Why Does Ruger Still Offer a .38 Special SP101?

Some people are just never going to shoot .357s out of a small revolver. With a 38-length cylinder, the gun gets slightly lighter. It may get slightly more comfortable to wear IWB. And some people claim that a .38-only will shoot .38's more accurately than a .357. For those that simply will not shoot .357's, they get all those (modest) improvements with no downside.

Lots of LE officers still carry personally owned guns that must be purchased from an approved list. Especially for off duty use. Many depts. don't allow 357. Only 9mm or 38 in some cases. While I doubt the demand is high, there is probably enough to justify them cataloging the option and selling a few.

I believe one of the reasons is that Ruger also sells revolvers to other countrys that don't allow .357 mag. guns to be sold there. Alot of countrys don't allow certain calibers to be sold in their country. Certain calibers are considered military calibers & are not allowed for sale to civilians .

The SP101 .38 Special and .357 cylinders are exactly the same size, length and diameter. The only difference is the length of the chambers - the .357 are slightly longer to accommodate the longer cartridge. So the .38 is actually slightly heavier than the .357, but not so much that you could tell. Same with the the GP100 as well as the old Six-series. Why make a .38? Beats me, especially when they cost the same.

Yep, makes little sense.

.38 Spl. makes more sense to me from a short snub barrel than .357 Mag. While I believe it IS physicslly possible to get a little more velocity from a snub with the .357 - I also don't believe very many owners are acheiving it - just more flash and blast. The flash and blast might make them "feel" like they are gaining something - but it's pretty much just flash and blast. A well placed round from a .38 Spl. has been working very well for a very long time. And if you can't place the round where you need it with a .38 then a .357 with a huge fireball isn't going to make a difference.

I've talked to several folks that shoot mostly, if not all .38, that seem to bring up that ring of carbon in the last .1 of .357 chambers.

That's the only reason that comes to my mind.

Because it is cool and gives consumers and collectors options which makes profit for the company.

I could have easily bought a .44 Magnum Blackhawk from Ruger, but I am a sucker for .44 Special. Hence, my purchase of a dedicated .44 Special Blackhawk. I imagine some feel the same way about .38 and .357.

Also count me as a sucker for the .44 Spl. That cartridge in a snub has been my daily CCW for over 30 years and I have never felt a need for anything more "powerful" than that. I have lots of other handguns but the .44 Spl. gets the job done. Sometimes less cowbell is more cowbell. My wife has several .357 snubs (including an SP 101) to choose from and they get carried with "warm" .38 Spl. 158 gr. loads. And she can hit with it all day long.

Couple of statements I would contest here. First of all, the .38 Spl +p model does have a shorter cylinder, not that it matters a lot. A mouse-over comparison of pictures on the Sturm Ruger website will reveal the difference.

Other than an black LCRX, Ruger has no lighter frame with a similar seductive appearance to use for that caliber. Note that this is a 5 shot gun.

A 38 Special shooter still sensitive to recoil, especially in a snub, can benefit from the SP101 weight, even though still quite packable.

Finally, an SP101 is a little beast in full 357 loads, especially a snub, so the short barrel version makes perfect sense limited to 38 Spl +p, what many people will shoot exclusively regardless, even avoiding the +p loads.

It's a whole lot better than this .380 semiauto business, where people won't dress to conceal an effective forearm.

matrem said:

I've talked to several folks that shoot mostly, if not all .38, that seem to bring up that ring of carbon in the last .1 of .357 chambers.

That's the only reason that comes to my mind.

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This. Plus many times a .357 model is a little heavier than it's .38 only clone to handle the additional pressures.

Probably because some people don't know that you can shoot .38Spl out of a .357 Mag.

It is for the same reason I chose the LCR .38 over the LCR .357. I have a GP-100 for the magnums, and to wear an LCR as a "get off me" gun, I'm close enough for .38 +P Gold Dots to do the trick.

Because someone who shoots .38 special only (and presuming the .38 model has a shorter cylinder) doesn't want a .357 revolver that's made to shoot a caliber they'll never use. They don't want to have a heavier cylinder and to have to scrub rings out of it.

The 38 Spl and 357 Mag SP101 at 2.25" barrel length are both rated at 26.00 oz, although surely a fraction different in reality and different when loaded, but not significantly.

One does not have to be too concerned about chamber rings if they never shoot 357 Mag and don't plan to.

Personally, I want my 38 Spl to be 6 rounds in a lighter frame, like my Interarms Rossi model 851 4". I have an SP101 3+" but only for 357 Mag and lightened loads at that. I reload only 357 cases for it.

.38 Spl. makes more sense to me from a short snub barrel than .357 Mag. While I believe it IS physicslly possible to get a little more velocity from a snub with the .357 - I also don't believe very many owners are acheiving it - just more flash and blast.

I use Speer's 38+P 135 load, or 38 standard pressure Nyclad loads, in my snubbies; I think they have better tradeoffs than 357.

That said, 357 does have a velocity advantage even in short barrels. N.b. the lengths here are breech face to muzzle:

http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/38special.html
http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/357mag.html

RealGun said:

The 38 Spl and 357 Mag SP101 at 2.25" barrel length are both rated at 26.00 oz, although surely a fraction different in reality and different when loaded, but not significantly.

One does not have to be too concerned about chamber rings if they never shoot 357 Mag and don't plan to.
.

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Exactly....Some of the previous theories don't hold water.

So is the cylinder shorter on the .38 special SP 101 than on the .357 model, and why wouldn't you worry about carbon rings from .38s in a .357 cylinder?

I don't recall EVER seeing a .38 version out in the wild

because.

Ruger must be making "enough" money on them.

And some folks carry under rules that require .38 Special only or no 357Magnum. And if someone wants a really strong 38 Special....

I recall a couple of years ago when I worked at a LGS, the boss accidentally ordered a .38. He meant to order a .357. The thing sat forever. It may still be there, as I have since moved to another state.
I do believe it is made to satisfy legal requirements in some countries it is exported to. They offer it here because they are making it anyway, and if someone here wants it, why not sell it to them? Just my thoughts on the matter.

Poohgyrr said:

Ruger must be making "enough" money on them.

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Exactly.

If there was not a market for a 38 Special version somewhere that makes Ruger enough profit, Ruger would delete it from their catalog.

Why Does Ruger Still Offer a .38 Special SP101?

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Because it sells.
That's the reason any company offers any product.

Especially when they've been making the product for years.

The irony, of course, is that so many SP101s see 38 Special ammo most or all of the time.