I purchased a Ruger SP101 from a co-worker over 20 years ago. The serial number (570--05xxx) seems to have been produced by Ruger in 1989.
http://www.ruger.com/service/productHistory/RE-SP101.html
It is a .38 SPECIAL CAL. (so marked on the R side of the barrel) with the 3+" barrel. It has the green grip inserts (I have been told these may be a collector item as they were supposedly not produced in quantity) and the cylinder has been reamed (cylinder through) to accept Rem .357 Mag 125 grain hollow point bullets of the day and age.
I have never fired .357 cartridges from this gun, and have been told that it may be dangerous to shoot them due to the reaming, vis-à-vis cylinder/barrel alignment. To those concerned, I cannot introduce a .38 SPL cartridge into the front of the cylinder, thankfully.The cylinder is very tight upon lockup with only about .001 play. It shoots .38+P rounds with no problem, no lead/copper residue at the cylinder/barrel interface.
It has been my wife's SD gun for many years, but she has not shot it much at all and is a last ditch thing for her. She keeps a baseball bat at her side of the bed. I'm not sure if it's for an intruder or for me.
What say you folks?
Also, I have rarely seen the green grip inserts on any pics online. Are there any opinions about the rarity of these inserts?
There is also what appears to be an electric pencil engraved "75" on the rear gripframe. Any idea what that may be? I am quite convinced it is not factory. Maybe some police or other armory marking?
My MIL has a SP101 in .38 SPL with a 2+" barrel and I hope to get it from her soon as she is 80+ years of age, has not shot it in the last 20+ years, and probably forgot where she squirreled it away. The fact that she lives in Alaska and I do not makes it somewhat problematic. We'll work on that...
http://www.ruger.com/service/productHistory/RE-SP101.html
It is a .38 SPECIAL CAL. (so marked on the R side of the barrel) with the 3+" barrel. It has the green grip inserts (I have been told these may be a collector item as they were supposedly not produced in quantity) and the cylinder has been reamed (cylinder through) to accept Rem .357 Mag 125 grain hollow point bullets of the day and age.
I have never fired .357 cartridges from this gun, and have been told that it may be dangerous to shoot them due to the reaming, vis-à-vis cylinder/barrel alignment. To those concerned, I cannot introduce a .38 SPL cartridge into the front of the cylinder, thankfully.The cylinder is very tight upon lockup with only about .001 play. It shoots .38+P rounds with no problem, no lead/copper residue at the cylinder/barrel interface.
It has been my wife's SD gun for many years, but she has not shot it much at all and is a last ditch thing for her. She keeps a baseball bat at her side of the bed. I'm not sure if it's for an intruder or for me.
What say you folks?
Also, I have rarely seen the green grip inserts on any pics online. Are there any opinions about the rarity of these inserts?
There is also what appears to be an electric pencil engraved "75" on the rear gripframe. Any idea what that may be? I am quite convinced it is not factory. Maybe some police or other armory marking?
My MIL has a SP101 in .38 SPL with a 2+" barrel and I hope to get it from her soon as she is 80+ years of age, has not shot it in the last 20+ years, and probably forgot where she squirreled it away. The fact that she lives in Alaska and I do not makes it somewhat problematic. We'll work on that...
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