How rugged is a Ruger SP101 2.5"?

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Remllez

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I'd be careful shooting that thing period!!!
They don't stand up to much shooting regardless of ammo used...Send it to me I'll spend a few hundred and make it safe and shootable..

Thanks in advance :)
 
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I bought one of these for my wife for Xmas (one of those gifts that serves the gifter as well as the giftee) and I'm wondering if its strong enough to handle .357 mag rounds all the time or should I be practicing with .38 spl? This gun will see maybe 2k rounds per year.
 
I recently bought that same model. I have always heard that rugers are the among toughest out there.
 
SP101 strength

I do believe that if the 357 loads you shoot are the kind that make your teeth hurt when you pull the trigger, you will be the weak link in the process.

If your loads are less than that type, you are missing the 357 fun.
 
If you're planning to shoot 2000rds of .357mag out of it a year you're wallet and your wrists will suffer far more than the gun will. Your great grandkids will be shooting that gun.

In the interest of saving money and making your range sessions more comfortable and enjoyable I'd suggest .38spl for range work and mags for carry. Also, you might ask your wife what ammo she prefers to shoot, .357 mag is pretty harsh out of a snubby, even one as stout and heavy as the SP101.
 
I agree with the last post. Your hand will give out before the SP. However, unless you need the SP for CCW, I'd step up to the GP100. 2000 rounds a year will be less punishing and it's an 'easier' shooter. Dave
 
my preferred "mix formula" is
80% to 90% 38 sp
10% to 20% 38+p
5% 357

in large part because of ammo pricing (me not being a reloader)
in some part because it is less strain on the shooter (me)
in some very small part, because it is a bit less strain on the gun

unless you are simply addicted to the joys of flying HOT
there just is not a whole lot of need to shoot a heavy diet of 357 only
comforting though to know that the gun can handle any/all of it

me, I think of my k-frame Smiths and Ruger SP as pert-near-perfect 38+P guns
as said above, if I wanted to shoot nothing but 357s, I would go to the yet heavier frame size guns
but 50 rounds a week out of a SP is really no strain on the gun at all
still I would shoot maybe 40-45 rounds a week of 38Sp, plus 5-10 rounds of 38+P
and 357s only a few times a year, just because
 
I reload, so I'm not worried about the cost. As far as punishing to the hand, c'mon guys! .357 mag is a pussycat!
 
Mine, I put a Hogue grip on it and could shoot hizoot 180 grain loads in it without pain. Try that with your 12 ounce Smith unobtainium gun. :rolleyes: I consider the SP101's strength no less than the Smith L frames, personally, and that ain't bad for a 5 shot compact snubby despite the fact that it's 27 ounces unloaded. The weight is my only objection to it for carry, but that's the very thing that makes it so easy to shoot! Any lighter gun and I'll just get a .38, thanks.
 
I highly doubt you'll be breaking it. I got my SP 101 last summer I've put over 800 .357 rounds through it and over 2500 .38 rounds, the gun is also taken with me when I mountain bike 3-4 times a week on rough trails and when I jog, it hasn't skipped a beat.
 
I haven't owned that particular model but I own two Rugers right now and have had many in the past. I can tell you from personal experience you can beat those guns on a concrete slab and they'll come up blazing. Tough cookies they are...
 
The SP101 is far tougher than any other 357 I've shot.
They're built like a tank!

You need not worry one iota about the ammo you shoot.
As other have said, "you'll give out long before the gun".

Besides, you get to dress it up a bit if you want.

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I agree with all who have attested to the ruggedness of the SP101. I just purchased my second one with 2 1/4" bbl a couple of days ago. My first (3" bbl) was tough as can be. I just added Crimson Trace grip laser to the new one to make it my EDC. I do prefer shooting .38 spl vs. .357 mag even in the SP's. I got rid of a .357 LCR a while ago due to the harsh recoil. Now, you've got to understand that I'm 65+. Maybe a younger shooter would enjoy .357 rounds but I don't for regular range shooting. Enjoy your SP101 and shoot it until you wear out. Then rest and pick it up again. :D
 
Ruger did a SP101 .357 torture test years ago. Basically they shot 5k magnums thru it in one day, dipping it in water when it got hot. At the end of the day, they checked the specs on the gun and found no wear, tear, or frame stretching.
 
I've shot 38's and 357's in this little Sherman tank for 16 years. I've loaded the hottest and the mildest and never never had a malfunction.

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If you rarely shoot .357 in your gun then you should NOT carry .357 as SD loads...IMHO.
respectfully disagree
shooting technique and trigger control never were caliber dependent
minor shift in POI at practical SD range is insignificant
sufficient practice with extreme similar/same configuration and action negate need to restrict yourself to only one caliber choice, much less one load choice in same caliber

if handgun recoil interferes with either speed or accuracy, you just need to practice until it doesn't matter anymore
 
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I have a one that has had thousands of full magnum rounds through it and it is still not showing any signs of wear. I've always had a lot of faith in the strength of Ruger revolver's. When I'm testing a new hot load, I grab a Ruger to run them through.
 
I'd be careful shooting that thing period!!!
They don't stand up to much shooting regardless of ammo used...Send it to me I'll spend a few hundred and make it safe and shootable..

Thanks in advance :)
Having owned Security Six in the past I'm warming up to another Ruger. First step was putting Rossi 51 Stainless .22lr on hold. The Rossi handles much like the 101 so the progression to .357 is where evolution points to (or is it revolution?). Having looked at two models next to each other I would say fit and finish is about the same for both guns.
 
And how would you do that if you are primarily practicing with comparatively mild .38 loads?
"primarily" is not synonymous with "exclusively"
let the shot go when it's there, no matter the load in gun
could some of those CAS/SASS guys do as well with hotter loads ?
some can and do, some don't, some don't try

22 rimfire vs. 454 Casull, ok, a whole other thing I would suppose
not suggesting you practice with 38 target wadcutters in a 6" Blackhawk as a substitute for 357s in an DAO airweight snubbie, either

respects
 
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