Ruger chambers the SP101 in 9mm (again)

[danez71]

I think it depends on the clip. The moon clips for the S&W 929 are very strong. You'd have to put them in a vice and take pliers or a hammer to bend them. The Taurus moon clips for the 905 on the other hand, are not that robust or sturdy. The third-party clips for the 905 are much better than the factory clips.

I haven't tried to bend the clips for the Alfa-Proj revolver because they are super expensive - $8.50 a pop IIRC, but they don't look nearly as strong as the S&W 929 clips.

I'm waiting to hear about the LCR's clips. They're much easier to put cartridges into than the 929's but I'm wondering if they could bend easier.

Its good to know that the SP101 comes with strong clips.

I haven't really seen any reports of the LCR 9mm clips bending. Ive played with them and they appear to be made out od a spring steel that would take abuse to bend and even then it seems the round would come out before it actually bent.

Looking at the manual, The SP101 appears to be like the LCR in that the moon clips arent needed to fire but aid in extraction. The LCR head spaces the round on the rim if the brass.... I suspect the SP101 is the same after looking at the manual.

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Now if Ruger would bring out the SP101 in 41 magnum that would be on my list my short list

 

[cfullgraf]

Looking at the manual, The SP101 appears to be like the LCR in that the moon clips arent needed to fire but aid in extraction. The LCR head spaces the round on the rim if the brass.... I suspect the SP101 is the same after looking at the manual.

I thought 9x19 was a rimless case. Did you mean "headspace on the case mouth"? Or do the Rugers have an extraction system akin to the device that S&W Model 547 had that extracted cases without moon clips.

 

[danez71]

I thought 9x19 was a rimless case. Did you mean "headspace on the case mouth"? Or do the Rugers have an extraction system akin to the device that S&W Model 547 had that extracted cases without moon clips.

Case mouth... yes.

Thanks for the correction.

 

[old fart]

i have the lcr 9mm, the moon clips are plenty tough. i have used mine a lot and they still hold the ammo tight and they haven't bent, ruger claims they are stainless steel but i still wipe them down as i do the gun to when done.

 

[redbullitt]

Would be fun to mess with if you can get some of that rimmed 9mm brass they made a while back too!

 

[someguy2800]

I don't get it. The only thing I can see that a 9mm has going for it is that ball ammo is cheap but I only see that as a beneficial for range plinking, and a snub nose fixed sight revolver is a not a range plinker to me. Besides the price of ammo I can't fathom any reason why I would want a revolver chambered in a non rimmed cartridge that requires moon clips, and from a noise perspective I have no idea what I would want a 9mm 2" revolver. I could see it if they came up with an ejector that didn't require moon clips in a 4" barrel.

 

[danez71]

Charter Arms has a no moon clip ejection but still only a 2" barrel.

 

[C0untZer0]

They're fun to shoot and I don't have to purchase a different caliber

The 3" barrelled 9mm SP101 that were made in the late 1990's were going for $900+ used, I don't know what that market looks like now.

An ejector that doesn't require moon clips is easier to reload at the range, but it is slower to reload at the range compared to having 10 pre-loaded moon clips ready to go and a good mooner to do another 10 or 20.

I wish Charter Arms would make a 9mm PITBULL with a 4" barrel and adjustable sights but if wishes were horses, beggars would ride...

 

[someguy2800]

Charter Arms has a no moon clip ejection but still only a 2" barrel.

Hey that's pretty neat, I just looked it up. Never seen one.

 

[sean m]

Have SP101s in 357, 9mm and 22LR. Carry the 357 all the time, shoot the 22 most at the range. Like the 9mm for the lower ammo cost than the 357 and the recoil impulse is a little manageable than with the 357.

 

[Brian Williams]

I have had a S&W 940 and it was heavy so I sold it and bought a 642 and a replacement 940 cylinder and had them fitted together. It is a great gun and would be called a 942 if S&W had made more than 2. I would not mind a Ruger SP-101 in 9mm. I have also put that 940 cylinder into my S&W 60-4 and it makes a great gun, better than the 60-4 in 38 special.

 

[Merle1]

I still have my old Ruger speed six in 9mm - it's pretty heavy but that just dampens the recoil!

 

[Havok7416]

I'm waiting to hear about the LCR's clips. They're much easier to put cartridges into than the 929's but I'm wondering if they could bend easier

I have 13 and none of them has bent in the few years of abuse I have put them through. That would include carrying them around in a plastic bag together and tossing them in and out of bags, shelves, etc.

 

[Rock185]

Someguy2800, In addition to low ammo cost, and ammo commonality between revolver and semi-auto, might there be another reason some shooters are interested in the little 9MM revolvers? Ballistics of the 9MM in the little ~2" revolver falls between the .38+P and .357. Within my humble experience, actual chronographed velocities with the 9 in the little revolvers fall closer to the .357 than the .38 +P. So more power than 38 +P, less recoil and muzzle blast than .357. To each his own though. We are fortunate in having so many choices.

 

[Vonderek]

Just an aesthetic observation...on the Ruger website the lawyer billboard on the left side of the barrel is missing. If this is real-world and not Photoshopped, I'll buy the gun on this point alone.

 

[John_R]

I don't get it. The only thing I can see that a 9mm has going for it is that ball ammo is cheap but I only see that as a beneficial for range plinking...

That's what I bought a S&W model 63 (.22LR) for. 9mm is cheaper than .38 Special, but not that much cheaper.