Ruger SP101

Tibult · January 31, 2017, 05:26 PM

Traded an M&P 9 for a Ruger SP101 357 mag with 2 inch barrel.
At first I was having issues hitting the target but once I got used to the trigger the shots got tight and were close to bulls-eye at 5 yards. I was having binding issues with trigger called Ruger they told me to clean the revolver and after cleaning it no more trigger binding. I was shooting both 38 special and 357 mag through it and it was very dirty. Im shooting again on Friday only with 357 and it should be flawless. This revolver was more comfortable to shoot with 125 grain 357 mags then 442 Air-weight with 38 specials. This revolver makes me proud of how robust and well made it is. Tell me your guy's experience with them.

Armybrat · January 31, 2017, 10:17 PM

Bought mine new in 1993 and have never had a problem with it. They are nice well made little guns with a big bang.

CDR_Glock · January 31, 2017, 10:54 PM

Love how stout the gun is. It would cause shock waves in my stall at the range. I never should have traded mine off.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

lefteye · January 31, 2017, 11:49 PM

I've had an SP 101 for many years. It is "stout." Very strong and accurate for such a short revolver.

NoSecondBest · February 1, 2017, 01:45 AM

I got one two weeks ago with the 3"bbl. I put an XS big dot on it and it shot great groups, but all were low. Ordered the standard dot and it shoots POA with most loads. Shooting two cylinders at 25 yards double action I got nine shots in 3.8" and a "flyer" to 4.4". It shoots good enough to use for deer hunting if I wanted to use it for that. I don't, I got it for a woods walking gun in bear country. I'm shooting it with Hornady XTP JHP 180g and a full charge of WW296. It's manageable even with that load...with the Hogue monogrip I put on it. Oh yeah, also put a Wolf spring kit in it and it's 8lb DA and 2 3/4 SA. It's a very good woods gun.

ZEBRARANGER · February 1, 2017, 10:37 AM

Quote:

This revolver was more comfortable to shoot with 125 grain 357 mags then 442 Air-weight with 38 specials.

I also have the SP101 except the DAO. I too find it more comfortable to shoot than my 442 & 638. A little heavy for its size, but a well built reliable revolver.

swissfist · February 1, 2017, 06:35 PM

Ive owned 2 of them, 357 and 38 special. Traded the 357 for a first generation Vaquero in 44 Magnum, the 38 got traded for a Ak. And I WILL buy another because they are really sweet shooters. Full house loads all day long. And there is nothing like Ruger's engineering and design. Excellent CCW choice as well. Even with 5 shots, never felt out gunned. . Enjoy it often.

Hoppy · February 1, 2017, 06:55 PM

Headed out soon.... to pick up the sp101 I won at a gun bash on Saturday!

Can't wait to get it and get it out to shoot!

Longhorn1986 · February 1, 2017, 09:32 PM

I bought my wife an SP101 a couple Christmases ago. After bringing it home, we found it had the single worst trigger I have ever personally experienced! I dry fired it over 1,000 times (no exaggeration) and it did very little to improve it. Finally, we took it to the local gunsmith and he was able to improve it to a decent level. That said, it is still no where near as smooth as the trigger in either my S&W Model 60 nor my Model 65. Rugers might be exceptionally rugged, but they are not even close in refinement to the S&W. I'm not a S&W fanboy nor a Ruger hater. We own and shoot both.

NoSecondBest · February 1, 2017, 09:40 PM

Quote:

I bought my wife an SP101 a couple Christmases ago. After bringing it home, we found it had the single worst trigger I have ever personally experienced! I dry fired it over 1,000 times (no exaggeration) and it did very little to improve it. Finally, we took it to the local gunsmith and he was able to improve it to a decent level. That said, it is still no where near as smooth as the trigger in either my S&W Model 60 nor my Model 65. Rugers might be exceptionally rugged, but they are not even close in refinement to the S&W. I'm not a S&W fanboy nor a Ruger hater. We own and shoot both.

Get a Wolf spring kit for it. Really easy to install and it will make the trigger very, very good. I couldn't believe how easy it was to install and what an improvement it made. Costs about ten bucks.

Hoppy · February 1, 2017, 10:41 PM

and here it is...

I have a spring kit coming from midwayusa. Glad too because I'd have to ask the bad guy to help pull the trigger. I'm not planning to carry this unless it's along for the ride hunting.

Looking forward to shooting it. It's .357

TraumaRN · February 2, 2017, 04:25 PM

One of my CCW with Crimson Trace grips and Meprolight night site. It shoots POA with 145 grain Silvertips @10 yr. combat distance. I had the bobbed hammer version (loaned to my Father) and it handled hot loaded 125 .357 magnums with ease.

Longhorn1986 · February 2, 2017, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Get a Wolf spring kit for it. Really easy to install and it will make the trigger very, very good. I couldn't believe how easy it was to install and what an improvement it made. Costs about ten bucks.

Already done. It still isn't on par with the Smith though. That isn't to say that it's not a very good revolver though. I'd carry it with no reservations if I didn't have the S&W.

Doc Holliday 1950 · February 2, 2017, 08:06 PM

Before I bought my Glock 19 last month, my carry was the Ruger 357 magnum 2.25". I changed the grips to Houges and it handled 357 mag 125 grains easily.
Usually I used 38 spec P+ Hornady or Gold Dots. Got a bit worried having 5 shots vs. 15 hence the Glock. If things calm down maybe I'll go back to my Ruger.

BlackLabsMatter · February 2, 2017, 08:20 PM

I found my GP100's trigger so-so out of the box. I wasted money on the Wolff Spring kit before disassembling and polishing the action. The trigger wound up smoother than my old S&Ws. Dropped the factory springs back in.

Polishing the internals was quick and easy due to the ingeniously efficient design of Ruger's revolvers.

My S&Ws always required more work. Dropped cranes, sheared firing pins, and stretched frames. They always made me doubt, they had to be babied.

To be fair, I have no experience with newer Smiths. They were all older than me. And the only experience I have with old Rugers are their SAs.

Doc Holliday 1950 · February 2, 2017, 10:15 PM

I forgot that when I first bought my SP101 Ruger, my DA was horrible and the cylinder latch was impossible to open. I called Ruger and explained what my problems were and they gave me a label and I sent it back to Ruger.

One week later it was sent back and the DA was excellent(within Ruger's specs) and the cylinder latch issue was totally fixed.

If I use 38 sp. P+'s then I have negligible recoil and my follow-up shots are
quite fast. If I use 357 mag ammo, my follow-ups are slower. I found that my accuracy was excellent after a few trips to my range. I really like the weight vs the ultra lites. I have absolutely no use for them.

When using the Ruger as my carry I have 2 speed loaders. One has 38's in it and the other 357 mags. One goes in my left pants pocket and the other in the right pants pocket so I don't get confused.

bodrika · February 3, 2017, 07:47 PM

Besides switching out hammer and trigger return springs, the two best improvements to an SP101 trigger without getting into a heavy polish job is to clean out the trigger return spring channel with a drill bit (gently by hand), and smoothing the edges and surfaces of the hammer spring strut.

Legionnaire · February 4, 2017, 04:26 PM

Love mine. Bought it second-hand years ago for $250. Hadn't been shot much. I put in some Wolff springs, polished it up here and there, added a front night sight (Meprolight), grip inserts by 41Magnum ... sweet shooter!

Hoppy · February 4, 2017, 08:28 PM

Legionnaire, beautiful! I like those grip inserts. Mine are so dark, it's hard to tell they are wood.

I just finished polishing the internals and adding reduce power springs to mine. What a difference. My wife couldn't pull the trigger with one finger before. She thinks it runs great now.

tallball · February 5, 2017, 09:09 AM

Here is mine. The DA trigger is kind of stiff. Other than that it's a nice revolver.

Vet66 · February 5, 2017, 10:14 AM

Ruger SP 101's are super rugged revolvers, I have a 2 1/4" in 357 and a 3" in
9 mm. both are accurate with good triggers.

smee78 · February 5, 2017, 10:52 AM

I like my SP101 but mine is a little different, it is 32H&R. I bought it used and bought a Wolff spring kit but have not installed it yet. I wanted to get a good base line before doing any changes, so far I am impressed and plan to keep it.

Cosmodragoon · February 8, 2017, 05:55 AM

Quote:

I like my SP101 but mine is a little different, it is 32H&R.

I've got one of these and love it. Just as the .327 version is now near .357 power levels as a six-shooter, the old .32 H&R magnum version is about .38 special power levels as a six-shooter. It was a great idea that, like the current one, faced some unfortunate market-penetration problems. It's still a handy gun but having the .327s means it never sees the light of day.

Curiously, the workmanship on my old SP101 in .32 H&R magnum seems better than on my new one in .327. It locks up tighter. The old trigger is smoother, even after I had professional work done on the new one. (The new one's muzzle needed to be recrowned too.) One of these days, I'll get around to converting the old one.

75218ron · February 8, 2017, 08:04 AM

I have a 38 sp. snub nose double action only, with commander style hammer.

HighValleyRanch · February 8, 2017, 11:11 AM

Quote:

I have a 38 sp. snub nose double action only, with commander style hammer.

?????
any pics?
Why is it DAO if it has a hammer?
And by commander style hammer, do you mean rounded bobbed hammer, or is it a skeleton hammer?

January 31, 2017, 05:26 PM	#1
Tibult Member Join Date: June 21, 2015 Posts: 79	Ruger SP101 Traded an M&P 9 for a Ruger SP101 357 mag with 2 inch barrel. At first I was having issues hitting the target but once I got used to the trigger the shots got tight and were close to bulls-eye at 5 yards. I was having binding issues with trigger called Ruger they told me to clean the revolver and after cleaning it no more trigger binding. I was shooting both 38 special and 357 mag through it and it was very dirty. Im shooting again on Friday only with 357 and it should be flawless. This revolver was more comfortable to shoot with 125 grain 357 mags then 442 Air-weight with 38 specials. This revolver makes me proud of how robust and well made it is. Tell me your guy's experience with them.

January 31, 2017, 11:49 PM	#4
lefteye Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2006 Posts: 1,433	I've had an SP 101 for many years. It is "stout." Very strong and accurate for such a short revolver. __________________ Vietnam Veteran ('69-'70) NRA Life Member RMEF Life Member

February 2, 2017, 08:06 PM	#14
Doc Holliday 1950 Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2014 Location: Bout as south as it gets Posts: 1,238	Before I bought my Glock 19 last month, my carry was the Ruger 357 magnum 2.25". I changed the grips to Houges and it handled 357 mag 125 grains easily. Usually I used 38 spec P+ Hornady or Gold Dots. Got a bit worried having 5 shots vs. 15 hence the Glock. If things calm down maybe I'll go back to my Ruger. __________________ Shoot well and be Accurate, Doc

February 2, 2017, 10:15 PM	#16
Doc Holliday 1950 Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2014 Location: Bout as south as it gets Posts: 1,238	I forgot that when I first bought my SP101 Ruger, my DA was horrible and the cylinder latch was impossible to open. I called Ruger and explained what my problems were and they gave me a label and I sent it back to Ruger. One week later it was sent back and the DA was excellent(within Ruger's specs) and the cylinder latch issue was totally fixed. If I use 38 sp. P+'s then I have negligible recoil and my follow-up shots are quite fast. If I use 357 mag ammo, my follow-ups are slower. I found that my accuracy was excellent after a few trips to my range. I really like the weight vs the ultra lites. I have absolutely no use for them. When using the Ruger as my carry I have 2 speed loaders. One has 38's in it and the other 357 mags. One goes in my left pants pocket and the other in the right pants pocket so I don't get confused. __________________ Shoot well and be Accurate, Doc

February 5, 2017, 10:52 AM	#22
smee78 Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 2,918	I like my SP101 but mine is a little different, it is 32H&R. I bought it used and bought a Wolff spring kit but have not installed it yet. I wanted to get a good base line before doing any changes, so far I am impressed and plan to keep it. __________________ We know exactly where one cow with Mad-cow-disease is located, among the millions and millions of cows in America, but we haven't got a clue where thousands of illegal immigrants and terrorists are

January 31, 2017, 10:17 PM	#2
Armybrat Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2009 Location: Round Rock, Texas Posts: 976	Bought mine new in 1993 and have never had a problem with it. They are nice well made little guns with a big bang.

January 31, 2017, 10:54 PM	#3
CDR_Glock Senior Member Join Date: September 30, 2010 Posts: 704	Love how stout the gun is. It would cause shock waves in my stall at the range. I never should have traded mine off. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

February 1, 2017, 01:45 AM	#5
NoSecondBest Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2009 Location: Western New York Posts: 2,736	I got one two weeks ago with the 3"bbl. I put an XS big dot on it and it shot great groups, but all were low. Ordered the standard dot and it shoots POA with most loads. Shooting two cylinders at 25 yards double action I got nine shots in 3.8" and a "flyer" to 4.4". It shoots good enough to use for deer hunting if I wanted to use it for that. I don't, I got it for a woods walking gun in bear country. I'm shooting it with Hornady XTP JHP 180g and a full charge of WW296. It's manageable even with that load...with the Hogue monogrip I put on it. Oh yeah, also put a Wolf spring kit in it and it's 8lb DA and 2 3/4 SA. It's a very good woods gun.

February 1, 2017, 06:35 PM	#7
swissfist Member Join Date: November 6, 2014 Posts: 48	Ive owned 2 of them, 357 and 38 special. Traded the 357 for a first generation Vaquero in 44 Magnum, the 38 got traded for a Ak. And I WILL buy another because they are really sweet shooters. Full house loads all day long. And there is nothing like Ruger's engineering and design. Excellent CCW choice as well. Even with 5 shots, never felt out gunned. . Enjoy it often.

February 1, 2017, 06:55 PM	#8
Hoppy Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2000 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 287	Headed out soon.... to pick up the sp101 I won at a gun bash on Saturday! Can't wait to get it and get it out to shoot!

February 1, 2017, 09:32 PM	#9
Longhorn1986 Senior Member Join Date: July 12, 2016 Location: Fort Bend County, Texas Posts: 173	I bought my wife an SP101 a couple Christmases ago. After bringing it home, we found it had the single worst trigger I have ever personally experienced! I dry fired it over 1,000 times (no exaggeration) and it did very little to improve it. Finally, we took it to the local gunsmith and he was able to improve it to a decent level. That said, it is still no where near as smooth as the trigger in either my S&W Model 60 nor my Model 65. Rugers might be exceptionally rugged, but they are not even close in refinement to the S&W. I'm not a S&W fanboy nor a Ruger hater. We own and shoot both.

February 2, 2017, 04:25 PM	#12
TraumaRN Member Join Date: June 27, 2014 Posts: 46	One of my CCW with Crimson Trace grips and Meprolight night site. It shoots POA with 145 grain Silvertips @10 yr. combat distance. I had the bobbed hammer version (loaned to my Father) and it handled hot loaded 125 .357 magnums with ease.

February 2, 2017, 08:20 PM	#15
BlackLabsMatter Member Join Date: December 14, 2016 Posts: 32	I found my GP100's trigger so-so out of the box. I wasted money on the Wolff Spring kit before disassembling and polishing the action. The trigger wound up smoother than my old S&Ws. Dropped the factory springs back in. Polishing the internals was quick and easy due to the ingeniously efficient design of Ruger's revolvers. My S&Ws always required more work. Dropped cranes, sheared firing pins, and stretched frames. They always made me doubt, they had to be babied. To be fair, I have no experience with newer Smiths. They were all older than me. And the only experience I have with old Rugers are their SAs.

February 3, 2017, 07:47 PM	#17
bodrika Junior Member Join Date: September 22, 2014 Posts: 4	Besides switching out hammer and trigger return springs, the two best improvements to an SP101 trigger without getting into a heavy polish job is to clean out the trigger return spring channel with a drill bit (gently by hand), and smoothing the edges and surfaces of the hammer spring strut.

February 4, 2017, 08:28 PM	#19
Hoppy Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2000 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 287	Legionnaire, beautiful! I like those grip inserts. Mine are so dark, it's hard to tell they are wood. I just finished polishing the internals and adding reduce power springs to mine. What a difference. My wife couldn't pull the trigger with one finger before. She thinks it runs great now.

February 5, 2017, 09:09 AM	#20
tallball Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2014 Posts: 2,444	Here is mine. The DA trigger is kind of stiff. Other than that it's a nice revolver.

February 5, 2017, 10:14 AM	#21
Vet66 Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2014 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 187	Ruger SP 101's are super rugged revolvers, I have a 2 1/4" in 357 and a 3" in 9 mm. both are accurate with good triggers.

February 8, 2017, 08:04 AM	#24
75218ron Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2016 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 191	I have a 38 sp. snub nose double action only, with commander style hammer.