Sp101 38sp conversation to 357

[sgt127]

It’s been covered. To summarize:
The original SP101 was a .38 Special. That’s what the NYPD ordered as the SPNY.



Massad Ayoob, and others, discovered one could ream out the chamber and fit 125 Gr .357 Magnums.

Ruger then marketed the SP101 as a .357 Magnum with the warning “125 gr ammo only”

Ruger then lengthened the cylinder and frame to accept any .357 Magnum ammo.



Currently the SP101 is offered in .38 Special and .357 Magnum. Both in the large frame. The only difference is the barrel marking and, the depth the chambers are reamed to.

If you have the large frame, you could have a .357 cylinder installed. Or, ream out the chambers. And, lower the value of the gun far beyond what you will spend on the conversion.

If you have the short frame, you could have it reamed, be limited to short .357 Magnum loads and lower the value of the gun far beyond what you will spend on the conversion.

Sell it. Buy a .357 Magnum.

Buy Buffalo Bore ammo and, have almost .357 Magnum performance.

 

[SSBN617b]

“Buy Buffalo Bore ammo and, have almost .357 Magnum performance.”

That is exactly what I am going to do.

 

[wcwhitey]

“Buy Buffalo Bore ammo and, have almost .357 Magnum performance.”

That is exactly what I am going to do.

Underwood makes a wide variety of High Performance rounds in .38 Special as well. I am sure there is something that will get you closer to where you want to be. Just don’t say “approaching” .357 Performance as apparently that is a trigger!

 

[Jim Watson]

Which top end 38 Special published data loads approach 357? Thank you.

Well, Phil Sharpe published some real energetic loads before WWII. How about a 146 gr hollow point at 1500 fps 6"?

An intrepid gunzine writer once did a piece on Corbon ammunition. He lined up a P/V rig and tested their entire product line.
He reported that all but one were just below SAAMI maximum pressure and at or near advertised velocity.
That one was a .38 Special that turned up chamber pressure 94% of .357 Magnum. Corbon said they would adjust the load to spec. A local guy had some of those. Brutal in his titanium cylinder J frame, I fired two and handed it back.

Interesting! Is the .38 cylinder throated/stepped or through bored?

You keep saying that. If there is a US made .38 Special or .357 Magnum of any age that is "through bored" and not throated, I have not seen or heard reliably of it. Even when the intrepid hotrodder rechambers his Heavy Duty or Ruger from .38 to .357, it still has a cylinder throat (if done properly with a standard reamer) it is just 0.135" shorter.

 

[Armybrat]

From what barrel length?

I have no idea, that’s just what it says on the box.
This is the first time I’ve ordered Norma ammo, but have read that it is of decent quality.

 

[Tallball]

I have a couple of boxes of that Norma ammo. It's kinda spicy. I shot it back to back with some regular range ammo, and it was easy to notice the difference.

 

[Jamie B]

You cannot shoot a .357 in a 38 or it will blow up.
Even if you could get a round in cus .357s are longer and won't fit.

Not necessarily true at all

 

[fxvr5]

I have no idea, that’s just what it says on the box.
This is the first time I’ve ordered Norma ammo, but have read that it is of decent quality.

It's from a 6" barrel.

https://www.norma-ammunition.com/en...special-fmj-range-training-158-gr---620540050

 

[Armybrat]

I’ll be shooting it through these three….

 

[DWFan]

I misread it, 35,000 psi is more like it.

Thanks for catching my error!

Stay safe.

Perhaps you were thinking of Freedom Arms 353 Magnum?

 

[Riomouse911]

Perhaps you were thinking of Freedom Arms 353 Magnum?

I think it was the .460 S&W numbers i completely misread and posted for .357. In any event it was incorrect and I am glad it was caught and corrected.
I apologize for my error, lesson learned to double check!

Stay safe.