SP101 - Great all-around gun?

L

LH2

New member
I'm going nuts trying to find a good all-around gun. I like the simplicity of a wheelgun. I think they're easier to maintain, and there is less chance of a jam than with a semiauto.

I think a nightstand gun should be point and shoot, I don't want to mess with a safety or have to rack a slide in a worst-case scenario.

A couple 9mm's I'm considering are too bulky for carry, but would make a nice range gun. I think the SP101 3" is just about right. Long enough barrel to make range sessions interesting, but short enough for CCW. Should make just as good a car gun or house gun as a 9mm semiauto, right?

I think I'd practice with .38's most of the time, but like to know what full house .357's feel like in the SP. I know the gun can take it, but how uncomfortable is it to shoot magnums? Is it painful like the scandium S&W's etc?

How do you SP101 owners like 'em? I guess an action job is probably a good idea, right?

Thanks for the advice.
 
Mine's a 2.25" made in 1994. It was purchased new and has never given me any problems. Did take a Dremel to some areas on the triggerguard that were left kind of sharp from the factory but it took only a few minutes and with the stainless steel it all blended in nicely. Don't know if that is a common problem, old problem or just an individual problem. Anyway, I've shot it a fair amount, it's my nightstand and travel gun so probably only 25-50rds a year which means roughly 300 or so rounds in it's life so far. Not a lot but enough to keep familiar with it. Out of those rounds I've tried .357 110gr JHP (lots of flash but I liked it), .357 125gr JHP (for me anyway, OUCH!!!) too stout in this gun, .38 Special +P, 158gr JSP (these are nice). For now anyway the +P loading is what I'm going with. Faster recovery than the 110gr .357 and less muzzle flash. Don't consider a trigger job until you've shot it a good bit. Like most handguns they tend to improve to some degree with use. Mine's probably not as good as it will be with more shooting but it's improved over time and I'm happy with it. The 3" is probably the better choice for most applications but the 2.25" makes for a mighty handy and business looking piece if I do say so myself. HTH
 
Rugers are very good guns

But I have never been impressed with there triggers, Smiths and colts are much better.
Does that mean that Ruger triggers cant be improved, no, but being an investment cast gun out of the box I have never seen a trigger in a ruger that impressed me.
Then again I have seen Smiths that were junk.
Is a ruger a good gun, around here when we sell one one of the words to describe a Ruger is "TANK".
Very strong very reliable. We have had some come back over the 20 years I have worked across the counter but they are VERY few.
Ruger is a good choice for a "everything" gun. The price is right, the energy is right, and there is so much ammow to choose from.
But practice with what you carry.
 
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I've got the SP101 DAO 2" which will be my carry gun. I love it but it's going to have trigger work soon. Some point down the road I'll pick up the 3" SP; I can't recommend them highly enough but, agreed, S&W has the advantage on the triggers - though not all. My 36LS needs a trigger job as well so don't always buy the theory that S&W is better everytime. The advantages of Rugers is no internal lock, price, and they're built to last. I've only shot heavy loads with my SP once - too heavy (125 grain magnums) which I'll never do again. For practice, I prefer .38s because of the cost but I'll look for a lighter grain magnum to use for carry and this gun makes them more comfortable than most S&W guns in the same size.

P.S. A good rule of thumb is the lighter the gun, the greater the recoil, and the more it hurts to fire. I stay away from light weight guns which is why I got rid of my 442. I find the models 60/640/640,SP, Colt Detective Special, to be as light as I care to go.
 
SP101 is good all around

I've had my SP101 2" for quite a few years. Very happy with it. Have to agree with Mr. Simmons about some of the rough edges. I've been tempted to take a Dremmel to mine as well ( hammer, trigger guard & front cylinder edge ), but have been too afraid I'd mess it up. It does have a stout recoil with 357, but very manageable with 38's. DA action trigger is kinda stiff. SA is good. I've handeled one that had custom work done on it, and the trigger was smooth as butter. Great bedside & car gun. Small enough to carry, but a bit on the heavy side. I like the factory grips. Put some Hogue hardwood grips on mine for awhile. Looked real nice, but didn't feel as good as factory, so switched back. If you look at used guns, read the barrel for a warning about ammuntion limitations. The very early model was limited to 125 gr rounds.

Tuckerdog1
 
Why not get a 3" GP100? :D

The gun is a bit bigger, and a bit heavier. Add in the option of a 6th shot as well. And, with a good holster, it will conceal just fine.

Though, hard to go wrong with either :D
 
I have 'several' 2.25" SP-101s: one in .38 (one of the first SP-101s made) and the rest in .357. On one of them, I put a Crimson Trace grip, most of the others have the Uncle Mike's boot grip on them.

I can load the .357 models up with hot .357 rounds and shoot them all day long. The weight of the SP-101 does an excellent job of moderating the recoil. This is in stark contrast to my Taurus titanium 651: 17.6 ounces unloaded, a half-pound lighter than the SP-101. In the Taurus, I now carry the .38+p Speer Gold Dot short barrel, since I can fire only five .357 rounds before my hand is screaming for mercy.

The SP-101 makes an excellent self-defense handgun, and I still commonly carry one. One of mine is also the handgun that lives in the handlebar bag of my bicycle when I am out riding.
 
I agree with Jonathan. I've had this one for some time!
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I know there are many who swear by their SP-101's but the one I owned had a heavy trigger from hell. Three others I have tried were about the same. But, that's just one persons experience. Now if you want a really good 'all purpose' revolver, this one is mine.
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Why not get a 3" GP100?
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Have you tried finding one? No shops have them and both the distributor websites I keep an eye on have been out of 3" GP's for awhile. I wonder if Ruger is even making them anymore. They stopped making the blue 3" and only show the SS on the website. lots of 6" GP's though

As a side note, since most guys seem to say they shoot mostly .38's anyway, maybe the .38 SP101 would be fine. Just keep +P loaded, still a good stopper, right?
 
Look for a used Ruger Security Six with a 4"bbl. You can find one for less than a SP101 costs new. The Security Six revolvers were and are great guns for all around use. Not quite as bulky as the GP100, not quite as strong but still very sturdy. They are very accurate and should make range trips a blast for you. A lightweight gun like the SP101 won't make shooting 357MAg loads fun unless you use some low-recoil loads, but then you are simply getting 9mm performance with less-capacity. For a range gun and home-defense gun I would think the 4" bbl would be better.
 
Why not get a 3" GP100?
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I agree, however for my situation, the SP is for my wife. She’s about 5’6” and a buck 20; she likes the smaller frame the 101 offers. Those little guns are indestructible, as with all Ruger revolvers.
 
The SP-101 is a very good concealment revolver, but it's not a great all around revolver. The bigger GP-100 with a 4 inch barrel would be a better choice for a great all around revolver.
 
The SP-101 is a very good concealment revolver, but it's not a great all around revolver. The bigger GP-100 with a 4 inch barrel would be a better choice for a great all around revolver.
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So a trip to the range with the SP101, and nothing else, is not gonna be much fun I guess? I owned a .44 Spl snub in the past and it wasn't enjoyable to shoot beyond 4 or 5 cylinders full.

Maybe I'll go with a 9mm semiauto (or GP100 in 3 or 4 inch) for the all-arounder and then get an SP101 (or S&W) .38 for CCW.

I was thinking it'd be cool to have one do-it-all handgun, but everything is a compromise. An SP101 is a pretty short range weapon and snappy with magnum loads. A GP100 is too bulky for carry here where shorts & T-shirts are the norm in the warm climate.

I was thinking a Kahr K9 could do it all, but the DAO trigger isn't a whole lot of fun at the range to me. Pistols and SA triggers go hand in hand. Maybe I'd get used to it?
 
I'm not saying the SP-101 won't be fun to shoot, but to be an all around gun it falls a little short of that title. A bigger revolver would be easier on the shooter during long range sessions. The bigger revolver would be a better target gun. The bigger gun would also make a good field gun.
Now for defensive purposes the SP-101 is great, but it will never be an all around gun.
 
I agree with Majic. The SP is a great CCW gun, car gun, hiking gun, etc. Small, but able to handle the Magnum loads, easy to conceal. But, if you're wanting a Magnum to shoot at the range, it's not the best choice. For that type of gun, you want a full size revolver, like the GP or a 686, something like that.

My SP is the DAO. I have put in lighter springs, and installed the Houge grips. makes the gun much more pleasant to shoot, but still, after a couple cylinders of magnums, I'm ready to switch guns. Now, .38 Special? Oh yeah, you can shoot that all day out of an SP.

I highly recommend the SP to anyone for a defensive CCW firearm.
 
Good choice

I think the SP-101 in 3 inch is a great all around gun. It is also stronger than any Smith or Taurus. In a gun that small only the Ruger will last for 1000's of rounds. I own 2 after giving up on a Smith model 60 which finally developed a frame crack where the barrel screws into the frame. (and that was just with plus P 38's!
 
I agree, however for my situation, the SP is for my wife. She’s about 5’6” and a buck 20; she likes the smaller frame the 101 offers. Those little guns are indestructible, as with all Ruger revolvers.
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The 3" GP-100s have a smaller grip frame than the 4+" models.
 
Get an action job done -- mine cost $100 and made a major difference to the smoothness and ease of the DA trigger pull. Have the gunsmith smooth the rough edges off the sides of the trigger while he's at it.

Do this and you may not need to use a lightened spring kit at all, which is just as well.

Then outfit the revolver with some nice grips like the Hogue rubber SP101 monogrip. Not so carryable, but great for comfort.

The result is a nice all-around gun for someone with smaller hands who doesn't mind five shots. You can shoot good .38+Ps in it all day, and they wouldn't be a bad choice for defense.

The SP101 I want is a 3" model with the hammer chopped for snag-free DAO operation.
 
After pondering it a little while I think it may be a great all around gun. As has been mentioned, it's great for hiking, hd, and concealed carry though falls a little short in extended range sessions or perhaps hunting.

Realistically though I find my wallet limits the amount of 357 shooting more than my hands. I can shoot up to a couple boxes of 158 grain rounds out of mine without too much discomfort. The lighter rounds are stoudt but not uncomfortable.

On the other hand 4" guns are somewhat larger and at least 7 ounces heavier for one extra round. They are more difficult to conceal practically speaking. But I have taken my 4" GP deeer hunting and I haven't ever considered the 3" SP.
 
nice gun...

I like my SP101 and my new Alaskan too... I guess I'm sold on Ruger revolvers... I like S&W and Taurus...but the Rugers just always felt better in my hand. The SP101 fits my hand perfectly and feels 'solid' without feeling heavy. I like the GP100, but when it comes to big revolvers ...I prefer them to be 44/45/454 et al... :)
 
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