Shop Guns
I love to build shop guns for customers to see and handle so they can choose the work they would like to be performed on their similar revolvers and pistols. The GP-100 is a perfect revolver for a shop sample. The action can be “slicked up” to smooth perfection so even the weakest person or someone with damaged hands can work the double action. The two GP-100s shown, one by Marc Morganti of Gemini Custom and the other by me, have just about everything done to them we could dream up. Including the cost of the base revolver, we both put about $1,900 into custom work.
The barrels were cut to 2½", slab-sided and an SDM gold-bead dovetail front sight installed. Marc chose a Jack Weigand interchangeable blade front sight with an SDM gold bead. Marc likes to use the Weigand sight so the customer has a wide choice of sight blades from which to choose, including fiber optic. Marc’s rear sight is an excellent Hamilton Bowen adjustable. I stuck with the integral frame rear sight and serrated the rear sight flat, keeping the revolver lower profiled for concealed carry.
Cylinder work included cutting for moon clips, polishing and beveling the chambers and opening the throats to .358". Many Ruger cylinder throats come out of mass production a little undersized and need to be opened up for maximum accuracy. I also numbered the chambers, which is a feature dating way back to around 1860, believe it or not. Shooters back then often shot groups from each chamber to determine if there was one that did not shoot to the same impact point of impact as the others. I choose to carry on that old tradition.
