[SkaerE]

think i need a new 357 for carry. pretty much decided on the SP101.

now, i cant decide whether i should get the 2 or 3'' barrel. :banghead:

people who own them... is that extra inch so much harder to conceal?

(i dont generally pocket carry, maybe once in a while it will be carried as a backup probably in an ankle/boot holster)

how much more accurate is the 3''?

how much more velocity?

about how much do they go for new? price difference between the 2 and 3''?

thanks

[AUTIGER04]

I own a Taurus M605 357mag. 2in barrel. I would perfer a 3in. I carry IWB mode. and I believe that the 3in barrel is more suited for this mode of carry.

[Mike Irwin]

Is an extra inch much harder to conceal?

No.

[C.R.Sam]

I carry both.
Not a lot of difference in presentation time.
3 gives a little more sight radius for precision longer range work.
Either barrel lets the .357 Mag get up plenty of steam.

boils down to personal preference.

Sam

[P95Carry]

3" .... even that whisker of extra length to me smacks of better gas burn .. sl better velocity ..... v slight reduction in muzzle lift and recoil.

My summer carry is 2" snub... M85 .. it's Ok but ..... I doubt an extra inch of length would compromize my carry concealment much at all - would prefer that..

[tomkatz]

As to price, $329.00 new around here, no price diffference between the two barrel lengths.
I've got the short barrel because I got it used/unfired for $250.00, if I was buying new I'd probably go with the 3in......tom

[Rob96]

When I do carry a snub, it is my 2" Ruger SP-101. Great handling snubby. I carry it in a Don Hume H-715M IWB holster with straps instead of a belt clip.

[JNewell]

It depends on how you carry it. In an IWB holster, no difference. If on the belt outside, may need a longer top garment. If in a pocket, forget it -- go with 2".

[C.R.Sam]

I carry mostly OWB
High n tight.
Full size or snubbies all conceal well with good leather n payin attention to dress.

Sam

[Kamicosmos]

I went with the 2.25. I think the 3" looks a bit odd. Yup, cheesy reason, but I didn't think theres much difference for concealment, and for CCW work, the extra sight radius won't come into play, and I don't think there'd be enough more velocity to notice.

Now, the big question for me was DAO bobbed hammer or hammer spur model?

I love hammers. I think the guns look funny without one. But I went ahead and got the bobbed, much to my surprise. Two reasons:
1) hammer snags on stuff, pokes you in the side, etc
2) I figure if a CCW incident happens, it will more than likely be close range (possibly even physical contact) The gun will most likely be fired DA in that situation anyway, so I might as well train DAO all the time. DAO model makes that easy.

Although, the SPs trigger is godawful heavy. I bought the Wolf Spring set for it and swapped that out, helped a ton.

[Poohgyrr]

For shooting, I prefer the 3"er, but the 2"er hides better in some places. Either one should be good..........

[gulogulo1970]

I have a 3" Sp-101. I find it to be a very well balanced gun. I can carry it as well as my 2" detective special everywhere, except ankle carry.

[chaim]

Hmm, I absolutely love 3" K-frames. However in the smaller framed revolvers (Ruger isn't quite a J-frame in size but it is close) I'm not so sure. They each seem to have their advantages. If you won't be ever carrying in your pocket though the 3" is probably the only way to go. The only advantage left for the 2" (if you'll never pocket or ankle carry) is availability.

Most all of the advantages have already been stated. The 3" gives you a better sight radius (even that one inch can make all the difference in the world). You'll get more velocity out of the round. The extra barrel length can aid in keeping the butt tucked tighter in to your body (or so I am told). You also will probably have an extra ounce or so of weight (OWB or IWB it should still be light enough that this won't be a negative issue) which makes a huge difference when shooting .357mag out of a small framed revolver (for most people, shooting magnums out of such a small gun is no fun).

Right now I own a 2" Taurus 85CH. I love it. I own a 3" K-frame S&W 65LS. I love it. I have had my eye on a used .38spl only 3" S&W 60LS that a local dealer has had for a few months (hopefully he'll still have it when I'm ready). Why not eventually cover all your bases:evil: ?

[.45&TKD]

For concealed carry go with the spurless hammmer.

I have the SP101 2.25" DAO only spurless and I love it!

[SkaerE]

one local shop has a 3'' used for $325, another has the 2'' for $385 new (or can order the 3'' for the same price)

i stopped by one place today who had the 2'' for $459! and they had the nerve to say "we arent making a dime on this one, cant budge on price at all "

but hey, its their shop. and i dont need to shop there ;)

to be honest, all these prices seem slightly high, i expected to pay closer to $350 OTD tops for a new one...

hmmm...

[seeker_two]

2" for ankle, pocket, fanny pack & OWB (dependent on holster) carry...

3" for IWB, shoulder, or off-body carry...

The biggest difference may be in balance & recoil for you. I had a Security-Six 2.5" .357mag. that was MURDEROUS in recoil--even w/ +P+ .38's. I ended up trading it for a P95 instead. But I once owned a Rossi 5-shot .38spl 3"bbl. that was a dream to shoot.

If you can, try both styles & find the one that works best for you....:cool:

[Tamara]

3" tubes offer a lot of advantages. 'Matter of fact, there's a 3" 65-2 on my hip right now... :cool:

[Mastrogiacomo]

I'm planning on getting a couple of 3" Ruger GP 100s when I have the funds. They're great guns; I had the pleasure of firing a 4" GP 100 of another club member. Very sweet to hold and handle. I'll probably get a SP 101 in a 3" and 2". If I can find a good 686 snubbie used, it's going in my collection too. Really a matter of what you can handle best and what you're most comfortable using.

[Johnny Guest]

concerning concealment.

If pocket carry is not a consideration, I like the three inch better. With an extremely high-ride holster, the handle/stock assembly sticking out from the body is a MUCH greater factor than the length of barrel. The additional inch of barrel presses against the hip, and thus keeps the handle pressed back against the body, given a decently-designed holster.

The best concealment holsters for the two-inch revolvers are designed with the top of the cylinder riding BELOW the top edge of the belt, to rovide the stabilization mentioned above.

As always, the holster should be constructed with a lot of stiffness, and with a belt loop what closely fits a supportive belt, either of heavy material, or of adequqate width, or preferably, both. The belt must also be worn snugly emough that the handgun does not gap away from the torso. Otherwise you have the nice short barrel sticking back toward the hip, and the handle area hanging out in the breeze - - Or tenting out the cover garment.

Properly stocked, holstered, and belted, a round butt three-inch K-Frame can be concealed under a loose polo shirt. On the other hand, with a narrow belt and flimsy holster, a J-frame two-inch can print under a field jacket.

Barrel length is but one component in concealment . . . .

Best,
Johnny

[C.R.Sam]

Properly stocked, holstered, and belted, a round butt three-inch K-Frame can be concealed under a loose polo shirt. On the other hand, with a narrow belt and flimsy holster, a J-frame two-inch can print under a field jacket. Barrel length is but one component in concealment ...Johnny

Yup.
He just said it all.

Sam

[Hutch]

Unless you're positively, absolutely sold on the SP101, (or even if you are) handle the 3" round-butt K-frame .357, either the M13 in blue or (shudder) nickel, or the M65 in stainless. They are perfect in all regards, and cannot possibly be improved upon. At all.

[BigG]

I'm kinda partial to the small, light ones. ;)

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=539122

[Ala Dan]

Greeting's All-

Unlike my friend and fellow "DixieLander" BigG,
I like the small but not so light variety; such as S&W
models 60 (both, the old and the new), the 13/65,
and the 19/66. As you can tell, barrel length ranges
from the 2 incher's thru the 3" length; it really doesn't
matter, as I feel comfortable regardless!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member