Ruger SP101 357 Magnum Revolver Review 

Glad you revisited a classic. As you say “We are in the Golden Age of firearms” but it is nice to see a 1989 firearm get some love!!!!

This is my all time favorite revolver and one of my top 3 favorite handguns of all time. I'd love to get another one but the asking price these days is simply stupid.

This is an awesome tank of a pistol. I carried this for years.

Thanks for the SP101 love, I actually use this revolver as an everyday carry. (:

I've got 1 in 38 special and I love the little guy.

The case is not longer to hold more powder. You can achieve the requisite pressure in the .38SPL case. The case is longer to prevent you from putting the high pressure .357MAG rounds in a low pressure .38SPL firearm.

The 4.2 in 327 is an amazing tool! 6 shots low recoil good ballistics

Videos like this have sold me many revolvers.

I love my SP101. Mine is the SA-DA model with the hammer. I didn't care for the original grips, so I installed Hogue grips.

This is a classic revolver! I really like it :)

I've been looking to get that revolver for years! I do have a GP100 blued 4 inch 357

I have this exact model and the first thing I did was change the grips. But even if this is the little brother to the GP100, it handles .357 magnum like a champ and does not sting your hand at all. It does a beautiful job of soaking all that recoil. Though only a 5 shot revolver, 5 rounds of .357 is pretty capable in my book.

The weight of the 3 inch barrel really absorbs the felt recoil of 357 mags. It isn’t uncomfortable with hot loads.

It is a great gun, reminds me of a Ruger speed six , built like a tank.

Love mine. Good little shooter. Surprisingly shootable in .357 (Edit: highly recommend a new grip)

Great revolver. I actually bought it for my wife because the weight makes it very easy to handle recoil with .38 special.

I've had this same revolver for years. I put a Hogue "Boot Tamer"(?) "Boot Master"(?) Boot something or other grips that make it even more concealable and didn't (to me) make it any harder to shoot. Just good stuff!

I had one of those that I kept for 33 years, except it had the hammer spur. I just recently let my grandson take it home with him.

This was my first revolver, only mine had the gorgeous dark walnut inlay grips. It wasn’t just a good looking gun, it was easy and safe to CCW regardless of its weight, and a total pleasure to shoot. If you’re ever out and about and you see one of these early models, don’t hesitate or second guess yourself. Pull the trigger!

Compared to a S&W model 60 - The smith has a much better trigger, it’s a little slimmer and for me, the grips and grip aftermarket are so much better with the J-Frame. The Ruger is beefier, and it doesn’t have any internal lock. “Street prices” are actually about the same these days, which really limits the Ruger’s appeal IMO. The Ruger used to be cheaper and more robust, which had its own niche. Both are solid choices and will outlive you if you don’t do anything stupid with them.

Sootch didn't issue an important revolver warning... If you buy one, you'll end up with ... well let's just say many more. Especially if you get bit by the heavy caliber bug.

My exact revolver. Great wheel gun.

Great review! The Ruger SP101 is a solid choice for anyone looking for a reliable revolver.

Shooting this beautiful SP101 smoking a good cigar paired with a Black Ginger Tenneyson 😅

Transition the revolver to your left hand to reload. Hold the cylinder with your left finger and thumb. Right hand hits the ejector and reloads. Then switch back.

I keep this exact gun in my right front pocket at all times. Love it.

The GP the TV series of handguns look like a fun blast from the past it looks like something that is built like a tank it functions like a tank it looks like I mean it's smooth but you know durable as a tank I wish I had enough money I'd buy all kinds of rugers and stuff I've had a few of their products over the years and they've held up really good as always this is just my humble opinion

It's perfect aside from being a bit heavy for concealed carry.

Just picked up a used sp101 357. Its awesome.

I bought my SP101 .357 snub nose in or shortly before 1992. I had the hammer "dehorned" because my goal was to carry it everywhere. I recently transferred it to my son because it is now his turned to protect our freedoms. Thank you for a great video on a great revolver. Be blessed.

SP101, the smaller built like a tank gun.

I own a SP101, 9mm parabellum. Like you said, built like a tank. I purchased it in ‘90 or ‘91 and it is my fave in my collection. I carry it in my truck and the stainless steel really helps. I love the parabellum or rimless feature. With the moon clips, you can load all five cartridges in just seconds.

Got 2 of them. One of the best carry guns out there.....still. I have the 3" models. Thinking of getting the 4" now.

This is my easiest snubbie at ringing steel 25-30 yards with full power Magnum cartridges. I prefer the Pachmeyer Diamond grip stocks

It’s a tank of a pocket snub but it pacts the heft of magnum being reliable as hell. Ruger does it right.

Have one just feels good in your hand.

I've got one, and I can't remember how long ago I got it. Maybe 20 years ago or more. It's on my "never going to sell" list. In fact, it's the last revolver in my carry rotation.

I think every has had a SP101 at one time or another I wish I still had one of the ones I had.

You happen to have remarkable one-handed control over the gun, considering it's a .357 snubby, with that level of skill, the gun is a good choice, probably most mortals could load it with .38 and get good results with it.

I carry mine everyday. Stays in my lunch bag while I’m at work and concealed in my belt while away from work. It’s a little heavy at 1st but after you get used to it you don’t know it’s there. Love it. Yes I’m confident enough in my marksmanship to only need 1 or 2 rounds not 17. Did put a wolf spring kit in mine and changed the grips and orange dot the front sight

I used to have a 3” version that I sent to Gemini Custom. It was beautiful and one of my favorite pieces. Sadly, I lost it along with all my other firearms in a tragic boating accident.

Was my NYPD off duty weapon in 1991. DAO 38Spl. Solid gun. Long heavy trigger pull sometimes caused me to short stroke the trigger when rapid firing. Good, reliable revolver.

We Love you Sootch00... Wonderful presentation, as always! ❤️🇺🇸❤️

My wife and mother in law both have this gun on my recommendation. I love it for their purpose. They are great revolvers. The extra weight makes them easier to shoot with 38 special loades for them.

Fisrt gun I ever bought. Sp101

I picked up one in .32 H&R mag at our last gun shoe. Same footprint, but 6 shots. Great guns no matter the caliber.

Thank you for the excellent review. I've had one for years. It's the one I load with buffalo bore hard cast rounds when I'm in the wilderness. I also have the Kimber K6S. Two different guns.

Love my sp101, but you got to put in wolf spring kit to make trigger perfection.

Still carry the same 3" barrel version I bought in 1992 in my Alessi ITW holster. Alessi holsters...RIP...the best holsters ever made!

I've had this exact revolver for a decade at least. I love it, but it IS pretty heavy for EDC.

Fantastic Ruger revolver 🔫 👍👍

Живу в России, знаю что никогда не куплю такой 😢но смотрю и слушаю с удовольствием! Спасибо Вам! Спасибо You Tube! Всем добра! Да будет мир!

Wolf GunSprings makes a Lightweight Trigger spring kit / under $10

Ruger revolvers...the only revolver you can hammer nails with !

I had that gun in 2.25” also. I wish I still had it. I traded it up for a GP 100 Wiley Clapp in black. Decent upgrade I think. I just jumped over to Ruger’s site. $919! Jeez! They got way expensive. Not the average man’s gun anymore.

Have had several Ruger 357 pistols. I wish I still had.

I have the SP 101 in the exact configuration you have except I have the rosewood inserts in the grip. Yes, the gun is heavy, but its easier to make follow-up shots. I could fire it all day at the range with no issues. I also have the Ruger LCRx with the 3 inch barrel. It weights 15 oz. It is NOT an alll day range gun. After 50 rounds, my hands hurt and the gun is no longer "fun" to shoot. The SP 101 is my EDC.

Outstanding revolver !

LOVE mine.

I had mine sent to Gemini Customs to get some work done to make it more shootable. Trigger job, porting, chamfer the cylinder, and some minor dehorning since the SP101 has some sharp edges. I fire 357 magnums through this baby, so with the work performed it shoots like a 38 special. This baby is a tank. Love it!

It carries very easily and the weight soaks up the recoil on any 357 load.

My dad who is 73 sleeps with one under his pillow for years.

LCR 357 daily but love a SP101 just a classic hard hitting easy to carry pistol.

Wow Sootch, I believe we are brothers man! Seems that every video you seem to show covers gear I own or topics I’m interested in. I love my Ruger SP 101 hammerless and carry it in my Kenai chest rig when out deer hunting. Thanks for covering it. Just about all the gun videos you show, I own the gun already!😂 take it easy and God Bless!😊

Love my SP101 DAO, had to get new grips but i love it.

I wanted a 9mm revolver and thought the SP101 would be a good choice. After three tries Ruger could not get it to function properly. To there credit, even though the gun was ultimately exchanged for something different their customer service was top notch. I guess every manufacturer has a dud now and then. Second time I've had warranty work with Ruger over the years and every time they do the right thing. Solid company!

One thing that I didn't hear you talk about was a pocket holster for this revolver. DeSantis makes a nice pocket holster for it, completely shrouding a hammer spur and covering the trigger.

Ive owned 3 of these revolvers over the years. 1)-357 caliber w/hammer 2)-38 w/hammer 3)- 22lr w/hammer and 4" barrel. Picked them all up used. They were $250 used back in the day. And $350 new. Sure wish i would have kept them all ! But the trading bug used to bite me alot when i was young. I actually traded the 38 and 357 models even on a Sig Saur model 25 i just had to have at the time. Lol. These are great revolvers !

I pocket carry mine in a Mika pocket holster love it!

I have the 101. I had a LCR in .38 but for me it was ,even with .38 , uncomfortable to shoot. That discouraged practice so I sold it and focused on my 101.

SP-101 in a Mitch Rosen belt holster. An EDC carry match made in Heaven.

very trust worthy heavy firearm

I own (4) SP101's in different configurations. Including a six shot .22 with a 4" barrel that has dispatched many Armadillo's. Great Revolvers. all of them are over built.

Just finished cleaning mine after a trip to the range. Took the 3 inch model today.

My first handgun was the SP101 in 2.75 inch. I changed out the grips. It will be in my safe forever. I will never sell it. I might get the hammerless model

Early 90s I got a used stainless security six, very tight when I got it. Fired about 350 rounds of 357 magnum and it seemed to be slightly less tight. Changed to 38 special ammo for 200 rounds and seemed to be good to go. Put pacmar grips on it and was really in love with it . Big boss needed something stainless to take on the boat so he could leave his antique colt detective at home. Lost a couple bucks for the career on that one😂 . Sp101 grips look crappy on a great looking Ruger.

The transfer bar does not drop as soon as the hammer goes forward, the transfer bar actually acts as a wedge between the back of the firing pin and the hammer therefore the name “transfer bar”cause that’s what it does , it transfers the energy from the hammer to the back of the firing pin and it only comes up when you pull the trigger , if you see the hammer on ruger new models single action and all double action revolvers they have an indentation that is filled up by the transfer bar when pulling the trigger , when the trigger is not pulled the top of the hammer rests on the frame of the gun not on the firing pin, in the old single action model ruger guns the inside of the hammer is flat on the inside and it lays on the back of the firing pin and that’s what made them not so safe and they would be carried with an empty chamber or in the first cock out four , just like an old colt revolver but you still ran the risk of an accidental discharge if the gun fell on the hammer . Thank you for all your videos .

re reviews are good, gives you a chance to take older guns into 2024 because our gun reviews on older videos cameras where not the best and we didnt have a organized routine in our review and details, it also is fun and gives us something do evicting spiders out unused gun barrels to do new reviews 😅😅

5 shots kind of sucks in such a big, heavy revolver. There really is no good reason for Ruger to not just put six rounds in something so heavy. A very well-made piece tho. It seems like a security Six is the same size or smaller and six rounds, if you can find one.

Built Ruger Tough

I put wood inserts on my grip and painted the front sight bright orange. Carrying it in the Kenai chest rig by Gunfighters Inc. is very comfortable. Plus having a .357 mag in the woods makes me feel better. I tried carrying it on my hip, but no go. I carry a 442 with +p ammo instead. I shoot it pretty well. I just have to keep telling myself to keep the front sight in the dog house for both revolvers. Good stuff!😊

This is my daily carry for many years. Trust me, you need to remove the grip to clean, its easy. Lot's of sweat and dirt works it's way down that grip. It is heavy but it doesn't rust which is a plus down here in Florida.

That's a nice pistola and super reliable. It's gonna hurt someone coming at you. But the low capacity isn't so great against multiple offenders since those guys might be packing 30 round sticks.

I have a Taurus CIA 651, but it jams too often. I also have a Glock19, but for daily carry I much prefer a snub nose, shrouded hammer .357 magnum. It's hard to find a shrouded hammer snub nose .357's now-a-days.

Some people love this revolver; others hate it... But imo it's a solid piece. I have the 3" DASA model with a trigger job and a Pachmayr grip. It's very good. Fun fact: this revolver makes a brief appearance in the old action movie Leon: The Professional. 😉

For the SP101's size and weight, I'd rather opt for the 327 Magnum model so that you can have six-shots instead of five. That aside, these are great guns. I do prefer the old Speed Six over them personally though.

Great review and tips. Thank you.

This is one lovely revolver, I have it in 9x19. The only thing that is a must for this revolver - replace the grip to the one made by the Hogue. The original grip is no good.

I have one, 357, short barrel, and mine has a hammer. I changed the grip to a Hogue rubber grip, got a trigger job and a deburring. Excellent shooter. It is not my daily carry. It is my going to town gun for concealment. I have a Smith Airweight with the hammer. Good gun, but not my favorite. Ruger makes very tough revolvers.

Great review, my favorite carry gun for years.

I carry mine in the winter bc I get cold and people wear heavy coats

Awesome video nice ruger sp101 38/357 thanks for sharing sootch00

I keep mine in my truck console, the truck feels naked without it.

This is what I have as a truck gun

I think the new Colt Viper, specifically the 3", blows this out of the water. Especially when you consider the Viper has a 6 round cylinder, is still almost exactly the same footprint, and is only $80 more MSRP. If you get a chance to review the new Viper, please do a vid!

👎👎👎👎👎 It's a heavy gun." "You've got to weigh it out." You're a real comedian & don't know it.

Nice review Don. I reviewed mine in 9mm Good backup for my carry pistol in the same caliber.

Outstanding little revolvers. It was my first carry gun years ago and I still carry it often. I prefer my 3" model; longer sight radius, better velocity, and a bit more shootable with .357's. Ditched the floppy awful factory stocks for a nylon Hogue monogrip and swapped the front sight for a Meprolight tritium bead. It's one of the few revolvers that's more capable than a .38 snub yet far more carryable than say a 4" 686 or GP100. Love it.

Thanks for the review, I absolutely love my SP 101, in fact, I own a fairly rare "Tame The Beast" package from Wegand back when they were around. The enormous ports in the barrel make the hot 357's feel like 38 special... super accurate, and extremely dependable.. let me know if you want to borrow it for an alternate review 🤔🫡

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