Ruger SP101 VS S&W 649

[Buckeye63]

LGS has a

New SP101 357 2.25 inch barrel
And a
Used VGC S&W 647 357
Both same price

The SP101 is Colt D size weight 25oz
( weight is 25oz , I have owned several)

647 .. J frame size with full underlug 2 inch barrel
Weight ???? I have read from 21 oz to 23 oz

I have holsters for each .. really wanting 357 to shoot 357 not 38spl

I have had a bad track record with SP101 on finish.. ( don’t want to go there) but this one is topnotch

The 647 .. carried more than shot .. clean and tight ... a humpback would be neat

 

[Obturation]

I'm a ruger guy so I have to say sp101. Weight is a benefit when you're looking at compact revolvers in 357.
Either should be fine, but buying new gives you the benefit of knowing what has happened to the thing.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Buy the one you like the most

 

[Buckeye63]

Buy the one you like the most

Turkey.

 

[Tallball]

Buy the one with the best trigger.

That will more than likely be the Smith.

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

My SP101 has been fantastic------I'd say Ruger

 

[Armybrat]

Ruger.
Mine is nice...

 

[bannockburn]

Buckeye63

I would say buy the SP101 if it's got a decent trigger on it and if you're going to shoot it with a steady diet of .357 loads. If not, and it's only going to see the occasional .357 rounds through it, then the Model 649 would get my vote. I will say that I'm a bit biased though when it comes to the Model 649!

 

[ColtPythonElite]

That is a nice gun.^

 

[Sistema1927]

647?

The only S&W 647 of which I am aware is in .17 HMR from the Performance Center.

 

[bannockburn]

ColtPythonElite

Thanks! It was like one of the first ones I saw shortly after they were introduced. I have to say that it has one of the nicest DA/SA triggers on it of most any J frame I have ever shot. Used a bit of Mother's Mag Polish to give it that high gloss shine! And while I have tried any number of grips on the gun, I always have come back to the factory stocks and the Tyler T-Grip adapter as giving me great concealment and control without adding a lot of weight or bulk to the gun. Looks pretty nice too!

 

[WheelGunMan]

I have a 2-1/4" SP101 DAO that has been a joy to shoot and own. I must admit that I invested in some Wolff hammer and trigger springs and gave all channels a thorough cleaning of debris that resulted the trigger becoming buttery smooth. Love the heft and balance of it and it mitigates the recoil pretty well with hot loads.

 

[Armored farmer]

Here's my loaded Sp101 atop the kitchen scale.
Despite my recent fondness for s&w revolvers, I cant deny the rugged build of my sp101. If you want to shoot .357s, you want the Sp101.
If you shoot full power 158s...your toupee will flip back, and your drawers will hit the ground with every shot.


FWIW,
Personally,...I wd buy the Smith & Wesson 647 in a heartbeat. I download my 357s a bit anyway.
You can find a sp101 any day of the week.

 

[Rexster]

The SP101 will be MUCH more comfortable, with Magnums. One can put over-sized grips on the J-Frame, to help deal with recoil, but then, one has a weapon as large as an SP101. With either weapon, hold HIGH on the grip, to minimize muzzle flip.

The only J-Frame I ever really liked shooting was a rare Lew Horton square-butt, 3” bull-barrel Model 60.

Today, I prefer the SP101, as its factory grip is such a good fit in my hands, and the added metal damps recoil. There was no overlap between my owning that 3” bull-barrel square-grip-frame Model 60, and my earliest SP101, so I did not shoot them in a true side-by-side comparison.

 

[Armored farmer]

Buckeye63

I would say buy the SP101 if it's got a decent trigger on it and if you're going to shoot it with a steady diet of .357 loads. If not, and it's only going to see the occasional .357 rounds through it, then the Model 649 would get my vote. I will say that I'm a bit biased though when it comes to the Model 649!
View attachment 968322

I would be attending some BBQs with that beauty. And church...and the store..and...
Thats nice, @bannockburn

 

[buck460XVR]

LGS has a

New SP101 357 2.25 inch barrel
And a
Used VGC S&W 647 357
Both same price

You could take 'em both home for the same price, but the minute you walk outta the store, the Smith will be worth more, and for good reason. Just sayin'.....

A SD weapon is a very personal choice. What the 'ell looks have to do with anything when it comes to CWC I have yet to realize. To me, the beauty of any firearm is the way it shoots and handles, having something durable and reliable is also a main concern. Both guns are more than capable.......make your own choice, based on what you want. It's your life and the life of your loved ones, not ours.

 

[P89DCSS]

I'm really happy with my SP101, never had an issues with the triggers. My 3" with the hated Hogue grip allows excellent control even with 357 rounds. The S&W fanbois explain me that I am clueless about triggers and guns in general. Otherwise I would know enough to hate my SP101s. Okay, whatever they say..... Here's my SP101 with its larger brethren a 4" GP100:

 

[Pat Riot]

After having extensively shot a S&W 60 Pro with 158 grain .357 Magnum rounds I would recommend the heavier revolver.
The 60 Pro weighs 23 ounces...or I should say "weighed". I sold it because the gun had other issues.

 

[bassjam]

I have had an SP101 and a couple airweight Smith's. I just didn't love the Ruger and for some reason it pointed high for me the same way Glock's do. The SP101 trigger was just "meh" and never got any better even after thousands of dry-fires. Both my Airweight's triggers smoothed out quite nicely after 500-1000 dry fires. Even with the extra 10oz of weight I was more accurate with the j-frames too shooting .38's out of both. Based on that, I'd go with the 649.

Then again, for what they're likely listed at I'd recommend spending a tad more and get the extra round of a K6s, which is what I did after I sold my SP101.

 

[SwampWolf]

I've never fired an unaltered J-frame revolver in the da mode (and I've had more than a few and still have a couple) that didn't have a ridiculously heavy trigger pull; my wife simply can't shoot one with any degree of accuracy. Thankfully, there are new Colt and Kimber revolvers out there now whose da trigger pulls she can master.

 

[ontarget]

If you shoot full power 158s...your toupee will flip back, and your drawers will hit the ground with every shot.

I'm not going to lie... That made me chuckle out loud. Thanks for a bright end to a very stressful day.

 

[WheelGunMan]

I'm really happy with my SP101, never had an issues with the triggers. My 3" with the hated Hogue grip allows excellent control even with 357 rounds. The S&W fanbois explain me that I am clueless about triggers and guns in general. Otherwise I would know enough to hate my SP101s. Okay, whatever they say..... Here's my SP101 with its larger brethren a 4" GP100:

View attachment 968401 View attachment 968402

I have those grips for my SP101 too..they are comfortable. yet really ugly. Nice looking pair of revolvers you have.

 

[Waveski]

I burned through a lot of ammunition trying to learn to like my SP101 , eventually sold it. It did not point for me and I did not shoot it well.
I am able to put rounds on target with relative ease with my S&W 60 no-dash.

To put my evaluation in proper context I should point out that I am not a proponent of firing full load 357 magnum from any snub nose revolver - muzzle flash , flip , follow-up shots , etc. The Ruger has more mass and is probably more manageable with the hot stuff , but my top criteria is putting shots on target.

J frame for me.

(Not pertinent to this thread topic , but if I wanted greater mass in a snub I'd go with a 2" K frame - excellent trigger. If you are going to carry significant mass you may as well have 6 shots. A six shot 3" Sp ...? That might be a good option. Dream on.)

 

[Waveski]

Addendum:
The Smith you are considering has a lot more class than the Ruger.
Don't know if your brain works that way ; mine does , for better or for worse.

 

[Dan-O]

Buckeye63

I would say buy the SP101 if it's got a decent trigger on it and if you're going to shoot it with a steady diet of .357 loads. If not, and it's only going to see the occasional .357 rounds through it, then the Model 649 would get my vote. I will say that I'm a bit biased though when it comes to the Model 649!
View attachment 968322

Looks like some andrews custom leather?