Ruger SP...

G

gumshoe4

New member
Hello all-I'm new on this site.

I'm deciding whether to buy a Ruger SP101 (small frame DA revolver) for CCW-off-duty carry.

I already know about the J-frames, but because of incredibly bad gun legislation here in California which will go into effect tomorrow, S&W has not had most of its J-frame models tested and approved for sale and the three which have been approved I'm not real fond of.

I also prefer revolvers (I guess that makes me something of an old fogy) in such a role. I carry a department-issued Glock concealed on duty, but would carry a revolver if I had the option, probably something like the 686 or 696.

How does the SP101 hold up to shooting with .357 ammo (probably 110 or 125 grain) over the long haul? Do you routinely shoot and carry .357 mag ammo in the revolver, or do you normally shoot and carry .38 or .38+P? How is it from the standpoint of recoil to shoot mag ammo through such a small revolver?

Thanks in advance for your responses and have a safe and happy New Year!!
 
U

urban assault

New member
I have the spurless .357 SP101. Great gun! I enjoy carrying and shooting this weapon. Right now, I run Hydra-Shok's in it. Soon I am going over to Triton Quick-Shoks. They seem very impressive to me. Again, a very good, small gun.

michael
 
C

Cougar

New member
I know I'm gonna get flamed for this, but...

...if you're going to get a Ruger SP101 in .357Mag, see if you can find one with a three-inch barrel.

At the gunshop I used to frequent, we had a regular who was a newer local LEO. He was still going through the experimentation phase of getting his kit together. At the time, all he could afford for a 'duty gun' while going through the State's LEO Academy training was a Ruger semi, but his was in .45. Other than being kinda overly large it served him well (we used to tease him unmercifully about 'that stainless steel club' he carried in his holster.) When he finally got accepted into a local department he was issued a Beretta 9mm.

But I digress. The real purpose of this post is to show you what went into his thoughts as a backup gun. For his backup gun, he went through a couple before finally making up his mind.

At first it was a plain-jane Rossi .38 snub. Cheap and somewhat accurate, but the dependability just wasn't there. It was falling apart after just a couple hundred rounds through it.

Next came one of the first AMT .45 DAO Backups made. Big bore, small package, not a bad choice considering ammo compatability with his Ruger .45, but the trigger must have been somewhere on the order of 20-25 pounds! The shop's smith tried to smooth it and lighten it but nothing he tried worked very well. Trying to qualify with that backup gun was impossible because of that horrible trigger.

Then he came upon the Ruger SP-101s. All stainless, and far stronger than his old Rossi, and the trigger pull was far superior to the AMT. He got the common 2" .38 version at first, then Ruger introduced the .357Mag chambering in the SP so he just had to have one. If you can remember back that far, the first .357Mag SPs were limited by a short frame and cylinder, so only .357s of less than 125 (or was it 110) grains would fit. He tried the 2-inch at first (actually I think it was a 2-1/4 inch) but the muzzle blast and wrist snapping recoil were just too unconcerting. He then ordered a 3-1/8 inch and the rest, as they say, was history. The added weight out there and the longer tube made this a quantum leap better than the two inch; much more controllable. Better balance, better feel and a lot more recoil friendly.

I think he finally got one of the newer versions of the same gun with the slightly longer frame and cylinder that has no ammo restrictions.

I had also heard that he had one of the guns ported, but I don't know which one it was. He had moved out of the area when he took a job in another part of the state.

To sum this all up here, I don't know if Ruger still makes the .357SP in a three inch, but if they do, I don't think you can go wrong!

Now, if you want to talk about his holster selection process, that is yet another long story! :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top