SP101

[Sarge]

I am looking for some advice on a home protection/CC revolver purchase. I can get an SP101 with Crimson Trace from Bud's for $615. I have mostly owned S&W's over the years and was wondering if this is one of Ruger's better offerings. Is it a small enough frame for the wife? We had thought hard about a 642 but I would prefer the ability to carry a .357. Thoughts? Any negative aspects of the gun I should know about?

Thanks

Kevin

[pbosik]

I have owned both, the SP101 is a great revolver it weighs more then the airweight S&W, but for home defense and also occasional carry it is much easier to shoot and to practice due to recoil concerns, not to mention you can shoot 357's through it. I think it is a good plan. Weight is the only negative aspect, i myself would opt for the 3 1/16 barrel lenght if it is avail.

[carharttfarmer]

other than it being a bit heavier there is no dowside my dad and i both pack them and have no complants wilson makes a spring kit that makes the pull abit better and so does wolf but my dad got some light strikes with his and went back to the factory set up and has no problems even wtih his bad arthritis

[Sarge]

The only one listed has 2.25 bbl. What about grip size? Could the wife manage it do you think?

[sideshowbob]

The SP101 is an excellent home defense/CCW gun. The factory grip size is quite small, I think your wife should have no problem handling it.

The laser option only comes with the 2" gun not the 3".

Some people complain about Ruger's revolver trigger. However, with practice, their triggers seem to get better. I have no complaints with my SP101's trigger out of the box. I tried the 642 trigger at the gunshop, it seemed a lot heavier than the SP101.

I am not sure how you feel about internal locks, but the SP101 does not come with an internal lock. However, all current production S&W revolvers do.

I highly recommend the Ruger. Good luck with your purchase.

[LPatterson]

For home protection, I would recommend 38 Special loads over 357 mag especially if your wife is going to be shooting it. A 2" is more a point and shoot as the sights are lacking, I am not talking about sticking the gun out in front of you and pulling the trigger, I am talking about shooting over the gun but not necessarliy looking for a sight picture. With a laser equipped gun either method would work with practice. The most important part of owning a gun is the practice so plan on shooting it at least once a month, your wife also if you are planning on having her protect your family.

[Flexmoney]

Is somebody actually going to carry it, or will it be a kitchen cupboard gun?

If the later...maybe the 6 shot GP100 would be a better choice. Plus it could double as game revolver, in my opinion.

(There was one on the "for sale" table at Rayner's match a while back.)

[Sarge]

Is somebody actually going to carry it, or will it be a kitchen cupboard gun?

If the later...maybe the 6 shot GP100 would be a better choice. Plus it could double as game revolver, in my opinion.

(There was one on the "for sale" table at Rayner's match a while back.)

Hey Flex,

It will be primarily a home defense gun but often carried by me. My wife has CCW but will probably rarely carry it. I felt the 642, though very nice weight for carry, was pretty dang small in my hands. I was wondering about the size of the 101 compared to the 642 because I wanted a tad bigger but wanted my wife to be able to handle it if need be. I know that is asking alot of any gun but I think I am leaning towards the 101.

[Bill Nesbitt]

I have an SP101 in 9mm. Bought it used a couple of years ago.

They're built really stout. I doubt you can wear one out.

A good bit heavier than a 642 but that's good when you are shooting it. They're not too heavy for pocket carry if you have a good pocket.

The grip frame is sort of like a small stud so you could put almost any size grips on one. The factory grips are very good. I bought a set of Hogues for mine but left the factory grips on.

I replaced the front sight on mine with one from http://www.geminicustoms.com/store/

[AR Gunner]

I've got one in .38. Very stout, and easy to shoot with large hands, although the grips aren't oversized. The trigger is on the heavy side, but that's a personal preference issue.

[Sarge]

FYI the one I am looking at has CT grips. Not a big deal to me but the wife feels more comfortable with them. Thanks for all the input.

[pbosik]

the ruger with ct grip sounds like the way to go, it will be easy to shoot with 38 sp loads and the ct makes a great shooter that when needed the laser will get u on target quick with confidence, great move if needed in the middle of the night or if needed to fire from hip or other awkward position

[Blueridge]

Another vote for the SP-101 here. I have one with the 3 1/16" barrel in .357, and I like it alot. I changed the grip to a hogue grip, because the factory grip was too small for my comfort. I like the Crimson Trace Laser Grip option, and I believe that it is a great option for your purpose.

Edited September 3, 2009 by Blueridge

[Duane Thomas]

I hate to be the lone dissenting voice here, but frankly I don't think it's that great an idea. I used to have a friend who was a female firearms instructor, and women were just about all she taught. She told me she had gotten away completely from recommending revolvers for women, simply because she saw so many women who couldn't pull the trigger on a revolver even once. And if they could pull the trigger, they couldn't do it with any sort of smoothness or real dexterity, therefore their accuracy sucked. Years later as an instructor myself I found the exact same thing.

Add to that the fact that, out-of-the-box, Ruger SP-101 triggers tend to be on the heavy side and the problem just gets worse. While the ability to fire .357 Magnums in a small frame revolver may see like a desirable trait, in my opinion and experience, it's not. Recoil just becomes too heavy, especially for less experienced shooters. Honestly, for a novice female shooter, I can think of few worse choices than a stiff triggered, small frame revolver loaded with .357s.

[pbosik]

recent rugers in my opinion have better triggers then smiths, i think u are correct in your accessment with needing to be able to pull the trigger and be confident you will hit what you are aiming for and that 357 is probably not the round for many. I do disagree with you on the revolver not being the firearm for women. i think that never jamming at the worst time,and relibility are most important, not to mention no safetys to fumble for when panicked are a great reason for revolver choice. Most people who carry or just have something for home, will not spend the time to learn the firearm well. But the topic was Ruger or S&W airweight, all firearms have their issues, the revolver, for many are a excellent option. Just my 2 cents

[M'Lady]

I have also observed that recently Ruger triggers seem to be equal, if not better than S&W triggers.

With regards to women and handguns. You need to ask yourself if your wife has a harder time racking the slide on a semi-auto, or pulling the trigger on a revolver. My wife has an easier time pulling the trigger on a revolver, and she finds it tremendously difficult to rack a slide on a semi-automatic.

One thing I like about the SP101 is that it is a pleasure to shoot. This is important, because one must really practice with their defense gun. Being a pleasure to shoot will make practice easier and more enjoyable. In turn, you will become more proficient.

[Duane Thomas]

i think that never jamming at the worst time,and relibility are most important, not to mention no safetys to fumble for when panicked are a great reason for revolver choice.

Over the past....God yes, it's 20 years now as a gunwriter, I've had the opportunity to test many, many different handguns. While reliability is probably the most commonly touted "advantage" of the revolver over the auto pistol, honestly I've experienced, proportionally, more malfunctions with revolvers than autos. Not only that, but the malfunctions tend to be more severe. The typical auto pistol malfunction can be cleared out in seconds using only the shooters hands; the typical revolver malfunction locks the gun up so tight it takes tools, and time, to restore the gun to a functional state.

Not all auto pistols have "safeties to fumble for when panicked". The manual of operations for a Glock, S&W M&P or Sigma, etc., etc., is the same as for a revolver: point gun, pull trigger, repeat as necessary. The major difference is that trigger pulls tend to shorter, lighter, easier to smoothly negotiate, and you get more chances to hit the target before the gun's empty.

[Duane Thomas]

With regards to women and handguns. You need to ask yourself if your wife has a harder time racking the slide on a semi-auto, or pulling the trigger on a revolver. My wife has an easier time pulling the trigger on a revolver, and she finds it tremendously difficult to rack a slide on a semi-automatic.

I'm not trying to be a smartass - truly - but I have to ask: if you start out with a round in the chamber (and very few people who are truly serious about self-defense start out with the chamber empty on an auto pistol) what difference does it make whether or not your wife finds the slide difficult to cycle? She's not going to need to cycle the slide to ready the gun to fire, right? Instead, like I said, it's grab gun, aim gun, pull trigger, guns goes bang, repeat as necessary.

[Duane Thomas]

Anyway, my advice to the OP: go to a local shooting range that has a pistol rental case. Have your wife fire an SP-101 with .38s. Can she smoothly pull the trigger? If yes, cool. If not, you just learned something important. Have her fire it with .357s. Does she find the recoil level of Magnums in a small framed revolver so overwhelming that not only can she not hit anything, the gun physical hurts and scares the living hell out of her? In overwhelming probability, yes. Is the gun so loud that she cringes every time she gets hit with that godawful muzzle blast from a short barreled .357 Magnum? Also, in overwhelming probability, yes.

Then have her fire something like a 9mm Glock 19 or 26. If the trigger reach on those guns is too long for her, go for something like one of the more compact Springfield XDs, also in 9mm. Can she pull the trigger smoothly? In overwhelming probability, yes. Does she find it one hell of lot easier to shoot, more fun, and is she more accurate with it, right off the bat, than with the revolver? Well, try it and find out. My $0.02.

[Blueridge]

With regards to women and handguns. You need to ask yourself if your wife has a harder time racking the slide on a semi-auto, or pulling the trigger on a revolver. My wife has an easier time pulling the trigger on a revolver, and she finds it tremendously difficult to rack a slide on a semi-automatic.

I'm not trying to be a smartass - truly - but I have to ask: if you start out with a round in the chamber (and very few people who are truly serious about self-defense start out with the chamber empty on an auto pistol) what difference does it make whether or not your wife finds the slide difficult to cycle? She's not going to need to cycle the slide to ready the gun to fire, right? Instead, like I said, it's grab gun, aim gun, pull trigger, guns goes bang, repeat as necessary.

Actually there is a reason for being concerned if the lady can rack the slide. Malfunctions occur with autos, and reloads are sometimes needed. If the lady cannot rack the slide, then she will have problems clearing malfuctions and reloading if necessary. Even the best kept handguns can have malfunctions, and revolvers are not prone to malfunctions of the nature that autos are.

It comes to a choice of the lady in question on what she is capable of using effectively, and what does she want to use. It is not a given that a lady should be directed to a revolver or auto, but she should be given time with both to see what is best for her. This is just like anyone else that is dealing with firearms.

[Duane Thomas]

Even the best kept handguns can have malfunctions, and revolvers are not prone to malfunctions of the nature that autos are.

No, revolvers are prone to much more serious malfunctions. I differentiate between firearms "stoppages" and "jams". A stoppage means exactly that, something has temporarily stopped the gun from functioning. However the gun may be swiftly cleared out and returned to a functional state using only the shooter's hands. A jam is much more severe, the gun is locked up tight, and it's going to take tools, and time, to clear it out. Most auto pistol malfunctions are stoppages. Most revolver malfunctions are jams.

A woman whose hands aren't strong enough to rack the slide on an auto pistol is going to be similarly unable to clear out a revolver. The difference is that with an auto pistol we have options. We can choose an auto pistol with a recoil spring light enough she CAN cycle the slide. Clue: I have never met a woman who couldn't cycle the slide on one of Rugers old P-series 9mm auto pistols without even trying hard. And I'm talking women who couldn't cycle the slide on a Glock 9mm even once, no matter how long, and how hard, they tried. We also have the option of retrofitting the auto pistol with an aftermarket, lighter recoil spring. This is easily accomplished and can make cycling the slide much easier for folks with limited hand strength.

It comes to a choice of the lady in question on what she is capable of using effectively, and what does she want to use. It is not a given that a lady should be directed to a revolver or auto, but she should be given time with both to see what is best for her. This is just like anyone else that is dealing with firearms.

I very much agree with you on that one. Thing is, over the eight years I was a firearms instructor, my experience is that, with very, very few exceptions, if you give a woman a choice between a revolver and an auto pistol, and let her shoot both, almost invariably she will choose the auto.

[XRe]

No, revolvers are prone to much more serious malfunctions. I differentiate between firearms "stoppages" and "jams". A stoppage means exactly that, something has temporarily stopped the gun from functioning. However the gun may be swiftly cleared out and returned to a functional state using only the shooter's hands. A jam is much more severe, the gun is locked up tight, and it's going to take tools, and time, to clear it out. Most auto pistol malfunctions are stoppages. Most revolver malfunctions are jams.

The thing you're leaving out, Duane, is that revolver "jams" are far, far, far less common than auto-pistol "stoppages", especially when said revolver is fed quality ammunition. I've seen all kinds and manner of auto-pistol "stoppages" in pretty much every imaginable auto-pistol. I've seen exactly one revolver jam, and that was directly attributable to running heavy .44 mag reloads without a solid crimp on the loads (bullet backed out and blocked movement of the cylinder).

Otherwise, yes, there are concerns about trigger pull weight and length with a revolver. A revolver may not be the best option due to that. That said, my wife is able to comfortably shoot hot .38s out of my 3" SP-101 and can manage CorBon 125gr .357 loads, though they certainly aren't her favorites to shoot. Proper grip and stance go a long long long way toward managing recoil. For her purposes, though, she has a S&W 649 for carry, and we load it w/ the Federal Personal Defense .38s (110gr Hydrashok) - they're much more manageable for her, and a lot lower noise.

.357 in a small package is a stout little animal (those CorBon 125gr loads? they make old major out of my 3" SP-101...). Most guys don't want to shoot that thing with those loads. Any of the 9mm +P+ defense loads will be reasonable in an appropriate auto, if you find one she can operate. Or, a good .38 Spl load in the 642 will shoot nice, too. .38s in the SP-101 are cake, though... of course the SP-101 is bigger and heavier than the 642, so...

We also have the option of retrofitting the auto pistol with an aftermarket, lighter recoil spring. This is easily accomplished and can make cycling the slide much easier for folks with limited hand strength.

For a carry gun, especially of the striker fired variety, I would be very careful, here. Many of the "stoppages" we see with that class of gun can be directly related to running too light of a spring. If you have to go this route, I'd start looking at a different option, honestly (plenty of different autos out there to try out). If she can't manipulate the slide correctly in a low stress environment, things are really going to hit the fan badly in a high stress environment. However, before abandoning the auto, make sure she's using a push-pull method to operate the slide, rather than a sling shot type of method - there's a lot more strength involved in the former, and might make the difference for her.

[Duane Thomas]

The thing you're leaving out, Duane, is that revolver "jams" are far, far, far less common than auto-pistol "stoppages", especially when said revolver is fed quality ammunition.

I'm not leaving it out. That has not been my experience. I'll be the first to admit, however, that other people may have had different experiences.

.357 in a small package is a stout little animal (those CorBon 125gr loads? they make old major out of my 3" SP-101...). Most guys don't want to shoot that thing with those loads. Any of the 9mm +P+ defense loads will be reasonable in an appropriate auto, if you find one she can operate.

Yeah, one great advantage of the 9mm auto pistol, I think, is that even with the hottest ammo we can stuff into the thing it's just not a particularly heavily recoiling gun. BTW, my Glock 34 when loaded with the Winchester 127-grain SXT +P+ I use for carry makes new major (lol). Albeit only barely - according to the chrono it went 165.8 pf. But even at that power level, we're talking low-end .357 Magnum ballistics, the gun is not punishing, or ever particularly unpleasant, to shoot.

For a carry gun, especially of the striker fired variety, I would be very careful, here. Many of the "stoppages" we see with that class of gun can be directly related to running too light of a spring.

Again, not my experience. I have a little over 36k through the aforementioned Glock 34, the VAST majority of that fired on ISMI 13-pound recoil springs. The gun has never failed to cycle. Never.

[XRe]

BTW, my Glock 34 when loaded with the Winchester 127-grain SXT +P+ I use for carry makes new major (lol). Albeit only barely - according to the chrono it went 165.8 pf. But even at that power level, we're talking low-end .357 Magnum ballistics, the gun is not punishing, or ever particularly unpleasant, to shoot.

For a carry gun, especially of the striker fired variety, I would be very careful, here. Many of the "stoppages" we see with that class of gun can be directly related to running too light of a spring.

Again, not my experience. I have a little over 36k through the aforementioned Glock 34, the VAST majority of that fired on ISMI 13-pound recoil springs. The gun has never failed to cycle. Never.

How many women, or men for that matter, are going to carry a 5.5" barreled, full size auto? Not many at all, if anything for the simple fact that its not practical for most due to size. Smaller versions - say, a 26, have a much heavier spring system, and suffer much more quickly from problems due to lighter spring weight. And... they're less manageable with hotter ammo and lose velocity pretty quickly relatively to the long gun.

Same wife that can shoot my SP-101 - at old major - cannot rack the slide on my XD subcompact, nor on a Glock 26, and finds both harder to manage in recoil. Speer 124gr Gold Dot +P+ makes somewhere around 1250 out of my XD - definitely not current major. She's nowhere big enough to carry the XD sub on her person, so a full size gun is right out (as it would be for any other petite lady). The XD sub could fit in a purse, but a full size gun won't (without carrying a grandma purse). There are other options in an auto, obviously, but in a practical carry size package you're looking at quite a different animal from a long slide, full size auto...

[Sarge]

Uh, excuse me guys. May I interrupt for a minute. My Original question has been answered as far as I am concerned. Things have drifted somewhat but for what it is worth I have some input to the drift as well. In another thread I noted that my M&P went tits up and would not extract worth a damn. I got it fixed. I compete with it but I would never carry it because I simply don't trust it. I am just waiting for it to start acting up again.

My wife is the lady you guys are all wound up over. She is like alot of women I know, and argue over this as well if you choose, that can make a gun go bang and hit what she aims at usually. But if it fails to function properly she might as well throw it at them. She is not a gun enthusiast like me or you all. She is going to practice often enough to be able to hit a man if need be but she is never going to be a "shooter". In a panic she is going to keep pulling the trigger until the gun goes bang which will NEVER happen with an auto.

I know without any doubt that my wife can not clear a malfunction in an automatic pistol. But I know she can cause one. When she shot my M&P for CCW she limp wristed it so bad that it had to be cleared twice out of 100 shots. I don't care if she ever learns because she will not be carrying one and she has no interest in joining me for a match.

I respect the opinions of everybody here but that does not mean I agree with them. Duane is a highly respected person but he is the only guy I have ever heard make such an argument for an auto over a revolver. EVERY instructor or law enforcement individual I have ever spoken with has said to use a revolver for CCW if you are not fluent in auto pistol malfunctions.

As far as .357 mag goes I only mentioned that because I might prefer to carry it that way. If it is going to be with her for any extended period of time it will be loaded with .38's. Hell, maybe I will run some .357's through it and say, "screw this", and load 38's myself.

When I fired a 642 I was not impressed with the trigger nor did the gun fit my hand at all. Hence, the question regarding the 101. I simply wanted to know if it has a good track record and was it recommended. I got my answers. Thanks to all who replied with useful info regarding my questions.

OK, you all go ahead and play some more.