Poll: Ruger sp101 or s&w 642?

[straightshooter9]

Which revolver do you have and why not the other?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I've got a SP, because I bought it 15+ years ago when it was the only .357 of it's size on the market. I really like it. It shoots as accurately as some of my full size guns.

 

[jad0110]

Depends on the use.

If pocket carry, I'd prefer the 642. The SP101 is just too heavy for my tastes in that roll. But if IWB or OWB, I'd take the SP. Then again, I find carrying a 6 shot Ruger Six to be just about as easy IWB.

 

[Hizzie]

Depends on situation. 642 is great in the pocket or on the ankle. SP101 is more appropriate on the belt or in a shoulder rig.

 

[357 Terms]

If your gonna shoot 357's the sp101 is the best choice in its size; no doubt. Now if your gonna load 38's well....

 

[asia331]

SP101; Shoots well and with enough heft to well manage .357 loads.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I've got my Ruger on my belt right now. I've been wearing it 10 hours. I hardly know it's there....For a pocket gun, I have other options.

 

[chg]

SP 101 for sure. It's not a pocket gun but in a good holster like a Milt Sparks PMK or a Crossbreed it carries comfortable all day and will handle the .357 without damaging you. Accurate too!

 

[Dr_B]

The SP101 is a tough and reliable belly gun. Fun to shoot. Carries well. I've noticed they aren't making them the same anymore. The script on the barrel is nicer, but there are MIM parts in there now. I guess hammer locks will be next.

 

[jawn]

Wouldn't a more apples-to-apples comparison be LCR to 642?

 

[ugaarguy]

I generally don't vote in polls anymore. The previous replies have covered the strengths & weaknesses of each revolver. I own or have owned both, and both are great revolvers.

I'm kinda like Jad though. I can carry a Ruger Speed / Service / Security Six on the belt just as easily as I can an SP101. There are also still plenty of 3" Round Butt K-Frames on the used market if you do a little looking. The 3" RB K Frames are the ideal medium frame belt gun for me, but that's just personal preference. However, I find I can carry Ole Slab Sides (full size 1911s) IWB or OWB just as easily as those revolvers.

The LCR, Bodyguard 38, or 642 (or other various lightweight J Frame) are great pocket revolvers. The S&W x42 series guns are my preference in that role, but they all work. Those little guys aren't bad on the belt either.

In the end, carry what YOU like., and what YOU shoot best.

 

[oldfool]

I own the 3" SP101
because it's stout, has the weight to shoot well with hotter than std 38sp, and because I don't pocket carry
but do IWB carry a single stack auto
if I did pocket carry, I would get a 642

 

[sixgunner455]

I didn't even consider the Ruger when I went shopping for my pocket revolver. I wanted stainless construction, but I also was interested in not lugging around a pig of iron in my pocket.

Though I have carried the 642 on my belt, I have other guns I consider primary for belt carry. At the time I bought the 642, I had a 4" K frame, and a Colt DS. I now have a 3" RB K frame, and a CZ75. The Ruger would be superfluous.

 

[Waywatcher]

Not a good poll.

The S&W analog of the SP101 is the M60

The Ruger analog of the 642 is the LCR.

I did not vote on your poll, but I have shot them all, and owned most at one point or another. The LCR is the one I still have. Best trigger, sights and grip.

 

[billybob44]

I've got my Ruger on my belt right now. I've been wearing it 10 hours. I hardly know it's there....For a pocket gun, I have other options.

Same here Colt-other than removed from belt for a couple of hours at the local gun show here..Bill.

 

[gordy]

I shot the 642.
The sp101 is a good firearm but is very heavy when you compare it to the S&W.
It makes a better belt gun then a pocket gun. I do carry my 642 with a iwb holster. And I forget it is there.
The ruger would do just as well iwb, But I feel if I were to carry that much steel on my belt, you might as well get one of the many auto's that have more fire power and are thinner.
I do carry a S&W m65 3 inch round butt. Not to different then the ruger sp101
but I do think it is a bit on the heavy side and the thing is wide.

 

[Rexster]

Why must it be one or the other? I selected SP101, because some guy, who designs grips at Ruger, seems to have hands shaped just like mine, and because my nearly-642 is not a 642, but a Performance Center variant labeled as an M460. (Yes, S&W re-used that model number for an X-frame.)

Moreover, if a gunfight happens, I would rather be armed with a dense, hefty SP101, firing Magnums, than an Airweight .38 Special, so I usually carry the SP101 as my minimum. J-frames are for back-up, or for special occasions and circumstances.

Autos? Eh, a passing fad. Often, I do indeed carry concealed a P229, because that is what I carry on duty, working for a PD that mandates we carry certain specified .40 double-stack DA autos. When dressed in suitable clothing, a P229 is easy enough to conceal, and comfortable for many hours, but after a certain point, especially if sitting, the SP101 is more comfortable. I have dozed off in a recliner, and napped for hours, while wearing an SP101 in a Milt Sparks PMK. That is simply not feasible when wearing a P229, as it will poke my side if I lean back while sitting.

What if five rounds is not enough? Well, that is why I usually have another SP101, of course.

 

[harmon rabb]

this is kind of an apples to tacos comparison. you're comparing a pocket gun to a belt gun. not sure why. the smith is a better pocket gun, the ruger a better belt gun, but that's what they're each designed to be.

 

[jawn]

I like my LCR in .357. It somewhat bridges the gap between an Airweight and an SP101.

 

[rich642z]

Right now,the 642 has been experiencing cracked frame problems while the SP101 hasn't. It's a hardness problem with the computerized machinery. And,my 642 had to go back to factory for a new gun. S&W is paying both ways.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Same here Colt-other than removed from belt for a couple of hours at the local gun show here..Bill.

Bill,

I just did another 14 hours with my SP on my side. Part of it was riding a motorcycle thru a rainstorm. I didn't worry about the gun getting wet. Matter of fact, I wore the whole rig until it and everything else I had on dried out. I didn't even pull it out of the holster when I got home. I just took it off my belt and laid it in my safe. There's not much you can do to hurt an SP.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO if you are going to compare a SP101 to a S&W revolver you shouldn't compare a .357 Magnum to a .38 Special. Again IMO a better comparison would be the SP101 and a M60/M640/M649.

In that case I would pick the S&W in any of those models but especially the M649 because I like the Bodyguard frame.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

For a carry gun I like Ruger. They are working guns and built tough, but will still polish up real nice. I'm a big dude, so the extra weight doesn't bother me, and I want that extra weight when shooting .357 rounds. S&W is fine too though.

 

[cackalak]

I bought my SP101 3" so I could carry it on camping/hiking trips, hunting sidearm and home defense for the wife. (I've got a full sized revolver and 870 for me). It can plink with .38's or pack a wallop with 180gr. Buffalo Bore for the woods.

 

[Madcap_Magician]

Depends on the use. An SP101 is a better belt gun, a 642 is a better pocket gun.