Good news on the .22 front

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Jim K

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I see that Ruger is going to bring out the SP101 again in .22, with an 8 round cylinder. That is good news, IMHO, because I have always felt that most beginners are better off starting with a .22. Cheap to shoot, low recoil and noise, and fun without punishment. The problem has been that good new .22 revolvers are hard to find and prices are high. I hope Ruger will provide another choice in the DA revolver field.

Of course there are always the beginners who want to start with .500 S&W and work up from there, just to show how macho they are. But for those who want to learn to shoot without losing their hearing and developing a permanent flinch, the .22 is a good choice.

Jim
 
Oh really?

Did you hear/see when?


I'm a big fan of .22 handguns and rifles. Inexpensive practice. No recoil fatigue - few will admit it happens, but it most certainly does. I've encouraged those taking training classes to bring a 9mm handgun to it. Even if they carry a .45/.357/GR8 Monster Killer caliber so he/she can learn the skills in the class without the extra burden of powering through recoil fatigue.


I'd like an .22 SP101 for the same reasons. And just to have it there so I can bring new shooters out to the club and have one more option.
 
and just when I thunk it was "safe" to back in the gun shops again...

I would have been well enough pleased with just 5 rounds though, and with mebbe a 22WMR version instead (or one each, 22LR and 22 WMR to pick from.. some folks you can just never satisfy I guess)

but are they going to offer it in the 3" barrel ???
 
There is already a thread on this about 10 threads down. This was posted in the thread and it looks like it isn't going to happen. Too bad, sounds like a need to have gun if they put real adjustable sights on it.

Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 5:16 pm Post subject: Not Yet

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ruger posted this on Facebook

Just to clear things up....
by Ruger on Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 3:57pm

An article on a Ruger SP101 in .22 LR was recently published in the August issue of Guns & Ammo Magazine, which just hit newsstands. This article was inadvertently run, as Ruger is not producing a SP101 in .22 LR at this time. This model is not available for sale and we are sorry that this article gives that impression. Both Ruger and Guns & Ammo Magazine apologize for any confusion.



Be sure to stayed tuned to Ruger.com and our Facebook page for the latest product launch information! When any new product is ready to hit the streets - you'll hear it from us first!
 
I'll bet money it will be built...I'd guess that whole "the story leaked out" thing is just a way to get the crowd all stirred up. They'll be able to build them and trickle a few out at a time to get them to command higher prices. That seems to be the current trend with the past few Ruger new offerings.
 
well that just might be the one and ONLY "trickle down" policy that tinkles my wind chimes
(worked w/ the LCP anyway, 1st kid on my block to own one)
if they do that with a rimfire SP101, I just might have to be 1st kid again
 
As the economy continues to founder, I expect interest in good .22's to rise. You can practice nine tenths of all handgun skills with a .22 (everything except recoil management) and a good .22 has dozens of uses, besides practice.

Whether this news was merely G&A magazine going off half cocked, or whether we will see this gun eventually, it's a sign that people are thinking in the right direction. Revolver guys are at the moment in a bind; DA .22 revolvers are either too expensive or else too cheap for many tastes.

I think S&W should start thinking in the direction of a plain dull finish J-frame 3" or 4", a sort of Victory Model Kit Gun, but they've never taken my advice before. To economize in production, they can leave out the keyhole and locking dingus.
 
In the other thread or at one of the 2 Ruger Forums there is a recent entry in the thread on the topic stating the gun was coming but that G&A jumped the gun. The guns is supposedly due Aug. 1st but perhaps G&A tried to scoop the other gun mags on this.
 
"and just when I thunk it was "safe" to back in the gun shops again..."

oldfool, its been my experience its never "safe" to go in a gun shop. Always
a gun or parts there wanting a home.
 
If S&W would bring out a utility grade .22 caliber J frame--they would probably sell a boatload of them. Think a matte blue .22 cal. version of the M60-4, minus lock and frills.

The comment about the economy makes sense; understudy .22 caliber versions of full sized guns have always been great ways to have fun and develop proficiency, starting way back in the Depression. Over the years I have had a blast with the M1922 1903 Springfield, the Colt conversion unit for the 1911, the M18 Smith, and most recently the S&W 15-22.

When I was a young troop I wanted POWER and recoil. To paraphrase Townsend Whelen, the .22 LR is never a mistake.
 
a 4 inch SP101 in .22lr with adjustable sights would probably create that horrible vortex that sucks me through the gunshop doors.
 
Not wanting to be a buzz-killer, however...

My one venture into SP-101 ownership was via a 4" NIB .32 H&RM unit some years back. The glee I had upon finding it faded quickly - NIB it had more QC issues than any other revolver I had ever bought new. All but one were rectified - the oversized chambers - they gave the brass a short lifespan. Still, it had - as will another round of .22 LR versions - one design fault - that cheesy rear sight. Yes, it's adjustable - but only in windage - pretty nearly useless to me. My .32 SP-101 was fun - to a point - but that sight was useless. I smiled as the new owner drove away... his denaro's went towards another S&W!

As to an S&W .22 in the 60 vein... there is one - it's been around for years, in various forms, as the 63. The last version, a 5", is shown below with the currently available 3" 63 that became available last fall:

IMG_4606.jpg

The grips are from S&W Accessories - made for the 3" 60 Pro ($43). The 3"-er came with a HiViz front sight - and a better trigger than the 5"-er - which I had cleaned up and resprung! Don't expect a 63 to be inexpensive because it's ammo is frugal in cost - it costs at least as much to make it as it does a similar 60 - probably more - there are eight chambers to bore/ream as opposed to five in the 60. It's pricey - but a one-time purchase... with a fully adjustable rear sight. I liked those grips so much that I bought another set - they came on the 60 Pro I bought earlier this year.

Stainz
 
I'll bet money it will be built...I'd guess that whole "the story leaked out" thing is just a way to get the crowd all stirred up.
Click to expand...

Yup, the old trial balloon trick to build buzz. Well, it works.
 
Meh, it would've worked for me, either way. I'm signed up with the email news, and had they emailed me about this SP, I'd feel just like I am right now. Giddy as a schoolboy.

Here are some pics (also posted in the other thread). From another member:

Ruger_22.jpg


Ruger_22_group.jpg


Ruger_22_cylinder.jpg


Puuurty
 
Thats a nice looking gun. I do wish it would occur to Ruger to make that same gun with a half lug and fully adjustable sights in 32 mag and 38 or 357 with a 4" barrel. A 38 only would be just fine with me.

If they do release it I will have to have one. I bet a 22 mag is not far behind.
 
There was an old story that Bill Ruger used to keep a ruler on his desk, set endwise in a block of wood. He would produce a prototype gun and put it out for gunzine review.

When the orders reached the one foot mark on his ruler, he would take the stack to the bank and use it as collateral to get funding to actually make the gun. That way he knew the gun was a success before the first production gun was ever made, a sign of a good businessman. The down side was that some folks got ticked off waiting for a gun they wanted.

Jim
 
Looks like they're going to make it. Looks really nice. Hope they make one with a plain front sight.
 
Sound like a cool concept to me I like the idea of a reasonably priced DA rimfire revolver but the SP101 isn't exactly a light weight.
 
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