Late model Ruger SP-101 .38 Special?

[Mk42gunner]

I may have to get remedial training for my Enabler's R Us card to work again, somehow I missed this thread for the last week...

Glad you got it, even without my encouragement.

A .38 Special makes more sense as a range toy than a .357 in my book. Much pleasanter to shoot a bucket full of rounds from in a day.

Robert

[FergusonTO35]

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Thanks! OMG, I can actually upload pictures. New pocket pal with some of my reloads and big brother Service Six!

[LDB]

Confused. "I trust you enough to let you take home not fully paid for merchandise and continue paying for it". Where does the evil factor in?

[FergusonTO35]

Evil as in "knows how to make me spend money and keep coming back for more." Tongue in cheek.

[rintinglen]

Kind of like the drug dealer who gives you your first couple of fixes for free, so you'll get hooked.

[FergusonTO35]

Kind of like the drug dealer who gives you your first couple of fixes for free, so you'll get hooked.

Yeah, or a bartender who pretends to be impressed by the stupid things you say so you'll keep ordering drinks and filling the tip jar!

At lunch today, I took the SP out for some more exercise. I have a "custom" Lee mold that drops a short nose 143 grain SWC, turns out this revolver really likes it with 3.5-3.6 grains of Clays. It also likes a 156 grain flat point leftover from another mold I no longer have, unfortunately that was the last of those boolits. Gonna try the Lee TL358-158-SWC with Clays and Titegroup in it next. This revolver, more than most other handguns, definitely shoots best with a firm grip. The factory smooth rubber grip with plastic insert, which I think Bill Ruger himself designed, is as good as it gets and I have no desire to change it.

A couple of things I notice about my SP. It has a true .38 Special chamber, .357's stop well short of chambering. It also has the same big funnel of a forcing cone that my Taurus 605 .357 has, so I guess the only real difference is the short chamber and .38 Special marking on the barrel. The barrel on my example is actually 2-3/8" rather than the 2.25" listed, which I like. This seems to be about the perfect barrel length for a snubnose unless absolute minimum size is required. Barrel to cylinder gap seems to be on the lower end. A .006 feeler gauge will slide in with difficulty if the chambers are empty, my other feeler gauge that goes down to .002 is somewhere else right now so that is the thinnest one I have. Also, Ruger now gives the SP a "carry melt" treatment from the factory. Most of the sharp edges and blocky contours are gone, and this revolver is pretty trim for being a heavy little chunk of stainless. One thing that irritated me about the SP I had years ago was that the trigger guard was the perfect shape and size to whack my knuckle with every shot, that is a total non-issue with this one.

[hawkeye1]

I have one in snub nose and 357. I shoot mostly mild 38’s at steel plates for speed. As someone mentioned, it has smoothed out to a really smooth trigger pull. It’s a blast to go fast as I can work the trigger. Also, the time working the DA trigger helps my other pistol shooting control.

[billmc2]

The factory smooth rubber grip with plastic insert, which I think Bill Ruger himself designed, is as good as it gets and I have no desire to change it.

I know you said you have no desire to change the grips (now), you never know what the future will bring. Therefor, I decided to share the Altamont website which has the SP101 grips on it. https://www.altamontco.com/pistol-grips/ruger/sp101 with you.

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks. Yes, Altamont makes some nice grips. Premium Gun Grips of North Carolina also does, I have some of theirs on my S&W 637.

Yesterday, I put some rounds through the SP-101 and Taurus 856 side by side. The Taurus has a lighter, but not as smooth, trigger pull than the SP. I rate them both about the same. The factory grips of the 856 are thinner and more concealable, but also don't give you as much to hold on to. I can shoot them both about equally well. I'm going to weigh them on my scale, the Taurus feels a couple ounces lighter. Once again, that's a bit better for carry at the expense of not soaking up recoil quite as well.

[LDB]

I have the Altamont checkered rubber grip. I put Chigs panels in it. The SP101 grip is also the grip for my 2.5" GP100. Beautiful grip and more comfortable than stock. Perfect fit by the Chigs panels. I just wish it used the larger grip so I could have larger Chigs panels to appreciate.
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[FergusonTO35]

Love that Speed Six you have there with old school rubber Sile grips. Those are some of the best revolver grips I've ever found, especially for Charter Arms. I'm going to see if Tillander can duplicate them for me.

[LDB]

The Speed-Six grips are an original USPS Postal Inspectors set they put on the 3" contract guns for the USPS. I got them from one of the ROCS guys. They set the gun off perfectly.

[FergusonTO35]

I normally eschew finger groove grips but agree with you here, those look great on that gun. Same with Pachmayr Grippers on my S&W 67, perfect 1980's vibe!

I'm going to be pretty busy for the next while so I went ahead and tried my "Outdoorsman" load in the SP-101. 3.8 grains Titegroup under a 162 grain Lee 358-158-RF. It is a strong standard pressure load and kicks out around 820 fps in a 4" barrel, I figger about 750 in the 2-3/8" tube of the SP-101. This load is a handful (but not painful) in a pocket size revolver but the SP handles it with aplomb and shoots to the sights at 15 yards.

[FergusonTO35]

I now have about 200 rounds through the new SP-101 and it shoots great. This chunky little wheelgun really soaks up energetic reloads, doesn't feel any different than my Service Six and other full size .38's. I can keep them all within about 2.5" at 15 yards with my pet Outdoorsman load, which is as good as I can do with any handgun. I would say accuracy will get even better with time, as the trigger pull is still pretty stout but very smooth and consistent. The full stainless construction is a big plus in the summer when I'm sweating all over the place!

The 9mm SP-101 is intriguing, do they generally function well without moon clips? I know you have to poke the empties out but that is no big deal for just general farting around in the woods.

[Snippy45]

Is the late model, newer production sp-101 family in 38 special still approved for use of 357 mangums with bullets 125 grain and less like in the old days?

[rintinglen]

It my understanding that the only difference in the 38 and 357 SP101 revolvers is in the depth of their chambers.There were agencies back in the day that forbade carrying 357's and mandated 38's so Ruger obliged by simply slightly shortening the chambers and marking the barrels 38 Special. But I don't think they ever cut the chambers on the 38 Special guns deep enough to load any weight 357 round, at least not on purpose. I have seen a 44 special Blackhawk that would take 44 mags

[FergusonTO35]

Is the late model, newer production sp-101 family in 38 special still approved for use of 357 mangums with bullets 125 grain and less like in the old days?

At least in my example, it is not possible to use .357 ammo of any sort because it has an actual .38 Special chamber. Even empty .357 brass won't chamber. I believe you are referring to the first few years of the SP-101, the "short frame" version. These have a frame and cylinder that is about .150" shorter than the later ones, as the SP was originally offered only in .38 Special. After a year or two .357 Magnum was added, but with the same frame and cylinder length originally designed for .38 Special. Hence, the .357 Magnum short frame revolvers can only use 125 grain or lighter boolits, or .38 Special of any weight. I think they were marked "125 grain or lighter bullet" on the barrel.

I found a Pachmayr Diamond Pro rubber grip in my little gun junkyard, and tried it on the SP-101. It fits great and definitely gives you more real estate to hold on to compared to the original rubber and plastic grip. However, its too big for my taste and I have no problem holding on to the SP when firing my energetic .38's, so I put the original grip back on it. If my revolver was a .357 and I was actually shooting those in it, then yes, this grip would be a great choice.

[FergusonTO35]

I'm now starting to see why the SP-101 has so many diehard fans. It's the (barely) pocket size revolver that shoots like a full size. My SP is just as accurate and easy to shoot as my K-frame size revolvers with the same loads at the same distances. Yes, it's a chunk compared to a J frame, LCR, Undercover or Taurus 85. This is by design. The SP-101 is basically a GP-100 or Service Six that carries almost as easily as those dainty little wheel guns. And that is a very useful gun to have!

[beemer]

I have a Lee 158 SWC mold that I cut the gas check shank off, weighs 140 grains. I probably use that bullet more than any I have. It works great in my 638, takes a little off the recoil. A +P 38 spcl load in a standard revolver is all I want. I'll load them in my 605 but not the 638.

I also have a 2 3/4" Service Six 357 that belonged to my Father, I turned it into a round but for him years ago. Nice to belt carry but a pocket gun it ain't, usually carry it in a pancake holster.

The 101 is a nice revolver, I have shot one in 357 with full loads. It was more than I cared for, 38's if you please.

[trapper9260]

for me the 101 is good but like stated the trigger. the one in the 327 is bad . Worst then the 357 both in 4" . I took both to my gunsmith and had it slick them up and change the springs because of the problem I have with my hand. After he was done with both . I can shoot them fast then the semi auto and easy on follow up shots . I love them .