Attention SP-101 owners

A

AndyM

Inactive
Folks,

I went to a range this weekend and rented an SP-101. While shooting it, I ran into a situation and could be dangerous if you need to depend on an SP-101 in a crisis.

Before I go any further, I want to point out that I am not attacking this pistol in any way. In fact, it was a ball to shoot and I really liked the way it felt and shot. It fits my hand a bit better than the GP-100 which I also really like.


I had put 70 rounds of .38 special through the gun with no problems. After the 75th round, I could no longer open the cylinder. The cylinder release button would wiggle back an forth but not depress. The gun's action (single and double) worked find and the cylinder rotated just fine.


I called over one of the range bosses and he didn't have any luck opening the pistol either. He called in a different guy who identified the problem quickly. It turns out he has an SP-101 as well.

The problem was a little set screw just below the cylinder release button. You have to turn the pistol upside down (so that the butt of the grip is pointing towards the ceiling) even to see the screw. The screw had worked loose. He tightened it up and it worked fine again.

I don't carry (or even own a gun yet :( ) but the thougt of depending on a pistol only to find I couldn't reload was a bit scary. Especially since this 2 inch barrelled SP-101 is intended for that very purpose.

Remember, I'm not trying to knock the pistol. All things mechanical will fail and require mantainence.

So, if you own one of these please check that screw.
The one I was shooting went from working fine to inoperable in 5 shots.

Andy
 
Loose screw

It sounds like the screw that serves as the pivot came undone which they should not as they are staked in (or should be) to prevent the screw from turning. Actually, all the Ruger double actions have the same setup.
 
Mmmmm

Thanks for the heads up.

The fiance' has an SP101 and I have shot many, many rounds of .38 through it without a problem but I will be heading home tonight and checking that thar set screw to be sure.

I have never heard of this happening. Like I always tell people, semi-auto or revolver they are all mechanical objects made by man and they will all break down at some point.

Thanks again.
Chris
 
Yep, I like all my guns but I do not expect them to always be perfect.

For anything I am carrying or depending on I give it a real solid look over the night before I leave, no ccw in ohio so this is just for camping and what not.

The one thing about the loose screw is if it is suppossed to be staked in someone did not take it apart and reassemble it correctly, or the screw and stake are faulty. I honestly have never looked at my sp101 to see how the screw is held in.
If it is a fault in the gun, I have never heard of it before.
And mine has several hundred 357 mag through it.

If ohio gets a clue about daily carry I think at least weekly the carry gun will get some target range practice, then clean it and check it out real well. Reassemble, load, test one full load and then reload and be happy in that it is assembled right and tight and works fine.
 
SP101

Hey guys, that little screw that holds the Crane Latch in place (called a Crane Latch Pivot Screw). First of all, these babies are staked at the factory so the screw does not back out. Another point of interest. Guns with scratches on the frame have been toyed with by amature gunsmiths. The frame should always be taped when the Crane Latch is being removed. Telltale signs of unauthorized gun tinkering. :rolleyes:
 
The crane latch pivot screw is suppose to be staked in place but sometimes they do work loose mine did, but never to the extent that it didn't funtion anymore. Mine was a .44 Redhawk so I talked to a gunsmith about it and he was the one that informed me that they sometimes work loose and recommended a little loctite on the threads of the screw and thats what I did and its been tight ever since, that was over 8 months ago. (An eyeglass repair kit screwdriver is ideal for that screw)
 
As long as it is tight I wouldn't mess with it. I had an SP101 and currently have a Sercurity Six and a GP100 and they never loosened up.
Every now and again I just check it.
 
UBoatCaptain

A lot of gunsmiths work on Ruger revolvers really have not been properly trained. Case in point, a buddy of mine had his Security Six Ejector Rod unscrew (part is fixed in the newer SP/GP series). Anyway, gunsmith told him to "tighten it with pliers and soft leather to protect the bluing". Yikes, I thought to myself. First of all, no matter Ruger or what. You need an Extractor Support tool or Orange Inert Dummy Rounds to hold the Ejector. This keeps the pins from twisting and bending. Anyway, the gunsmith didn't tell the guy why the rod got loose in the first place. An upgrade ( "KE24 Lockwasher Bushing") was needed. Anyway, I fixed his gun and no more problems. The problem is that the Ruger school is only open to law enforcement and I can see why........:rolleyes:
 
I ran across my SP as a clean one owner a while back and have put a couple of thousand rounds of 357 ammo thru it. I just checked my screw and its tight. Its my daily carry so Ill check it once in a while...just to be sure. Thanks...Shoot well
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top