[CA357]

I have a 4" GP 100 and I changed the grips out and put Pachmayr finger groove grips on it last night.

Then the wierdest thing happened. It functions, but it has gotten very tight to cycle. When I pull the trigger, there's lots of resistance and the cylinder is very tight to turn. The trigger pull is off the charts.

I pulled the grips back off and pulled the hammer spring, hammer and trigger group and everything seems normal. I cleaned the parts up, lubed the trigger group and reassembled it. Same problem.

So I disassembled it and reassembled it several times, all with the same result. I am completely stumped. Obviously the grips have nothing to do with the operation of the revolver, so it just doesn't make sense.

It seems that I'm missing something, but I haven't a clue. Does anyone have any suggestions? And why would such a thing happen in the first place?

BTW, this is the first .357 I ever owned. I had an opportunity to buy it back from a buddy. I had it to the range last weekend and it shot fine. I plan on using it as my woods gun for if and when we ever get to Oregon.

[jeepcreep927]

Is your grip screw overtightened and pinching the mainspring? Just a thought.

[CA357]

No. I tried it with the grips off and on and it makes no difference.

[stalkingbear]

Let me get this straight. You changed grips & now it's trying to lock up? Is the internal lock (if equipped) partially "on"? Are the grips or screw interfering with the spring? Did the screw knock the spring/hammer stirrup out of their normal position? It sounds like the stirrup/spring/bushing got knocked out of alignment to me. Got pics of it with the grips off?

[CA357]

Bear, it's a Ruger, so no internal lock, but it does have a transfer bar. It just doesn't make sense.

I'm going to play with it some more tonight and if I can't get it right, I'm going to send it off to Ruger. I'll let them figure it out.

[CA357]

Okay, I completely disassembled the trigger group this time around. It operates fine. The problem arises when it's assembled. I've taken Rugers apart a bunch of times to do trigger jobs, so I don't think I have an issue of doing something wrong.

The best way to describe it is that the trigger is binding. I guess I'll ship it off to Ruger's New Hampshire shop tomorrow.

[stalkingbear]

The newest Rugers do have an internal lock-the reason I asked. It sounds like an assembly or hammer/trigger alignment problem but that wouldn't explain having the problem arising from just changing grips. I'd have to see it to fix it.

Be sure & have the gun as factory before you send it back-Ruger will change it back to factory condition.

[CA357]

I didn't realize that Ruger had gone to an internal lock.

As I've said, it just doesn't make any sense, so I'm going to ship it off to Ruger. I hate to do it because the last time I sent them handgun, they lost it in the shuffle and it took almost five months to get it back.

[CA357]

It's on its way to Ruger. I hope it doesn't take forever to get it back.

[Donnyj]

I sent my GP100 back in March of this year..... I just got it back about 2 or 3 weeks ago. Good luck!