Sturm, Ruger & Co. announced three new revolvers in its GP100 line of revolvers. Like the base GP100, these three guns are chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge. Unlike any of the other guns in this line, all three of these wheelies have a cylinder that holds seven cartridges.

The three new guns are very similar to one another with the major difference being the length of the barrel. Ruger built these three guns with a 2.5″, 4.2″ and 6″ barrel respectively. All of the new guns have a satin stainless finish, adjustable rear sight, green fiber optic front sight and a set of cushioned rubber grips with wood inserts. All three guns share the same suggested retail price: $899.

The GP100 is a double action revolver built on a fairly rugged frame. As a duty revolver, it can take an ongoing regimen of Magnum loads for practice. Turning the gun into a seven shooter is similar to what Smith & Wesson did with its 586/686 revolvers some years ago.

It would be interesting to see what sales and customer data Ruger used to justify the development expenses of these new revolvers. Is there growing interest in the rugged DA revolver again? I like a good 4″ revolver, but I have figured I am in a small minority of the buying public.