Description

Cheap Ruger GP100 DA 3B TALO 357 MAG

Cheap Ruger GP100 DA 3B TALO 357 MAG

The Ruger GP100 Double-Action Revolvers are among the most comfortable shooting revolvers. The triple-locking cylinder is locked into the frame at the front, rear and bottom for more positive alignment and dependable operation shot after shot. It’s patented grip frame design easily accommodates a wide variety of custom grips and the patented transfer bar mechanism provides an unparalleled measure of security against accidental discharge. With no special tools required, maintenance and assembly is easy.

The GP100 is Ruger’s heavy-duty double-action revolver line. The TALO versions are distributor-exclusive configurations that add features not always found on the standard GP100.

The 3-inch Wiley Clapp-style version is particularly distinctive because of its combination of a relatively compact barrel, substantial GP100 frame, fixed combat sights and .357 Magnum chambering.

Core specifications

The published specifications for the Wiley Clapp configuration give 8.5 inches overall length, 36 ounces unloaded and a six-shot cylinder.

What makes the TALO version different?

TALO Distributors commissions special Ruger configurations rather than simply selling the ordinary catalog GP100. The Wiley Clapp version was designed around a “working revolver” concept, emphasizing practical fixed sights and a compact but substantial configuration.

Notable differences include:

• 3-inch barrel rather than the more common 4.2- or 6-inch GP100.

• Fixed Novak rear sight, rather than the conventional adjustable GP100 rear sight.

• Gold/brass-bead front sight for a prominent aiming reference.

• Rounded/smoothed external contours on the Wiley Clapp version.

• Rubber grip intended to provide a secure hold while shooting .357 Magnum.

• Full-length ejector shroud/underlug, adding weight toward the front.

• Traditional six-shot GP100 cylinder.

• Transfer-bar safety system.

The 3-inch barrel gives the gun a substantially different balance from the longer GP100s without making it a tiny, lightweight revolver. A review of the Wiley Clapp version specifically noted that the underlug and 36-ounce weight put useful mass forward of the shooter’s hand.

.357 Magnum and .38 Special

One of the big advantages of the .357 Magnum GP100 is that it is chambered for both .357 Magnum and .38 Special ammunition.

The cartridges aren’t interchangeable in the other direction, though: a revolver marked .357 Magnum can normally chamber .38 Special, while a revolver marked only .38 Special should not be loaded with .357 Magnum.

For ordinary range use, .38 Special generally produces less blast and recoil than .357 Magnum. The GP100’s relatively substantial weight makes it much less “snappy” than lightweight .357 revolvers.

GP100 construction

The GP100 was designed as a robust, service-oriented revolver rather than an ultralight carry gun.

Important characteristics include:

• Solid stainless-steel construction on stainless variants.

• Large, strong frame.

• Swing-out cylinder.

• Triple-locking cylinder arrangement.

• Transfer-bar firing system.

• Replaceable grip system.

• Fixed or adjustable sight configurations depending on model.

That heavy construction is one reason the 3-inch GP100 remains considerably larger and heavier than something such as Ruger’s SP101.

The 3-inch barrel

The 3-inch barrel is probably the defining feature of this particular GP100.

Compared with a 2-inch revolver, it provides a longer sight radius and somewhat more forward weight. Compared with a 4–6-inch GP100, it is shorter and more compact.

The 3-inch configuration therefore occupies an interesting middle ground: compact by GP100 standards, but still a full-size, heavy-frame revolver.

A published test of the Wiley Clapp version reported good accuracy at 25 yards with several factory loads, although those results should be regarded as test-gun results rather than a guarantee for an individual revolver. Cheap Ruger GP100 DA 3B TALO 357 MAG

Sights

The TALO/Wiley Clapp setup is substantially different from the typical adjustable-sight GP100.

The Novak-style fixed rear sight is low-profile, while the front uses a gold/brass bead. This produces a relatively uncluttered sight picture.

The advantage is simplicity and a snag-resistant profile. The trade-off is that you don’t have the same easy point-of-impact adjustment available with an adjustable rear sight. Cheap Ruger GP100 DA 3B TALO 357 MAG

Trigger

The GP100 is a DA/SA revolver:

• Double action: pulling the trigger both cocks and releases the hammer.

• Single action: manually cocking the hammer produces a lighter trigger pull before the shot.

Exact trigger pull varies between individual guns. One published specification for this particular configuration lists approximately 12 lb in DA and 5 lb in SA, but factory specifications and individual examples can differ. Cheap Ruger GP100 DA 3B TALO 357 MAG

Size and weight

The 36-ounce unloaded weight is worth emphasizing.

Despite the 3-inch barrel, this isn’t a small revolver. The GP100’s large frame and full underlug make it considerably more substantial than compact revolvers. Cheap Ruger GP100 DA 3B TALO 357 MAG

That has two opposing consequences:

Advantages

• More manageable recoil than a lightweight .357.

• Stable platform.

• Substantial construction.

• Comfortable for extended range sessions compared with many lightweight .357s.

Disadvantages

• Heavy compared with compact revolvers.

• Bulky.

• The GP100 frame is considerably larger than an SP101.

Collectibility

The TALO versions can be more interesting to collectors than ordinary catalog GP100s because they were produced as special configurations.

There have been multiple TALO GP100 configurations, however, so don’t assume that every TALO-marked GP100 has the same specifications or production quantity.

For example, TALO currently lists other GP100 configurations, including a 2.5-inch .357 model and 4.2-inch seven-shot variants. Cheap Ruger GP100 DA 3B TALO 357 MAG