Ruger Match Champion

[Ateam]

I recently found an sp101 in 357 4.2 inch barrel etc for sale on arms list. I low balled they guy and he bit. Long story short, I am now the owner of my first wheel gun! Yay, right? Well the thing was really dirty when I picked it up, and since it was only a few degrees outside i didn't run a patch through it like I usually would before handing over cash. He said he only put a box and a few through it. He gave me the rest of the 180grain buffalo bore (three missing, haha, though they are brutal with the match champion grips). I get it home and clean it up, and there is a dark spot on one of the lands, and a partial spot on the one next to it. It looks like a crappy tooling mark from boring the bore, though it could be from a squib. I can just barely feel it with a fine pin.
Q1.
Has anyone ever seen a squib only affect a small part of the bore, and not leave a ring? I have personally ringed two barrels (a 22 marlin papoose, and a colt series 70 1911 45acp) and seen a few more, they have all been a "ring" shape.
Q2.
If it is a tooling mark, what is the chance of getting ruger to do something about it, being the second owner?

Here is the best pic I could get.
212684

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

see what they say ...

[Petrol & Powder]

Give Ruger a call, you have nothing to lose.

[lefty o]

hard to be sure from the pic, but it looks to me a chunk of the land is just missing, and was probably from manufacture.

[NoZombies]

It's not a ring in the bore, so it is most likely a tooling mark.

[Ateam]

Thats what I thought, but as I am not the first owner, I wasn't sure. A few other things that don't endear me to the gun;
-the sights need to be drifted to the outside extremes (both front and rear) to get on target.
-the forcing cone is extremely rough with concentric tool marks
-the lands after the forcing cone have no taper, they are just abrupt edges I can feel with a pin.

Are all these things normal for rugers? outside fit and finish is ok, but the barrel is kind of a mess. Slugs small too, like 355-6. I thought an "enhanced" sp101 would have a little tighter QC.

Thanks for all the replies so far!

[jumbeaux]

Contact Ruger Customer Service and explain all of the issues with your Revolver. They should agree to make everything right. Most times without any charges other than your shipping costs to them.

rick

[Kraschenbirn]

Definitely get in touch with Ruger. I've got both a 3" SP101...my regular carry...and GP100 MC (same sights as your SP101MC). From day one, the fixed-sight 3" has shot to POA at 10 yards with .38 +Ps and the MC only took a couple of lateral clicks to get it in the black at 25 yards.

Bill

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

.....

[lefty o]

Thats what I thought, but as I am not the first owner, I wasn't sure. A few other things that don't endear me to the gun;
-the sights need to be drifted to the outside extremes (both front and rear) to get on target.
-the forcing cone is extremely rough with concentric tool marks
-the lands after the forcing cone have no taper, they are just abrupt edges I can feel with a pin.

Are all these things normal for rugers? outside fit and finish is ok, but the barrel is kind of a mess. Slugs small too, like 355-6. I thought an "enhanced" sp101 would have a little tighter QC.

Thanks for all the replies so far!

i dont know that they are normal for ruger, but over the last few years they have become much more common.

[Ateam]

UPDATE:
I just got back from vacation and got a chance to call Ruger. Let me say they were very pleasant to deal with, and sent me a prepaid label for shipping it to them. Went out in the mail today, I will update the thread when I know more.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

They have done right by me in the past

[Petrol & Powder]

Ruger will treat you right.

BTW, I think you are going to be pleased with that 4" SP101 when you get it back. The SP101 is a little tank and a very good 38/357 DA revolver. It is a bit heavy for the old "Kit Gun" label (mostly due to the barrel) but it is about as close as you can get to a modern "Kit Gun" these days in a new gun. Stainless steel, 4.2" barrel (that extra .2" is for our Canadian friends), small frame, decent sights - what's not to love ?
With a good 38 Special load using a cast 158gr SWC or 148gr WC, that gun will give yeoman like service for longer than you will live.

[osteodoc08]

Ruger is a stand up company and will take care of you. QC has slipped during the Obummer era as manufacturers (most if not all) rushed to get product out the door.

I doubt it was due to a squib. The previous owner had bought buffalo bore and shot only 3.......tells me he’s probably not a reloader.

[tward]

Yes, Ruger customer service is great! Sent my New Bearcat to them because it was spitting lead, also I couldn’t hit a barn wall from inside. It came back 10 days later, no more spitting and nice 11/2 in groups at 50 ft low and centered, I’m happy. Keep us informed with your CS experience. Tim :bigsmyl2:

[cabezaverde]

I like my SP101, but for a kit gun I prefer my stainless 3" old style CA Bulldog.


Ruger will treat you right.

BTW, I think you are going to be pleased with that 4" SP101 when you get it back. The SP101 is a little tank and a very good 38/357 DA revolver. It is a bit heavy for the old "Kit Gun" label (mostly due to the barrel) but it is about as close as you can get to a modern "Kit Gun" these days in a new gun. Stainless steel, 4.2" barrel (that extra .2" is for our Canadian friends), small frame, decent sights - what's not to love ?
With a good 38 Special load using a cast 158gr SWC or 148gr WC, that gun will give yeoman like service for longer than you will live.

[Ateam]

2nd Update;

Well I got the sp101 back today, and they replaced the barrel. They also included a new set of grips (in addition to the match champion grips which were a little hard to hold onto under heavy recoil). Everything looks great, now I just need to run some of these 150swc through it to see what she can do. Over all very happy with ruger and how they handles this.