Absolutely Shamelessly Competing With Nyeti-New GP100 Compact Letts Grip Inserts

[JonInWA]

These images show my GP100 with a set of Letts Winewood inserts for the Compact grips on my GP100. Previously, I'd had it wearing a set of Silver-Black Letts laminates, but decided to give these a try. The Winewood on these inserts is lighter under certain lighting than those on my Letts Full-Size grip inserts, but I decided that they still worked nicely. Yeah, the fate of the Western world isn't exactly devolving on issues/decision processes like this, but I though it'd be fun to share. Just because. It's allowable.

Best, Jon
http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae343/JonInWA/Ruger%20GP100/DSCN3291.jpg (http://s986.photobucket.com/user/JonInWA/media/Ruger%20GP100/DSCN3291.jpg.html)
http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae343/JonInWA/Ruger%20GP100/DSCN3299.jpg (http://s986.photobucket.com/user/JonInWA/media/Ruger%20GP100/DSCN3299.jpg.html)
http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae343/JonInWA/Ruger%20GP100/DSCN3296.jpg (http://s986.photobucket.com/user/JonInWA/media/Ruger%20GP100/DSCN3296.jpg.html)
http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae343/JonInWA/Ruger%20GP100/DSCN3295.jpg (http://s986.photobucket.com/user/JonInWA/media/Ruger%20GP100/DSCN3295.jpg.html)

And with the previous Silver-Black ones (with the full-size grips with the darker Winewood adjacent):

http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae343/JonInWA/Ruger%20GP100/DSCN1287.jpg (http://s986.photobucket.com/user/JonInWA/media/Ruger%20GP100/DSCN1287.jpg.html)
http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae343/JonInWA/Ruger%20GP100/DSCN1290.jpg (http://s986.photobucket.com/user/JonInWA/media/Ruger%20GP100/DSCN1290.jpg.html)

[S Jenks]

Are these any smaller than the stock grips that come on the GP100 Wiley Clapp? I love the gun but feel the grips are a tad large for a 3".

[RoyGBiv]

Very. Well. Done.

[JonInWA]

Are these any smaller than the stock grips that come on the GP100 Wiley Clapp? I love the gun but feel the grips are a tad large for a 3".

Yes-the Compact grips are significantly smaller; the Wiley Clapp guns come with the Full Size Ruger rubber grips with large inserts. The good news is that Ruger themselves have re-introduced the Compact grips; see www.shopruger.com. http://shopruger.com/Rubber-Grips-with-Rosewood-Inserts-Compact/productinfo/70084/ They are exceptionally ergonomic; they were OEM on the fixed-sight GP100s, but I personally consider them the grip of choice for any GP100 using .38 Special, .38 Special +P, and 125 gr (or lighter) .357 magnum cartridges.-especially if you intend to carry your GP100 concealed.

For heavier, higher velocity .357 magnum loadings the full-size grips come into their own, or for field carry where a larger grip is preferred. I much prefer these OEM Ruger grips over after-market alternatives-especially the Hogue grips that Ruger defaulted to as OEM issue apparently once their initial stocks of the Letts grips were exhausted, and Letts closed their doors. I'm glad Ruger has chosen to go back to them, at least as an after-sale option; hopefully they'll return them to OEM status.

Best, Jon

[Dagga Boy]

Just a bit of clarification....those are great grips. For function and for shooting full house duty ammo, great choice. But under no circumstances are you in the ballpark of what I have been putting on guns lately. Check out the thread on LE revolvers that should be near the top and get back to me if "Lett inserts" are remotely competing.:rolleyes:

[Cheap Shot]

Beautiful!

[JonInWA]

Just a bit of clarification....those are great grips. For function and for shooting full house duty ammo, great choice. But under no circumstances are you in the ballpark of what I have been putting on guns lately. Check out the thread on LE revolvers that should be near the top and get back to me if "Lett inserts" are remotely competing.:rolleyes:

Heh heh...You mean like the plastic Rogers grips??

Best, Jon

[Dagga Boy]

Heh heh...You mean like the plastic Rogers grips??

Best, Jon

Yea,that would be about the same.....and they were only on for a minute on that gun. I do have several working guns with Uncle Mikes Spegels (and unlike most, I also have more guns with actual Spegels), and I also like the VZ's in the same role I used the Rogers back when they were "state of the art".

[JonInWA]

Seriously, your Smiths and Colts are magnificent representatives, both the revolvers themselves intrinsically, and their grips and finishes. They're representative of two bygone eras-both the era when they were state of the art, and the era of manufacturing where relatively prodigious amounts of time, skill and materials could be viably lavished on them, and an acceptable profit margin still be maintained (although given Colt's checkered history of labor difficulties, what was "acceptable" and how it subsequently trickled down obviously had some opposing viewpoints...)

Ruger took a different approach-they chose to front-load the design and manufacturing process, using Ruger's genius (and that of the engineers he surrounded himself with) to come up with clean-sheet-of-paper approaches to the mechanical operation/architecture and manufacture of firearms. His firearms were noted for being exceptionally well designed, possessing exceptional strength, durability and reliability, and costing significantly less that competitors, thanks in large part to the investment casting techniques, and his vertical manufacturing approach, where Ruger themselves made the majority of the components involved- a conceptually very similar approach utilized by their arch-competitor, Beretta (minus the investment casting approach). Mastering the component manufacturing aspect minimized the subsequent need for requiring a highly skilled/specialized, expensive and time-consuming assembly labor force.

Sometimes inexpensive (and often aftermarket) components simply work better-Hogue Grips has staked their fortune on that approach. While I might inwardly wince a bit on the pedestrian aesthetics that my Hogue rubber fingergroove grips provide to my Mark III Hi Power (compared to FN's handsome checkered walnut grips, or fancier ones, such as Craig Spegel's), having owned and tried all three, the reality at the end of the day was, at least for me, that the rubber Hogues were the ones that worked the best-and there the ones that are permanently residing on my Hi Power.

Lett was a longstanding friend and associate of Ruger, and their fortunes remained intertwined throughout their lives. While I'll be the first to admit that the grips on my GP100, custom insert or not, pall aesthetically before some of the magnificent examples that Nyeti (and others on the forum here) has graciously showed us, they really nicely combine form, function and aesthetics. And the custom Letts inserts, mere chips of laminate that they are notwithstanding, when judiciously chosen and matched with a specific gun do nicely compliment and enhance the overall package-without any compromise of operational use and/or effectiveness.

Which, in a roundabout sort of way, is my point. It's nice when you can combine function with aesthetics, without compromise. But I can certainly appreciate what Nyeti does, and how his approach has led to some of the magnificent guns that he's shared.

Best, Jon

[Dagga Boy]

Ton of great stuff in the above post. I worked at Ruger's west coast LE distributer as my college job, and was in the trenches in the first days of the LE revolver wars with S&W with the GP100. I would emphasize that the Gp100 was essentially a new design using new manufacturing techniques. They are strong as hell, need no special fittings, you can simply parts replace on them with wear as needed. The Smith's were essentially a 100 year old design when the GP100 came out. The Smith is essentially a 1911 while the Ruger is a Glock as far as design age. I love the GP100 design, especially as a working issue gun it is great. I think the only thing Ruger is missing the boat on not better adapting the Super Redhawk frame into a Defensive 8 shot gun.

[serialsolver]

I wish ruger would enter the alloy light weight revolver market. I would try an alloy gp100, the ruger version of the smith 386.


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[Dagga Boy]

I wish ruger would enter the alloy light weight revolver market. I would try an alloy gp100, the ruger version of the smith 386.


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Ruger has more titanium capability than anyone out there, so I am surprised they have not done anything with it.

[SeriousStudent]

Or a titanium SP101 with a 2.75 barrel, just long enough to give you a clean ejection of the spent shells.



hmmm - quite the little pocket rocket.......

[Dagga Boy]

Or a titanium SP101 with a 2.75 barrel, just long enough to give you a clean ejection of the spent shells.



hmmm - quite the little pocket rocket.......

They had plans for that 20 years ago. Don't know why nothing happened.

[SeriousStudent]

I think it would be an interesting competitor to the 340PD. It's a pity they never made them.