Looks real nice. Cool idea.

...got mine yesterday. Should be able to get out to shoot it Sunday...

Has a very smooth DA and your typical Ruger SA with some takeup before it breaks. I shoot mostly DA anyway so it doesn't really matter.

Was told by the shop I bought it from that S&W 610 clips will fit...

Bob

Cool.

I'm going to load some rounds tonight that should run about 1000 fps... Everything I have loaded for the semis is full bore...

I may have ventured a 10mm 1911, but, I already have the 45 Super which I adore. No need for anything different.

Nothing about it is better than the S&W 610
But I still want one!

Several things are better...

Availability ...you can't order a 610. Used ones are rare to find.

Price....find one under $1100.00 vs $750 for a GP

Quick change front sight blade

Medium Frame vs. Large Frame

Even if S&W smartens up and does bring out a 10mm L-frame it is still going to have the Hillery Hole, two piece barrel and crappy finish.

Smith 610 clips will not fit it.

You sure... The shop where I picked it up had a customer who has a 610 and bought one of the GPs and said they work...

Thinking about it the GP is more L-frame size vs. the N-frame of the 610...

Bob

Shot mine this morning...runs real well...

Tried three different loads:

180 LRN with 6.0 of Unique

165 Speer Gold Dot HP that is running 1300 from a 5" semi

200 Montana LBT hardcast at 1225 from a 4.25"

All three loads ran fine. The 200 took a little push to extract but the primers were round and fine...

Recoil was not bad but I am going to switch the wood grips for a set of Hogue...

Bob

I'd be all over this if wanting a 10mm.

I never owned a Ruger DA revolver until they chambered the .44 Special and I can say that the GP is waaaay underrated. It's a great gun.

I like the melding of bore/power/frame.

I believe it is time for a 10mm rimmed case though..

Mikulek loves him some moon clips.

I can see where the moonclips are fast. I just don't care for the bulky shape of them for my more casual shooting cadence.

I carry a Glock when a fast reload might come in handy.

A rimmed case would bypass the moon clips, and you could use a heavy crimp when needed, without the possibility of headspace problems.

I do like the GP100. Had a couple 4" 357s along the way that both got away from me.

Still have a late production Security Six with the 4" heavy barrel.

I like those GP-100's so much I bought five and sold four.

Bought a 4" .357, it was great. Trigger not as good as my S&W 586 but just as accurate. After a couple of years got a wild hair for something shiny and sold it. Then about 6 months later thought "that was dumb" and bought another. Then a couple of years later sold that for some other infatuation. Then a year later thought "geez, I really liked that GP100, why did I sell it?" and bought another.

Did that over and over until I got a 6" stainless half lug. Have managed not to do anything stupid with that (i.e. sell it) for a several years now.

I don’t like them but others swear by them.

I’m over the 10mm’s. They don’t cover anything for me that the .40 doesn’t.

I got out of the 10mm business years ago.

Had a Glock 20, and liked the performance and accuracy. The fired brass had serious smilies in it and I deemed it unsafe for reloading. So that was that.

I like the 10 so far as performance. I'm really not a semi-auto guy. My is a Ruger single action. A rimmed 10mm would be interesting. The idea with the .41 mag was supposed to be splitting the diff between .357 and .44. They missed, basically nearly duplicated the .44. A rimmed 10mm could be a good second try. Could stretch the case a little, the cylinders have plenty of room. Give us 1200-1250 fps with a 200 grain jacketed bullet from a 6 or 6.5 inch revolver barrel.

And speaking of nothing in particular but I wish Ruger would transition all or most of their 4" models to that half lug round barrel configuration. The weight out front isn't needed on a .357. Apparently it isn't needed for this 10mm and the 5" .44 Special models either, and they look so much better and visually balanced. The loss of that chunk of steel hanging out there brings the balance back into your hand just the right amount.

Haven’t had a chance to get my hands one one yet. But I’ll buy one when I do!

Apparently, there's something called a 10mm Magnum. You can have a cylinder's chambers bored out to accept the slightly longer case of the 10mm Magnum.

Like my old Speed Six.

A little too much of a good thing I think. It winds up trying to be the .41 magnum which was trying to be the .44 magnum which leaves that middle ground halfway between .357 and .44 still empty. Plus the 10 mm magnum brass I've seen was rimless.

Herter's .401 powermag was in the ballpark.

I get pretty close with .38-40 but I'd rather have straightwalled brass for carbide dies and I'd rather not push the .38-40 quite that hard.

Agreed. I kept all mine just because I like them though. Grin.

That's flat stupid.

I agree. Here's the Security Six heavy barrel. 36.6 oz on my scale. Handles real well.

That one right there with the 4" barrel and the bigger target grips is my "if I only knew then what I know now I'd just buy one and hang onto it" revolver. Maybe in stainless, but maybe not...

I'd like to have the 6" stainless big brother to mine.

I'm sure it won't work with mine. I took a moon clip for a 610 and filled it with cartridges before trying to stick it in the cylinder of my GP100. No fitee. The noses of the cartridges will go in the chambers, but the clip was designed for an N frame like you mentioned. Just too wide.

Shooting yesterday with a friend..

Friend who was with the Marine Corps Pistol Team back in the 1980s...

Sweet!

Did the moon clips work?

...worked fine with and without the clips....

I’ve seens non-moon-clip extraction performed pretty quickly with finger nails only.

With a hard shake a lot of the times several of the empties just fell out when not using the moon clip.

From what I have read there is going to be a TALO special edition 3" with rubber grips and Novak rear sight just like the .357 they have out now...

Bob

If you notice the pics...none of the pins cleared the 4' wide plywood. With the full load 165s they would most of the time but with the full 200s they were blown off the table... These were 180s with 6.0 of Unique...I'm guessing 1000 fps at most. The other two mid-1100s.

Bob: "Thinking about it the GP is more L-frame size vs. the N-frame of the 610..." At 37 ounces I do not consider the GP100 "L-frame size". For comparison of 4" barrels, a S&W Mountain Gun in 44 mag weighs 36 oz. and a Taurus Tracker 41 mag weighs 24 oz. I do not grasp the concept of a 37 oz. 40 Short and Week. But whatever floats your boat. Just for comparison purposes I get 1265 fps with a 250 grain WNGC bullet from the Taurus. I do get the concept of a semi auto 10 mm but no way is any 10 mm an equal to a 41 mag.

I think I'd like one of those.

Buffalo Bore has some pretty stout loadings for the 10mm, stepping on the heels of .41 Magnum, if that's what one is looking for in a 10mm revolver.

bobmn...

Gotta compare "apples to apples".

Just happen to have all the guns named but my MG is a .41...

On a digital Postal Scale:

S&W 657 MG: 40.5 oz

Ruger GP-100 10mm: 37.4 oz

Taurus Tracker Stainless Steel: 35.0 oz

Taurus Titanium Tracker: 24.3 oz

S&W 686-7 PC: 36.7 oz (.38 Super with a 1/2 lug barrel. The standard 4" .357 full underlug is 41.3 oz)


Actual velocities from a 4" barrel with factory ammo:

.41 Magnum:

Federal VS 180 Barnes: 1304

Speer 210 GD HP: 1185

Winchester 240 PT: 1166

CorBon 170: 1273

Winchester ST 170: 1202

Federal Fusion 210: 1280

Remington 170 JHP: 1365

Remington 210 SP: 1247

Federal 210 JHP: 1266

Remington 210 LSWC: 927

Winchester 210 LSW: 960


Length from breechface to muzzle:

1911 GM: 5"

1911 Commander: 4.25"

S&W 657 MG: 5.75"

Ruger GP-100: 5.75"

Taurus Tracker: 5.6"



The nominal grain weight for a .41 Magnum is 210 grains... Sectional Density wise that would be the same as a 200 grain .40 caliber bullet. I just have one handload for a 200 grain bullet but it is running 1210 fps from a 4.25" Commander length barrel...so probably add another 30-40 fps for a 5".

If you watched the movie above he chronographed ammo from the GP-100 and 5" 1911..

Underwood 135:
GP-100: 1540
1911: 1600

Underwood 200:
GP-100: 1210
1911 (Underwood data): 1250

SIG 180:
GP-100: 1215
1911 (Underwood data): 1250



So looking at all the data, if you can run a 200 grain .401 at over 1200 fps from a 4" revolver and factory 210 .410s are only going 30-60 fps faster, you really think that someone/something hit with bullets of equal construction is going to know the difference?

Applying your .40 S&W logic to .357 Magnums...why would people want to shoot .38 Short&Weak out of a "heavy" .357....cheaper ammo and lower recoil maybe...

And if you can shoot 50 rounds of 250 grain/1265 fps loads out of your 24 oz. Titanium Tracker, God bless you...I am getting 1309 from a 4.25" FA 97 and no way I would touch off that load in a TI Tracker...

It isn't that a 10mm revolver is "equal" to a .41 as a .41 can run bullets up to 300 grains but the 10mm tops out at about 220. But to me this is great mid-caliber/mid-frame combination...

Bob

Figuring if you knock 50 fps off their 5" listed velocities you should be within a few fps of the same round from a GP-100...

I have been looking for that announcement of the 3" GP-100 in 10mm and can't find it again... There was no picture but the description was the same as the .357 they have out...will keep looking. It was about $100 less than the MC model.

Bob

Right. It’s more of a Goldilocks ideal, all factors considered, than is the 41 Magnum.

I suspect that chambering revolvers in 10mm may well spark a resurgence of popularity for the 10mm. Revolvers might prove to be more of its niche platform than autopistols, especially considering the versatility of being able to handle .40 S&W too. Throw in Auto Rim, and it can’t miss.

RJM: "Apples to apples" what velocity does your 10mm GP100 propel a 250 grain bullet?

..and that is what I am saying... You can't compare a .41 Magnum to a 10mm any more than you can compare a .44 Special to a .44 Magnum... You can put them in the same size guns but because of the difference in case size you can't run 330 grain bullets in a .44 Special anymore than you can run a 250 in a 10mm.

But since most people run 210s in their .41s and there are few ,41 loads over 220 grains comparing a 210 .41 and 200 .401 there isn't that much of a difference. .

..and my bottom line was the 10mm was a great round for mid-size frame revolver. And as of right now there are no mid-frame .41s for sale and few large frame. If it wan't for Ruger the .41 would be on life support and it is my favorite revolver round.

Bob

It makes a lot of sense if you want a revolver between .357 and 44mag and you already have a pile of
10mm ammo.

To follow on what Bob said regarding lack of inventory of used .41 magnum revolvers:

I hit a LOT of pawn shops and LGS's that sell used guns in my area, and I haven't seen a .41 magnum in either for several years.

Cool gun, but comparisons of ballistics aside - simple question.

Folks, if you had your choice to choose and you are a handloader, which would it be? GP-100 in 41 mag, 44 sp, or 10mm? Let's assume all 3 options are available.

Personally, I have wished for a GP-100 in 41 mag for years and posted about it. I wonder how a Smith L-frame 4" w/full underlug would be received in 41 mag? Thought of chopping a 657 to 4.5 to 5".......

Well...there are already GP-100s in 10mm, a six-shot, and a .44 Special, a five-shot. It would be nice to see a .41 Magnum GP-100 but it would have to be a five-shot and with a diet of full loads either the gun is going to wear out or the shooter is going to.

The other problem is that several commercially available loads and many cast bullets will not fit the LOA of the cylinder unless deep seated. That is one of the reasons that David Clements only makes them in .41 Special. That and his guns are six-shot cylinders.

In reality the perfect cartridge for this gun already exists..the .401 Herter's Power Mag. Would have been great in the Colt Trooper/Python and L-frame Smiths...

Bob

I'd be happy with any. I'd prefer one of the rimmed cartridges in a DA revolver. I don't mind dropping from 6 to 5 cartridges. (I'm pondering a 2-3/4ths inch S&W M69 even though I don't "need" another .44.) I don't suppose I care much between .41 mag and .44 special .. .44 special might be a better fit for the length of the cylinder, more flexibility regarding bullets.

Ill take the 10mm cause you can shoot cheap 40 cal loads , have 6 shots, and plenty of different factory ammo to choose from , along with whatever you want to reload.........the case size is a good match for the mid weight revolver frame

The 10mm is the closest you can get to a 6 shot .41 mag in a medium frame revolver. For hunters/reloaders, the revolver adds advantages to the 10mm in that you can use any bullet shape you want, and any seating depth you desire. That's the advantage. If you don't plan on using different bullets or monkey with seating depth, then there really is no advantage over an auto in 10mm...and certainly some disadvantages.

Would it be blasphemy if I said I like it just fine as a .357 Magnum...?

The choice to use 40 S&W is another advantage.

Yep, like .38 Special in a .357 Magnum, or .44 Special in a .44 Magnum.

Bob - tell me about the Herters - re: performance.

Also, would you prefer a 6-shot 41 Sp, or a 5-shot 41 M?

The 41 Sp in a 6-shot GP-100 would be a nice package. did the round ever get Saami'd? I know brass was mfg.

65BR...probably the best write-up on the .401... Several of the posters over on the SingleAction Forums have either original guns or have had new guns made up... A shame that this round never took off...

http://www.gunblast.com/Fryxell_Herters401.htm


As to the question...if you are talking about a GP-100 in .41...would rather have the 6 shot .41 Special in that size gun. I have the stainless Tracker in .41 and it becomes very unpleasant once full magnum rounds are reached... The .41 Special with a 210 can easily make 1200 fps and that is really all you need...


Shot my GP-100 again today with two different loads out to 35 yards... Changed the grips out to Hogue rubber and it is even more pleasant to shoot...

No, the .41 Special is not yet an official SAAMI round...

Bob

Thanks for the link to the GB .401 Herters article! I have a "like new" .401 Herters I got from a local guy who collects them last year, and while I haven't yet done a lot of shooting and load work-up with it, I like it very much - both the handgun and the cartridge! Mine came with a very light trigger pull as well, and shoots "to the sights". I got a bag of ammo from a commercial reloader I can't come up with the name of this morning, and when I have shot it, was very pleased, although they are fairly "light" loads with cast led bullets. It definitely seems to have been a load "ahead of it's time", and would be VERY interesting in a GP-100! Failing that, guess I'll have to get one in 10mm, to compliment my EAA 10mm semi-auto!

Mike Holmes

Mike..go over to Singleactions.com and look in the Single Action and Reloading sections...more information over there. One of the Posters just had a .401 cylinder made for his stainless 10mm Blackhawk...

Is your brass original Herter's or .41 Magnum?

Reed's Ammo has loaded ammo for the .401...

Bob

I have both Herter's ,401 brass and some made from .41 mag brass. I may have shot these over my chronograph, will go through the book tomorrow and see, if I have a chance. Of course, the Herter's .401 revolver is much larger and heavier than a GP-100, but it is an interesting round, and would probably do well in a GP-100. The .401 Herters makes a nice "mate" for my .44 Special Charter Arms Bulldog - which is MUCH smaller!

Mike Holmes