At the range...

 4" GP100

 It took awhile but I finally got there...

 The Missus from 20 yards with her MK I...  We'll get there  :)

The Missus with the GP100...  She liked it.  Kinda.  Too heavy?

The Missus and I took advantage of the 50 degree temps today and went out to the range.  I wanted to shoot the new GP100 and she wanted to shoot her Ruger MKI. 

It's been awhile since I fired a large caliber revolver and it's been even longer since the Missus has fired at all.  Today's shooting proves that!  :)

We went over to the 20 yard range and shared it with a couple of gentlemen who were shooting .45 acp Springfield XD-M pistols.  There were a couple of  lanes between us, so no one was in anyone's way.  It was good.

I fired the first 6 rounds with the GP100 in single action.  I was way low and all over the place.  The first thing I noticed was that the recoil with .38 Specials was minimal.  A very nice shooting revolver.  I paid a bit of attention to my grip and concentrated on my sight picture and saw immediate improvement.  I fired 6 more rounds in single action then fired the remainder in double action.  Trigger pull was very smooth but somewhat heavy in DA.  By the time we were finished I was satisfied with where the bullets were striking the target.

My first impressions of the Ruger GP100...  Very well made revolver.  Well balanced.  Fit of all the parts is very good.  Exactly what you would expect from a gun of this type.  Brushed stainless finish is pretty good.  There are a couple of spots that aren't perfect but it certainly doesn't affect the function of the gun.  The Hogue grip is very comfortable and solid once you get used to it.  It feels to be a slightly wider grip than the S&W 686.  The front sight is all black and there is no contrast between the front and rear sights when aligned with a black target.  Makes it hard to get a good sight picture.  Gonna have to do something about that.  A tiny bit of white paint, perhaps?  Night sights?  We'll see.  Overall, I am extremely happy with the purchase of the GP100.

Like I said, the Missus hadn't fired a gun of any type in quite a long time.  After the first few rounds from her MK I she started to settle in and was getting closer and closer to where she wanted to be.  Big smile on her face.  She fired 12 rounds through the GP100 and came away smiling from that, too. 

I asked if she wanted to fire the XDS.  By her reckoning it's small and light so it has to be a gentle shooter, right?  (LOL)  She fired one round from the bench, supported with her elbows.  I watched from the side as that pistol recoiled.  She didn't like it much, but she didn't panic.  She said, and I quote...  "Whoa...  Whoa.......  I don't like that.  I don't like that.  I don't like that at all".  I didn't laugh at her.  I explained the large cartridge in a light, short barreled pistol theory to her.  She mentioned that "your other .45 doesn't kick like that".  She was referring to my 1911, of course.  She used to shoot it on occasion without any problem.  I also have a Taurus OSS 24/7 in .45 acp.  She wouldn't like the recoil of that either.  It's a full sized pistol but, being plastic, it's light and the recoil is a bit more harsh than the 1911.

Anyway, she has decided that she wants to spend time at the range again.  She wants to get her CCW permit.  I'm all about that.

She looked at the Ruger LCP yesterday and liked it.  Another small, light pistol.  I took her to the gun shop this afternoon so she could compare the LCP to the LC9.  We'll see.  The XDS will be available in 9mm one of these days...

She kept telling me that the GP100 is too heavy.  I told her that it felt like it weighed about the same as her MK I.  When we got home I weighed both of them.  Her MK I is actually 105 grams heavier than the GP100.  She never believes me.  :)

Anyway, it was a fun day shooting with her.

Stay safe.