thoughts on a ruger sp101

[libiglou]

hey Guys

I have decided to add a snub nose to the family. I had a Taurus 85 years ago but foolishly sold it to a friend. That gun was reliable and lots of fun to shoot. This time I decided on a 357. I might carry (limited carrying privileges in NY) but it will mostly be a range toy. The challenge being able to shoot a snubbie reasonably well. I have other revolvers s&w as well as Ruger . Love them all. After handling both smiths and Rugers the sp101 stood out. Not heavy and not light. I initially wanted a used one but cannot find one locally. One LGS had a new blue one. My inspection revealed a nice finish,smooth trigger and tight lockup. Another tread had many folks complaining about Ruger quality and I have had issues too(minor) but the guns run well. I tried several smiths and either didn't care for the trigger or were too light. They had a K6 and a cobra but both were out of my price range(beautiful guns by the way) So what do you guys think. Looking to purchase in 2 weeks or so. Thanks

[JERRYS.]

built like a tank for its size, has the heft to match. not the finesse of a J frame but not as slightly built either. great quality and workmanship on the older guns I had. it will outlive you and your kids.

[2wheelwander]

I have one and LOVE that gun. Had my smith do a trigger job, buffalo horn grips(chigsgrips), Tritium front sight. Carry it in a leather IWB and never look back. It carries very well and I'm confident with it. Best .357 snub going IMHO. Big fan. Its no Airwieght Smith, but balances very well, as a good .357 sub should. I'd like to have the front of the cylinder radiused, but my smith wouldn't do it.

20170123_193400

[Targa]

Excellent gun but if you want to run it primarily as a range toy with .357’s I would consider giving a GP100 a serious look, it will be more enjoyable for that purpose. I had the snub nose version of the SP which was good for cc purposes but it was not enjoyable for range sessions with .357’s.....this is just my .02 worth.

[NoSecondBest]

I'm not a super fan of Ruger's in general, but they can be made to be quite acceptable. I bought a SP101 two years ago as a woods carry gun on my property. I have a LOT of bears and almost as many trespassers, and I've had trouble with both on occasion. I put a Tritium sight on the front and did a trigger job on it so I could shoot it double action. I can keep ten shots in 4" DA at twenty-five yards with the gun shooting full power loads. All in all I'm pretty satisfied with it. It's built like a tank. I don't think you'd go wrong getting one.

[TBM900]

The two-inch SP101 is what I call the "Shooters Snubby"
If you like to shoot shorties then the SP101 can't be beat IMO
Compact, yet has the heft to soak up lots of practice rounds during practice
The three-inch SP101 is next level perfect for beginners to highly seasoned shooters

One of the last firearms I would part with, if ever

[Auto5]

I shoot the 3" better than the 2", especially with .357 loads. It's a reliable multi purpose gun, albeit a bit heavier than a J frame.

[littlebikerider]

I have a snubbie .357 and a 4" .327 Federal Magnum. I am very happy with both, after I changed the grips. I put a Hogue on the .357 and a Pachmayr on the .327, with a slight preference for the Hogue between the two. If you find the DA action a bit heavy when you get it, the Wolf spring kit for under $20 that even a hamfist can install successfully.

[mk70ss]

I love my SP101, great little carry gun.

[PatientWolf]

I love my 3” .357. In fact I was just packing it up for a little trip.

[indie_rocker]

One of the first revolvers I bought and I'll never part with it. Runs 38 special like a dream an 357 is tolerable. Very easy to disassemble compared to a Smith.

[TruthTellers]

Originally Posted by JERRYS.

built like a tank for its size, has the heft to match. not the finesse of a J frame but not as slightly built either. great quality and workmanship on the older guns I had. it will outlive you and your kids.

None of this applies to SP101's made today. The ones from back then, yes, just like ALL revolvers made by Ruger, S&W, Colt, etc.

[TruthTellers]

First thing OP that I want to talk about is when you go to a store and handle a revolver from out of the display case, unless it is THE EXACT revolver you will get when you buy it, do not trust that the gun you get will be the same. I've gone to gun shows and stores and handled SP101's and they always feel super smooth and tight, but come buying one it feels worse.

I get the feeling the FFL's receive purpose built "display" models of guns that have been given a lot better QC so the customer is fooled thinking when they buy a revolver, it'll be just like that. Then they take it home, shoot it once, discover it's not the dream gun they handled in the store and sell it/trade it for a different gun at the same store so the owner can make more money.

Yeah, I know, call me a conspiracy theorist, but gun stores are a business and love to make money. It's no different than a mechanic telling you he "thinks" you need a new steering rack when in reality all you need is to change fluid and bleed your power steering. Sure, you get a new steering rack, but there was nothing wrong with the old one.

Since you want a snub for range fun, I'd say look at the 2.5" GP100 7 shot. Good sights, better ergonomics, likely a better trigger.

[rock185]

Admittedly, the SP101 is a heavy little revolver, compared to some of the competition. If that is not a disqualifier, the Ruger is a fine little revolver IMHO. I've had one in 9MM for several years, along with a S&W 640, 642 and 940. I like the S&Ws, but if I could only keep one, it would likely be the Ruger. The Ruger has functioned flawlessly with any of the many types of 9MM ammunition I've tried in the gun. None of the sticky extraction, etc. I've read about that afflicts some other revolvers. Certainly, production firearms can vary, just as TT says, but my particular random SP101 has not disappointed.......ymmv

[NoSecondBest]

The idea that the gun you got isn't as good as the one in the store has a lot to do with getting a "reality check" when you actually shoot it. The trigger always seems worse and you might find yourself second guessing the gun you got. Yes, there's variation in gun to gun. However, it's more about the shooter than the gun. If you like the gun, don't get too upset about the first trip to the range. This is about the easiest gun in the world to work on, much simpler than the SW models (I'm actually a SW fan, but I'll give Ruger its due on this one). A Wolfe spring kit and an hour or two of your time and your gun will be much better than when you got it. Shooting short barreled smaller handguns is a bit more difficult than shooting full sized heavier revolvers. It takes more practice and committeemen to achieve a higher degree of skill. I'd suggest you look at the 3" model instead of its shorter brother. Even that little bit of extra barrel makes it easier to control. It's not very many shooters who shoot snub revolvers very well and it takes a lot of practice. Too bad you weren't closer to my part of the state, I'd let you shoot mine. I think they're a good choice of small, powerful revolvers....if that's what you have a need for. Good luck with this.

[dgludwig]

What is the general opinion regarding the da trigger pull on the Model 101? My wife and I are considering getting one for her chambered in .327 Federal Magnum for self-defense but our lgs doesn't have any in stock to try. Other revolvers we're considering are the new Colt Cobra and the Kimber K6.

[Overkill777]

I think the trigger feels better on the display model because it has been broken in by thousands of dry fires. New revolver triggers often take some breaking in before they really smooth out.

[Sequins]

SP101 stock trigger is very heavy on my example. I've dry fired extensively, oiled the fire control group liberally, and dry fired it some more to smooth it out. It now is still a bit stiff but easily managed.

[Overkill777]

Yeah they are still heavy with the stock springs but they do smooth out pretty good after a while.

[libiglou]

Thanks for all the advice. Lots of fans. The gun I will be buying will be the display model. They don't have that huge an inventory. I'm partial to a blue model, there's not many out there and it might increase its future value although that's not a big concern. I just consider this purchase another aspect to shooting well. I've had a snubbie before so its a challenge to shoot them well and a 357 even more so. I plan on loading a slightly warm load for this gun that will be challenging yet not punishing. Quality these days is the luck of the draw whether your buying a gun, car , appliance etc. I might check out the gp100. Maybe it will change my decision. As far as making it a bit more custom definitely want to replace that front sight(hard to see with my mid 50's eyes) and the trigger will be a consideration. I'll keep you guys posted with a range report.

[Targa]

Deleted

[NoSecondBest]

Don't worry about the trigger. A spring kit is super simple in this gun. Wolfe is back ordered right now, but you can get a Wilson kit for under ten bucks. Easy install and there are on line videos to show you how.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/10...it-ruger-sp101

[TruthTellers]

Originally Posted by dgludwig

What is the general opinion regarding the da trigger pull on the Model 101? My wife and I are considering getting one for her chambered in .327 Federal Magnum for self-defense but our lgs doesn't have any in stock to try. Other revolvers we're considering are the new Colt Cobra and the Kimber K6.

I have the .327 SP101, the double action is heavy even for me a strapping young man, so for a woman I would have to believe it would be difficult. However, her likely have much smaller hands than me means the small grip may work better for her and make the trigger pull not feel as bad as it feels to me.

I would suggest getting the LCR in .327 instead and her using .32 H&R Mag. The SP101 is just subpar in quality to the LCR's, IMO.

[TruthTellers]

Originally Posted by Overkill777

I think the trigger feels better on the display model because it has been broken in by thousands of dry fires. New revolver triggers often take some breaking in before they really smooth out.

I agree, that dry firing many times has a lot to do with it, but I still believe that the display models are given more attention, especially cosmetically.

Of course, the only ones who can confirm that display models are not given special treatment are FFL's and I'm sure they would rather we not know how that situation works.

[willr]

Mine is an early 327 mag. Is a Favorite. Also has been a favorite for reloading, too.
willr