The Ruger SP 101 .357 Mag

[DammitBoy]

I've always owned a SP101 with a 2 1/4" barrel and I always will. My wife like it so much I had to buy her one for Valentine's day so she'd leave mine alone.

Now my daughter has decided she loves the SP101 too! She was content to shoot only my Mark II and Mark III until she finally worked up the courage to shoot .38 +p out of the SP101.

Now I guess I'll have to get another one...

 

[ShakyJake]

Hi all,
Found this thread through the search for the SP 101. Glad we have one for our little workhorse. Mine is a standard 2 1/4" bbl 357. I just put 10lb springs on it and a boot grip. Hope to try it today or tomorrow. My defense load is either Fed. 158gr LSWCHP NiClad or Aquila 158gr SJHP. Handles well and comfortable to shoot.
TaKe CaRe
Ted

 

[AH-1]

 

[frankiestoys]

love this gun

This is the newest addition to my growning family, but it has soon made its way up to one of my favorites. I quit the 642 club and came here

 

[JBB]

I had one and sold it about a year ago. One of the worst decisions I've made. Picked up a new one (2.25" with spurless hammer) this week and can't wait to get to the range. Great, tough, little gun. Won't be letting this one go.

 

[ShakyJake]

AH-1, frankiestoys and jbb
Welcome the the SP101 thread. AH-1 phenomenal pics. Seem suspended in air. frankiestoys saw your range results and like the consistency. Something I am striving for. Would like to see this thread be used as an area for exchange of ideas and thoughts for this great little revolver. Got to the range today and did pretty good with the 110gr Winch. wb. Use the Fed. 158gr niclad +p and Aguila 158gr SJHP as normal SD loads.

TaKe CaRe
Ted

 

[rd2007]

First post to preemptively join this club. I was in a local gun shop yesterday to check out Mossberg 500’s when I decided to look around. I’ve been wanting a .357 ever since I shot a coworker’s GP100 a couple months ago. I had given up on it, though, because I had already bought an XDm .40 and SIG Mosquito over the past two months and also bought my son a 24/7 .40 for his birthday. Anyhow, I saw the SP101, which I had never seen in real life, and knew that was what I was going to get. However, I talked myself out of getting it that day so I could research it and sleep on it. Research showed me that this is probably the only gun in the world that doesn’t get a bad review EVER and I really want it. I’m going with the 3” because my hands are bigger and I’ll just have to figure out a way to conceal it. I know my wife will probably not be happy about me spending even more money on guns, but this should satisfy the addiction for at least another couple months.
BTW, this forum has been a great source of information. Thanks to all who posted in this and the many other threads covering the SP101, especially the picture one. It is definitely a sexy gun, once the grips have been replaced..
hopefully I can get out of work a little early and I'll be the newest SP101 owner in a couple hours

 

[bulbboy]

Congratulations on your new tank!!


Enjoy!

 

[rd2007]

Thanks. I'm on my way to the store in a just a few minutes. I can't wait!

 

[Samilitant]

I'm on the road to getting a 3" SP101 soon... Is a gun show a good place to buy one price-wise, or should I just shop around the local stores for the best deal?

 

[gunnutery]

Depends. Sounds like a lot of people on here recently haven't been impressed with gun shows lately (price-wise and lack of merchandise). When I'm looking for something, I like to check out as many stores as I can including gun shows (I am very blessed with a patiant and gracious wife as she's usually with me when we stop at gun shops).

Good choice on a revolver.

 

[nelson133]

I've had the short barrel version with the bobbed hammer for over 8 years and it was my carry gun for most of that time. I had it ported at MagnaPort and I highly recommend the job and the company. The porting really helps on follow up shots.
My girl friend eventually fell in love with it after working her way up from the Ruger Mark II and getting past the intimidation factor. She was shooting about 100 rounds a week of .38 Special through it and wanted her own. We found a good deal on a used one, $380 with extra grips, holster and ammo, and she bought it last week. I bought her a porting job for her birthday and we are going to the range today.
I don't know if I am happier for her or me, after all, I get my SP101 back now.

 

[rd2007]

Just got back from the range a little while ago and I'm in love. That thing is smooth as butter, even with .357 Magnums. I shot regular .38 Special, .38+P, and .357. The regular .38 almost felt like my Mosquito shooting .22LR. +P was a little bit more, but still didn't even feel like my .XDm .40. The .357 Magnum felt like some serious power, but it was easily managed by all that beautiful stainless steel. Somehow it felt smoother than the GP-100 I shot a couple months ago, but that could be that I am just more comfortable with pretty much everything now. I remember that GP doing some serious kicking and the noise was amazingly loud. However, that was under a steel roof and now I go to a private bay where it's nothing but open sky over you and nobody discharging hot casings down your shirt..

 

[Legasat]

I've had my Security Six for over 25 years. It is still my nightstand gun.

I doubt I'll ever give it up.

 

[rd2007]

Here's my contribution to the gun porn collection. All three got a bath today and they needed it too.

 

[Snobal]

A couple of weeks ago, the owner of my favorite gun shop asked me if I was interested in a "used" SP101 from Ruger.

I've never heard of Ruger selling their "used" guns....

Anyway, last week he got two "used" SP101's from Ruger and one was a 3".

The timing was about perfect and it measured out great --- so I took it home.

I was still wondering about a "used" gun from Ruger, but the 4-digit serial number shows it was made in 1992, and the "spent shell" package was dated this summer.

It had been fired, but not much. After a quick cleaning I took it to the range and with my Bullseye match ammo, it put 5 shots into about 2 1/2" at 25 yards (from sandbags). I was pleased about the group, but more pleased that it hits close to POA!

So last Thursday, I used it at our little Bullseye Match and standing, two-handed, shot a 279, 11x on the local version of an NRA National Match Course. (That score is above my average with my GP100's).

Today, I finally got back to the range and tried three different "pet" loads at 25 yards off sandbags. One load put 5-shots into 2.0" c-t-c (just to the right of my POA), another pet load did a 2.7" 5-shot group at 25 yards (just below my POA). Although the third "pet" load didn't group well, all three loads grouped all shots fired on a paper plate at 25 yards when holding center.

I plan to keep this gun.

BTW, The SP101 I got last year shot great 25 yard groups too, but the center of the groups were off the right edge of a paper plate at 25 yards. Sold that gun!

 

[ShakyJake]

Hi Legasat
I do not believe I would make that mistake again either. The revolver that brought forth the SP is definitely a keeper and welcome here any time. If she is that senior is she a blue model and if so has she developed any of that gorgeous plum coloring?
TaKe CaRe
Ted

 

[Samilitant]

Just bought a 3 1/16" model TODAY! Someday I'll name her, but I'll let her tell me what to be named once I own 'er for a while. ) Thought I'd be artistic with my pics since everyone has seen a stock SP-101 already.
Love Gun 101


SPray of Bullets 101

 

[frankiestoys]

he/she ?

samilitant
nice creative pic's
How do you know it's a she?

 

[Legionnaire]

Ah, an "oldie but goody" thread. Since my first post on this thread back in 2007, I have added a couple SPs to the safe. Still have the original 2.25" .357, but have also added a 3-1/16" 9mm and a 4" .22LR. Guess I need to get the camera out and shoot some new pics.

 

[frankiestoys]

Ah, an "oldie but goody" thread. Since my first post on this thread back in 2007, I have added a couple SPs to the safe. Still have the original 2.25" .357, but have also added a 3-1/16" 9mm and a 4" .22LR. Guess I need to get the camera out and shoot some new pics.

ya, lets see em!

 

[anewconvert]

Picked up a 2 1/4" sp101 the other day. I got caught up in buying my first handgun a few months ago and picked up the new cz P07 even though I really wanted an sp101. Remedied that mistake on Tuesday. Took it to the range and really enjoyed shooting 'cowboy load' .38spl but found 125gr .357 to be abusive on my hand. Perhaps it was my grip but it beat the piss out of my trigger finger. Maybe a new grip? Regardless I doubt I'll ever notice the recoil if I needed to use it defensively as it's my carry gun.


BC

 

[Samilitant]

samilitant
nice creative pic's
How do you know it's a she?

Anything I have to take care of, spend money on, pay attention to, learn about but never know everything about, and lastly anything getting in my pants better be a SHE. ;o)


Speaking of "taking care of", tonight on it's 1-day ownership anniversary, I gave it a fluff and buff of all the internals, and ground the trigger and guard edges all niiiiiiiice and smoooooth. Really feels expensive now. I wonder how much work I'll have done to it by the time I shoot it for the first time...hmm.

 

[rd2007]

Just got my Hogue Mongrip from UPS and put it on. I definitely recommend it for anyone with larger than normal hands. My pinky finger now has somewhere to go and it will block the trigger guard from tearing up middle finger. The directions are not the best in the world, but it still only took a few minutes.
hint: you have to take the plastic sideplates off the grip. I missed that step somehow and that's where the majority of the time was spent.

edit- left out a couple details. The first is we are finally out of a drought here, which means we've got about two feet of rain in the past two months and it's been raining all day, so I can't go to the range to test them out we definitely needed the rain, though, so I'm not complaining. Also, I got them from The Sportsman's Guide for $20.45 shipped. It took from last Sunday to get here from Minnesota with the ground shipping, but I couldn't beat that price. I used a $5 off coupon I found with a Google search to get it at that price.

 

[frankiestoys]

SP 101 vs LCR

Made a range trip today with a friend of mine who just bought a new LCR.
I have only viewed the LCR from a display case, so this was my first encounter with one.
First thing i noticed was how light this thing was and how much of it was made of plastic
Well i think to myself ,its a RUGER how bad could it be.
Mike my friend says ''so let's see how she doe's ''
He loads his revolver and from 10 yards he fire's off his five rounds. I can see the look on his face is an uncomfortable glare.( like i just made a big mistake )
He hands me the revolver with out firring another cylinder and says '' ok let me try the sp ''
Well i think ok ,ill try the new gun, so i load her up & After pulling the trigger
the first time i remembered why i sold my 642.
After 10 rounds i handed it back to him and said ''that sucked ''
I found it very inaccurate as it shot way to the lower left, my sp were all center of target with 357 loads.
This gun was not for me the recoil was down right painfull ! the SP 101, inspite of its weight can be carried and used at the range its a great little revolver even when comparing it to siblings.
Maybe some of you guys might like these guns but ill keep my sp.