The Ruger SP 101 .357 Mag

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I'm going to be in the club!

Whoopee Doopee! I'm going to be in the club. Just ordered a SP101 today (a 3" .357) from a local FFL guy and it may be in as soon as tomorrow. It's kind of like the 3 bears: I've got a S&W Mod. 19 in a 4" and a Taurus Mod. 85 in a 2". This will perfectly fill the gap. Peace of mind while hiking and traveling.
 
S&W guy gets first Ruger

I'm in. The other night I dropped by the Boise Cabelas to get HKS speed loaders for my S&W M66. Well, sitting the used counter was this pretty little 3" .38 Special SP101. It was only $260, and it looked like it needed a good home. So I adopted it.

SP101 Crop.jpg
 
You'll be blessed

ugaarguy,

Nice to see that we have a new convert! You'll reap the reward for adoption children like these. They give you very little if any trouble and always do what you ask of them! :)

God Bless,

Porter.
 
It's nice to see that the gun came with the Pachmyr Compac grips. After years of using a Hogue Monogrip, I switched. The Compac grips are greatly underrated IMO.
 
Aftermarket Grips

Now I am confused. I will be looking for aftermarket grips for my SP101 and while Unisaw seems to like the Pachmyer compact, I read another review that says they prefer the Hogue monogrip. I realize there is some personal preference going on here, but are there other opinions that care to weigh in on which I might be happier with? For that matter , do I really need to change the factory grips? Thanks for any input.
 
No need for confusion -- it's a very personal thing. Find out what fits your hand best and your intended usage of the gun. I liked the Hogues for range use and even for IWB carry, but they weren't practical (for me) for pocket carry. The Compacs also point more naturally for me but, again, it's a very personal thing.
 
Thanks. I think you have answered my question. CCW is not my primary use for this piece. This is more of a HD, in the vehicle, and kit gun for me. I think I will go with the Hogue monogrips.
 
ugaarguy,

Nice to see that we have a new convert! You'll reap the reward for adoption children like these. They give you very little if any trouble and always do what you ask of them!
Click to expand...

Well, now that I'm better rested I'll lay out the the rest of the story. I bought the revolver Tues night. I got home and opened the .pdf instruction manual from the Ruger website - http://www.ruger.com/Firearms/PDF/InstructionManuals/15.pdf. I proceeded to disassemble the revolver so I could remove and clean the cylinder, and clean the bbl with the cylinder out - I always clean and inspect any newly aquired gun.

I then went to reassmble the revolver. I got to reassembly step 2 (p. 20) and felt resistance. I stopped and backed off as advised in the instructions. Out fallls a little metal piece, followed by a spring with what looks like the back half of a plunger. A look at the SP-101 schematic on the Brownell's website confirmed that it was indeed a plunger, and the pawl plunger to be exact. Somehow as I was reinserting the trigger assembly onto the frame I hit the pawl, letting it cam forward enough for the plunger to protrude and then be hit and broken as the pawl cammed back down on it. The resistance I felt was minimal, surprising to me that it was enough to snap the plunger.

A call to Brownell's Wed morning confirmed that the pawl spring and plunger are indeed used in several location on the SP-101 as the schematic indicated. At under $2 each I ordered three springs and three plungers to keep some spares on hand. Wanting a minimal delay in getting the new piece up and running I ponied up for the overnight shipping. The parts arrived yesterday evening, just in time to pop them in and get this SP101 to the range for a few rounds.

So there's my goof that you guys can learn from and hopefully avoid a similar problem. But with the very low cost of the SP101's small springs & plungers you might consider picking up a few spares just in case. ;)
 
Ejector Question

OK, like I said earlier I'm a was an S&W guy first, so this raises a question. In S&W land the 3" K frame is highly sought after becuase it carries more easily than a 4", yet retains the full length ejector rod which the 2.5" guns lack because of physical limitations. My 3" .38 Special SP101 lacks a full length ejector rod, but there looks to be plenty of room under the bbl for one. So what's up with these SP101s and no full length ejector rods?

Here's a pic of my SP101 3" above my S&W M66 2.5". Note the length available under the SP's bbl.

IMGP0770 RS.jpg
 
2-1/4" DAO here. I absolutely love that little tank.

It's currently stoked with Silvertips, with a spare speedloader of Hornady 158 grainers as well as a speedloader of 125gr Corbons.


gp911
 
Will someone adopt me into this group? I do have a LNIB SP101 I bought the first of the year... okay, it's a 4" .32, but still, it's an SP101. I ordered a Hogue rubber monogrip and lighter springs, among other things, from Brownell's. The earlier mentioned tuning steps were followed - the lighter return spring being most useful in dissassembly/reassembly. The results were great - really improved. Sorry, it aint no S&W - but, it's the best Ruger DA I've ever tried, much less owned. Mine is purely a fun plinker.

Sadly, the windage-only adjustable sights are real teasers - and the revolver simply whets the old appetite for another 4" - in .22LR. Fun little shooters.

Stainz

PS Now I want a 3" adj rear/HiViz front 60.
 
Does a SP-101 (SPNY) model get me in? It is only 38 special but from what I have read even the magnum carriers load down. I bought the SPNY because I wanted a SP101 and these were somewhat rare. I have the Eagle SS grips in Rosewood on it now and I also have a pair of SS grips in a very light wood. As for leather gear, the only thing I have is a Galco SOB and a IWB for a 3". I don't carry it much but it does shoot great.
 
IMG]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u195/kelorgo/Fishingsnowschoolvines103.jpg[/IMG]

Fishingsnowschoolvines106.jpg

I hope the two links work to post photos of my SP101. I'm new to this computer stuff, but not to the SP101. This is my third and each has been great.
 
Rugersp101.jpg


I'm in.
 
We will take any Sp's!

We will take all comers. Bring on the .22's and 9 mm if so desired. Although we are a .357 club (being the most common) I'll see if I an change the name on the thread.

Bring on all SP 101's!

God Bless,

Porter.
 
Can any of you SP101 owners tell me if the Eagle Secret Service grips are smaller than the Badger custom grips? I've got another thread going but no one has responded and all the SP101 owners are posting here :D

I found the Badgers to be a bit too thick for my smaller hands, so if you've got experience with both I'd sure appreciate it!

Thanks
Gideon
 
I picked up an sp101 last weekend. Traded a S&W 66 for a never fired target gray one new in box. A friend of mine really wanted the 66 and I havent shot it in a while so I figured why not, I needed a new snubby. The trigger was rough, but seemed to smooth up a bit today after going to the range. I had a couple in the past that ended up sold or traded. Always liked the little guys and really enjoy shooting the 125 grain golden sabres out of it.

I'll post a pic after I clean it.

***Edit***

Oh yeah, I forgot to ask my question. Does anyone have any experience with the target gray finishes? How do they wear? Are the tough or will they wear like blue does from a holster?
 
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I've got arthritis in the shooting hand, but hope to get through the Gold Dot .357 Short Barrel ammo without too much pain.

Does anybody have any suggestions for the next step up in muzzle energy on a 2 1/4 inch SP101? I would feel better with some premium ammo with about 350 ft/lbs or so.

Or should we just say that Gold Dot Short Barrel .357 is fully optimized with the correct balance between recoil and power?

Bill
Click to expand...

I use Winchester 110gr .357's.
 
My jury is still out on Target Grey

I own a shot gun in Target grey. It has two years of use. I might be leaning to the side of: it is a little like a blue finish. It has rubbed a bit. near the safety, but overall in very good shape. I also have a SP101 in TG. I have carried for several months with no rubbing or finish problems thus far.

If it is the same casting process as the stainless ranch mini 14, I have had that for years with no rubbing. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Good luck and god bless,

Porter
 
Synthetic Grips

I got a SP101 2.25" 357 last month. I replaced the stock grips with Trausch grips on recommendation from someone on The High Road. I ordered on-line and mailed a money-order to the Chicago address and the order was shipped from Paris, France. I am very satisfied. These grips are the greatest thing out of France since champagne.
 
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