GP100 or SP101?????

GP100 or SP101

  • GP100

    Votes: 93 71.5%

  • SP101

    Votes: 37 28.5%
  • Total voters
    130
  • Poll closed .
H

HisDudeness

New member
Hello,

I'm torn between two firearms, which is far better than being torn between two women I guess... Here is my predicament; I'm looking for a first firearm (shot many, owned none) and I would like it to be a .357/.38 special wheel gun. As I am learning every firearm should first serve it's intended purpose. The purpose of this piece will be as a home defense/bedside gun first, and a range gun when we get the chance. I will not carry it concealed or otherwise but it will accompany me on camping trips. The one caveat is this; my wife needs to be able to shoot and handle the weapon as well. I know some of you will say to buy a second firearm designated for her but that will be down the road. I am not an overly large framed man and she is pretty petite. I am 6 feet tall and 200 pounds with medium sized hands and she is 5 foot 2 and about 130 pounds with smallish hands. When it comes to revolvers I have heard that the extra size and weight is actually a plus for small framed individuals. She has handled and shot a full size 9mm semi auto and while the complexity of the weapon turned her off she was absolutely fine with the recoil/weight of the firearm. I would also like to point out that the gun will be loaded with defensive .38 special rounds with the exception of maybe the last couple of cylinders. This is due to what I have read regarding .357 magnum rounds and small/dark environments. I figure that by the time I get to the last couple of cylinders I won't be so worried about my hearing anymore. Because it will be loaded with .38 special I will have her primarily shoot this caliber with maybe the larger .357 sprinkled in for variety if she is so inclined. The price of the two revolvers is pretty similar and almost identical when I factor in where each would be purchased (local shop vs. Bud's with no sales tax) so that is not figuring into the equation. I've added a poll to the thread as well.
 
I would also like to add that the SP101 would be the 4.2 inch barrel length with the sweet fiber optic front sight and adjustable rear and the GP100 would either be 4 or 6 inch, not sure yet.
 
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As long as it won't be for concealed carry, a 4" GP100 would be my choice...However, have your wife try both before you buy...over the years I have learned the hard way that "when Mama is happy, everyone is happy".
 
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I have a basic philosophy, heavier is better and longer is better.

Unless you intend to conceal a firearm there isn't a need for a light short gun.

For some people a full sized revolver might be a bit tiring to shoot for an extended time. But for the average adult or youth a 6" GP 100 should not be a problem.

The advantages of weight are reduced felt recoil and the gun tends to be easier to hold steady.

The advantages of the longer barrel is that it is easier to aim and it also helps control of muzzle flip for better follow through.

If you can rent both or either gun, do so. That'll help you decide better than any internet post.
 
Have you held the guns yet?

How well it feels in your hand is the most important consideration.

In this case the SP-101 and the GP-100 are very different frame sizes,,,
The first you should determine about the gun is,,,
Which one fits my hand the best.

It's nice to know the specs of a gun you are considering,,,
And there's nothing wrong with asking for opinions,,,
But they are completely secondary to hand fit.

Pick 'em up and handle the guns,,,
Choose the one that make you smile the biggest.

Aarond

.
 
I would like it to be a .357/.38 special wheel gun. As I am learning every firearm should first serve it's intended purpose. The purpose of this piece will be as a home defense/bedside gun first, and a range gun when we get the chance.
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4" GP100. Great gun.

If limiting myself to 5 rounds, it's because I wanted something smaller, lighter, and more concealable than an SP101.
 
I have a GP100; my wife has an SP101.
She's about the size of your wife and prefers shooting magnum rounds because she believes she's more accurate with them.
That being said, the GP is more versatile.
 
The SP101 is too small for my hands. If the GP100 feels comfortable in your wife's hands that is the way to go since it won't be conceal carried. I'd spend a range session renting each of the models you are looking at if you can find a range that has them for rent. Most ranges will let you pay one rental fee and swap the gun out for another if you like. I have a 6" GP100 and love it. I use it for range shooting as well as hiking/camping where I open carry it.

I also added a HiViz fiber optic for around $30 and that is a huge improvement over the factory black or iron or whatever sight it was. Its easy to install yourself.
 
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If you're sure that you don't want to carry concealed, get the GP100. It's an awesome gun whether 4" or 6". I like the 6" version for woods carry and home defense.
 
Thank you all for the experienced advice. As many of you had suggested it would have made sense to "fondle" any firearm before purchasing. The problem with this is that I am finding it hard to locate either revolver let alone both at the same gun shop near me, and I live in a very large gun friendly city. In fact the FFL that is processing my transfers told me that Ruger is not even allowing special orders due to a shortage of available firearms and a rather large demand. What this means is that if it is not in stock you have to find someone else who has one. I knew their SR1911 was a hot item but I guess it may be pretty much across the board as well. So without further ado... I chose to go with the GP100 sight unseen. At this point the voting was 10 to 1 in favor of the larger revolver. I ordered through Bud's and I will comment on the shipping process once I receive the gun.

I also added a HiViz fiber optic for around $30 and that is a huge improvement over the factory black or iron or whatever sight it was. Its easy to install yourself.
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JonathanZ, Bud's had the same sight for 22.95 with free shipping. I'm sure I will be adding this at some point but after any big (for me) purchase I am always hesitant to pile on more items. Penny smart and dollar dumb as they say I guess...
 
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Awesome! Which one, 4" or 6"? Don't worry, you are not done spending money yet if you are like most of us! I bought the sights, mine needed hogue grips, got a holster and I also bought snap caps to do a lot of dry firing. Then I bought several types of ammo, some jhp's for home defense and Buffalo Bore hardcast loads to carry in the woods.
 
Also, just a word of caution for those of you that may be like me...

If you are the type that finds yourself looking at guns online at 3AM, possibly after a few adult beverages, be sure that you check your cart before checking out at any online gun store. Turns out at some point in the recent past I was thinking of purchasing a stainless CZ 83 (most likely for the Mrs., I get sentimental when inebriated) and it was still saved in my shopping cart. In this case I would have had to pay a 10% restocking fee.
 
Awesome! Which one, 4" or 6"?
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I went with the 4" barrel. I figured it would be a good size for a city house gun and still be accurate enough at the range. I guess we shall see...

Don't worry, you are not done spending money yet if you are like most of us!
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Funny you should say that. I have the wife convinced that you could do much worse than collecting guns as a hobby. What other hobby can you reasonably expect to retain about 80% of your initial investment on a new item? A lot of guys are into cars and I know that is not true with vehicles. I would much rather "soup up" a nice magnum revolver or a 1911 than a Honda Civic.

I bought the sights, mine needed hogue grips, got a holster and I also bought snap caps to do a lot of dry firing.
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The new ones come with Hogue grips from the factory. I've been wondering about snap caps. What purpose do they serve? I know some types of guns shouldn't be dry fired. Is that what the snap caps are for, to prevent damage to the firearm? Please forgive my ignorance...
 
As a range, home defense gun, you simply cannot go wrong with the GP100 in either the 4" or 6" barrel. You made a wise choice.
 
I bought mine a year ago and it was used so it unfortunately did not have the hogue grips I wanted. Ruger says it is ok to dry fire the GP100, but they recommend snap caps for extensive dry firing. I wanted to do a lot of dry firing to get practice in double action shooting and just work on my trigger control in general. The purpose of snap caps is to keep from damaging the gun. I don't know how much dry firing it would take to hurt it, but I didn't want to have to worry about that. They may not be necessary though. I don't fully understand it.

You are right about guns retaining their value. I have a Glock I bought a few months ago that was barely used and I could even profit on it if I wanted to sell it cause I got such a great deal. I'm not going to do that, but I could.

**EDIT**
Was wrong. The manual says dry firing is fine and doesn't even mention how many times its ok. I guess the snap caps are unnecessary. Still need a holster and ammo! Plus, you will get the sight at some point.
 
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I don't have a GP100, but I feel the 4" is better balanced.

I do have a SP101 3" and that's my bedside with .357 SJHP's. If I fely I needed more than 5 shot, I use my S&W 5" 8 shot .357, or my Hi cap 9mm.
 
I would go with the 4" in either gp100 or sp101 in your case. I think I would lean towards the sp101. But I don't think you can go wrong with either.
 
I really, really enjoy my GP100 6" for plinking fun. I can't tell you how many boxes of cheapo .38 specials have been down that barrel. Most of the people i shoot with are younger than me and into the "tacticool" stuff and high-capacity polymer pistols, but they have ALL asked to shoot the GP100. One buddy had a bad wreck and couldn't go to work or walk too well for a couple of weeks; i let him borrow the GP100 and set up a target at the back of his yard and gave him a few boxes of ammo for his boredom therapy, worked pretty well.
 
Good choice. My wife didn't like the heavy trigger pull on my SP101. Take her to the range with 38 spl. and she'll love the gun. I also bought the Hi Viz fiber optic for my GP100 and love the sight. Then I did a stupid move and sold the gun.
 
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