New 3 inch SP101 Range Report

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WebHobbit

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Apr 5, 2003
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Rockport, IN - USA
I finally got to shoot my new SP101. I bought a 3 incher as a "companion piece" to my tried and true 2 & 1/4 . The 2 incher will now be my primary Summer Carry gun while the new 3 incher becomes my Winter/Jacket weather Carry Gun. While I love the two inch gun I always thought the 3 inch looked like the ultimate revolver for a small handed shooter. I dunno it just looks perfectly balanced to me. And I think I was mostly right at least for ME. The first thing I did was swap the factory grips (which look/feel great but don't fill in behind the trigger guard enough for me) for Hogue soft rubber.

My main carry load in the SP101 is Remington Golden Saber 125 grain JHPs but I didn't have any to spare right now. So I opted to put 50 rounds of my "next best" choice - the Remington 110 grain JHPs. The Scalloped jacketed Remington has very similar recoil to the Medium Velocity Golden Sabers anyway & POA/POI isn't all that far off at the relativity short ranges I shoot at. Also the fact is I don't shoot tight enough groups to whine about POA/POI!

Picking up the 3 inch SP101 it just feels perfect - the balance is awesome and the sites just line right up for me. So does my 2 inch SP but this is just a bit better I think. I shoot at the 10 yard mark. I like to keep it simple so I just use standard white paper plates as targets. I was aiming for the center and firing DA only. I like to do twice around the cylinder 10 shot groups. I have a mild tremor in my hands AND I haven't been regularly practicing for about 10 years ( I am correcting that now -going once a month started in May). Now that the excuses are out of the way -I took a picture of my best group for posterity. I was fairly pleased with it. My speed I would describe as "medium-fast" -not rapid fire but a steady clip. This was the LAST of my five 10 shot groups and the best oddly enough. I know it looks like 9 hits but trust me that cluster that looks like 3 shots is actually 4. :) I never claimed to be a really good shot but this was pretty good for ME.

(click the thumbnail below for larger version)








It was a decent range trip. The only public range around here is Strictly Shooting. It's not the greatest but it's OK and a short trip from my house. I hate indoor ranges when there are other people shooting so I tend to get there as soon as it opens and usually I am alone for the 15- 20 minutes it takes me to shoot 50 rounds. This time there were already 2 guys there shooting their 9mms. It always kills me when these 9mm guys are rattling off there standard pressure loads and then I fire my .357. Their like BANG_BANG_BANG_BANG_BANG_BANG_BANG_BANG_BANG_BANG and then I'm like WHOOM_WHOOM_WHOOM_WHOOM_WHOOM! That usually makes them get quiet for a little bit.

"I'm sorry did I break your concentration?"

:neener:

:D
 
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Congratulations!

I have the same revolver.

That is good shooting! ... steady clip and hit what is supposed to be hit.

When the magnums talk, the indoor shooting range quiets down a bit on the other lanes :D
 
Congrats on your SP101....

After a three month affair with my '58 cap 'n ball, I decided I should get back in tune with my ccw 2.25" SP101. A trip to my backstop proved that it really liked my new load of 6.4gr Unique under a cast 158grLNFP. I think I shot the most consistant groups ever today.Not only were the 5 shot groups small, but also right on point of aim.
 
Yes, Magnums do tend to break the concentration of the niners. ;)

Nice five-gun you have there! :)

My newest SP101 has the 3.06" barrel. I like the way it balances, compared to the shorter 2.25" length of my three SP101 snubbies. I had found and won a take-out spurless hammer years ago on evil-bay, back when they still allowed such parts to be listed, and luckily, it dropped right in and works fine. There is something so right about a three-inch barrel on this frame size, IMHO. I still like the shorter ones, too, of course.
 
Has Ruger redesigned the SP101? The one at the top of this thread appears to be the same kind I fondled at a gun store yesterday. At the store, I noticed the stamp on the barrel is different from the ones being sold last year. The trigger has a hollowed-out groove on the back that my SP101 doesn't have. Also the overall finish looks a little less shiny. I didn't have my gun there to compare to, but it also seemed a little smaller.
 
The trigger sadly is now MIM...that's why the back is hollow looking. The over all size/frame is exactly the same. Has to for my boned holsters to still work. I dunno about last years model but my 10 year old SP101 has a different font/lettering style on the barrel. I like the new lettering better.
 
You've got a keeper there WebHobbit,

I agree about the balance and pointability of the 3 inch guns. It seems like you found "the one." They carry IWB very well and pack a wallop. By the way good shooting!
 
Nice gun, looks just like my SP101 3" :)

With .38 spc rounds I'm no less accurate with it then my 4" GP100.

Of course my 4" SP101 chambered in 22lr puts them both to shame as a target gun.

Congrats!
 
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