SP101 - Great all-around gun?

I have a 3" barrel SP101. Trigger was tough stock. Put a 9lb Wolff spring in it and it is perfect for just about any use. Perfect as a wife's carry gun. Not quite as accurate as my 4" S&W model 19, but I would not feel undergunned at any time. It is much easier with .357 rounds than I would have thought given the grip size. Three thumbs up.
 
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.38 Spl SP?

Will .38 Specials be more accurate out of the .38 Spl SP101 than the .357 SP?

Won't the .357 be more work to clean than a dedicated .38 chambered SP if I'm shooting mostly .38's?

The above factors, and the fact that I'd probably shoot mostly .38+P, makes me consider .38-only SP.

But then I think, if I'm going to be carrying, just go for a lightweight .38 snubby, and get a GP or 686 for range time with magnums.
 
I don't like 'em much at all so I only have 3!:D

Seriously, I have a pair of 357s one 2 1/4" the other 3". I also have a 4" .22.

The 357s were both purchased used. The short gun got a trigger job, but the 3" is butter smooth.

They are a bit heavy for the pocket, but carry nice in a belt slide. I stoke 'em both with whatever flavor of 357 JHP I have handy. Both are Hogue gripped; recoil is brisk, but manageble. No problem with hammers up close or controlled pairs at distance, but I also shoot them alot. Wifey likes the shorty and is her primary carry piece. I favor the 3" (like I have a choice!:p )

Drive one if you can before you buy, if you like go for it.
 
We recently moved even farther out in "the sticks", and I am spending a lot of time glued to a chainsaw these days. I have .44's & .40's, all of which area tad cumbersome to wear when engaged in such activities. The 3" SP we had a few years ago was exceptionally accurate for a snub, and my wife used to keep me run out of 125 Federal Magnum HP's with it- said they were "fun to shoot"! She got a charge out of the big fireball (did I mention that she's a redhead?) and she shot the gun equally well, regardless of the ammo.

I am thinking that there is a 2" version in my near future. It would serve admirably as a unobtrusive belt gun for the woods- or a powerful backup for the occasional work-related trip into the urban jungle. My experience with these little guns has been nothing but positive.
 
Magnum recoil with the Sp-101 is something to remember, but not painful.
More like playing catch with a major league pitcher. the gun rises up and
there is a big fireball with CorBON or other full-house .357 loads. Quite fun!

The 3 incher is very accurate, but not a pocket pistol by any means.

After years of problems with every S&W i've owned. Rugers have given me trouble free service and just keep on workin:)
 
I have the 2 1/4" SP101 DAO. model. this is definately the most shootable snubbie out their. A snubbie made with .357 mag in mind. Thats mostly what I shoot out of it but after awhile like any magnum snubby you will want to put it down to rest your hands. With .38's you can practice all day. The gun is also very accurate. digest 158 grain pmc's well and puts them on target. I have no quarell's having this gun as a ccw peice. loaded with magnums of course.:)
 
In response to th 3" gp100's . I have one. full shroud, stainless. this is the house gun. NO gun stores stock this thing for some dumb reason. Nonetheless, The 3" gp100 is an awsome shooter. it's my favorite and you just need to have a deposit and your dealer order you one. You should get it in less than a week. For home defense and simple flat out plinking this thing cant be beat.
 
I have a 2.25" SP101 DAO with the bobbed hammer.

I use it as a front pocket gun loaded with 158 grain .357 mags. The noise is worse than the recoil, which is managable, but follow up shots are slow because of muzzle rise. The trigger pull is long and deliberate, which gives time for the follow up shot. But with the close range defensive situations that this weapon is geared for, you probably won't have to hit him more than once anyway. I'm comfortable up to 15 yards with it.

It's a pocket rocket that's nice to have if you can't carry something bigger, but if I new I was going to be in a shoot out I would want my 1911.

My wife shoots .38 specials out of it and loves it, also.
 
The GP-100 is probably more of an "all-around" gun, i.e., you can carry it, use it for home defense, and hunt with it. It's also a lot of fun to shoot at the range, with a very wide range of ammo.

The SP-101 can be all of these things, too, IF you get the 3" barrel single-action/double-action version. My SP-101 is double action only, and has a 2" barrel. I do not use the sights when I shoot it at the range because I shoot it better without them. It will fire the full Magnums with no problem, but the recoil hurts my hand. It's fun, but also somewhat uncomfortable. For a carry gun, my SP shoots some darned powerful loads. For a hunting gun, my SP really lacks accuracy (OK, I lack accuracy). But I'm not going to tote a GP around the city. I do tote an SP. For home defense, the SP should work fine as well. But the GP is still more fun at the range with big loads.

~Ichiro
 
I have an SP-101 with 3" barrel. I think they're a well made, reliable, good quality gun, but they are of a size, weight, and capacity that doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

If you want a good all around gun, they don't quite cut it... you'd be a lot better off with the 3" GP-100 (my favorite Ruger by a long shot - have one blue and one SS) which is considerably more comfortable to shoot, more accurate, has a much better trigger, and has 6 round capacity.

If you want a small, convenient gun for packing, I think guns like the 642 and 640 make a lot more sense.

So for me, my SP-101 doesn't get any use... it's neither fish nor fowl and sometimes I want salmon and other times, chicken.... don't really have a need for a gun like the SP-101... except perhaps as a gun to leave in the tackle box or glove box of the truck or boat.

If I couldn't afford to have both smaller and larger guns, I still wouldn't choose the SP-101... I'd go for the 3" GP-100. Dang unfortunate that they seem so difficult to acquire these days.... I think they're awesome and I think they'd sell like crazy if Ruger and gun sellers would make them available!

KGPF331_L.jpg
 
After some more thought, I've decided that an SP-101 is a good all-around gun. This assumes that (1) you're not going to hunt with this gun, (2) it is your only handgun, and (3) you are going to carry this gun.

The SP-101, from all that I've read, is the ONLY snubby that can shoot .357 Magnum cartridges fairly comfortably and all of the time. It is easy to shoot, easy to clean, and relatively easy to carry. The jump from .38 +P to .357 magnum is huge. You are effectively jumping over the 9mm, 45 ACP, and other cartridges when you load your SP with full-house magnums, and the SP was designed to shoot them regularly.

While you give up capacity to the 9mm and, to a lesser extent, the 45 ACP, I can't imagine needing more than one more-or-less COM shot from a .357 mag. to end an encounter once and for all. It's a simple design, and in the DAO configuration probably the safest type of handgun you can own. When you get tired of firing .357s, you can switch to 38s and practice weak-hand and one-hand shooting. You get the full range of 38 to 357 cartridges in a compact package that is relatively easy to practice with. A S&W 642 is no doubt easier to carry, but it will not shoot Magnums, which are roughly two and one-half times more powerful. The SP is a different beast. The fact that you can carry this beast fairly easily is a testament to its greatness.

If you want a .38, go for the lighter, two-finger models. If you want a hand-cannon, get the SP, shoot it regularly, and deal with the extra size and weight. I think the 5-round capacity in a 125-grain .357 magnum is more than enough.

~Ichiro
 
Sp101 3"

I have an SP101 3" .357 revolver. I have it in my truck for self defense. It goes with me downtown, to the bad parts of town, to the grocery store, out hiking in the sticks or out for a country drive. No matter where I am with it, I know it has the accuracy and firepower to do anything I may need it to do.

It seems to shoot best with 158gr bullets, which echoes what a lot of other shooters here say. Ruger probably designed the gun with that bullet in mind. I keep 158gr .357 Federal Hydrashoks in it for self defense. I have 2 speedloaders with it, one with hard-cast 158gr LSWC .357 hard hitting loads, and another with light-powered 158gr .38special loads. If my truck overturns somewhere and I am 50 miles from help, I can use the .38 to bag a bunny or the heavy .357 to bag a deer if necessary, or protect my bunny from the wildcats and bears.

I would take a shot on a rabbit with it out to 20-25 yards, and a deer shot out to about 50 yards. The accuracy is there if you learn the gun. I consider it my "kit" gun.

If you have big hands or big knuckles, get a larger grip that fills in the space between the grip and the trigger guard. Your middle finger knuckles will thank you.
 
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