Ruger SP-101 impressions.

C

chaim

New member
I shot a Ruger SP 101 in .357 yesterday at the range. The guy at the next lane heard me shooting my Taurus 605 and stopped over to invite me to try his .357 snub. I must say that, while the weight difference is negligable, the Ruger handled the .357 so much better. Shooting full powered .357 ammo was almost comfortable. The trigger was much better than I expected. It seems accurate, though the owner of the gun put the target so close it was hard to tell (the muzzle blast sent the target to the floor after a few rounds it was so close). The owner put on Hogue grips and this gun was very comfortable (I never did like the grips Ruger put on their revolvers and I guess this colored the way I saw them). I'm starting to think that I should look into a SP-101 and the GP-100 I've been thinking about has become much more likely.
 
I liked the one I tried except for the DA trigger, which was close to an aerobic workout. Did you try yours in DA?
 
The SP is a sweet shooter. I must admit I ran across a NIB Lady Smith 60...I bought it and had a hard time deciding which one to sell if I had to...its for sale. Anyway, the SP is a keeper. The trigger on mine isnt that bad. The pull is smooth and medium in weight in d/a ...the s/a has a little "notch" in the pull...but have found a smith to lighten the d/a and smooth out the s/a. The SP's Ive shot are not like my gun....the triggers are heavier and dont have the notch or catch in s/a pull. All in all, Im loving mine..its on my hip as I type this. Mine is very accurate and just a great weight for full house loads...not to light or heavy.
Shoot well
 
I too am pumped about my SP. I had a 60 and while nice, hotter loads are way more fun in the SP 101. The aspect about my Ruger I most like is the ease with which I can take it TOTALLY apart! Too Cool. Oh, and I can get it back together. I put a wolff 10lb spring in and so far totally reliable with all .38loads tried. Haven't tried any magnums, and don't intend to. I really wish though, someone would make a true "boot grip" like Hogue, Butler Creek, PGS. I saw a pair of Eagle secret service grips at a gunshow I passed on, a little to thick. I did consider gettin 'em and sanding them more to my liking.
 
The Ruger SP-101 is a superb little revolver, especially in .357 with a Hogue grip...just ask my best friend who got mine for his birthday a few years ago!:D

I wanted a 6-shot, so I got a Security-Six snubnose and surprised him with the SP-101.:)

If Ruger made a "humpback" model like the S&W Bodyguard, I'd buy one in a heartbeat. I've seen a gunsmith named Sokol has made a conversion like that, but, I wouldn't want all the extras, just the shrouded hammer with DA/SA.:p
 
Mine's a 3 inch barrel in 9mm (what else? :D)

The trigger pull is easy to improve on with a spring kit from Wolff or Trapper and a little polishing.

Good guns...
 
I liked the one I tried except for the DA trigger, which was close to an aerobic workout. Did you try yours in DA?
Click to expand...

I alternated my shots so I could try both. I liked this gun alot. I'm going to check the local ranges for SP-101 rentals so that I can see how other examples are in case the guy did any other aftermarket modifications other than the grips. If I really like it I may just have to trade in my 605.

Don't get me wrong, the Taurus is a good gun and I'll probably quickly get the 85UL (the aluminum alloy version) but with the weight this gun has I'd rather have the SP 101 if it is that much more controllable with .357s in it. My 605 with a 2" barrel is only an ounce lighter than the 2 1/4" SP 101 so I doubt if I'd notice it yet the SP 101 was far more controllable. This way I'd have a more useful .357 snub (as it is I can't shoot .357s much out of the 605 yet it is noticably heavier than the standard 85) and a lightweight .38 that will come in handy when I leave MD.
 
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