Finally got an SP 101

J

Jeff #111

New member
Well after a several years of reading the various threads about Ruger's snubbie, and telling myself that I already own two snubbies, and don't need another one I caved.

A fellow officer at my department has been trying to sell his SP101 2.25" (357 mag) for almost a year with no takers. Yesterday he offered it to me for $250.00 and in a moment of weakness I said yes. He brought it in this morning and I promptly took it to the range and qualifed with it. Not bad.Not bad at all. :)

I expected it to be chunkier, but it's no bigger than my Colt Detective Special. Which is my current BUG/CCW. And that's good news because it fits my ankle and belt holsters and I don't have to buy more. While I lose a round with the Ruger I get Five .357 mags so it's a tradeoff I can live with.

Well I'm a Smith and Wesson wheelgun fan, but I now own three Ruger revolvers. A GP 100, New Model Blackhawk and an SP 101. If I'm not careful I'm going to find myself with a Bearcat or perhaps a Single Six. This is actually pretty funny because it wasn't that long ago that I looked at Rugers in disdain. Well I'm older now and more mature. Rugers are okay.I have seen the error of my ways.
__________________
 
Last edited:
Nice. How's the trigger? The new ones are insanely heavy, but I think they'll get better with dryfiring and range time. I like the SP, great looking gun and built like a tank.

Congrats on the addition to your collection!
 
The trigger isn't too bad. It's different from my Colt, but nothing I can't adjust to. the other thing I like is that in addition to being about the same size as my Colt it weighs the same. It gets better and better.
 
Nice gun. I would probably buy another if a friend offered it to me for that price, just to have two instead of one.

When I shoot .38s out of this gun, I notice the heavy trigger.

When I shoot .357 magnums out of this gun, all I notice is the power this gun can deliver in such small package.

At the range today, I shot two boxes of .38s, left handed, one-handed right hand, one-handed left hand, etc. Then I fired one box of 158-grain .357 magnums with a two-handed strongside grip (I'm not up to the more advanced techniques with the powerful rounds yet). I have to say, though, that any thought of buying a dedicated .38 special, whether a mid-sized S&W model 10, or a diminutive S&W 642 went right out the window. This little Ruger can handle very powerful rounds with no problems. I'll spend the money on more range time and more ammo.

Earlier this evening, I replaced the +P rounds in both of my Ruger revolvers with .357 magnum., as well as my speed strips and speed-loaders. I guess I've reached that point where I'm comfortable enough with very powerful rounds now that I can do this.

The fact that you can shoot an unlimited amount of .357 mags from this gun, and controllably, is HUGE.

For what it's worth, I own only Rugers. They're very nice guns.

~Ichiro
 
At the range today, I shot two boxes of .38s, left handed, one-handed right hand, one-handed left hand, etc. Then I fired one box of 158-grain .357 magnums with a two-handed strongside grip
Click to expand...

Where can I see examples of different methods of gripping a handgun?

Is it a good idea to practice not only one-handed, but left-handed if you're a right-handed shooter? That seems like it'd be really discouraging. :(

I guess you never know if you're 'good' hand/arm will be damaged in a fight.

Are the 158gr .357's easier to shoot out of an SP than lighter bullets? I thought I'd heard the 110gr were the easiest recoiling loads. But everyone says 125gr are the worst. :confused:
 
I think all shooting methods are good to practice. At a typical indoor range, you're pretty much limited to what you can do standing in a stationary position. Weak-handed, single-handed strong and weak side are all good, as is point-shooting with all of the above methods. For whatever reason, you might be forced to shoot single-handed with the weak hand. You should practice it.

The 158-grain magnums are less intimidating than the Remington 125-grains. Both shoot very well, but the blast is less in the 158-grain than the 125-grain. Out of a GP-100, I imagine all magnums are equally easy to handle. The Winchester 110-grains are between a .38+P and a full-power magnum. For self-defense, I consider them a stepping stone.

If you got the SP in .22 caliber, you did well. The weight, grips, and trigger pull should be similar enough that you'll get a good training effect from the .22. Just shoot it alot in double-action mode to train you DA skills. I tried some CCI Stingers today, and they're more like a centerfire cartridge than the typical .22. Big fire and blast for a .22. Fun to shoot, and respectable.

~Ichiro
 
I picked up my first wheel gun, and first Ruger recently. The choice was either a SP101 or GP100 short shroud, well I picked the GP100.
The SP101 2 1/4 .357 Mag. is the only other wheelgun that I am interested in.
Enjoy your gun, may you never have to use it in a defensive situation.
 
LH2,

I have a SP 3” with CT grips and frequently practice offhand and from various positions such as sitting on the ground etc., cause you never know what position you might be in a SD situation.

The 110gr JHP’s have slightly less recoil but more flame than the 158gr. I found the 158gr to be more accurate in my particular SP. I’ve not tried the 125gr.
:cool:
 
After getting used to the 125-grainers from Remington, and dealing with the pain, the 158-grainers seem much nicer. No pain.

~Ichiro
 
Thanks for the link Mr. Camp. That's an interesting website and makes for some good reading. i see that in addition to wheelguns you too are a fan of Sigs. I carry a Sig as my primary. Good weapon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top