First Look: Ruger GP100 7-Shot Revolver

The stainless revolver lay gleaming among the rubble of a day’s hardcore use, late afternoon sunlight reflecting from the pale sides of dozens of spent cartridges. I lifted the piece, checked the cylinder and hefted the balance. I approved. This was Ruger’s new GP100 seven-shot, mid-frame .357 Mag. revolver.

I’m a revolver man at heart. I’ve carried a small-frame Ruger revolver for several decades through the backcountry while hunting, cowboying and camping. So I was understandably interested upon being introduced to this new seven-shooter. It’s well balanced, smooth-of-action and has plenty of firepower for almost any backcountry ruckus that might need sorting out, short of stopping a charging grizzly—and in the right hands, it might even do that.

Technical Specifications
• Action: single/double action revolver.
• Caliber: .357 Mag.
• Barrel Length(s): 2.5″, 4.2″, 6″
• Capacity: 7
• Material: stainless steel
• Grips: cushioned rubber w/ hardwood insert
• Front Sight: fiber-optic
• Rear Sight: adjustable
• Weight: 36 to 43.5 oz., depending on model
• MSRP: $899; ruger.com