SP100 -- is five enough?

T

tackdriver

New member
I'm pretty much settled on the .357 3 inch SP100 when I turn 21 in May. Is the 5 shot capacity enough though? How fast can the average shooter eject, take out a speedloader, load and be ready to fire?
 
Unless you are a professional and are required to place yourself in harm's way as part of your job, I would say that five .357mag rounds should be sufficient to handle most encounters if you put the bullets where they're suppose to go. If you have the gun loaded with .38's, then you might need a reload but if you can accurately shoot it with full power .357 loads, then five rounds should be plenty. Remember, the .357mag, .40S&W and .45ACP (with the right loads) are the number 1 stopping bullets.
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That seriously depends on if you can do 2 things at once, and how much you practice. I think you would be better off with half moon clips though. I guess 8-10 seconds would be a good start. That is if you can pull out the speed loader and eject rounds at the same time. This also assumes some sort of holder for the speed loader, not just having them in your pocket. I don't practice with it much anymore but when I did, I would guess with the speed loader ready I could get into 4 seconds on a reload.
 
The SP also comes in 9mm and those full-moon clips are almost as fast as a mag.

115 gr.+P 9mm comes out the barrel at something like 1250 fps compared to 1350 fps for 110 gr .357 (can't remember exact figures, no flames please) so it's not a huge trade off, IMHO.
 
Generally they are, but I recall seeing them being used on .357 mags. The high capacity ones,7 or 8 rounders because there were(are?) no speed loaders for them.
 
Two things:

In LFI-1 the average revolver guy was significantly slower than the average semiauto gun. Of course that could be overcome with significant training so that the trained revolver guy is faster than the average semi-guy but that is a strange scenario of having to do fast reloads.

Are five enough?

1. Most DGUs are deterrents - thus: YES!
2. In the reminder, we don't have good data
on the following issue - How many continue
the crime after being shot by a given
caliber in a given location a given number
of times.

The goat stopping test, shooting the jello
and the like don't speak to that outcome.

We huff and puff about the mad looney
that absorbs mag after mag but that may
a rare event.

Thus, if a large capacity gun is not
not carried - of course you are OK with
a 5 shot as you have no probability
of a stop without a gun.

3. Multiple attackers - ACK! Double taps!
Might be rare but twice in my life I
have seen the car full of racists.

Both worked out without gunstuff but
5 shots looks small in that situation.
I prefer a G-26 when I can carry it.

However, a 642 in the pocket with a speed strip is not a bad solution to most days.

Not to put down your choice of gun but
I find the SP101 a little big for 5 shots
when one can carry a G27 with 9+1 in 40
SW.
 
tackdriver; Sp101's are sweet little guns. Nice grips too, to soak up the recoil. If you're not a cop or in some serious tactical situation don't worry about a reload. If you want two more rounds check out the taurus model 617. I just got a blued one. It's really nice. They make it in stainless also. Two inch barrels and 28 oz. in .357 maggie. Really nice grips and seven rounds. Good Luccck, j.s.
 
So a cop with a revolver or a single stack auto is deadmeat? Egads, that state cop with the 1911 and that deputy with a revolver are doomed. :p

Five with a reload ought to be plenty.
 
If you can't hit your mark, no amount of rounds are enough. I second LawDog. The Snub Nosed is an excellent choice.

Remember what the three arrows of the Beretta logo stand for: "Aim well. Shoot straight. Hit your mark."

------------------
"When guns are outlawed;I will be an outlaw."
 
The 3" SP-101 in .357 mag has ben my #1 carry gun choice for a few years now. Compact, solid, controllable and very accurate. I carry mine in a Don Hume IWB holster and it is very comfortable and concealable. Geneally I carry one additional Speed Strip of ammo and I feel quite comfortable with that. On the rare occasion I feel the threat level might be higher than normal (like when protests and/or riots are planned/threatened at the Courthouse where I work) I'll jump to a higher cap auto pistol just in case but, 90% or more of the time, I'm fine with the Ruger. It's not my only carry gun but it's the one I use the most and probably trust the most.

Right before I got my SP, I had bought a shiny new Kahr MK-9 with night sights. Great little gun, but about a month after I got it my dad stumbled into this used SP for a heck of a deal ($225 in mint condition with a Galco Miami Classic shoulder rig). After shooting the SP I was so pleased with it I immediatly swapped my dad my PPK American for it and soon found myself carrying it much more than the Kahr. While the Ruger is a bit bigger, the weight was similar and I liked the idea of 5 rounds of .357 over 6 of 9mm. The Kahr sat in my safe most of the time and I eventually moved it along for something else.

My only regret was loosing the night sights but now I see Brownells has a Tritium front blade for the SP-101 listed for about $60. After doing some nightfire practice with a Trijicon equipped Glock 23 the other night I think I'm definately going to make that addition to my carry SP.
 
I have a 2 1/4 sp101 It is a bear to shoot with .357's I would rather have my G-26 instead follow shots are quicker for me and I like shooting it .I don't like shooting the sp101 It is well made and in 38's it's great but with my small hands I like the G26 better.
 
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