GP100 springs

[Sasquatch-1]

I just order a set of springs for my GP100. From experience what is the best ones to use for reliable ignition and reasonable trigger pull?

[Mica_Hiebert]

I would like to know this too. Buddy of mine just had his gp100 trigger done and it is the most beautiful feeling trigger I have ever fingered but it is heading back to the smith because of light primer strikes! It made me jealous because my gp match champion doesnt have near as nice of a trigger but then he showed me a hand full of live rounds with dented primers.

[guywitha3006]

It's been 4 or 5 years since I installed mine, But I want to say I used either the wolf 8#/9# and then the 10# mainspring. I have not had any issues. I shoot mainly Federal and Winchester primed brass so I couldn't tell you if they will set off a Wolf/Tula/CCI, but I do not remember any issues. They are also fairly easy to change out if I remember right so if you install the wrong one you are only out a few minutes. I know both my double and single action are light and crisp (that may also be from the countless hours polishing everything as a form of free entertainment at college).

I think for my wife's SP101 I left the mainspring heavy because she really only shoots single action.

[Petrol & Powder]

10# main spring and 8# trigger return spring sounds right but I can never remember off the top of my head. The factory mainspring is 14# and the factory trigger return spring is 12#
You could probably drop the mainspring to 12# and the trigger return spring to 10# as a good starting point.

[Petrol & Powder]

Allow me to elaborate a bit. I've done a lot with Ruger DA revolvers: GP-100, SP101 and the older Six series. They are excellent guns and often get maligned by gun store commandos that think they know more than they really do.
The factory trigger pull is often the area that receives the most criticism when it comes to a GP-100. For the record, the factory trigger pull isn't horrible but it can stand some improvement, fortunately they respond very well to simple improvements.
For whatever reason, Ruger uses fairly heavy springs for the hammer spring and trigger return spring. Some people say it's a reaction to civil liability issues and some people say it is done to overcome less than perfect finishing of internal parts. I don't know why they put truck springs in their guns but they do; the good news is they are easy to replace. The better news is that the guns respond well to simple spring replacement. In addition, there are other simple procedures that can improve the actions even more. Some careful judicious polishing of key components and the installation of shims can take a good revolver and make it very good.
The GP action may not match a 60 year old S&W but it can be made to easily match a new S&W. Anyone that tells you otherwise probably hasn't shot a good Ruger or doesn't know what a good trigger is.

Dropping the main spring weight by a couple of pounds and the trigger return spring by a couple of pounds will give you noticeable improvement while maintaining 100% reliability. I wouldn't drop the mainspring below 10 lbs and frankly an 11# or 12# mainspring may get you where you want to be. Reducing the trigger return spring weight reduces the pull weight but it also reduces the trigger return, so that is also a double edge sword.
Now, polishing a few components, shimming the hammer dog (DA sear) and the trigger can help reduce the trigger pull weight while maintaining adequate spring rates for positive ignition and rapid trigger return.

In terms of the most bang for your buck and ease of work, I would recommend this sequence:
1. Replace the main spring with an 11# or 12# spring and drop the trigger return spring to #10.
if you are happy with that result, stop there. If not:
2. Shim the trigger, hammer dog and hammer (optional) to eliminate side play and polish the related parts (See the IBOK on the GP-100, I'll try to find the link)
If you still have 100% reliability and want to go farther:
3. Try a 10# main spring and a 8# trigger return spring. I wouldn't go below a 10# mainspring.

Good Luck with your GP-100, they are outstanding guns!

[Petrol & Powder]

Here's the link:
https://gunner777.wordpress.com/2008/08/24/ruger-gp100sp101book-of-knowledge/

And if you need trigger shims these are great people to deal with:
http://triggershims.com/

[TCLouis]

IF you are just doing a new hammer spring then ignore the advice below.

BUT

Heed it if you are going to replace and polish parts in there.

As you take the trigger group out, there is a plunger and plunger spring that will put your eye out or launch in to NEVERFINDEM land.
I forget what holds it in place, but the part that does retain it will just fall loose once you start the disassemble of the trigger group.


IF you are going for the lightest hammer spring, beware at lower Temperatures.

My Super Redhawk would not fire on over 1/2 of the rounds when cold weather hit and that is Tennessee cold weather, nothing severe. . . Worked great all summer. I thought I had broken my favorite Revolver until I replaced the hammer spring with the original.

It really needs a great internal polish job and then it would be even better than perfect. YES, I really like that gun.

For a GP 100 trigger job, go to youtube and look up NutnFancy and yoda GP100 trigger job.

Seems yoda as a smith recommends a polish, no work on trigger/sear engagement

[Petrol & Powder]

Good advice from TClouis. Along that line, never pull the trigger when the trigger group is out of the frame unless you like looking for small parts in the dark corners of the room. And the trigger return spring doubles as the trigger group latch. That's the spring TClouis is speaking about. GP's are easy to work on but if you're not mechanically inclined, you may wish to farm that work out.

[lefty o]

if your using the wolff spring pack, i generally stay away from the lightest springs. with the middle weight springs and some polishing/stoning, its pretty easy to put a nice clean 4.5# single action pull on one of these.

[Sasquatch-1]

Thanks for all the good information. I have had the trigger assembly out of the gun and had already heeded the information about small parts. I had seen comments on the springs but couldn't remember where. It seems that most people opt for the 8 and 10 pound springs. That from comments I saw elsewhere.

[Petrol & Powder]

Do yourself a favor when replacing springs. Use a sharpie to label the plastic bag that the spring comes in and put the old factory spring back into the bag the new spring came out of and then staple that bag shut. I must have a dozen or more springs in a parts drawer that fell out of their little bags :shock:.
The new springs come in little bags that are clearly labeled, no problem there. But once you open the bags it becomes difficult to tell what weights the loose springs are. Learn from my failure !! Please!