If you love revolvers and you want just a little bit more than .357 Magnum performance, have you thought about 10mm? Yes, I said, 10mm Auto– fired from a revolver that is stout enough to handle the cartridge and smooth enough to put those bigger rounds just where you want them.
That gun is the Ruger GP100 Match Champion chambered in 10mm Auto. This thing is a sweet-shooting and hard-hitting revolver that gives you the heavier bullet weights you might want without jumping up to .44 Magnum, or the often-difficult-to-find .41 Magnum. Ballistically, 10mm and .357 Mag are very similar, with the .357 having more muzzle velocity and 10mm having more muzzle energy. But if you want the bigger, heavier bullets, regardless of your reasoning, the GP100 Match Champion is a revolver that deserves a closer look.
While we are talking about looks, plenty of people have a soft spot for the satin stainless steel finish Ruger has made famous. I first saw that finish on my father’s Security Six, back in about 1982. It has been my favorite finish and material ever since. There is just something about it.
The barrel of the Match Champion is adorned with a bright, green fiber-optic sight atop the 4.2 inch tube and Ruger’s standard rear sight, adjustable for windage and elevation, rests on that broad and strong top strap. Fit and finish is excellent and something Ruger is known for. You won’t be disappointed. What really rounds out this wheelgun is the special Hogue hardwood grip with stippled sides. Ruger says they are perfect for competition shooting. I’d just stop at “perfect.” I can’t remember another time when I have grabbed a handgun out of the box and thought, “That grip is just right.” This one, for me, is just right. Ruger boasts that the grip frame will accommodate a wide variety of custom grips, but don’t spend your money until you have given these Hogue grips a good workout. They are well-sculpted, easy to grip and great to look at. What’s not to like?
As far as the construction of this gun goes, well, Ruger has always made things to last. Especially their revolvers and the GR100 Match Champion is no different. This is a stout revolver, but not overly heavy. It weighs in at 37 ounces, which might not be great for a concealed carry gun, but I look at this pistol as more of a backcountry workhorse anyway. I see it riding in a shoulder holster or a chest rig where weight is less of a factor. The weight does help to tame recoil, but with the 200-grain rounds used for the range test, recoil was noticeable, but not uncontrollable. Rapid fired of one round per second still put all six in a group that would surely get the attention of a predator– of any variety. Suffice to say that if you do your part, the GP100 Match Champion certainly will do it’s part.
The half-lug under the barrel is typical of all Ruger double-actions. The cylinder is triple-locked in place: at the front, the rear and the bottom. This helps with both accuracy and reliability. The ejector star and chamber mouths have a bit of a chamfer to help with loading. And because the gun fires the rimless 10mm rounds, the full moon clips serve as a bit of a speedloader and also helps with positive extraction. The revolver is shipped with three moon clips, but go ahead and buy some more. They are inexpensive and handy. Running out of moon clips is like getting to the range with no stapler to hang your targets.
Internally, the gun is also “Ruger tough” and thoughtfully designed allowing you to strip it for thorough cleaning and maintenance without any special tools. While I am not really ready to give you a step-by-step of breaking down the revolver, I will tell you there is a great 6-minute video on YouTube that takes you through the process.
On the range the GP100 performed flawlessly. I was using the Gold Dot, 200-grain jacketed hollow-points firing at 15 yards and surprised myself and some other guys at the range. After a bit of a warm-up round, I decided to post a clean target and shoot a cylinder for the camera. The first two rounds overlapped in the bull’s-eye, so I decided to pick up the pace. Even rapid-fire the rounds did not wander far. These were 200-grain slugs coming out at 1100 fps. That’s not a wimpy round at all. And the best thing about the 10mm is that you have plenty of options for bullet weight and type. If you really want this revolver to punch above its weight class, grab a box of Buffalo Bore Heavy 10mm Outdoorsman rounds. These are 220-grain hard-cast, flat-nosed bullets moving at 1200 fps and giving you muzzle energy of 703 ft. lbs. That should give you the punch and penetration to stop even the biggest and angriest critters in North America, you just need to stay calm and keep your sights on the target.
Overall, the Ruger GP100 Match Champion in 10mm is an absolutely solid choice for just about any use, except, of course, concealed carry in the summer in Houston. It is a big gun. It is stout and powerful. At the same time it is smooth, reliable and supremely accurate. It hits hard and there is a veritable cornucopia of ammunition on the market that will serve just about any of your shooting needs. For a backcountry gun, I would certainly bet my life on it.
Specs:
GP100 Match Champion 10mm
Grips: Hogue® Stippled Hardwood
Front Sight: Fiber Optic
Barrel Length: 4.20 inches
Twist: 1:16″ RH
Grooves: 6
Capacity: 6 rounds
Rear Sight: Adjustable
Finish: Satin Stainless
Overall Length: 9.50 inches
Weight: 37 ounces
Suggested Retail: $1269.00
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