Why something other than an SP101?

[Deuce]

I'm thinking I'd like to get a 20-25oz .357 snubbie.

I already own a 3" S&W 60 and a 360SC and 340SC (they're tolerable with .38spl ... call me a pansie, but .357 is just too harsh ... I'll keep 'em anyhow).

I'm thinking the SP101 fits the bill nicely @ 25oz. The S&W 60 (2") is supposedly 22.5oz, but, nearly $200 more. If someone can make a strong case for a Taurus, I'd be interesting in hearing it ... I like the idea of that 20oz 7-shot Ti .357 snubbie ... held the steel one in a shop recently and it didn't seem much larger ... but, at current, I'm still leaning towards a 5-shot for the smaller size.

Right now my only concern is the SP101's trigger. For some reason I'm recalling that someone might have said something about not being able to get an SP101's trigger worked over. I'm not expecting a trigger like a S&W 627, but, if it's real bad, I'd like to be able to do something about it. Did I just imagine that?

Otherwise, if someone can explain, other than just the "high quality of S&W" why the 60 or a Taurus might be significantly better than an SP101, speak now, or forever hold your tongue. I'm going to look at the Tauri again now to see if they've got a 5-shot closer to 20oz. If they've got one, I'd prefer that so long as no one can give a good reason why that'd be a bad idea (besides the fact that most of us would "simply prefer a S&W or Ruger").

Thanks for the help.

 

[Jim March]

The Ruger Redhawk is the design that has a rep for a trigger that's difficult to tune. It has the same spring for trigger return and...one other function, I forget which. Point is, swapping trigger return springs is a common tuning method and it's not the same with a Redhawk.

The SP101 (and GP100, SRH) are much more conventional and yes, respond well to moderate tweaking. You can't get 'em QUITE to the point of a classic S&W but I've personally handled a GP100 with a trigger that was just suweeeeeeet!

In terms of strength for it's size, the SP101 is unmatched by anything.

 

[Preacherman]

I sent my SP101 to Clark Custom Guns (http://www.clarkcustomguns.com/) for their service action job. By the time they finish with the action, the trigger is within 90% of the best S&W triggers - certainly, it's hard to tell the difference unless you're handling one of their S&W action jobs at the same time. (As you may have guessed, all my S&W's and Rugers go there for action jobs! ).

 

[Bob]

I love the 101!! I installed Wolf spring kits in mine and that plus lots of shooting has given me very nice triggers. I also highly prefer the sights on the 101 over the Smith. The 101 is lots of fun to shoot as oppossed to what I hear from the guys with the super light guns. I pack mine in a pocket holster or on the waist and have absolutely no problem concealing it. You'll love the 101.
Bob

 

[Sisco]

I'm pretty partial to my SP. Like Bob said, a set of Wolff springs and plenty of dry fire and the trigger will come in by itself.
I did a bead-blast & added a Trijicon night sight, it's my night table gun.

 

[tbeb]

Can't go wrong with a SP101. That would be my choice.

I know a retired big city homicide detective who carries a Taurus model 650. Empty weight is 24-25 ounces.

 

[444]

I own an SP101 and am fairly satisfied with it. I have never tried the small S&W .357s altough I own a couple of their j framed .38s. I have fired blockbuster loads in the little SP101 with no problem at all. In fact I was kind of disappointed by that fact. When I first got it, I tried a variety of my hottest handloads from 110 grain bullets up to 180 grain bullets and it was quite uneventful.
I am not really into this whole trigger thing. I have a few guns that have had professional trigger jobs done on them. I can think of one by Jack Weigand (who works on SP101s), and another done by Clarks. I have had a number of Smiths done by the S&W custom shop and even have a Ruger with the Power Custom hammer and trigger. But on a 2" .357 that I was going to be using for self defense, having a world class trigger would be the least of my worries or desires.
I am not known to be in the mainstream, and one of my personal pet peaves is any gun, no matter it's size, caliber, configuration, cost or intended use that does not shoot where the sights tell you it should. My SP101 falls into this catagory and this is the main reason I don't carry it. I have read countless posts on various gun forums where someone tries to tell me that on a 2" self defense gun, having the gun shoot POI/POA is silly. Well, I disagree in the strongest terms. If we ever have to shoot for our lives, we will not be able to dictate the circumstances. The senario might not fall into our own preconceived senario. And it also might not fall into the statistically, most likely senario. In other words, we may someday need to pull off a precision shot with the only gun we have on our person. It has been said that in a life or death situation, we are only about 50% as good as our best day on the range. I don't want one more thing to worry about. I dont' want to have to draw and remember that the gun shoots five inches low and 2 inches to the left. If someone is holding one of my loved ones hostage as a human shield and I have to make a head shot, I want to put the front sight where I want the bullet to go and press the trigger. If some nut starts shooting up the grocery store and I am at the other end of the asile (about 25 yards away) I want to know exactly where I am shooting and I don't want to have to use Kentucky windage to do it.

My 2 cents.

 

[Jim March]

I agree re: POA/POI. Ruger can fix the windage, and filing the front sight for whatever load you like is normal on a fixed-sight gun, so long as it STARTS low, you can adjust.

The SP101 is the smallest gun made that can handle "real" full power 357s comfortably, on a frequent basis. In that sense, it's extremely "size efficient". A 3" barrel variant is the smallest gun made that can handle the really hot Cor-Bon 200grain hardcast or similar and have a chance at defense against a black bear or pressed into hunting duty on boar. Not optimal, but it can do it.

You'll find that 3" tubes are no harder to conceal than 2" for all carry methods other than front pocket; I personally feel that J-class types are too big for that anyways.

Granted, Ruger doesn't sell a bobbed-hammer 3" barrel combination, which would be kinda nice for IWB. But the shape of the Ruger hammer on both the SP101 and GP100 lends itself well to a simple bob-job, even if homebrewed with a dremel and a VERY steady hand . Basically, the back of the hammer has a continuous curve to it, from which the thumb-rest "juts out" - it's easy to chop the thumb-rest and "follow the original curve", making it look fairly sanitary.

My personal preference, if I'm going to own a bobbed-hammer DA wheelgun, is to leave the SA notch inside the hammer and if I want to take an SA shot, bring it back partway with the trigger and then finish the cock. I view the lopped-off hammer as a way to prevent clothes snag, rather than the old "the prosecutor might say you set it up with a hair trigger" line .

Anyways, the only way to get a hammer and action like that is to start with a regular "cockable" gun and bob it yourself or have a gunsmith do it who'll agree NOT to mess with the internals, only the external thumb-rest on the hammer. Some gunsmiths won't do that...

 

[Blueduck]

Only thing I got against the 101 is it's size, it's really not much smaller at all than a S/W K-frame round butt gun which offers a sixth round and much wider aftermarket grip selection.

Jim,

What if you decide for some reason not shoot once you've got the hammer back in the single action stage on a bobbed hammer gun

 

[Jim March]

You put your finger in front of the hammer, horizontally, and *carefully* pull the trigger.

Remember, the firing pin isn't on the hammer, so it ain't gonna poke you. I consider this method safer even if the thumb-pad is still present; once you trip the sear, get your finger OFF that trigger and THEN slip your off-hand finger out from behind the hammer, lowering it. Lowering it the "classic way" with a thumb-pad hammer and strong-hand thumb, it's not hard to have it slip - your off-hand finger in FRONT of the hammer is less likely to slip than your strong-hand thumb.

Safe muzzle direction is a requirement either way!

 

[Deuce]

Thanks gentlemen.

That's precisely the info I was looking for.

Take care.

 

[TonyB]

My carry gun is an SP101.I got used to the weight,and it IS alot easier to shoot than one of those scadium deals.At reasonable self defence distances mine is POA.At 25 yrds it's low but still a gut shot.I like that I can shoot 357's and not have to take morpheine after.I shoot mostly 38+p+ hollow points though,just incase of over penetrating w/357's.It was kind of hard to find a holster,I'm a lefty.But I finally got a Desantis thumbreak and I wear it between my belt and pants(a recent discovery).Drop an extra speed loader in your pocket and you're good to go.
P.S. I'm glad my 100th post is about an SP

 

[goon]

444- How does your SP101 shoot?
If it is just high or low, that can be fixed.
IIRC, the front sight is a pinned in insert on the SP. You should either be able to swap it out or file it to the right height.
Windage is harder to deal with though. It would have to have the barrel turned a little bit to fix that. I would probably send it back to he factory or take it to a well equipped smith for that one.

I also share your contempt for manufacturers who don't at least get a rough zero on the guns that they sell.
My new Springfield Mil-Spec shot over a foot low and nearly a foot to the left when I first got it.
After alot of swearing, a few trips to the smith, and alot of filing on the front sight, it is finally getting there.
But it still makes me angry. If I am gonna spend my money on a gun that you make, the least you could do is make it right.
If there are any gun industry reps reading our posts out there, take note of this.
If I buy a gun that you make and it isn't made right, you won't get the chance to win my loyalty back. I will get it fixed if I can, sell it off, and never buy anything you touched ever again.

 

[444]

My SP101 shoots low and to the left. I realize that I could file down the front sight, but the front sight is already very small. Rather than file on it and make small sights even smaller, I just put it back in the safe. Most fixed sighted revolvers shoot low for me. I don't know why. But they all don't, so that gives me some indication that it isn't all me. I have a Colt Detective Special and a S&W Model 60 that shoot right on the button for me.

 

[Marko Kloos]

I like the SP101 just fine, but I'd prefer my S&W M65 over an SP101. The SP101 is sturdy, but it's almost as big as the M65, and the M65 offers one more round and a better trigger. It's a pretty big gun for a five-shooter.

 

[22luvr]

Here's my Taurus model 605....

I installed the smaller mod 85 grip for easier carry. Having owned two Taurus revolvers (mod 85 and 605) I still cannot fault them and they're less expensive than either Smith or Ruger. Weight is about 22-24 oz and the 605 is exactly the same size as their mod 85. Both guns shot to POA, no problems with accuracy or reliability. You owe yourself a look-see (?)

 

[Bob]

444, if most revolvers shoot low for you, could it be the hold? You might try different grips. I put Uncle Mikes boot grips on my 101 and it shoots just fine. The windage being off to the left could be sights or it could be trigger finger placement. I learned handgun shooting on autos and when I started shooting revolvers I had to relearn grip and trigger finger placement and now they shoot real good for me.
Bob

 

[444]

I considered that it could be my grip or whatever. It might be. However as I mentioned, this dosn't occur with all fixed sighted guns which adds to the confusion. I have made a conscioius effort to try different techniques to get the gun to shoot where it is supposed to, but this far haven't found the secret.
I realized early on in my shooting career that I was wrong eye dominant. I never gave it a whole lot of thought and just went with it. Only within the last five years or so did I find out (by visiting an eye doctor) that my left eye is stronger than my right eye and I got glasses. My vision was still good with both eyes, however I was getting eye strain in my right eye because it was straining to be as good as my left eye. This all might have something to do with it. Now that I have glasses, I make an effort to remember to shoot with my right eye (I am right handed), however 25 years or so of old habits aren't always easy to overcome without taling myself through what I am going to do before firing the first shot.

 

[Brrlgrrl]

I'm quite satisfied with my Sp101, it's comfortable, small enough and shoots beautifully. I haven't experienced any problems with the trigger. It does shoot a little low and to the left, but I don't think I can blame the gun, I think it has more to do with the operator!

 

[Brian Williams]

I have a S&W 940 2" and a S&W 60-4 3" Adj sights. I like the 940 because of the covered hammer and 9mm pack a nice wallop from it. The moonclips are nice and that short extractor is really a "full" length cause of the short case of the 9mm.