4.2" SP101??

[Sneakshot92]

Who all out there has one & how has it done over the rounds.
I've been wanting one for some time since getting the opportunity to go shoot one new out of the box several years ago.
I've also handled several new ones in big box stores, but they wanted full msrp. I've never seen one used either, so those that have them must love them.

I guess I want a better idea of what to expect down the road when I order one from my lgs in a few weeks.

 

[beag_nut]

I have one. It's over five years old, purchased new. Must have over 1000 rounds through it; I handload. Because of the adjustable rear sight it is pretty dang good, accuracy-wise. Too long for pocket carry. Recoil with full-house mags is to be avoided. I put the one-piece Hogue grip on it, because my hands are large. Because I did the poor-boy's trigger job the action is quite smooth. Virtually no creep in SA. Guessing at 3 lb. pull. Yeah, I wouldn't sell it, either.

 

[somethingbenign]

I have one in 327 I got a year or so ago. Put maybe 200 rounds through it, my LCR gets carried more so it also gets shot more. Looking to get a OWB holster for it as my hunting and trail sidearm so then it will be loved more. I need to do a trigger job on it as well as it now isn't as smooth as I'd like.

 

[high country]

I have one that is probably about that same age. I ran through it to smooth things out and put a spring kit in, and it has a pretty decent trigger. The SA is great, at about 2.5-3lbs with no creep. The DA is fairly long typical of Ruger, but definitely usable once smoothed out.

I shoot mostly .38 through it. Moderate .357 is no problem, but as said, it is a bit small for much shooting with full house .357. It is a stout little gun though, I doubt even the full house loads would hurt it. I have a couple thousand rounds through mine, but again, that is mostly .38.

I have the Hogue grips on mine too. It is a bit lighter and slimmer than a GP or 686 (albeit with less rounds), and carries very nicely OWB in a pancake holster as a trail gun. The sights are very good. It is my favorite all-around revolver because the size really fits my hand and I am fine with only having 5 rounds, but YMMV.

 

[Fiv3r]

I had a .327 one a few years ago. It was totally fine. I only traded it off because .327 ammo was and still is unobtainium locally for whatever reason. Carried nicely and rode on my hip during a group hike through the Smoky Mountains some years back.

 

[ArkieVol]

I have a 4.2" and 3" SP 101s in 327 Fed mag and a 2" in 357 mag. All are fine guns and all three function very well in double action mode. Single action is a bit different. The guns shoot great in single action but I find that cocking the gun is very stiff and awkward, in fact, I can hardly cock it with one hand without bracing the butt of the gun on something. That's no big deal for me because I mostly shoot double action anyway.

I reload so ammo is not a problem. They are easy to carry in a Simply Rugged pancake holster, fun to shoot and have had no problems with any of them.

 

[Sneakshot92]

View attachment 921527 View attachment 921528 View attachment 921529
I have a 4.2" and 3" SP 101s in 327 Fed mag and a 2" in 357 mag. All are fine guns and all three function very well in double action mode. Single action is a bit different. The guns shoot great in single action but I find that cocking the gun is very stiff and akward, in fact, I can hardly cock it with one hand without bracing the butt of the gun on something. That's no big deal for me because I mostly shoot double action anyway.

I reload so ammo is not a problem. They are easy to carry in a Simply Rugged pancake holster, fun to shoot and have had no problems with any of them.

Nice. I'm looking at the 4.2" 357

 

[golden]

Sneakshot,

The only real negative about a 4.2 inch SP101, is that it is getting up in weight, a good thing for a .357, but it makes it a heavier load to conceal. My brother and his wife are looking at one as companions to their .357 lever guns. The 4.2 inch barrel gives you plenty of velocity and is legal in CANADA.

However, for concealed carry, it would be larger and just as heavy as my SPRINGFIELD ARMORY SD9 Sub Compact which carries 14 rounds versus 5 for the SP101.

Jim

 

[Sneakshot92]

Sneakshot,

The only real negative about a 4.2 inch SP101, is that it is getting up in weight, a good thing for a .357, but it makes it a heavier load to conceal. My brother and his wife are looking at one as companions to their .357 lever guns. The 4.2 inch barrel gives you plenty of velocity and is legal in CANADA.

However, for concealed carry, it would be larger and just as heavy as my SPRINGFIELD ARMORY SD9 Sub Compact which carries 14 rounds versus 5 for the SP101.

Jim

I'm not really looking at it for concealed carry. More for a handy tag along on camping, fishing, hiking trips and so on carried on the belt. I may carry it in a shoulder rig under my winter jacket, but not very likely. I've got a 357 LCRx for the inner pocket.

 

[Dan-O]

A 5 shot 4.2” revolver in this caliber isn’t for me.

 

[TTv2]

I have the .327 in 4.2" and I also have two Charter Arms .357's made in Stratford and I think you would be better served by a Stratford era Charter Arms .357 as those go for $300 on gunbroker.

The Charter's have better triggers and are lighter, feel better in the hand. The grip Ruger puts on all their SP's is the same and they work fine for shorter barrels, but not the 4 inch models. Unless you feel like spending more money on better grips for the SP and a spring kit, the older Charters are better guns.

The only reason I can think to why I'd recommend the SP is if you plan to shoot only the hottest .357 ammo thru it and many thousands of rounds too. I mainly shoot max charges (sometimes a few tenths of a grain over max) of .38+P reloads in my Charters, but I will put .357 thru them on occasion to not lose the feel of shooting .357.

I really don't see the point to shooting max power .357 all the time, but if that's your thing, go Ruger, better warranty.

 

[Sneakshot92]

I have the .327 in 4.2" and I also have two Charter Arms .357's made in Stratford and I think you would be better served by a Stratford era Charter Arms .357 as those go for $300 on gunbroker.

The Charter's have better triggers and are lighter, feel better in the hand. The grip Ruger puts on all their SP's is the same and they work fine for shorter barrels, but not the 4 inch models. Unless you feel like spending more money on better grips for the SP and a spring kit, the older Charters are better guns.

The only reason I can think to why I'd recommend the SP is if you plan to shoot only the hottest .357 ammo thru it and many thousands of rounds too. I mainly shoot max charges (sometimes a few tenths of a grain over max) of .38+P reloads in my Charters, but I will put .357 thru them on occasion to not lose the feel of shooting .357.

I really don't see the point to shooting max power .357 all the time, but if that's your thing, go Ruger, better warranty.

For my hand size the standard SP101 grips fit my hands very well. The only thing that I like as much are plow handles on single actions.
An SP101 with plow handles would be a neat thing to see/shoot actually.

 

[TTv2]

For my hand size the standard SP101 grips fit my hands very well. The only thing that I like as much are plow handles on single actions.
An SP101 with plow handles would be a neat thing to see/shoot actually.

I'm not saying the grips are unusable for the SP, I shoot mine okay, but they could be a lot better for me. The traditional wooden grips that the older Charter's used are fantastic.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I’ve owned a 3” SP101 for probably 10 or 11 years now. It’s held up just fine even with magnums.

I don’t care for the longer barrel version though. If going with a longer barrel I like it in a larger frame gun.

 

[Sneakshot92]

I’ve owned a 3” SP101 for probably 10 or 11 years now. It’s held up just fine even with magnums.

I don’t care for the longer barrel version though. If going with a longer barrel I like it in a larger frame gun.

I have toyed with the idea of getting a 4.2" GP100 and ordering a set of match champion grips to put on it, but when I step up to the larger frame size it ends up as more of a truck/toolbox gun for me and what I do. Not saying that's a bad thing, but anything bigger (thicker) than a 4.2"SP101 or similar size gets too big to carry without changes. People don't seem to notice me carrying my 1911, but when i carried a 4" 586 as a loaner people were asking me about it enough to where it sat in the safe the rest of the month. Never carried it after the second day.

 

[curtste]

I have one and I love it. It's my woods bumming gun in Minnesota. I've had trigger work done and the double action trigger is now as nice as the trigger on my old Model 19-3. It's that good. I too replaced the grip with the Hogue rubber one which made it much more shootable for me.

It's light enough to forget about on my belt. It's heavy enough to shoot standard magnum loads without much problem. It's not my first choice for daily carry for all the regular reasons people choose pistols over revolvers. But it feels right at deer camp all summer long, or when I'm out chasing grouse. I hope I never have to use it for anything but tin cans and paper.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I have toyed with the idea of getting a 4.2" GP100 and ordering a set of match champion grips to put on it, but when I step up to the larger frame size it ends up as more of a truck/toolbox gun for me and what I do. Not saying that's a bad thing, but anything bigger (thicker) than a 4.2"SP101 or similar size gets too big to carry without changes. People don't seem to notice me carrying my 1911, but when i carried a 4" 586 as a loaner people were asking me about it enough to where it sat in the safe the rest of the month. Never carried it after the second day.

Yep, different scenarios, different body shapes, and different needs. I’m glad we have the options.

I find more than a 3.5” barrel difficult to conceal Based on my apparel, and frustrating when getting in and out of a vehicle. I’ve actually switched to a Sig P938 Legion for carry, or a XDs-45. But I still keep my SSp101 around for when it’s just gotta be a 357.

I agree also, an L frame is much more noticeable. I only open carry my 686+.

 

[Sneakshot92]

I have one and I love it. It's my woods bumming gun in Minnesota. I've had trigger work done and the double action trigger is now as nice as the trigger on my old Model 19-3. It's that good. I too replaced the grip with the Hogue rubber one which made it much more shootable for me.

It's light enough to forget about on my belt. It's heavy enough to shoot standard magnum loads without much problem. It's not my first choice for daily carry for all the regular reasons people choose pistols over revolvers. But it feels right at deer camp all summer long, or when I'm out chasing grouse. I hope I never have to use it for anything but tin cans and paper.

Couldn't explain why I want one any better. General woods bumming gun.

 

[Sneakshot92]

Yep, different scenarios, different body shapes, and different needs. I’m glad we have the options.

I find more than a 3.5” barrel difficult to conceal Based on my apparel, and frustrating when getting in and out of a vehicle. I’ve actually switched to a Sig P938 Legion for carry, or a XDs-45. But I still keep my SSp101 around for when it’s just gotta be a 357.

I agree also, an L frame is much more noticeable. I only open carry my 686+.

Yup. An L frame Smith & a GP100 are pretty much the same size category. I could probably do fine with a K frame such as the new model 19 classic, but they still are a significant step up in size and weight. After recently losing 45lbs I probably don't have the shape for that anymore either.

 

[horsey300]

Yup. An L frame Smith & a GP100 are pretty much the same size category. I could probably do fine with a K frame such as the new model 19 classic, but they still are a significant step up in size and weight. After recently losing 45lbs I probably don't have the shape for that anymore either.

I picked up an sp101 4.2" awhile back for the same reason as you, and my small framed 11 year old doesn't even hesitate with hot 158s, factory grip took me a bit to adjust to, basically had to train my hand to grip just a bit lower than normal to get a tiny gap between trigger guard and non trigger fingers lol VERY FUN and very serviceable for an outdoor bum around gun.

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I wish Ruger had the 4" version out when i bought the 3" I would rather have the 4"

 

[curtste]

Couldn't explain why I want one any better. General woods bumming gun.

I do have to admit, I've just carried my G43 most times up to my swamp property this Spring. People are my main concern, not things with four legs. The G43 is lighter yet, 9mm will do what I need done and the little glock has been 100% reliable.

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

I have the SP101 .22 revolver. It is pretty well balanced overall and shoots better than I do.

 

[Tallball]

I have the 4.2" 327 magnum version. The "ergonomics" are poor for my XXL hands: even large aftermarket grips feel too small, and the balance is awkward. The trigger is also very stiff.

I had a 2.5" 357, and again, the trigger was dreadful.

On the other hand, my friend has a 3" 357 that he bought NiB, and the unmodified trigger is actually pretty decent.

Apparently you can get lucky or unlucky with the trigger.

Ruger SP101 327

• Tallball
• Feb 23, 2018

 

[TTv2]

I do have to admit, I've just carried my G43 most times up to my swamp property this Spring. People are my main concern, not things with four legs. The G43 is lighter yet, 9mm will do what I need done and the little glock has been 100% reliable.

This is largely the reason I prefer 10mm to any revolvers these days. Not saying that revolvers are dead, but large frame or ones that weigh 30oz and only hold 5 rounds are or soon will be.

The only reason Ruger makes the 4 inch SP101's is it allows them to be sold in Canada. Gotta wonder with how things are changing up there how much longer those will be legal and if they become illegal if Ruger will continue to make 4 inch SP's.