It’s easy to carry. It’s built like a tank and will take any load you put in it. You can actually practice with your carry ammo. I’m like you, it is the perfect carry revolver.
Great gun....... even better after a quality hammer and trigger springs job.... plus polishing and cleaning up all the internal contact points in the action.
Here is what I learned with my J frames and SP101 firearms. First, you don’t have to fire full 357 magnum rounds out of these capable gems. A good 38 Special + P round will do just fine. I Magnaport my babies if I intend to fire 357 magnum on a constant basis. Both my SP101 and my all steel 640 are ported. I can rapid fire much easier, with decent precision.
Great review, I love mine, it feels great in the hand!!! I hear a lot of people complaining about the weight but I don't find it burdensome, it's great for edc especially if you want to carry the magnum loads. I have the spurred hammer model and with a good gun belt I have even carried in the pocket in cargo pants/shorts with no problem. I recently replaced the grip with a Pachmayr grip and it feels even better in the hand. Have yet to take it to the range with the new grip but will soon and I am going to bet it will be better than before!!!
Very nice review. I agree with you. I have a 642 S&W and it is light and small and easy to carry. But it is horrible to shoot. Even with 148 grain wadcutters…. I just hate shooting it and therefore don’t practice with it. But the SP101…. Bigger heavier but easy to shoot. I can pocket carry mine if I want to. I do admire the J frame and have 5 or 6 of them… but I sure would rather shoot the SP101… I have 3 of them.
you must be a fatty with baggy pants pockets, smile, full 148wadcutters are not a problem for the sw 642, if you find them to be, maybe you should not carry a gun.....here, carrry this rock and slingshot.....
Excellent video, got you a new sub. I don’t think I’ve had such a heavy dose of “validation” in a gun review video since I don’t know when! We agree on the SP-101 98%. The only differences at my end is that I went with the 3” barrel version instead of the 2”, and I was not fond of the original polymer grip inserts. Like you, I got the Meprolight sight and except for that and a nice set of rosewood grip inserts, I left mine stock as well. final adjudication. Also like you, it’s not my only carry option, but it’s my favorite and what I carry more often than anything else. Yes, your term for it as the “Goldilocks” carry gun fits perfectly. That is exactly how I see mine. Now, the SP-101 isn’t for everybody, but it is definitely for me. How I came around to sharing your opinion about the SP-101 was a long and winding road in my case. Eight years ago right now, I got my concealed carry permit. In the couple of months leading up to that, as I was considering what to carry, my original plan was to get a 2” SP-101 just like yours. But then I handled one in a gun store and my impression was that it was too bulky and heavy for daily carry. So I started out with a Taurus .38 snubbie, then migrated a couple of years later to a Springfield Armory 911 .380, and then started to play a “Sheepdog” role helping to protect my synagogue. I decided after a while that a .38 snubbie or a .380 pocket pistol would not really be the best choice against a homicidal maniac attacking our synagogue, so I got a full-size automatic that I carried OWB under my sport jacket for that particular purpose. But on hot summer days, I really didn’t like wearing the sport jacket, so for “summer” synagogue defense, I got the SP-101 which I could pocket carry (barely, but yes it is doable in a nice custom leather pocket holster I have for it). Then I tried out pocket carrying it for general EDC purposes, not just for synagogue, and discovered that it really wasn’t so bad after all! It was a little heavy at first but I got used to it in short order. And I wanted to carry it more often because .357 really is a superior defensive round. The defensive ammo I use - Hornady Critical Duty 135 grain FTX - delivers 450 foot pounds of energy out of a 3" barrel. There is hardly any other pocket-sized gun available that can deliver that kind of a punch. I'm not a fan of the "spray and pray" philosophy; I want to be able to end the fight with as few rounds as possible, and the SP-101 seems to be tailor made to do just that in a very portable format. The recoil of the SP-101 is definitely significant with .357s; it is the hardest kicking handgun I own. It has taken some getting used to but I handle it fine now. The beauty of the SP-101, though, is that if my ability to handle said recoil starts to fade in my autumn years, I can simply switch to .38 Special +Ps, which will turn my 27 oz .357 bucking bronco into a pussycat. Yep, Ruger definitely hit it out of the park with the SP-101 for concealed carry. I'm glad to see someone else giving it the recognition it deserves as such.
Well over a decade ago, on a beautiful summer morning a man from my quiet neighborhood was beaten to within an inch of his life by four random assailants while riding his lawn tractor. J frames were delegated to quick runs to the mailbox right then and there. Nowaways I admire those I own for their simplicity and lines as collector's items, not as first line defensive tools. And I always wear my PPC, so there's no need to put on a tool for a mail run. That stated, I wish I would have secured a SP101 back when they were hot on the market. I always fancied the lipsey's grey finish model.
Best in 9mm with a 2.25" barrel as the .357 Mag round (and .327 Fed Mag) is little if any better than 9mm with that barrel length but has a lot more muzzle flash and blast. It needs a 3" barrel. Not sure why you'd use an airweight J-Frame over an airweight LCR or LCRx as they don't have the issues the J-Frames have.
Not trying to flame or start a caliber war, but your theory about wasted velocity equal to 9mm is total fudd. An easy search on youtube will show you chrono numbers in stark contrast to your statement. In fact . 357 from a 2 inch even in a mild loading will easily match a 4.2 inch service size 9mm with +p. The blast recoil part obviously is physics and personal preference.
I'm told the trigger on the new S&W Ultimate Carry line is MUCH better than the J Frames Would like to hear your opinion of the S&W 632 UC in .32 H&R. It's a 6 shot, designed to directly compete with the 6 shot Ruger LCR. Kimber K6XS (38 spl) is now out as well, competing with SP 101... and the K6XS is a 6 shot, supposedly with a great trigger. Thoughts???
My thoughts: the Kimber K6xs is .38 Special +P only... This is basically a downsized GP100 - capable of firing the hottest Magnum loads without a hitch. It may be small - but this is a different gun. Just 5 rounds, yes - but 5 rounds of .357 MAGNUM. It's a much stronger gun! The Colt Cobra is a closer comparison to the Kimber K6xs.
Lake County Examiner, Lakeview, Oregon: Wednesday, March 24th, 2021 Letter to the editor: Best general-purpose handgun For a general-purpose handgun consider Ruger’s SP-101 .357 Magnum revolver: “stainless steel”, 5 shot swing out cylinder (double-action), with 4.2” barrel and target sights for the citizen owning only one handgun. Versatile for "self-defense/house protection/concealed carry", as a kit and trail gun for the outdoorsman/ sportsman, and for urban metro vs. wilderness rural use. At 30 oz. unloaded lightweight (for the hiker, backpacker, trapper), yet heavy enough to handle the .357 Magnum. Loaded with .38 Special 148 grain lead target wad-cutter ammo (next to a .22 or .32) practical for hunting small game: rabbit, squirrel, and grouse (for the campfire skillet), for dispatching vermin such as raccoon, skunk, possum, etc. Even for butchering livestock such as cattle with a head shot. Loaded with CCI's classic .38 Special shot or snake load of No. 9 shot highly effective in killing rattlesnakes. Readily and instantly accessible in reach via a nightstand, dresser or bureau drawer, or next to a sleeping bag inside a tent is very comforting armed security to have, especially at night! This handgun would also be great for a long-haul trucker, or hay hauler, to carry. Even for the motorist traveling on a road trip. Yes, bear in mind being broken down, stranded, and having to spend the night alone in your vehicle. This .38/.357 revolver combination along with an Atomic Beam Flashlight, survival knife, fresh drinking water, food, toilet paper, shovel, matches, wool blanket, etc. could certainly take back the night. Even for a woman it's smaller frame and size would still fit her smaller hands. And firing.38 Special ammo in this .357 Magnum could still be handled by a female. Double action revolvers can be improved with aftermarket combat rubber grips. I recommend reading, "Meet Ruger's SP-101 Revolver: The Ideal Gun For Self Defense", by Kyle Mizokan via the April 2019 issue of The National Interest. James A. Farmer, Merrill, Oregon (Klamath County). Long Live the State of Jefferson! My cell phone no. 541-851-1168/E-Mail address: farmerjames56@gmail.com Note: An interesting read is, "SP-101 Like Physics, Only Practical": January 3, 2009 by Law Officer. Contact Ruger Firearms at www.ruger.com. Also....I endorse the 1999 book authored by Richard W. Stevens: "Dial 911 and Die: The Shocking Truth About The Police Protection Myth." Available from JPFO, Inc. at www.jpfo.org. JPFO, Inc. is "America's Aggressive Civil Rights Organization" and is non-NRA affiliated. Dial 911 and Die exposes and explodes the myths, fallacies, and failures of not only police response and protection, but likewise restraining orders. The latter remains of vital mortal issue to many women who are stalked, abused, threatened, accosted, and followed by lowlife male scum! Dial 911 and Die rightly teaches that "local law enforcement has no moral or legal duty to provide armed security and police protection to individuals, but only to attempt to do the same for the public at large." This has been ruled on consistently by the judiciary and the courts, including state and federal appellate courts, and likewise the U.S. Supreme Court. The context of this book has court cases in all 50 states alluding to this "no duty" for law enforcement to respond to a 911 call. This isn't to say police or sheriff's departments won't respond. However, the bottom line historically is the citizen is on his/her own and remains their first line of defense. A caption in the introduction of Dial 911 and Die states: "Even the most advanced cellular phone is no substitute for a good .38 Special!" Often the personal handgun, or even a shotgun for that matter, is the ultimate law, security, and protection for the armed private citizen. This was true on the 19th century Western Frontier Era (1850-1890), including during the Civil War (1861-1865), into the 20th century, and remains so today in the 21st century. Finally....The John Birch Society in Appleton, Wisconsin at www.jbs.org and www.thenewamerican.com, respectively. Like JPFO, Inc. The John Birch Society is also non NRA affiliated. Sentiments expressed are those of of James A. "Jim" Farmer of Merrill, Oregon (Klamath County)
