Why oh why did I just buy this SP101?

N

NINEX19

New member
I really have no explanation for this purchase since it goes against many of MY "rules of gun buying". I guess it must have had some type of mind control that it focused on me as soon as I walked past it in the used gun case. It just sat there looking all beautiful, flaunting its little price tag at me in such an irresistible way. I felt guilty event looking at it twice. What will my wife say, was all I was thinking. I just had to look.... again and again and again. :D

It is a .38 Special. Why would I ever buy a revolver in just a .38 Special. A hard fast rule I have had for years (ever) is to only buy .357 Magnums to shoot .38 Specials in. Well, that is now out the door. :D

It is a snubbie. I dislike snubbies, and I already have one in .357 Magnum. Why type of mind control did the 2.25" barrel have on me that would make me exercise such poor judgement? I never in my life planned to buy another short barreled revolver.

It only holds five (5) rounds... What, that is crazy. :eek: I have a strongly enforced rule that all revolvers hold 6 rounds of ammunition. No more and no less. Why would I buy a gun that is using the limiting round of .38 Spl and only five round of it. This alone should have been the deal breaker for me, but no I kept pressing on, saying yes and doing the background check. Stupid, stupid, stupid...

The double action trigger is, to put bluntly, terrible. I guess it told me to ignore that, and only think about how great the single action trigger was. :mad:

I was not looking for another revolver. I was looking for a full sized 9mm. Never did get that. My focus was lost on this little stainless steel beauty.

It was used. I am not a huge fan of buying used guns. It kept telling me, "I am a stainless Ruger that has zero problems that you can find when you are doing a revolver used gun check". I gave in. Though it was made in 1989 per the serial number, it was in like new condition.

So, against all good judgement and my rules of gun buying, I walked out with a slightly used, short barrel, stainless steel Ruger revolver in .38 Special (+P), for $260 after taxes. Strangely, feel good about it, and I am not sure why. It must still be using some mind control, even from inside the safe. :)
 
Last edited:
No shame in getting sucked in by a nice lil SP. I'm a die hard S&W fan, and while I don't have any "hate" for Rugers and fully acknowledge that they build an incredibly robust weapon, I just don't like the looks of them compared to a Smith.

Having said that, there is one shining example of a Ruger that I really like the looks of and that's the SP101. I find the SP to be a very attractive little wheelgun! I missed the boat on picking one up in 327 Mag which is what I would like to get one chambered in. A friend had an SP chambered in 357 that I had an opportunity to try out. I didn't find it unbearable to shoot, but I think the 327 round would be perfect for that platform.

I'm no expert gunsmith, but might I suggest a spring kit to slick up the DA action on your new SP?? I wonder if simply a lighter rebound spring might be just the ticket.

Congrats on your new acquisition... But if it becomes a point of guilt, or contention between you and the Missus, feel free to send it my way! LOL! :D
 
Shoot it a bit, carry it some and keep it if you like it. You got a good enough deal that you should be able to get your money back out of it if it's not something you want.
 
Good price on a well-built revolver. There are inexpensive things that can be done to smooth out the trigger.
 
$260 out the door is a great deal. You could flip it and make some good money. I have one that I polished up and have hard wood grips on.
 
$260 out the door is a great deal. You could flip it and make some good money.
Click to expand...

Nope, it won't let me do that. :)

I will look to see if I can get a trigger kit for it. If I do end up carrying it sometime, a better double action is necessary in my opinion. Until then, I am happy with single action.
 
If it hurts that much to give in, I am willing to help you start your therapy...first step is to bring the revolver to me....then you can start to forget you ever had it:D

I too have been mesmerized by a stainless beauty. Mine was a super redhawk in 44 mag. It was 3 days before my wedding. Shouldn't have done it, and my new bride was soooo mad when she saw the receipt:eek: Sometimes we have to obey the call of the revolver:)

Congrats on the new wheel gun.
 
Here I have been actively looking for just such a critter but can only find a new SP101 in 357 mag. Great price, wish it was mine.
 
Welcome to the Dark Side! :)

They are cute little beggers and there is nothing at all wrong with 38 special.

Take good care of it, and it will take care of you.
 
I would clean the action then lube it. Dry-Fire 1000 times. Clean and lube again. Take it to the Range. Shoot 130gr. 38 special. If the action is better load it with 135gr. Speer Gold Dot 38+P. If the action is not smoother dry-fire more. Carry it and or use it for a house gun. Problem Solved.:cool:
 
You were looking at guns and had the itch. I bought a S&W Model 10 (clean one) just because everyone said they were so great and I had essentially the same rule about 38spl's at that time. I scratched that itch and I haven't even shot it in 10 years. The S&W 442 is the only 38spl I own other than the M10. But I am considering getting one of the LCR's with the hammer in 38spl. Rules are there just to break and the wind blows the proper way. Hope you enjoy it. A SP-101 is one itch I will not scratch unless I bought it to turn quickly.

I used to buy a lot of stuff it seems just to carry around in gun shows with a sign on my case and have many people fondle it and never offer a reasonable price for it. I got over that business and find no joy in carrying around a gun in a show.
 
In a small frame snub the recoil of .357 is going to be a bit harsh. 38 special +P is about as hot as I'd want to go anyways. I'd put a couple boxes of ammo through it and dry fire it a couple hundred times and the trigger should smooth out. If that doesn't work I'd start polishing the internals.

At that point if you still don't like it I'm sure you'll be able to get your money out of it. I know I be tempted at buying one if I could get it for under $300.
 
Panfisher said:
Here I have been actively looking for just such a critter but can only find a new SP101 in 357 mag. Great price, wish it was mine.
Click to expand...
I have been told that the SP101 in .38 SPL.are pretty rare compared to the .357 Mag.
The person sold me the gun said it was just put out about 2 hours earlier. My guess is that it would not have lasted the day. The store gets a lot of foot traffic.

Yes, I do have a problem, but I am glad I am in good company. You all know who you are. [emoji3]
 
$260 for an SP-101, you can take some of those savings and buy a grip exerciser for your hand. I've used handguns with much worse DA trigger pulls than an SP-101.
 
That's a great deal on the SP. If you are interested, a set of hammer and trigger shims, light polishing of the important parts, and a new Wolf spring will do wonders to the trigger. I did just that to a Service Six I picked up and the difference was night and day. Rugers are ridiculously easy to reassemble with many less parts than a Smith. Plenty of Youtube videos to help if you need it. Enjoy your gun.
 
.38 only SP 101 is not common as other snubs because they were built wrong. You can test this yourself; try putting a .357 cartridge in it and the cylinder would not even close.
I know I can fix the issue if you sell this improperly built SP 101 to me for $250 --- Considering your mistake, selling at a loss of only $10 while learning a valuable lesson is good:D
====
Where do you buy your guns? I need to visit that store.
 
.38 only SP 101 is not common as other snubs because they were built wrong. You can test this yourself; try putting a .357 cartridge in it and the cylinder would not even close.
I know I can fix the issue if you sell this improperly built SP 101 to me for $250 --- Considering your mistake, selling at a loss of only $10 while learning a valuable lesson is good
Click to expand...

Oh no, you're right. How did I not see this obvious mistake while checking it out. I suppose a $10 hit to learn a valuable lesson is very generous of you. You are credit to the gun community in steering the misinformed in the correct direction while making huge sacrifices for the good of other. :D

Having thought about it for .00002 seconds, I think I will pass and just live with my mistake. Perhaps one day I will be able to pass it on to another unsuspecting buyer for even more money. I could always leave it to my kids as an example of what not to do when buying guns.

I took it out and shot it some yesterday. I will have to say, this is one of the best mistakes I have made. Yes, I will look into a wolf spring kit.

Where do you buy your guns? I need to visit that store.
Click to expand...
Cabela's... I know they get a lot of grief, but it is possible to find very good deals there sometimes. You just have to look and pounce when the time is right. The only reason I can think of why the price was as low as it was, was because it was a 1989/1990 example, even though it was in 95% condition. Or perhaps when whoever appraised it did not take into account that a good cleaning was all that was needed since it was sold in an uncleaned state.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top