Ruger sp 101 barrel legnth

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sixxgunnernick

New member
So I put a Ruger sp 101 357 magnum in lay-a-way today..the short barrel snubnose. I'm thinking about getting the three inch barrel instead. Not as easy to conceal but I'm more concerned about velocity, longer sight radius and accuracy. Help..I'm torn between .75 of an inch.
 
I had the 3" with hammer. Sold it and bought the 2" DAO. I'm happy now. It's a self defense gun. Accurate for self defense. I don't use it for target shooting at 25 yards.
 
The S&W model 13 with a 3" barrel was standard issue for FBI agents until capacity became the primary selection criteria.

Maybe they knew something about the 3" gun? Easier to shoot well than the 2" and easier to carry/hide than the 4".

Yeah, I like the 3" better, but good luck with your decision. :D

RSP101-9.jpg
 
Barrel length only makes carry difficult if you plan on pocket carrying it. Other wise the grip lenght, shape, and angle make the differance. With a good belt and holster it will hide with ease.
 
My wife has the 2 inch SP101 hammerless... the hammer is actually just a low profile no-spur hammer. She bought it with the crimson trace laser grip, and It is a great weapon. With 38+P gold dots, it is very low recoil. With 125 gr 357 remington golden sabres it is manageable, but follow up shots are slower, and louder.

I see this weapon as more of a 38 than a 357. Unlike one of the ultra-light 38s, this is a gun you can actually practice with. You can also shoot hot +P ammo fast and accurate.
 
Thanks for the responses..they both look and feel good. I'm thinking of a shoulder holster and glove box gun. But I love the snubnose if I want to put it in my pocket. I'm just thinking of giving up velocity and sight radius (accuracy) its killing me. Can you hit 25 yards with a snubby? I should probably get the three incher..ugh
 
Here's a good youtube video on snub nose velocity - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqDysouNjL4

You lose a lot of velocity with 2 inch barrels. Comparing the 125 grain 38 and 357 loads to a 124 grain 9mm load, I get better velocity with my subcompact 9mm automatic than the guy in the video gets with his 2 inch snubbies. My 3 inch barrel XDSC-9 gets over 1100 fps with 124 grain bullets. No way would I carry a 2 inch snub nose.

The guy in the video starts to get decent velocity when he shoots the really hot 357 loads but I wonder how hard it would be to control those shots.
 
SP101 2-1/4"

I have an SP101 with 2-1/4" barrel. For slow fire target shooting it rivals my Glock 22 and Colt Combat Commander for accuracy at 25 yards. It was hard for me to believe too but it has proven to be true on more than one range outing. I can shoot 4"-6" groups at 25 yards. I have fairly strong hands and I seem to handle recoil fairly well. Full power magnum loads sting a bit but are not as bad as I thought they'd be.
 
My 3" SP101 conceals readily and comfortably and is surprisingly accurate for me.

I find that 158gr .357 loads are comfortable enough (125gr., not so much).

It's one of the guns I wouldn't part with.

Best,

Will
 
Wow thanks for the info. guys! The video was great..I wonder what the three inch would do. Looks like I'm gonna switch out to the three inch model. Thanks alot..
 
I like my 2" and I pocket carry.

IF you're getting a 3" you'd just as well get a 4" and get 6 shots while you're at it; just my opinion.
 
I'm with Dave Chuppa on this one. I had a 2 1/4" inch and loved it. Made the mistake of swapping out for a 3". I didn't like it. That extra ~3/4" just gets in the way as far as I was concerned. It didn't conceal as well, and the longer barrel would stick down into my hip while hunting. It was not any more accurate. I'm back to the short barrel version and I'm happy.

IF you're getting a 3" you'd just as well get a 4" and get 6 shots while you're at it; just my opinion.
Click to expand...

Yep, that sums it up pretty well for me too after trying both.
 
I've got both. I carry them IWB, and I don't think there is enough difference in length to affect concealability, or comfort.....but that's just me. Good luck in your decision.

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2" for dedicated CCW, 3" for compromise range gun

If its for pure concealed carry/self defense, get the 2". If its a compromise gun (range/HD use), and will be carried on the belt, get the 3". For defensive purposes the .75" won't make a difference in a bad way but there is a small chance it could be a benefit.

Mechanical accuracy is better than you will be. There is a video of a guy on YouTube hitting a soda bottle at 100 yards with 1-7/8" barrel. Longer sight radius is the real trick. There are other advantages to short barrels like faster time clearing the holster, easier to maneuver in extreme close quarters combat (ECQ), and harder to get it taken away from you.

If you are really serious about this read Ed Lovette's book Snubby Revolver.
 
I know I'll take heat for this, I think the SP 101 is to heavy for pocket carry. Also in the 3 in barrel length I shoot much, much better than I do the smaller barrel. To me the 3 inch has a nice balance and weight. I like to shoot all my guns and it shoots great at the range.
 
Guess that is why they make both. I had the 2" sold it and if I ever buy another it would be 3". Either is too heavy to carry w/o a good holster and I found a bigger gun was just as easy to carry in a holster. I like a lot about the little SP's but found them too big to be a little gun and too small to be a big gun. I doubt I'll ever own another. Although they are good guns they just don't fill a need for me.
 
Tug O War..lol great responses, just when i think get the two incher I keep reading and think get the three incher. OK guys that covers concealed carry, how about velocity? Does the two incher lose alot of velocity over the three incher? That is probaly my main concern..I want a 357 magnum not a chopped 357 magnum that is like a 38. Sorry if anyone takes offense to that but you know what I mean. The two incher is easier to conceal..its up the shooter for accuracy. So that leaves barrel lenght, bullets used for velocity. After seeing the posted video above I leaning towards the three incher. Input/replies..I gotta make the decision tomorrow, any thoughts and/or advice is appreciated.
 
I have 3 inch sp 101. The sight radius doesn't make that much difference but the 3 inch fires better with hot loads than the 2 inch. The 2 inch conceals better the 3 inch and has more than adaquate accuracy. I bought the 3 inch because I have a 2 inch Smith and I carry the 3inch in the winter under a heavy coat.
 
I once owned a 2.25" SP101 but sold it, then replaced it with the 3.06" version. IMO the muzzle flip and flash are less severe when firing magnums in the 3" version. .38's are a piece of cake in either gun. I shoot the 3" version better, and in particular followup shots are faster and more accurate than they ever were when I shot the 2.25". Grip length and shape matters way more than barrel length (to a point) when it comes to concealment, so I don't find that the 3" conceals worse than the other. Either version is too heavy for pocket carry IMO. They're both excellent belt guns.

I also own a 4" GP100...pretty significant difference between the 3" SP101 and that gun for a CCW application (jump in weight and girth). The GP100 is, for me, a range gun only.

2.25" in a Simply Rugged
sp101013.jpg


3.06" wearing Crimson Trace in a Garrett Industries Silent Thunder (Glock 26 next to it)
sthunder001.jpg


GP100
gp100011.jpg
 
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