# Added a Ruger wheel gun.



## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

I got this LCRx 3" yesterday. The sights are adjustable and pretty clear, and the trigger is great...hope to get it to the range this weekend.


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## PhuBai70 (Sep 26, 2019)

That's a beefy looking little gun. Let us know how it shoots.
I'm a big fan of Ruger revolvers both double action and single action. They are solid, well made and can handle the hottest factory loads. I am currently looking for a stainless GP100 with a 4" barrel to replace the one I gave my daughter. She's my first born and my only daughter but I sure miss that gun.


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## Airma (Aug 27, 2019)

PhuBai70 said:


> That's a beefy looking little gun. Let us know how it shoots.
> I'm a big fan of Ruger revolvers both double action and single action. They are solid, well made and can handle the hottest factory loads. I am currently looking for a stainless GP100 with a 4" barrel to replace the one I gave my daughter. She's my first born and my only daughter but I sure miss that gun.


+1


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

PhuBai70 said:


> That's a beefy looking little gun. Let us know how it shoots.
> I'm a big fan of Ruger revolvers both double action and single action. *They are solid, well made and can handle the hottest factory loads.* I am currently looking for a stainless GP100 with a 4" barrel to replace the one I gave my daughter. She's my first born and my only daughter but I sure miss that gun.


Indeed they can. I've got two .44 Magnum Redhawk's and one Blackhawk Bisley. Along with an S&W Model 29, 629 and a 629 Performance Center. I'd have to give it to the S&W's in the fit and finish department along with the actions. But in overall strength and durability the Ruger wins hands down. They don't have side plates that can weaken the frame, plus they have thicker top straps and recoil shields.


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## PhuBai70 (Sep 26, 2019)

Very nice guns.
I agree about S&W revolvers. I have four N frames including the Dirty Harry Model 29 with the 6 1/2" barrel. They are all a pleasure to shoot. 
I have nine revolvers and they are all S&W or Ruger (not counting four Italian black powder replicas).


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

PhuBai70 said:


> Very nice guns.
> I agree about S&W revolvers. I have four N frames including the Dirty Harry Model 29 with the 6 1/2" barrel. They are all a pleasure to shoot.
> I have nine revolvers and they are all S&W or Ruger (not counting four Italian black powder replicas).


Thank you!

That 4" inch Model 29 was my 2nd handgun. Originally it had an 8 3/8" barrel, I put so many rounds out of it that I wore out the forcing cone. Rather than going for another 8 3/8" barrel I replaced it with a 4" barrel, bobbed the hammer and installed a stainless steel trigger. I figured with a barrel that long all I'd need is a stock and then I'd have a rifle. I probably should have bought it with a 4" inch to begin with? What surprised me is that the gun had no cylinder end shake? I literally shot the crap outta' that gun. My next handgun was the 7 1/2" inch Redhawk. I bought that one the first year they came out in 1980. I just hadda' have it. Actually they came out in 1979 but mine was first on the dealer's shelf in 1980.

The 629 Performance Center, has got to be the best trigger right outta' the box of any revolver that I've ever owned both DA and especially SA. I can say this as I have a stock 3" inch 629 to compare it to. I did an action job on my first Model 29 shortly after I bought it.

What I really like about the Redhawk is that it's about the easiest gun to completely disassemble. Unlike the S&W's where you have to remove and re-install the side plate. It also helps to have the special tool to remove and re-install the rebound slide. I polished all of the bearing surfaces on that part along with inside the spring tunnel and the bearing surfaces within the frame. That gave me a nice smooth DA pull.

For my SA revolvers I've got 2 Cimmaron/Uberti .45 LC's and one .22. One of the .45 LC's is the "Doc Holiday" special all stainless. Plus the Ruger .44 Magnum "Bisley" and one .22 "Bearcat". Those Italian replica's are really nice guns. Although the grip frame on the "Doc Holiday" wasn't completely flush where it screwed onto the frame. There was a thin gap at the top of the grip frame where it should have been flush. I had to square it of with a flat file. It wasn't a big deal, but I didn't expect that on a new gun. I changed the grips to an aged "Fluer de lis" style. It originally came with fake ivory and looked it. They needed some minor fitting.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Wheel guns, 
RELIABILITY


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## PhuBai70 (Sep 26, 2019)

desertman said:


> Thank you!
> 
> That 4" inch Model 29 was my 2nd handgun. Originally it had an 8 3/8" barrel, I put so many rounds out of it that I wore out the forcing cone. Rather than going for another 8 3/8" barrel I replaced it with a 4" barrel, bobbed the hammer and installed a stainless steel trigger. I figured with a barrel that long all I'd need is a stock and then I'd have a rifle. I probably should have bought it with a 4" inch to begin with? What surprised me is that the gun had no cylinder end shake? I literally shot the crap outta' that gun. My next handgun was the 7 1/2" inch Redhawk. I bought that one the first year they came out in 1980. I just hadda' have it. Actually they came out in 1979 but mine was first on the dealer's shelf in 1980.
> 
> ...


I bought my three Ruger DAs in the late 80s and early 90s all in stainless. The 7 1/2" Redhawk, 4" GP100 and 2 1/4" SP101. I mentioned in an earlier post that my daughter talked me out of the GP100 a few months ago so now I'm looking for a replacement. Before I retired there was a gun shop near my office that specialized in quality used firearms. I bought three Blackhawks and a Single Six from that shop. That's also where I bought three of my S&W N frames. The other N frame is a stainless Mountain Gun in 45 LC with the 4" barrel that I bought new.
I do not recall ever having a problem with any of my Ruger or S&W revolvers.

I have a couple of cowboy guns on my list that I may eventually get to. I like the looks of the Uberti SA revolvers put out by Taylor's & Company. I'm considering The Gunfighter with the 5 1/2" barrel and The Cattleman Old Model Frame with the 7 1/2" barrel. They are both 45 LC with the blued finish and case hardened frame. They are very good guns in the $575 range.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

pic said:


> Wheel guns,
> RELIABILITY


I do like my revolvers, but they're not my first choice for self defense. They hold less rounds and tend to have longer and heavier triggers. As the trigger has to operate both the hammer and rotate the cylinder simultaneously. In general it takes a lot more practice in order to become proficient with one unless fired in single action. They also tend to have more recoil as there is no reciprocating slide to absorb some of it. But they do tend to go BANG every time you pull the trigger. They're not finicky when it comes to ammunition. As far as guns go nothing's more intimidating than a large bore revolver, especially when someone's staring at nice fat hollow points that have their name on them.

However semi auto's have come a long way in the reliability factor. Same for the newer hollow point ammunition that's designed to work in them. Especially those that are of good quality. You don't see too many if any law enforcement or military personnel carrying revolvers any more and for good reason.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

PhuBai70 said:


> I bought my three Ruger DAs in the late 80s and early 90s all in stainless. The 7 1/2" Redhawk, 4" GP100 and 2 1/4" SP101. I mentioned in an earlier post that my daughter talked me out of the GP100 a few months ago so now I'm looking for a replacement. Before I retired there was a gun shop near my office that specialized in quality used firearms. I bought three Blackhawks and a Single Six from that shop. That's also where I bought three of my S&W N frames. The other N frame is a stainless Mountain Gun in 45 LC with the 4" barrel that I bought new.
> I do not recall ever having a problem with any of my Ruger or S&W revolvers.
> 
> I have a couple of cowboy guns on my list that I may eventually get to. I like the looks of the Uberti SA revolvers put out by Taylor's & Company. I'm considering The Gunfighter with the 5 1/2" barrel and The Cattleman Old Model Frame with the 7 1/2" barrel. They are both 45 LC with the blued finish and case hardened frame. *They are very good guns in the $575 range.*


Indeed they are! Functionally they are probably every bit as good as a Colt SAA. But not nearly as valuable. I like the "Thunderer" style grip frame. If for no other reason than I like the looks of them. Originally my blued .45LC "Cattleman Birds Head" came with the "Bird's Head" configuration (hence the name) which I later swapped out. That has a 4" inch barrel. I'll never carry or fire that gun as I want to keep it in pristine condition. It's not like I don't have any others too blast away with.

The "Doc Holiday" is the same gun only it's all stainless. It has a 3.5" inch barrel, that's the shortest barrel they make. Anything shorter and the ejector rod might not be long enough to work efficiently. I'd have no problems shooting that.

At one time Colt made a "Store Keeper/Sheriff's" model that had a shorter barrel with no ejector rod. I'd love to have one of those only with the "Thunderer" style grips. Maybe Uberti will come out with one of those?


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## PhuBai70 (Sep 26, 2019)

desertman said:


> Indeed they are! Functionally they are probably every bit as good as a Colt SAA. But not nearly as valuable. I like the "Thunderer" style grip frame. If for no other reason than I like the looks of them. Originally my blued .45LC "Cattleman Birds Head" came with the "Bird's Head" configuration (hence the name) which I later swapped out. That has a 4" inch barrel. I'll never carry or fire that gun as I want to keep it in pristine condition. It's not like I don't have any others too blast away with.
> 
> The "Doc Holiday" is the same gun only it's all stainless. It has a 3.5" inch barrel, that's the shortest barrel they make. Anything shorter and the ejector rod might not be long enough to work efficiently. I'd have no problems shooting that.
> 
> At one time Colt made a "Store Keeper/Sheriff's" model that had a shorter barrel with no ejector rod. I'd love to have one of those only with the "Thunderer" style grips. Maybe Uberti will come out with one of those?


Uberti does indeed make some fine revolvers. Add to that the fact that Taylor's & Company imports them and makes them even better.
Quote from Taylors website: _Taylor Tuned actions are performed by our own in-house gunsmiths and feature: hand polishing, exact timing, and lighter hammer/trigger pull with our custom springs_. 
If you start with a $550 revolver and add the $150 tune up you will have a $700 revolver that generally performs as well as a $2,000 Colt Single Action Army. 
Don't get me wrong, Colt Single Actions are usually fine guns but the company has had it's ups and downs with quality control over the years.


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## PhuBai70 (Sep 26, 2019)

I'll say one more thing, desertman. When I add these fine cowboy guns to my collection, like you, I will never fire them so they remain in new condition. I will take them out from time to time and just look at them.
I bought a Winchester Model 94 Trails End 45 LC back in the 90s when they first came out. When I went to the range I put about a dozen rounds through it and set it aside and shot other guns. At home I gave it a good cleaning and that was the last time I fired it. That model is no longer in production but mine is in "like new" condition. 
I didn't buy that rifle to shoot regularly I bought it because when I was a kid I was crazy about cowboy movies and the guns they all used. So when I do purchase a couple of "six shooters" I will put them in the safe next to the Winchester and just be happy that they are mine.


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## Stargater53 (Dec 10, 2018)

PhuBai70 said:


> I am currently looking for a stainless GP100 with a 4" barrel to replace the one I gave my daughter. She's my first born and my only daughter but I sure miss that gun.


You might want to save your pennies and opt for a S&W 686 7-shot. I don't have one, but everyone raves about it on YouTube. Nutnfancy has a comprehensive review of it.

Ruger makes great handguns for sure, but both the GP-100 and SP-101 are superb. If you buy a SP-101 and like it, keep it. Or, you can let your daughter shoot it and maybe she'll like it more than the GP-101 and you can negotiate a trade.

Personally, I like the older Security-Six, but the GP-100 is a rugged, beefy .357 and is a great range gun. It's also a great home defense gun, but it's a bit too beefy for camping, hiking and fishing in my opinion. I have a 6-inch S&W 686 and its action is astounding right out of the box. If I'd had the option of getting a 7-shot model, I would have gotten that. Whichever gun you end up with, you can't lose. Unless, of course, you give it away.

--


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## PhuBai70 (Sep 26, 2019)

Stargater53 said:


> You might want to save your pennies and opt for a S&W 686 7-shot. I don't have one, but everyone raves about it on YouTube. Nutnfancy has a comprehensive review of it.
> 
> Ruger makes great handguns for sure, but both the GP-100 and SP-101 are superb. If you buy a SP-101 and like it, keep it. Or, you can let your daughter shoot it and maybe she'll like it more than the GP-101 and you can negotiate a trade.
> 
> ...


Since my last post I've purchased a GP100 Match Champion and will be picking it up this afternoon after 2:00. In California when they say ten days they mean right down to the hour and minute. I'll be posting a photo this evening or tomorrow morning.
My first option was the seven shot GP100 but that fell through so I went with the Match Champion. I read a thing or two about problems with some of the seven shots. Since the chambers in a seven shot cylinder are closer than in a six shot cylinder sometimes the rims of the loaded cartridges would touch or slightly overlap. As a result the cylinder would be hard to close or would not turn properly in between shots. I think this might have been with certain ammo that could have a slightly larger diameter rim.


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## PhuBai70 (Sep 26, 2019)

Picked it up yesterday and I'm very happy with it.


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## Stargater53 (Dec 10, 2018)

Wow! _Very nice._ How much does it weigh?



I ground the grips of my Security-Six (above) so it would take Pachmayr Compaq grips. I can still put regular grips on it, and when I cock it, the cylinder has no play whatsoever. (Don't know how much that has to do with accuracy, but some people seem to put a lot of stock in it. I have another Security-Six that has a bit of play, but the accuracy is superb. My point is that Ruger makes outstanding pistols.)

S&W, back in the 80s (or 90s), tried to convince people that forged steel was better than investment casting (it isn't, it's just cheaper). It ran this ad as an affront to Ruger, but all it did was sell steak and chocolate shakes -- not its revolvers.



In the 80s, S&W 681s ran a bad batch of revolvers that had soft steel. Two Paducah, Ky., police officers discovered it when their 681s began showing excessive holster wear. The front sights wore down to almost the barrel. S&W fixed the problem, but it just wasn't watching its heat treat. I've owned many handguns over the years, but Rugers have had the least amount of trouble of any. I didn't have to return one while Bill Ruger was alive.

Anyway, I'd love to stick around and discuss it, but I'm dying for a steak!

--


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## PhuBai70 (Sep 26, 2019)

Stargater53 said:


> Wow! _Very nice._ How much does it weigh?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I don't have a proper scale to weigh it but I assume it weighs a little less than the standard GP100 because it doesn't have the full under lug. The grips are more comfortable than I thought they would be but I've already ordered an original style rubber with wood inserts from Altamont. They are nicer than the original Ruger grips because the rosewood inserts have a snakeskin pattern and the rubber back strap is textured for a better grip. 
I've also had very good luck with all my Ruger revolvers, both DA and SA.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Congrats. Very nice!


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## Stargater53 (Dec 10, 2018)

The Match Champion looks like a winner, but I wish Ruger would create a lightweight model for hikers. I'd love to see a .357 that would hold seven rounds, be beefed up in the forcing cone area (even though forcing cone cracking hasn't been a problem in any Ruger I know of except the .357 Maximum). In other words, don't add more steel until you can't add any more, but remove steel until you can't remove any more. A .357 that is beefed up in all the right places, but light enough that it can be easily carried by hikers, mountain climbers, campers and other outdoorsmen where weight is an issue, yet strong enough that they can still be made of steel, with adjustable sights and a 3.5-inch barrel. 

Ruger knows its guns aren't going to be suffer from frame fatigue with its solid-frame design. The barrel, if I could design it, would be skinny like a S&W Model 10's barrel. The grips should be, in my dream gun, would be like the GP-series. I'm amazed that neither S&W or Ruger has designed such a gun. 

I'll probably never see such a gun, but I think there would a market for it. 

--


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## PhuBai70 (Sep 26, 2019)

Stargater53 said:


> The Match Champion looks like a winner, but I wish Ruger would create a lightweight model for hikers. I'd love to see a .357 that would hold seven rounds, be beefed up in the forcing cone area (even though forcing cone cracking hasn't been a problem in any Ruger I know of except the .357 Maximum). In other words, don't add more steel until you can't add any more, but remove steel until you can't remove any more. A .357 that is beefed up in all the right places, but light enough that it can be easily carried by hikers, mountain climbers, campers and other outdoorsmen where weight is an issue, yet strong enough that they can still be made of steel, with adjustable sights and a 3.5-inch barrel.
> 
> Ruger knows its guns aren't going to be suffer from frame fatigue with its solid-frame design. The barrel, if I could design it, would be skinny like a S&W Model 10's barrel. The grips should be, in my dream gun, would be like the GP-series. I'm amazed that neither S&W or Ruger has designed such a gun.
> 
> ...


Yeah, all of their double actions are heavy, even the SP101. The Blackhawks are lighter but the shortest barrel available is 4 5/8" and they're single action so they're slower to reload. 
I have an S&W Mountain Gun that was meant to appeal to hikers and campers. It's a stainless 45LC with a 4" tapered barrel and Hogue Monogrips but it's an N-frame so it might be too big for some people. It is a fine revolver none the less.


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## Younguy (Jun 26, 2012)

Have a Ruger .22 single six that I bought used and I think it spent most of its life in a safe. Hardly ever fired. Now when I am loading the 4th or 5th set of 6 rounds the cartridges are hard to push in. After I clean it following the range trip rounds again fall in and spent cartridges fall out smoothly. If I polish the cylinder with emery paper should I, can I re-blue the inside of the cylinder? Or is there something else I should do first or instead?


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