3” SP101 Wiley Clapp?

[jeep45238]

I wonder if Ruger would ever cast this bugger with an aluminum frame.

[rd62]

I say this, in 9mm...

I'd buy one of those

[Lester Polfus]

I say this, in 9mm...

I'd buy one of those

I've often wondered if it would be economically viable for Ruger to have a semi-custom shop.

By "semi-custom" I don't mean hand fitted and polished. I mean guns that are screwed together from parts they stock, but in a non-cataloged configuration.

For example, your only choice of adjustable sighted SP101 is the 4" Match Champion, which is kind of a platypus gun. I'd pay Ruger a premium to take a an adjustable sight SP101 frame, and screw a 3" barrel onto it. The only other ways to do this are economic non-starters. You can either buy the 4" adjustable sight gun, and pay a gunsmith to shorten the barrel or install a take-off 3" barrel, or pay cylinder and slide the price of a 3" gun over again to mill it for a J-frame sight.

Likewise, there isn't enough demand for .44 Special GP100s to keep them in the catalog, but maybe they could gin up enough .44 barrels and cylinders to feed custom orders?

You could go on the Ruger website, navigate your way through some drop down menus to mock up what you want, pay and six to eight weeks later it could ship to an FFL with a spiffy looking certificate.

[Chuck Whitlock]

I've often wondered if it would be economically viable for Ruger to have a semi-custom shop.

By "semi-custom" I don't mean hand fitted and polished. I mean guns that are screwed together from parts they stock, but in a non-cataloged configuration.

For example, your only choice of adjustable sighted SP101 is the 4" Match Champion, which is kind of a platypus gun. I'd pay Ruger a premium to take a an adjustable sight SP101 frame, and screw a 3" barrel onto it. The only other ways to do this are economic non-starters. You can either buy the 4" adjustable sight gun, and pay a gunsmith to shorten the barrel or install a take-off 3" barrel, or pay cylinder and slide the price of a 3" gun over again to mill it for a J-frame sight.

Likewise, there isn't enough demand for .44 Special GP100s to keep them in the catalog, but maybe they could gin up enough .44 barrels and cylinders to feed custom orders?

You could go on the Ruger website, navigate your way through some drop down menus to mock up what you want, pay and six to eight weeks later it could ship to an FFL with a spiffy looking certificate.

I'd be sooo damn broke, but you are on to something. There are several examples that aren't quite what my heart desires, but could be LEGO'd together with pieces that already exist.

[OlongJohnson]

Someone (everyone) please beat up Ruger about making a 5.5-6 inch version of the SP101 in .327 Fed.

If not that, a 5.5-7.5 inch Single Seven Bisley stainless in .327 Fed.

Better yet, badger them about the custom shop actually being a custom shop. At least to the level of allowing ordering combinations of parts that they already make but don't assemble as standard SKUs. Custom assembly, not necessarily custom manufacturing or gunsmithing. Such as the above Bisley model...

I've often wondered if it would be economically viable for Ruger to have a semi-custom shop.

By "semi-custom" I don't mean hand fitted and polished. I mean guns that are screwed together from parts they stock, but in a non-cataloged configuration.

For example, your only choice of adjustable sighted SP101 is the 4" Match Champion, which is kind of a platypus gun. I'd pay Ruger a premium to take a an adjustable sight SP101 frame, and screw a 3" barrel onto it. The only other ways to do this are economic non-starters. You can either buy the 4" adjustable sight gun, and pay a gunsmith to shorten the barrel or install a take-off 3" barrel, or pay cylinder and slide the price of a 3" gun over again to mill it for a J-frame sight.

Likewise, there isn't enough demand for .44 Special GP100s to keep them in the catalog, but maybe they could gin up enough .44 barrels and cylinders to feed custom orders?

You could go on the Ruger website, navigate your way through some drop down menus to mock up what you want, pay and six to eight weeks later it could ship to an FFL with a spiffy looking certificate.

I'd be sooo damn broke, but you are on to something. There are several examples that aren't quite what my heart desires, but could be LEGO'd together with pieces that already exist.

I've been wanting that for a long time.

[spyderco monkey]

I say this, in 9mm...

Ruger offers their .357 Blackhawk with a 9mm conversion cylinder.



I've often wondered why they don't sell GP100's and SP101's with a 9mm Conversion cylinder.


Alternatively, Ruger's .45 LC Redhawk is milled for moonclips, allowing it to also fire .45 ACP.

I wonder if Ruger could develop such a system for their .357's, to allow firing 9x19 with moonclips?

[Joe in PNG]

Is this where I mention my new 4003S/5?

A 5 string Ric!?!?
The spirits of Chris Squire and Lemmy weep at such heresy!

[HeavyDuty]

A 5 string Ric!?!?
The spirits of Chris Squire and Lemmy weep at such heresy!

Hey, I’m five string everything for years now. My little reptilian brain doesn’t allow me to flip back and forth between fours and fives very easily. I paid my dues - I had an Azureglo ‘80 4001.

[Dave T]

Thats actually a really nice looking gun.

Is the frame big enough for a 6 shot .38 cylinder?

Not quite but I bet if Ruger was to make the frame a tad bigger but still smaller than the GP-100, and put 6 holes in it, they would sell a couple truck loads in the fist month. Look at how well the Kimber and new Colts are being received.

Dave

[Rock185]

I like the 3" SP101s, and have an older one myself. An adjustable sight would be a plus though, sort of like a S&W kit gun. And that new tapered cylinder profile is just plain weird. Looks like something went wrong during manufacture, just as with the new Colt Cobra with that misshapen/multi-angled trigger guard.....ymmv