Ruger chambers the SP101 in 9mm (again)

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C0untZer0

C0untZer0

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This really is the year of the 9mm revolver !!!

Korth with their NightHawk
Charter Arms with the PITBULL
Taurus with the 905 (blued & stainless)
Alfa Proj with their 9231
S&W with 3 offerings - the 6.5" 929, the 5" 986 and the 2.5" 986
Ruger with the LCR, the new LCRx and the new SP101 Model 5783
 
I have an old 940,no lock, 9mm. I really like it as a carry /hide out piece. For me it is an "across the card table" distance shooter. Since the police here have gone back to 9mm, I might need another something in 9. I notice a lot of 40s on sale at my LGS. I just can not like those plastic pistols even though I try.
 
PabloJ said:
It's five-shot 25oz revolver I suspect the window of opportunity to own one will be very narrow.
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Nick Ecker, President of Charter Arms, says "Shooting enthusiasts will appreciate owning an American made revolver in 9mm and finding ammo readily available and affordable." :)
 
Probably no gun purchases for me til next year. But the SP-101 in 9mm would be on the watch list.

Thanks Count for the heads-up. :)
 
I strongly suspect the SP101 will be capable of handling the NATO 9MM round as well which is a lot more delivery than conventional 9MM commercial ammo we are normally exposed to.
 
There is someone on this board who was looking for a "heavy" snubbie. He wanted a fairly small revolver but he wanted it heavy to suck up recoil and didn't mind carrying the weight. But at 32.7 ounces, the 2.5" 986 definitely fills a narrow niche'
 
Yes, the 2.5" 986 is a big snubbie revolver, a nice revolver, but a big snubbie revolver.

I have, and like an SP101 in 327 Fed Magnum. So, the 9mm SP101 will need some looking into. I have several 38 Special J frames that have been modified to use moon clips and I like the concept. The 9mm moon clips will be a bit more compact than the 38 Special in moon clips.
 
Hummer70 said:
I strongly suspect the SP101 will be capable of handling the NATO 9MM round as well which is a lot more delivery than conventional 9MM commercial ammo we are normally exposed to.
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No, it's really not.

9mm NATO is only about 100 FPS faster at most than a standard off the shelf 124 grain ball load. And the 9mm NATO only comes in ball, not as effective as a JHP, and not as powerful as a 9mm +P+ JHP.

Folks want to attribute mythical properties to 9mm NATO since "the military uses it!" but in fact it is simply a warmer than average ball round. Commercial ammo is precisely the most effective choice for sure, because it can be had in a wide range of high performance hollow point loads.
 
That is interesting in that we ran proof pressure series on NATO Spec 9MM at Aberdeen PG and the NATO round gives pressures in the 9MM US Proof Round range.

I was on the second 9MM test conducted at Aberdeen and the ammo we shot was not a wimp load at all. The fist test was at Eglin Field Fla and data was trashed when guy in our office reported irregularities in the test series.
 
NATO 9mm is supposed to peak at 36,500 PSI, just 1,500 PSI over standard (non- +P) 9x19. In the past there have been some very high pressure rounds from Europe that were intended for use only in submachine guns. That's not the same stuff as 9mm NATO that is intended for universal use in sidearms.
 
Hummer70 said:
I strongly suspect the SP101 will be capable of handling the NATO 9MM round as well which is a lot more delivery than conventional 9MM commercial ammo we are normally exposed to.
Click to expand...

should be OK, as it will handle the 357 mag.....
 
ATLDave said:
NATO 9mm is supposed to peak at 36,500 PSI, just 1,500 PSI over standard (non- +P) 9x19. In the past there have been some very high pressure rounds from Europe that were intended for use only in submachine guns. That's not the same stuff as 9mm NATO that is intended for universal use in sidearms.
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I agree.

Still, this should be a fun gun. Hopefully the increased mass over other 9mm revolvers reduces the likelihood of bullet jump. I don't think I'd carry a 9mm SP101 for defense simply because I don't trust moon clips for most defensive purposes. They are hard to conceal well and are just too easy to bend, and even slightly bent can tie up and jam the revolver terribly. Still quite interested in getting one as a plinker only.
 
Cooldill said:
Hopefully the increased mass over other 9mm revolvers reduces the likelihood of bullet jump.
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The Charter Arms PITBULL is 22 ounces and I've never seen bullets creep, I've only read of one instance of it and the poster didn't specify what brand of ammo it was. I've had bullets fall out of the cheap aluminum ammo while I was putting it in a moon clip... Besides cheap ammo, I'm guessing 115gr +P+ rounds might exhibit it.

I've never had a bullet come out of the case witrh the PITBULL and I've never even seen creep and I've shot and looked at 115gr Federal Champion, 124gr and 147gr HST - (std pressure), 115gr Winchester Target, 124gr and 147gr Gold Dot, 147gr Winchester Ranger "T" Series RA9T , BrassMaxx, Perfecta and the 123gr "NATO" ZQI.

The PITBULL is 22 ounces and the SP101 is listed as 25 ounces, so I'm thinking it will be OK. Its kind of amazing what a big difference a few ounces make. To me, shooting the PITBULL versus the 9mm LCR is like night and day - a big difference in perceived recoil for just a few ounces difference in weight.
 
My Sp101 handles both Winchester and IMI 124 NATO without issue. I would be surprised to learn that new production SP101s would not. In chronographing both manufacturer's 124 grain NATO, I found the Winchester produced velocities a little lower than commercial 124 +P, and the IMI NATO produced velocities similar to the 124 +P I tested. I have not run into any bullet pull issues with the SP101, but decided to do a little unscientific testing with the lighter S&W 940 revolver. The little 2" 940 loaded with 5 rounds of 124 HST weighs 23.2 ounces. After 8 rounds fired in the 940, the one unfired round of Federal HST 124 grain demonstrated .050" of bullet pull. Didn't know if the HST would show any pull at all, and was surprised that it not only did, but it was so much....
 
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I've bought moon clips for my S&W 986 and moon clipped modified 38 Special J-frames from TK Custom. They have always had them in stock and they list them for the SP101. You may not like the price though.
 
One of the cool things about this gun is that you don't have to wait until Ruger gets them out there and people purchase them and make reviews. You can just read or watch the reviews that people have made over the last 18 years.
 
Cooldill said:
I agree.

Still, this should be a fun gun. Hopefully the increased mass over other 9mm revolvers reduces the likelihood of bullet jump. I don't think I'd carry a 9mm SP101 for defense simply because I don't trust moon clips for most defensive purposes. They are hard to conceal well and are just too easy to bend, and even slightly bent can tie up and jam the revolver terribly. Still quite interested in getting one as a plinker only.
Click to expand...

this concern that the moon clips if even slightly bent, will lead to a jam in a 9mm revolver are way over blown. I carried a smith and wesson 940 for many years iwb and carried two reloads in moonclips loose in my pocket. They never bent, and i still have and use the same moonclips 24 years later. this seems to be something that people on the internet repeat based on something they read rather than personal experience.
 
I think it depends on the clip. The moon clips for the S&W 929 are very strong. You'd have to put them in a vice and take pliers or a hammer to bend them. The Taurus moon clips for the 905 on the other hand, are not that robust or sturdy. The third-party clips for the 905 are much better than the factory clips.

I haven't tried to bend the clips for the Alfa-Proj revolver because they are super expensive - $8.50 a pop IIRC, but they don't look nearly as strong as the S&W 929 clips.

I'm waiting to hear about the LCR's clips. They're much easier to put cartridges into than the 929's but I'm wondering if they could bend easier.

Its good to know that the SP101 comes with strong clips.
 
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