Ruger's New GP100 44SPL--Got One!

[shoot-n-lead]

.432" or a little smaller.

My guns are all smaller...I powder coat and size to .431.

[usbp379]

Ruger contacted. Inspection and repair or replacement initiated. I'll update ASAP if anyone is interested.

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[Brad Cayton]

Whaddya know... they built a revolver just for us powder coaters.

Was thinking the same thing. Now I only need a .433 size die

[Brad Cayton]

Ruger contacted. Inspection and repair or replacement initiated. I'll update ASAP if anyone is interested.

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Please do

[usbp379]

This revolver is one that I have been dreaming about for a long time. I have even sent letters to Ruger requesting it a time or two (as have many others). So I asked my LGS to give me a call when the first one came in. I got the call today, dropped by the store, and rushed home with my new purchase.

Nice tight lock up, sweet trigger, and then I put the pin gauges in. The .430 cleared. The .431 cleared. The .432 cleared. And then the .433 slipped in with a tight fit in all cylinders. The .434+ was a no-go on all five throats.

Attachment 184248

I wasn't expecting the throats to be that large. But I will reserve judgment until I have time to make a trip to the range.

I just wanted to add the information of the throat size of my new GP100 to this thread. I don't know if this will be typical, but I doubt .428 bullets would shoot well through this particular handgun.

Any plans on shooting jacketed bullets or will you stick strictly with cast?

Please let us know how it shoots.

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[paul h]

This revolver is one that I have been dreaming about for a long time. I have even sent letters to Ruger requesting it a time or two (as have many others). So I asked my LGS to give me a call when the first one came in. I got the call today, dropped by the store, and rushed home with my new purchase.

Nice tight lock up, sweet trigger, and then I put the pin gauges in. The .430 cleared. The .431 cleared. The .432 cleared. And then the .433 slipped in with a tight fit in all cylinders. The .434+ was a no-go on all five throats.

Attachment 184248

I wasn't expecting the throats to be that large. But I will reserve judgment until I have time to make a trip to the range.

I just wanted to add the information of the throat size of my new GP100 to this thread. I don't know if this will be typical, but I doubt .428 bullets would shoot well through this particular handgun.

Just because a revolver has what seems to be generous throats doesn't mean it won't shoot accurately. My 480 has 0.478" throats, I size my cast bullets .476" and it shoots 1" groups at 50 yds. I wished I'd never measured the gun, but fortunately I'd shot it first so new it was a shooter.

[samari46]

Just a question here, but does anyone know what Ruger is using for the rifling twist on their new 44 specials?. Haven't seen anything in print. Frank

[Brad Cayton]

Twist is 1-20" RH according to Rugers website.

[usbp379]

Here's something somewhat related. This is a 220gr cast hollow point loaded with Blue Dot at a little above max for a 429215 cast bullet as published in the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook.

This bullet had a chrono'ed velocity of just over 1,050 fps and penetrated right to 20in in 10% gel from Clear Ballistics. It was fired through four layers of clothing and expanded to .540" diameter. Current weight is 214.4 grains.

Cast bullets always have some weight variance and the few of these I've weighed start out at about 218gr. I didn't notice any chunks of lead in the gel but I seem to have lost a few grains somewhere.

This load is a bit above max but there does not seem to be any signs of pressure. And it is under what Brian Pearce shows for a heavier bullet in his 2005 article. Recoil is stout but not uncomfortable and is actually pretty fun. It has an authoritative thump without being punishing.

I'm pretty surprised at the muzzle velocity and how well the bullet worked especially after being fired through clothing. Once I get the gun back I'll have to play with this load some more and see what we can do.



Note the bits of fabric embedded in the cavity.



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[rintinglen]

My Ruger Flat Top is the most accurate 44 Special I have ever owned. I do not know what it's throats are, nor did I check the bore. Once I shot it I knew that would just be mental masturbation.

My point being, shoot first, then measure. If you go out with the mindset that something is wrong, you may subconsciously prove that to be the case, when if you had been on your game, you might have seen different results.

Now, if you go out and your boolits are as remote from one another as a Priest from a NOW meeting's members, by all means start measuring. It may well be that your gun needs help. But shoot it first.

[hporter]

Any plans on shooting jacketed bullets or will you stick strictly with cast?

No, I've got more .44 molds than a person should. I like casting and shooting my own.

For the other posts about shooting first - I posted my measurements because Outpost and others asked earlier in the thread if anyone had measured the throats. As I said in my post - I will reserve judgement until I have shot it. But just out of curiosity after reading other posts in this thread, I measured my 44 special flat top and other Ruger 44's that I own. All had .431 throats. All shoot well, and I am happy with all of them. Ruger makes a good product, and in my experience has A+ customer service. I have been a happy customer of their products for many years. I suspect this revolver will be no different.

[W.R.Buchanan]

OK with .433 throats I'd send it back too. All my .44 Revolvers 2 Ruger 1S&W have throats at .430-431. Barrels are all .429.

I have two Mihec Moulds that will drop .434+ but I got them that way so I could size the boolits to .432 for my rifle.

I wouldn't want ammo that is specialized to only one gun when I have 2 others that shoot the same ammo.

I also am Powder Coating all my .44 and .45's now and that adds another .002 to the diameter so I could size to .433 if I wanted. But it would be better to have the gun with the correct size throats .

I am wondering if they did this on purpose or if it is just some kind of anomaly ? Ruger has made enough .44 Spec and Mag guns to have the chambering reamers made to the correct size. The reamers would have to be .433 to cut consistent .433 throats in a production situation so its not like you could blame it on poor QC. No outfit is going to 100% inspect every part.

I'd go back and slap the guy running the machine who should be checking things frequently.

Maybe this one reamer slipped thru and ran until it was changed out. However if these guns are made of 416 SS that run could be really long as 416 is the easiest machining 400 series SS there is and the tools would last a lot longer than if it was cutting cro-moly .

I will ask about this when I talk to Mark at the show, and I will also make the point about QC letting too much stuff get thru. I have spent a lot of time and energy defending this company here and other places as well and I feel I should have some leverage in that regard.

When you get right down to it the only thing any company can be criticized for is not delivering what they promise.

Randy

[Outpost75]

Doesn't matter how large the throats are as long as the bullet "fits," chambers index correctly and forcing cone is smooth and concentric.
If I was to tell you how large the cylinder throats and bullets were on the .44-40 Vaquero assembled for this "test", you wouldn't believe me!

Attachment 184327

Here is what one of the recovered bullets looked like, all I will say. Don't try this at home, Kids...
Attachment 184328

[usbp379]

OK with .433 throats I'd send it back too. All my .44 Revolvers 2 Ruger 1S&W have throats at .430-431. Barrels are all .429.

Isn't something like .430 or .431 about ideal?




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[dkf]

I don't know what Ruger is shooting for but the throats on both my redhawk and my dads redhawk are a tenth or two over .432". Both made in the 80's.

[dubber123]

Doesn't matter how large the throats are as long as the bullet "fits," chambers index correctly and forcing cone is smooth and concentric.
If I was to tell you how large the cylinder throats and bullets were on the .44-40 Vaquero assembled for this "test", you wouldn't believe me!

Attachment 184327

Here is what one of the recovered bullets looked like, all I will say. Don't try this at home, Kids...
Attachment 184328

So the 45 colt cylinder timed up and shot well in your 44-40 is what you are trying to say?

[usbp379]

Doesn't matter how large the throats are as long as the bullet "fits," chambers index correctly and forcing cone is smooth and concentric.

That's quite a few "ifs"


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[W.R.Buchanan]

USB: you reload don't you? you must have a dial Caliper? can't you take and ID measurement on the Throats of that cylinder and tell us what you get.

Your calipers should be good to +/- .001 easily. Just hold opening pressure on the jaws with your thumb and wiggle the jaws around in the hole til you get the largest reading you can,,, then do it 2 more times to see if it repeats. You don't have to have a set of gage pins to take this measurement. I own a machine shop and I don't have pins that I can measure throats on .44's or .45's with. I use my Calipers or Inside Hole Gages and a Micrometer to get these measurements.

The measurements you get would be a big help to this thread,,, as we have no idea having not been able to examine this gun, as to what is going on. You haven't provided any real technical information beyond the first targets you showed.

If the throats are as big as the other gun we've seen here,,, then that could be the problem with why it won't shoot jacketed bullets very well. But without knowing a little more about the gun no one here can make any meaningful statement about this gun.

Randy

[usbp379]

Thanks for the advice, Randy.

I actually did exactly what you suggest a few days ago and came up with. 433-.434 for each.

The gun is currently in a box and probably somewhere deep in the bowels of the UPS shipping system.

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[Thumbcocker]

Picked mine up tonight. .431 boolit is a tight push fit in cylinders. Shooting this weekend.