New .44 Special GP 100

[softpoint]

So, I have acquired a new GP 100, 3 inch. Mine is a Talo exclusive, came with a gold bead front sight and wood Hogue grips. I have done some searching as to loads suitable, there is one long thread on here, but most of it didn't deal with actual loads. I already have another .44 Special, and .44 magnums. The question is, what, if any, loads would be suitable to push the 429421 at 1000 fps out of this gun. I realize it has a thin forcing cone. I had a 696 Smith a few years ago, and it had a thin forcing cone as well, from what I can remember, it may have been thinner, and protruded into the cylinder opening even farther than this GP 100. And the 696 had a reputation for cracking those forcing cones in some circumstances. I have some loads utilizing 8 grains of Power Pistol with the 429421,powder coated, that are very accurate, I haven't chronographed that load to see what it is actually doing. I also have some loads utilizing the same bullet with 16 grains of 2400 that I use in a different gun.I haven't attempted using that load in the GP, pending more information. I'm not interested in "magnumizing" this gun, but a few cylinder fulls of 250's at 1000 would be nice on woods trips. There are some new powders out that I haven't tried,just interested if someone else is loading for one of these and what they have found suitable. I have other .44 molds as well.

[Thumbcocker]

my favorite .44 special load. Never chronoed it out of a 3". I doubt any critter could tell the difference between 900 and 1000 fps.

[softpoint]

my favorite .44 special load. Never chronoed it out of a 3". I doubt any critter could tell the difference between 900 and 1000 fps.

I guess I should say "close" to 1000 fps. Recent data has 3 levels of loads for .44 Specials, and i'm not sure where the GP falls in..

[Boogieman]

Buffalo Bore shows a 255gr. SWC at 984 fps. When I ask if it was ok for the GP100 they said it was. their test was in a 3.25 "S&W 396. I got a 3" GP100 last week I'm going to try for 900-950 fps with the #429421 or 429244 GC for woods carry. Just finished a target load with the 429421 with 6.6gr. Unique 775fps out of my 3" GP100. It is good out to 50 yds.

[softpoint]

I have the 429244 mold as well, but the 429421 has shot well out of the gun, powder coated, with 8 grains of power pistol behind it. Out to 50 yards. 15 yard off hand groups are really nice, some 5 shot clusters around 1/2 inch. Not sure if this load is quite as fast as I'd like though. The Buffalo Bore load is interesting, wonder what powder they are using?

[Dorf]

Softpoint-- Brian Pearce has listed quite a bit of load data for the .44 Spl in Handloader issue #312 (Feb 2018) that may answer a lot of your questions. The nice part of it is that he lists pressure inoi along with the powder and bullet. He also has listed some info previously in Handloader #308 using the same format. I don't think that he specifically mentions the GP100 but the info may prove to be helpful. Hope this helps, Stan

[softpoint]

Yes, I have that issue. There is some good data there, but you are correct, no category he mentions includes the GP.

[Boogieman]

How fast are your 8gr. power pistol loads going? Alliant shows that load at 954 fps. out of a 5.5 inch barrel. It wasn't listed as a +P load. I can't find any pressure tested data for cat.2 loads.

[winelover]

I would think the GP 100 would be safe with Pearce's Level 2 / Medium loads. After all they are safe for CA Bulldogs, just not a steady diet of them.

Winelover

[softpoint]

I Think the GP would safe with the level 2 loads as well. I haven't chronographed the loads with 8 grains of power pistol yet. If Alliant says 954 out of 5.5 barrel, then I might be getting close to 900 out of the GP? Wondering how Longshot would perform, it's done well in my 10mm.

[Boogieman]

I would think the GP 100 would be safe with Pearce's Level 2 / Medium loads. After all they are safe for CA Bulldogs, just not a steady diet of them.

Winelover
Buffalo Bore says any modern 44spcl except Charter Arms Bull Dog. this is for their heavy 255gr. and 200gr,TAC-XP loads. The only BB load that they ok for the Bulldog is the 200gr.wadcutter.

[Dorf]

In view of Ruger's reputation of "Hell for stout", I would consider the GP100 to be unchallenged by the 22Kpsi level of "Cat-2" loads. Just my humble opinion--FWIW. Stan

[Forrest r]

I'd be looking real hard at the 2400 load. When dealing with short bbl's everything matters. Too hard of an alloy or too small of a bullet for your cylinders & you loose fps. I also prefer 1000fps minimum out of any of my short bbl'd firearms (38spl/357/9mm/44spl).

I use a 8bhn/9bhn alloy in my short bbl'd 44spl, a 2 1/2" bbl'd ca bulldog. I don't use the 22,000psi loads in the bulldog so I went with lighter bullets to get in the +/- 1000fps range.
https://i.imgur.com/fo57jjU.jpg

I've owned/carried a bulldog since the 80's and will do testing of new loads every couple of years. Did the loads pictured above last year. The old fbi 38spl load used a 158gr hollow based hollow pointed swc
Buffalo bore uses a 158gr hp swc gc bullet for their (a20) 1000fps/snubnosed 38spl load.
I used/tested a 210gr hollow based hollow pointed swc and a 1000+fps load for the snubnosed 44spl.

1000fps loads are easily doable in the 44spl/short bbl'd revolvers.