Ammo

[ski577]

I have a .357 Ruger SP101 3" bbl ss. Will 125 gr range ammo damage my gun

 

[ColtPythonElite]

No.....

 

[Scarpia]

Is this a serious question?

 

[Tony_the_tiger]

You may see some flame cutting on the top strap above the forcing cone but it is self limiting.

 

[Wishoot]

No.....

This.

Your great grandchildren will be shooting this gun.

 

[BSA1]

I realize real men don't read the instruction manuals but your question is clearly covered in the Ruger Instruction Manual;

RUGER® SP101® revolvers are designed for use with cartridges of the
correct caliber which are manufactured in accordance with the U.S. Industry
Standards. Be certain to use proper cartridges of the correct caliber. See page 21
(“Care and Cleaning”) for important information on chamber cleaning.

Please refer to the Notes below regarding proper ammunition for the available
SP101 calibers.

Notes on Caliber .38 Special: .38 Special caliber revolvers are designed
specifically for modern higher-powered factory loaded cartridges, including .38
Special and .38 Special + P ammunition.

Notes on .357 Magnum caliber: This revolver is designed to fire factory loaded
.357 Magnum, .38 Special and .38 Special + P ammunition.

Special Ammunition Notice for .357 Revolvers marked “125 GR. BULLET”
only: Some revolvers have slightly shorter cylinders and frames and are
therefore limited to the use of .357 Magnum ammunition with a maximum
bullet weight of 125 grains and an overall loaded cartridge length of not
more than 1.57 inches. These revolvers are roll-marked with “125
GR.BULLET” on the right side of the barrel.

Ammunition containing heavier bullets or of a longer length may not permit
the cylinder to close or rotate! You may not even be able to fire the revolver if
you try to use longer or heavier bullets. Be sure the ammunition you wish to
use in the revolver will chamber freely, and will permit the cylinder to open,
close and rotate readily. Do not assume any ammunition will work without
checking it first.

All other .357 SP101 revolvers can use all standard factory .357 loads.

http://www.ruger.com/products/_manuals/sp101.pdf

 

[zerobarrier]

nope, It will take any factory .357, 38spl, 38spl +P round without damage. Also can take hot handloads.

Is this a serious question?

He may be new to revolvers(or guns in general) or unfamiliar with 357's and not know and just wanted to be sure. No harm in asking

 

[Series70]

Thank you BSA1 for that info. I never would have imagined that any modern firearm would be restricted to 125 grain bullets only in 357 mag caliber.

 

[tubeshooter]

K-frame .357 guns got a reputation for being somewhat fragile in the past largely due to the high velocity light-for-caliber rounds being very hard on the forcing cones.

The 125 grain, and to a lesser extent the 110 grain loads were the source of the problem. I don't think ammo manufacturers load them quite so hot nowadays...



I'm just saying that to say - it's not a patently outrageous question.

 

[Drail]

A steady diet of 110-125 gr. +P loads WILL erode the forcing cone faster (and cause the steel to become brittle) than standard 140-158 gr. loads. I know this from personal experience with revolvers (any brand). I trashed one and have seen others do so as well. But if you don't believe me, read Kuhnhausen's Ruger DA Revolver Shop Manual. It has lots of gory photographs of abused Ruger revolvers that were pounded with 110-125 gr. loads. Don't worry about the top strap cutting - it's normal and will stop once it reaches a certain point. The restriction on "125 gr. only" on the early SP 101s was only because the gun was originally chambered in .38 Spl. and the cylinder and window were too short to allow longer than 125 gr. cartridges to fit and close the cylinder when the gun was first offered in .357 mag. It had nothing to do with strength. Later Ruger lengthened the cylinder and window to allow all .357 cartridges to fit. The more flame and muzzle blast the shorter the life of the forcing cone will be.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Shooting 125-grain full power .357 ammo, your hand will give out before the gun will. This ammo was rough on the barrel breech ends of the S&W K-frame (models 13, 19, 65 and 66) .357s because of a design unique to those guns. Rugers have never been made this way. I'm not sure what you mean by "125-grain 'range' ammo." Usually this is downloaded from full power magnums, in which case they would be downright mild to shoot.

 

[Drail]

It's rough on Rugers as well, trust me.

 

[gamestalker]

No, and I doubt anything would, provided it's properly loaded to industry specification.

GS

 

[Panzerschwein]

K-frame .357 guns got a reputation for being somewhat fragile in the past largely due to the high velocity light-for-caliber rounds being very hard on the forcing cones.

The 125 grain, and to a lesser extent the 110 grain loads were the source of the problem. I don't think ammo manufacturers load them quite so hot nowadays...



I'm just saying that to say - it's not a patently outrageous question.

The Ruger SP101 is NOT a K-frame revolver.

You must have a Smith and Wesson in order to have a K-frame revolver. The Ruger SP series do not have the same weak points that the K-frame .357 magnums once did, such as the thinned down forcing cone section that allowed the gun's crane to lock into place under the barrel.

 

[tubeshooter]

I didn't say it was a K-Frame revolver. I know who makes K-Frame revolvers.

I just said it wasn't an outrageous question. It isn't.


Lay off of the "gotcha" juice and let a man respond to something. Thanks very much.