Ruger sp101 vs. Taurus 605 - Page 2

tomh1426 · March 31, 2008, 04:25 PM

Is grip tackyness somthing you really want in a pocket gun?
I do like the way Hogue grips feel on alot of guns thow.

aerod1 · March 31, 2008, 05:17 PM

I have a Taurus 605 SSCH but if money was not a consideration, I would go with the Ruger. For my carry piece, I much prefer my Smith & Wesson 638.

GingerGuy · April 11, 2008, 05:24 PM

Sp101 gets my vote, you have a Taurus, time for a Ruger....it's a tank.

coyota1 · April 11, 2008, 08:24 PM

I picked up a SP snubbie 357... I was very impressed w/ the quality and would hands down recommend the Ruger over the Taurus. I put the Hogue rubber grips on for a better fit for my hands. I think the the revolver looks better w/the grips also.

katana8869 · April 11, 2008, 09:08 PM

The SP-101 was my first carry gun back in 1993 and it is still a frequent "go to" gun in my selection of favorite CCW pieces. I don't have any real experience with the Taurus revolvers, but I don't hesitate to say that I love my 2 1/4" SP-101.

FLA2760 · April 11, 2008, 09:52 PM

Ruger.

BlackDrop50 · April 12, 2008, 12:26 AM

I was deciding between the two, went with the ruger.

I love to shoot .357s out of it. I put on a hogue grip and I can shoot .357 all day very very accurately. I leave .38 +P for my girlfriend.

joegator · April 12, 2008, 07:36 PM

I have the 101 and love it. Even full power 125 loads are not a problem or punishing. I also have a Security Six. Ruger revolvers are built like tanks.

Solu · March 29, 2017, 11:15 AM

I have owned a Taurus 605 SS for about a year. I purchased the 605 principally to shoot 38s through it. I have owned snubbies before and the small, light-weight guns are not fun to shoot hot 38 loads. The 605 is engineered to handle a 357 load. This gave me confidence to use it with hot 38 loads and it was a good decision as that little gun performed beautifully. It is a purpose built handgun and it is not meant to be a super accurate match trophy winner. My gun pals are pretty good shots and I typically outshot them at 21 feet while they used their Sigs, Colts and Glock pistols. The fit and finish on the gun was great and I never had a problem with it. I suppose the only issue I ever had was when I got near 100 rounds at the range, the gun would run hot and the shells would not eject as easily.

Just to see how the gun would handle Magnum loads, I put half a box of 357s through it. The gun operated fine however the experience was not great. Each shot felt like a mini baseball that was being smacked into my open hand. After about 10 shots my right hand was vibrating. The gun still shot very accurately but the longer I shot it, the more my hands were shaking. In fact, my hand was vibrating for nearly an hour after I finished shooting. I know there are trade-offs and with a little gun, this is what you deal with for that emergency situation.

I decided that I wanted a gun that was slightly larger and would manage the Magnum loads a little better. My SP101 3 inch Ruger is in DROS now. I don't expect it to manage Magnum loads like a full-size gun but look forward to a more pleasing experience when shooting Magnum loads. I will follow up with this post and give you my first out of the box and range impressions.

BigMikey76 · March 29, 2017, 10:21 PM

9-year-old thread... pretty sure the OP has made a decision by now.

Dan-O · March 30, 2017, 01:22 PM

Zombie 9 year thread. Is it a record?

Armybrat · March 30, 2017, 02:02 PM

9 year old thread? how about a 24 year old SP101?

Solu · April 3, 2017, 10:44 PM

I am aware of the age of the post. The reason for posting was not meant to respond directly to the individual who began the discussion; rather, to add to the topic. That's the beauty of the internet. Old posts stick around for a while and serve as a reference for others with the same or similar questions. Will follow up with my impressions of the Ruger Sp101 very soon. Your response will be tolerated with patience then, as now.

BigMikey76 · April 4, 2017, 08:13 PM

I'm glad you are choosing to tolerate my comment

.

Solu · April 12, 2017, 11:47 PM

So I gave the Ruger a first look at the range a few days ago. Certainly has more heft than the Taurus. The front sight is made from black plastic and gets lost in the low profile rear sights and subdued lighting of an indoor range. I ended up putting small glow-red stickers on the targets and then had good contrast between the front/rear sights and down range.

I practice at 7 yards. The Blazer Brass 38's had very little kick with no hand fatigue. On my 4th set of 5 shots, the gun was shooting tight groups.

I shot a few 357 loads (Blazer Brass) and although it wasn't as difficult to shoot as the Taurus, I wouldn't put in extended practice time with it

In all, I'm very pleased with the accuracy and build quality. Will definately invest in some higher contrast sites.

Armybrat · April 14, 2017, 04:31 PM

Good choice. Even with the additional heft of the SP101, shooting standard loads of .357 can wear my wrist out pretty quickly. But then again, I'm gettin' old.

.38 Special all day.

**4V50 Gary** · April 14, 2017, 09:38 PM

Ruger in a heartbeat.

1) More reliable. Rugers are still the toughest revolvers made anywhere. You don't have to worry about screws coming loose and parts popping out.
2) Better made (compare the lockwork of a Taurus and the S&W and you'll see what I mean)
3) Transfer bars on Taurus are prone to breakage (big deal about the lifetime warranty when you wait for months for them to make a new transfer bar).

4) Buy American.

March 31, 2008, 05:17 PM	#27
aerod1 Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2000 Location: Garland Texas U.S.A. Posts: 734	I have a Taurus 605 SSCH but if money was not a consideration, I would go with the Ruger. For my carry piece, I much prefer my Smith & Wesson 638. __________________ NRA Life Member, TSRA Life Member, C&R 03 FFL, Texas LTC Recreational Reloader U.S. Navy Veteran (USS Midway V-1 Division)

April 11, 2008, 08:24 PM	#29
coyota1 Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2008 Location: West Michigan Posts: 663	Ruger SP is the way to go I picked up a SP snubbie 357... I was very impressed w/ the quality and would hands down recommend the Ruger over the Taurus. I put the Hogue rubber grips on for a better fit for my hands. I think the the revolver looks better w/the grips also.

April 11, 2008, 09:52 PM	#31
FLA2760 Senior Member Join Date: July 6, 2005 Location: Hernando County, Florida Posts: 574	Ruger. __________________ STEVE, NRA LIFE MEMBER; Member GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA What part of "shall not be infringed" does the Democratic Party not understand?

March 29, 2017, 10:21 PM	#35
BigMikey76 Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2011 Location: Bellevue, NE Posts: 981	9-year-old thread... pretty sure the OP has made a decision by now. __________________ Some people are like Slinkies - not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

April 4, 2017, 08:13 PM	#39
BigMikey76 Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2011 Location: Bellevue, NE Posts: 981	I'm glad you are choosing to tolerate my comment . __________________ Some people are like Slinkies - not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

March 31, 2008, 04:25 PM	#26
tomh1426 Senior Member Join Date: September 17, 2005 Location: Youngtown Arizona Posts: 1,135	Is grip tackyness somthing you really want in a pocket gun? I do like the way Hogue grips feel on alot of guns thow.

April 11, 2008, 05:24 PM	#28
GingerGuy Member Join Date: March 5, 2008 Posts: 32	Sp101 gets my vote, you have a Taurus, time for a Ruger....it's a tank.

April 11, 2008, 09:08 PM	#30
katana8869 Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2005 Posts: 355	The SP-101 was my first carry gun back in 1993 and it is still a frequent "go to" gun in my selection of favorite CCW pieces. I don't have any real experience with the Taurus revolvers, but I don't hesitate to say that I love my 2 1/4" SP-101.

April 12, 2008, 12:26 AM	#32
BlackDrop50 Junior Member Join Date: February 24, 2008 Posts: 3	I was deciding between the two, went with the ruger. I love to shoot .357s out of it. I put on a hogue grip and I can shoot .357 all day very very accurately. I leave .38 +P for my girlfriend.

April 12, 2008, 07:36 PM	#33
joegator Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 537	I have the 101 and love it. Even full power 125 loads are not a problem or punishing. I also have a Security Six. Ruger revolvers are built like tanks.

March 29, 2017, 11:15 AM	#34
Solu Junior Member Join Date: March 27, 2017 Posts: 3	I have owned a Taurus 605 SS for about a year. I purchased the 605 principally to shoot 38s through it. I have owned snubbies before and the small, light-weight guns are not fun to shoot hot 38 loads. The 605 is engineered to handle a 357 load. This gave me confidence to use it with hot 38 loads and it was a good decision as that little gun performed beautifully. It is a purpose built handgun and it is not meant to be a super accurate match trophy winner. My gun pals are pretty good shots and I typically outshot them at 21 feet while they used their Sigs, Colts and Glock pistols. The fit and finish on the gun was great and I never had a problem with it. I suppose the only issue I ever had was when I got near 100 rounds at the range, the gun would run hot and the shells would not eject as easily. Just to see how the gun would handle Magnum loads, I put half a box of 357s through it. The gun operated fine however the experience was not great. Each shot felt like a mini baseball that was being smacked into my open hand. After about 10 shots my right hand was vibrating. The gun still shot very accurately but the longer I shot it, the more my hands were shaking. In fact, my hand was vibrating for nearly an hour after I finished shooting. I know there are trade-offs and with a little gun, this is what you deal with for that emergency situation. I decided that I wanted a gun that was slightly larger and would manage the Magnum loads a little better. My SP101 3 inch Ruger is in DROS now. I don't expect it to manage Magnum loads like a full-size gun but look forward to a more pleasing experience when shooting Magnum loads. I will follow up with this post and give you my first out of the box and range impressions.

March 30, 2017, 01:22 PM	#36
Dan-O Senior Member Join Date: August 3, 2011 Location: Northern Colorado Posts: 969	Zombie 9 year thread. Is it a record?

March 30, 2017, 02:02 PM	#37
Armybrat Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2009 Location: Round Rock, Texas Posts: 976	9 year old thread? how about a 24 year old SP101?

April 3, 2017, 10:44 PM	#38
Solu Junior Member Join Date: March 27, 2017 Posts: 3	I am aware of the age of the post. The reason for posting was not meant to respond directly to the individual who began the discussion; rather, to add to the topic. That's the beauty of the internet. Old posts stick around for a while and serve as a reference for others with the same or similar questions. Will follow up with my impressions of the Ruger Sp101 very soon. Your response will be tolerated with patience then, as now.

April 12, 2017, 11:47 PM	#40
Solu Junior Member Join Date: March 27, 2017 Posts: 3	More info So I gave the Ruger a first look at the range a few days ago. Certainly has more heft than the Taurus. The front sight is made from black plastic and gets lost in the low profile rear sights and subdued lighting of an indoor range. I ended up putting small glow-red stickers on the targets and then had good contrast between the front/rear sights and down range. I practice at 7 yards. The Blazer Brass 38's had very little kick with no hand fatigue. On my 4th set of 5 shots, the gun was shooting tight groups. I shot a few 357 loads (Blazer Brass) and although it wasn't as difficult to shoot as the Taurus, I wouldn't put in extended practice time with it In all, I'm very pleased with the accuracy and build quality. Will definately invest in some higher contrast sites. Last edited by Solu; April 12, 2017 at 11:52 PM. Reason: Pictures

April 14, 2017, 04:31 PM	#41
Armybrat Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2009 Location: Round Rock, Texas Posts: 976	Good choice. Even with the additional heft of the SP101, shooting standard loads of .357 can wear my wrist out pretty quickly. But then again, I'm gettin' old. .38 Special all day.

April 14, 2017, 09:38 PM	#42
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,838	Ruger in a heartbeat. 1) More reliable. Rugers are still the toughest revolvers made anywhere. You don't have to worry about screws coming loose and parts popping out. 2) Better made (compare the lockwork of a Taurus and the S&W and you'll see what I mean) 3) Transfer bars on Taurus are prone to breakage (big deal about the lifetime warranty when you wait for months for them to make a new transfer bar). 4) Buy American. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*