SP101 vs 640 Pro vs K6s?

If you could only own/carry one revolver:

  • Ruger SP101

    Votes: 50 47.2%
  • S&W 640 Pro

    Votes: 21 19.8%
  • Kimber K6S

    Votes: 35 33.0%

  • Total voters
    106
  • Poll closed .
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Styx

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I'm having a hard time making a decision between these three wheel guns. I'm kind of leaning towards the 640 being that it has night sights, but I've heard nothing but great things about the K6s 3" plus it has an extra round. Whenever these two are mentioned, the Ruger SP101 soon follows.

Does anyone have experience carrying and shooting all three of the aforementioned revolvers? I'll primarily will be OWB/IWB carrying at work.
 
I have a 2.25 inch SP101 and a 3 inch model 60Pro. While the S&W is a nicer gun, the Ruger weighs about 4 ounces more and it REALLY makes a difference in comfort when shooting full power magnums.
If you are mainly going to shoot 38 or 38 plus P either is very manageable with them.
 
In my experience the SP101 does not point as well as a S&W J frame , and it is a bit too much for IWB. The sights on the Smith look good to me , and I am certain that there would be trigger advantage Smith over Ruger.
 
What do you do at work?

If your not at a typical desk job and out and about all day Id pick the smith for the ability to pocket carry more discreetly (Yep I know you said OWB/IWB but trust me the pocket sees more action than people think) the Kimber K6 comes in a close second. The added weight of the sp101 may not carry as well for you if your out and about (it aint alot more but Ive seen several people who wont carry a shield and are content with their LCP's or Keltecs)

Are you going to shoot actual .357's?

If you are Id prefer the SP101, yes you will lose a round vs the K6 but you will have a gun that shoots .357s all day and asks for seconds. The 640 I had before was brutal with some of the heavier loads ive used that were more bearable in the SP101.
 
Tough choice. But, all good choices. I’ve got an SP101. It’s THE smallest, lightest gun I’d shoot magnums out of.

And a 2 3/4” Speed Six.

And a couple 3” 65’s.

All just outstanding carry guns.

But....that damn Kimber is kinda calling me....

If I didn’t have the others, I’d likely opt for the Kimber with a 3” barrel. It’s a neat gun with real sights and a good trigger.
 
I waited to get the K6. If you have the money, be sure to check one out closely. If not, go with a Ruger in 38Spl.
 
The Kimber is also available with tritium sights; that's what mine has. I've carried all three, though my 640 isn't the Pro model, and the Kimber is the winner for me. The extra round and superior trigger put it over the top, in my opinion. Of those three, it's also the one I shoot the best.
 
Never been a big fan of the Ruger SP101. Would probably go with the S&W Model 640 Pro mainly because I'm so accustomed to S&W revolvers. But I have to say I do find the Kimber K6S to be very tempting.
 
I have a handful of M60s (including a PC and non-PC 3" version), and recently bought a 4.2" SP101. I do not own a Kimber, although the 3" version looks of interest - just not interesting enough to get me to spend $850...

Between the M60s and the SP101, I'm shocked to say that at this point I prefer the SP101 by a good bit. The 4.2" barrel of the SP101 balances really well for me, both pointing and shooting. The SP101 also has a better DA trigger pull than the M60, surprisingly, once both were given a basic spring kit change. I put the Pachmyer Compact on the M60s and the Pachmyer Diamond Pro grip on the SP101; these two combinations give me the same relative grip angle and similar grip feel.

In terms of quality, both have had their warts. One of my M60s had to be returned to S&W (only the second new gun that I ever had to return to the factory for repair) to get a new barrel, because the forcing cone was not cut as much as gouged - clearly the cutter was stalled by the operator and just took hunks out of the forcing cone. S&W made ti right, but it took several months to get it back. The SP101, on the other hand, appears OK so far in terms of finish but there was a bit of milling flashing left in the crane hinge area of the frame that I was fortunate enough to notice and remove (when I installed slightly lighter hammer and trigger return springs) before the gun saw significant use.

As an aside - I am intrigued by the Ruger LCRx 3" model. The ones that I've handled have had a DA trigger pull that is easily the equal of the Kimber. It's only chambered in 38Sp +P and not 357 Magnum, but still.... It's an interesting and inexpensive piece that may still follow me home one day. Also, if Colt made the new Cobra in a 3" or 4" model, it'f be a serious temptation - I find the DA pull of the Cobra to be very respectable out-of-the-box.
 
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I love my 2.25" sp101 I carry it iwb at the 230 ish position. Theyres alot of grip options out there to change the way it fits your hands. Yes it's bigger than the Smith and not as smooth as the kimber. But it's built like a tank and .357's are doable in it.
 

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I've owned a 3" SP101 for about 9 years or so. It has had many magnums through it and it and has performed well.

J frames are just smaller and lighter than I care for when shooting magnums.

The K6s is very tempting and the ability to have night sights as well as a really nice DAO trigger is tempting. I'd go for the snub though as the 3 inch version seems like it should be DA/SA capable with a hammer spur. The short barrel version makes more sense to me as a carry gun, and should be DAO. the first K6s I handled had a false trigger reset, so it made me decide to wait awhile. I think that was just the one I handled though, as I haven't read about others having the same experience.
 
I think your choice of grip and holster is more important to the end result.

I shoot a 640 Pro Series. I think it is the best of the three, but it's not perfect. I find the sites lame. The sight radius is too short to make use of rear sights other than the standard J frame gutter. Pinned front sights let you choose what you want in front, and that's all you need. The sights on most SP101 and the K6s are fine.

The rear site on the 640 hooks on my pocket, and it works very poorly with pocket holsters. I have two different Galco pocket holsters, and I've tried other brands as well. I have other J frames to compare it to, and the 640 has problems drawing. Because of the shape of the rear sight, it has to be drawn by pulling the butt forward so the holster rotates away from the site instead of into its hook. Not all pocket holsters even have a tab to catch the pocket on the top of the holster. The Galco horsehide does, but it's pretty broad for some pockets. Just remember that the gun rotates out of a pocket holster. It does not pull straight out. Look at how it's going to rotate and see which combination will work for you.

The 640 is lighter than an SP101 but it's not really light enough for pocket or ankle carry. I use it for both, but the aluminum J frames are better for this. The Ruger with its additional weight and hammer spur is not really good for pocket or ankle. You might not care if you're sure it will be IWB/OWB carry, but will the weight of the Ruger make magnums easier to shoot? In my experience, the 640 is plenty heavy for full magnums (and the Kimber weighs the same). I can see how the 340PD might be too light with some grips, but I've shot it with wood grips and it's not as bad as some people make it out to be. People write or talk about the speed of follow up shots, but from my experience, it's just Internet conjecture. I have no problem getting fast double-taps on target with a 340PD and .357 magnums, and I'm not special. I've seen others dispell the follow-up speed myth with plate drills. The best recoil-absorbing grip I've found is the Crimson Trace CT350. It's not that the recoil absorption is so much better than any other (it's about the same as any soft rubber grip), but the quality is great. It's much nicer than the CT305 or CT405, and better than Hogue or Pachmayr. Even so, I prefer wood grips, but haven't found a good one to recommend.

With any of the all-steel guns mentioned and a good grip, .357 is not hard to shoot -- but you've got to build up to it. Start with lightweight .38's and make sure your fundamentals (grip, trigger control) are solid on this platform before you move up to greater recoil. That's easy to do with a 38/.357 revolver -- take advantage of it. People that shoot the 340 and quit aren't doing it right. They come with a grip technique that sucks, get jacked by a .357 and quit. It's not the gun.

I like the elegance of the minimal, forged frame on the 640 and the five-shot cylinder with the bolt notches in the web of the cylinders instead of the outside edge of the chamber. The trigger is smooth (after break-in), and the gun is clean in appearance. I've considered using the moon-clip feature for the loaded rounds to make ejection more positive, but I carry extra rounds in a speed strip and not in a bulky moon clip or speedloader. The Kimber has nice touches like recessed chambers. I've read others rave about the trigger, but I didn't think it was any better than the S&W. It's definitely a nice gun. I've complained before about the excess logos on it though.

I've never seriously considered the Ruger because of the hammer spur and excess weight for my primary carry methods (pocket and ankle), but it seems like a fine gun and Ruger might be a better company than S&W. I can tell you the quality control on several new S&W's I have is poor. I've sent more than one back to fix problems. Barrel to cylinder gaps are big, cylinder lockup is poor, and there are other problems. I wouldn't buy even a new one without checking it out carefully. There are guides on how to check out a revolver. Do it before you complete the transfer.
 
The SP101 is a great gun. I had both the 2" and 3" and they both shot pretty much the same. The 3" looks sexier.

My current EDC is a 640, I just like everything about it better than the SP101.

Haven't shot a K6S but I'd really like to.
 
I don't even like revolvers, but I miss my SP101. Traded it for a Harley Transmission 12 years ago.
 
Does the 3" Kimber allow for full ejection of brass (unlike the shorter barrels on snubs)?
 
I have a M640 and shoot Winchester 145gr Silvertip full magnums from it all the time. It's accurate and easy to carry. I have never held let alone fired the Kimber so I can't comment there. I just can't take a liking to the SP101 or it's trigger. The M640 weighs 23oz and not uncomfortable to shoot like the 12oz Airlite is.
 
I have all three. I figured night sights on a snubbie was a non factor but I did prefer three dots that are driftable if necessary. The triggers can be made about equal but it is not needed on the K6s. All three are very close in weight and size.The Kimber and Ruger are very solid chunks of metal. All seem to shoot about the same.
For me, the extra round in the Kimber sealed the deal as my small carry revolver.

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If it's within your budget, I think the extra round of the K6 make it the easy choice.

My budget was much lower and I picked up an SP101 a year ago. It was my primary carry during that time, but I eventually traded it for something else. For me the DA trigger was lacking even after probably 2,000 dry fires, and even in single action I never could shoot it as accurately as I could shoot my much lighter j-frame Airweight in double action.

.357 defense loads certainly were manageable, but I preferred to carry Buffalo Bore .38sp +p in it. I found they were a happy medium between a normal +p defense load and a .357 mag which allowed for much faster and accurate followup shots.

I love the classic look of the 640, but because the K6 has that 6th round I'm saving my pennies for one of them now. I've fondled them at the gun shops, I don't think the trigger is quite as smooth as my 442 but I assume it'll get close with use. It's worlds better than the trigger on my SP was.
 
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