SP-101 for heavy loads

[RyanM]

From what I've read on here, the GP-100 is basically the most durable .357 magnum on the planet, and you'd ruin your wrists long before the gun gives out.

How about the SP-101? Obviously there's no comparison between it and a J-frame, but how's it compare to the average K-frame? L-frame? Various models of Taurus? The GP-100? The ammo I have in mind is DoubleTap's 125 grain load. A 125 grain Gold Dot at 1,600 feet per second out of a 4" barrel.

Of course, it's very unlikely that my tendonitis will allow me to use much of any fullhouse magnum ammo, let alone enough to shoot a gun to pieces, but I can dream, right?

edit: phrasing

 

[gazpacho]

The Ruger Blackhawk may be a more durable .357, but considering the number of rounds you'd have to shoot to verify that, the difference is probably moot. The SP-101 will stand up to all the full power .357 you are going to want to shoot, for as long as you are going to want to shoot it. My SP-101 has seen a few thousand rounds (.357 and .38) and shows no signs of slowing down.

In what way do you want to compare it to a J-Frame? The SP is larger, heavier, and far more durable. I've met plenty of people who highly recommend against heavy use of .357 in a J-Frame.

 

[pezo]

I only have about a hundred rounds thru my sp, but the gun seems as rugged as all heck, and of those rounds they were high velocity magnums.

 

[GaryP]

The Ruger SP101 in .357 Mag will handle any factory .357 Mag load without problems. I regularly shoot Georgia Arms 1475 fps .357 Mag ammo in my Magna-Ported SP101 2.125" revolver, but after 50 to 75 rounds the hand starts to get a tad numb! I purchased this particular SP101 NIB back in 1996 and have over 2,000 rounds through it with no ill effect.

 

[DHart]

The SP is a stout and durable little wheelgun, but there's a lot more to shooting than whether the gun can survive the encounter.... can you?

While the SP is no doubt able to stand up to quite a bit of shooting heavy loads, it's no contest for comfort and feel when compared to a 3" GP-100. Shooting full house .357's like those 125 grainers you mentioned will be noticibly less comfortable in an SP than in a GP or larger. The SP will certainly do the job, however.

Shooting full house magnums with an SP is a little like taking a Jeep Wrangler for a cross country trip when you'd probably much rather be riding in a Grand Cherokee. Either one will get you there, but the experience is quite a bit different.

You want to shoot heavy loads and enjoy it? Buy a bigger gun. If you need to keep the size down a bit, but keep the comfort level up there... the 3" GP-100 is your gun. If you can go a tad bigger and concealment isn't important, get a 4" GP or 686.

I use my SP when I want to take a gun along, but don't PLAN to do any shooting, and I don't want to be too concerned with whether it might pick up surface dings or scratches, or exposure to weather, etc. I'll use it in situations where I wouldn't want to subject one of my nicer guns to such conditions. That's how I use mine... but honestly, I carry it a LOT, but don't shoot it very much because compared to a slightly larger gun (GP, K-frame, L-frame) it's no where near as comfortable nor as fun to shoot. I look at it as a GREAT carry gun... durable, reliable bullet launcher should the SHTF, but it's not my idea of an "enjoyable" gun. I should mention that I shoot a little almost every day.

 

[RyanM]

Mostly I'm trying to decide on a carry gun (which probably won't be bought until this summer, when I'm no longer living on a college campus). A .357 magnum would pack the most punch in my price range (under $400), especially with that DoubleTap stuff.

And everyone says to practice with what you carry (DoubleTap in this case, since I don't see much reason to purposely enfeeble my carry piece with wimpy ammo); but with my wrists, that's pretty unlikely. Mostly I'm wondering; if my tendonitis were to miraculously vanish in the next few months, and I won the lottery and could afford ridiculous amounts of ammo and range time, how would an SP-101 do in the long haul, compared to other guns?

Another one I've been looking at is the Taurus 617; small-medium frame, 2" barrel, and 7 shots. But I've heard extremely mixed opinions on Taurii here. Some people say they've put 10,000 heavy magnums through a Taurus snubby and it's good as new, and some people say that 400 rounds of .38 SPL was enough to shoot one to pieces.

Realistically, any gun will be more than good enough for my purposes, but I always try to get as much out of my money as humanly possible. It's an obsession of mine, though not necessarily a bad one, I've found.

 

[DHart]

Ryan... be careful about trying to carry the hottest loads you can possibly carry.... it's your accuracy that counts the most. Well placed .380 rounds will be far more effective than hand cannon .44 mag loads which don't hit quite as precisely. Considering your tendonitis, my honest appraisal is that you will be very well served by the SP as a carry gun with more moderate ammo. I'd pass on that overly hot stuff and use either:

• Winchester .357 mag 145 gr. Silvertip (a very potent load, but not extreme)

• Speer .38 spl. +P 135 gr. Gold Dot (much more comfortable to shoot and quite effective - designed specifically to perform well from snubbies)

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The SP 101 is, as we say in the Ozarks, hell for stout. The limitation is not the gun, but the shooter -- it will take far more full charge .357s than any of us can.

 

[RyanM]

Definitely a good point, Dhart, but I'm reasonably sure I could get the first couple shots where I want them, with most ammo. Tendonitis doesn't really cause any loss of strength (at least not that I'm noticing); it's just that my forearms and wrists will ache for a day or so after any kind of strenuous activities.

Though I may very well decide to use a milder magnum, like 125 gr Golden Sabers, depending on how things go once I get around to buying this thing.

 

[Black Snowman]

I find the longer recoil impulse of the heavy bullets to be more comfortable out of the SP-101 than the light high-velocity rounds. 158 gr or even 180 gr loads can be very effective man-stoppers from a snubby and the web of my hand thanks me.

I haven't shot the SP-101 a lot as I've just shot Kamicosmos' but I have shot it enough with various bullet weights and power levels to know what hurts

 

[DHart]

I agree with Snowman... the heavier loads feel a little less sharp. And more importantly, they tend to penetrate better (penetration and good placement is more important than expansion). And beyond that, they cause less fire erosion on the forcing cone area of the gun than the fast, light bullets do.

The 158 gr. LSWC loads in .38 spl +P and .357 mag. are superb defense loads. Winchester's 145 gr. Silvertip flies at 1241 from my 2.5" Model 19 and 1307 from my 3" GP-100's. That's a lot of defensive firepower from such short barrels, without being overly brutish. Personally, I totally avoid 110 and 125 gr. bullets in these calibers.

 

[Bronco45]

A load for the SP in 357 that you might consider is the Pro Load 357 Tactical Lite. A 125gr JHP out of a SP 2.25" doing 1150.

Works great, accurate, quick recovery and second shot followup.

They're on the net.

 

[Old Fuff]

I will start by saying that I am not a fan of ultra-light, short-barreled revolvers when they are chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge. However I had an occasion to discuss this subject with an engineer from one of the better known cartridge makers at the recent SHOT Show. This company has a reputation for loads that will stand one’s hair on end, and it (the reputation) is well deserved.

Our discussion was centered on a revolver that had suffered some ill consequences as the result of being used with a load consisting of a 158-grain bullet rated at 1450 FPS out of a unspecified barrel length but still supposedly retaining something around 1300 FPS plus, out of a three-inch revolver. At any rate I ask the gentleman what if any compact revolver would he recommend for such loads. He said that he would prefer to not recommend any small gun for this purpose, but if he was pressed he would pick the Ruger SP-101 as the only model that would likely stand up to a steady diet of such rounds over a long period of time. As he put it, “most guns are built. Ruger’s are over built.â€

 

[DHart]

I shoot ProLoad's "Tactical Lite" .44 magnum 200 gr. Gold Dot in my 3" 629 and it's great. I think they were very astute to recognize a significant need for defense loads in magnum calibers which DON'T try to be the hottest loads available. The "lite" .44 magnum and a "lite" .357 magnum loads are very smart choices for personal defense. Hunting is another matter. ProLoad makes good stuff!

 

[P95Carry]

I like weight in a gun - do NOT like these lightweights at all. MY SP-101 tho of course .357 .. and sometimes shot with same - is when on carry duty charged with +P Corbon 110's . Quite a stout load but definitely easier for follow-up shots and less flash.

As many have said - the gun will take about all you can feed with heavy loads but - even with the weight, it is not IMO manageable enough, when traded off against quick follow-ups and better accuracy. Shall we say - 2 x CorBon might be as good as one .357 max load hit!

OTOH, if I carry my M28-2 4" then that is stoked with full house .357's .. because I know I can rapid D/A that much better.

 

[DHart]

Interesting thing about CorBon's .38 spl +P 110 gr. I chrony tested it against Winchester's 110 gr. .357 JHP and found the CorBon .38spl +P to be the hotter of the two!

Ruger SP-101 3" barrel:
CorBon .38 spl +P 110 gr. JHP >>>>>>>> 1265 fps
Winchester .357 mag 110 gr. JHP >>>>>> 1209 fps

 

[P95Carry]

found the CorBon .38spl +P to be the hotter of the two!

Could explain Don why I felt the CorBon as quite - ''stout'' !!

Of course the Win offering could also be a tad whimpy. I know the 250 grain loading from Win for my .454 is lame! It produces about 900 and some ft lbs, compared with 1850 ft lbs from the Hornady 300 grain load.!

 

[DHart]

Chris... I think you felt that because it IS quite stout indeed for .38 spl +P.

Most factory .38 spl +P 125 gr. loads clock at only around 945 fps from a 4" vented test barrel. Exceptions are Speers 135 gr. Gold Dot .38 spl +P is around 975 from a 4".

Granted the CorBon is lighter, at 110 gr., but 1265 fps from a 3" tube is really hot for a .38 spl +P. That load can't be particularly good on the gun for lots of shooting in a small frame .38 spl. +P chambered revo. as it really is in the realm of .357 power. I'd avoid shooting much of it at all in a 642, for example. But the 642 is another category smaller and lighter than the SP-101 under consideration.