only 357,there might be a 101 in 38 but I didn't see the GP 100. I'll look on GB and other spots also,if ya find a link or info send it along,thanks.

They do exist, although I haven't seen one personally.

[Wildcat]

Your thoughts intrigued me so I went and looked for this revolver and didn't really find it? I wonder if I'm not looking in the right spot or if that particular model is no longer offered. I was looking on the Ruger website,there is no GP 100 in 38 only 357,there might be a 101 in 38 but I didn't see the GP 100. I'll look on GB and other spots also,if ya find a link or info send it along,thanks.

Get the GP in 357. Feed it 38 Spl. in copious amounts.

I'm not sure I'd spend anything on an SP-101. The one I tried had an abominable double action trigger.