Help Me Customize My SP-101

[Cosmoline]

I've got one of the target grey SP-101's that I'm planning on doing some long-term customization to. Here are some ideas, feel free to offer more or critique this list:

--Trijicon front sight installed (in the works already)
--Wolff action springs installed
--Bobbed hammer spur (if I can figure out how to deal with the explosed ss patch)
--Engraving on the side
--Hardwood stock
--Removal of Lawyer language (again, if I can replace the target grey)
--possible Wild West moon clip modification

 

[P. Plainsman]

Nice gun.

My understanding is that any serious scraping or buffing you do to your SP101 is likely to expose the plain stainless steel beneath the target gray finish. (I have one of the target gray GP100s myself.)

You could bob the hammer and then have the gunsmith buff/abrade/polish the gray finish off the whole exposed surface of the hammer. You'd have a gray gun with a shiny stainless accent where the hammer was. That wouldn't look bad, especially if you gave the trigger a matching "stainless treatment."

As for getting rid of the lawyer language on the barrel? I don't think you could do it in any kind of decent-looking fashion without turning the whole gun stainless. But others may have superior insight here.

EDIT TO ADD: Go slow with the Wolff springs in the SP101, especially the lightened trigger return springs. I found I couldn't use the Wolff trigger springs at all -- they made the trigger return so mushy that it was hard to fire repeat shots. I did put in the heaviest of the lightened hammer springs in the Wolff kit, and that did some good without affecting reliability. What the SP101 really needs is simply an action job from a reputable gunsmith.

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

All the SP101 needs are Hogue rubber grips-----lololololol.

Might want to try Ruger about bobbed hammer.

 

[revjross]

I have one of the Target Grey SP 101's, I just got it a couple of weeks ago. The 2 things I've considered were:
*the front Trijicon sight (where are you getting yours?)
*a trigger job.
I like some of your other ideas, but these 2 would probably get the gun where I want it. ----- I think the stock grip with the wood inlay is comfortable to shoot and looks decent.

 

[Cosmoline]

I got my Trijicon from Midway. They're always running short as they get them in in small batches, but they seem to get more in all the time so backorder doesn't mean a very long wait. I had to wait like two weeks I think. It's a nice green dot. Not too large, but it works well in the dark. It would be cool to have three dots, but the back sights are of course fixed. It requires a certain amount of gunsmithing as a hole for the pin must be drilled.

 

[461]

I just sent one of my SP-101's off to Gemini Customs for a nice little package of bobbed hammer, front site, action tuning and bead blast. I'll let you know how it turns out, the bead blast would pretty much make it a target grey color by itself I imagine. I have a Target Grey GP-100 so I'll compare it when I get it back in a few weeks. In reality the only thing an SP-101 really needs is to be shot so all else is just window dressing but what the heck.

 

[rick_reno]

Painting it would be different - and very custom.

 

[Kamicosmos]

I'll just add that if you do swap springs, be prepared to play around with them and the load you choose to make sure they're reliable striking.

On mine, I was able to use the return spring, 8# I think. I have the 10# mainspring in, and it lights all my primers. I figured if it can light CCI's, it can do most anything. But, I always run new stuff through it just in case. The mainspring isn't very hard to change out, fortunately. Just buy the pack from wolffe that has multiple mainsprings, it's only like 5 bucks more.

 

[rich636]

Cosmo I bobbed my hammer with a cutting wheel on a dremel and then filed the back of the hammer into flat even surface. I finished the cut side to a high polish with a felt wheel and jewlers rouge on the dremel again.

 

[357wheelgunner]

If I were you I'd go to walmart and buy some uber-tactical Winchester White Box .357 and .38 FMJ ammo and shoot the hell out of that pistol. Then I'd pimp the gun out with a sturdy belt and holster. If I felt like going hog-wild I'd get a nice surefire to go with it (you should not shoot what you can't see).

Seriously, most folks buy wheelguns for their simplicity....night sights and fancy bling bling won't make it shoot any better. I got rid of my 1911 and glocks and now shoot/carry all wheelguns. I did this because I was sick of my strange urge to not leave well enough alone. Wheelguns are born servicable and don't need tinkering and fancy shiny modifications to do their job well. Especially a Ruger.....

Just my $0.02

 

[TOADMAN]

What 357 wheelgunner said!!

 

[Bob F.]

Wish my Speed-Six were .357. 180gr JSP's would make a helleva woods load! Don't think I'll get the SP-101 away from my wife. It's a snubby anyway; I'd rather have the 3".

Stay safe.
Bob

 

[Ultima-Ratio]

Cosmo-

It's more than likely you'll need some windage work with whatever load you choose sooooo, score a small chainsaw sharpening file to lean the opening whichever way and radius to the custom U gutter sight.
Wolf makes springs BTW!

 

[Cosmoline]

Thanks for the input!

No windage issues, thankfully. The smith is setting the Trijicon to the same elevation I filed the iron down to--which is about a 10 yard zero.

I've put about 600 rounds of mixed .357 and .38 through it in rapid fire drills and it is slowly starting to loosen up. After the comments on Wolff I think I'll continue with this route. It's worked OK on my other Rugers in the past.

I kinda wish Ruger had its own custom shop like S&W. They could bob the hammer without destroying the target grey.

Anyone have a moon clip conversion done on their SP?

 

[rich636]

Will Ruger sell you the bobbed hammer as a part or is it restricted?

 

[IRONFIST]

Here is my SP-101 .357 pocket-rocket, I hated the safety billboard on the barrel too so I got rid of it when I started "melting" my gun. It's still a work in progress, but all the sharp edges are now gone and the whole pistol feels like a smooth piece of soap, the surface texture almost has a buttery feel to it.

 

[Cosmoline]

How did you do that?

 

[Ric]

Here's a pic of my Gemini Custom SP 101
They do nice work, if you call them I'm sure they can do just about anything you like.

 

[IRONFIST]

Hello Cosmo, what I did was break out the trusty old Dremel. Before doing anything though, I spent alot of time contemplating what I wanted to do. I was afraid that I was going to ruin the gun, so I started out very slowly. After awhile I realized that it was just a gun, and if it turned out ugly, it was still going to shoot regardless. I am very happy how it is turning out and I would do it again without hesitation. I am cursed with the disease of "uniqueness". I have altered or changed just about every expensive item I own, from classic cars to guns. In the case of the SP-101, I used different stone grinding bits to take off most of the metal, then I used wire wheels to take the roughness out of the finish. I have spent some time rubbing the gun down with very fine sandpaper, to make it all flow together. I have also done the same treatment to my ParaOrd P14-45 stainless. I am still working on that gun as well.