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The Ruger SP101 is a two and a half inch barrel in a .357 Magnum revolver. If you've read most of my small revolver reviews, you'll notice that I've reviewed more than a few small revolvers chambered in .357 Magnum.

Sp101 Ruger Review

Sp101 Ruger Review

Here are some of them to see. This series of revisions also includes the .38 Spl. and 9 mm guns.

Garrison Grip Micro Holster Trigger Stop For Ruger Sp101 Gp100 & Super Redhawk

As you read these reviews, you will come to the conclusion that I love these types of guns. Firearms were quickly introduced, handled easily and efficiently.

But what are some of the pros and cons of a small frame magnum revolver? Let's take a look at some of the basics. I will continue to follow the information from the guns I have reviewed and know.

The weapons were small. You can easily carry light weapons in your pocket. Other, heavier weapons can easily be included in a belt holster of some sort, either IWB or OWB.

All .357 Magnum revolvers will also fire .38 Spl., which tends to be less expensive and lighter in the muzzle and muzzle sections.

Hogue Ruger Sp101

All the weapons I tried were made too much for their purpose, even the heavy ones. All have beef frames and scrolls where numbered. Scale it to get just the right settings. You want your weapons to be durable, useful and last a long time.

Most of the guns I've tested use the tried and true forward movement with a gutter-type rear design. It's hard to cross these attractions off the list. Some even include a fully adjustable rear sight, which I think is a must if you're going to be working with different loads.

We loaders enjoy adjustable rear sights. In this way, we can develop a variety of simple functions and large lightning to simulate loading. The setup also allows you to zero the gun for each load. Although in my experience they make zero difference between loads, every little adjustment helps.

Sp101 Ruger Review

Sometimes a .357 snubby can be too light. I throw two large weights that hit your palm with force.

Review] Ruger Sp101: The Tank Like Snubby

The bounce, boom, and roar of a full-powered .357 Magnum round running down a two- or three-inch barrel is not for the faint of heart. If you are shooting indoors for any reason without feeling protected, you are very embarrassed and take away any night vision you have built up with a great reference and a flash.

Unless it is specifically loaded for the short piece, there will be a huge blinding flash with each trigger as the unburnt powder comes out of the muzzle and glows.

Recoil is another matter. Shooting a magnum from an empty gun can be an experience you don't want to repeat many times. But if you're carrying one, you'll definitely need to work with loads that roughly handle load, torque, and breakout. If you want to know the exact amount of recoil for these loads, check out the 9mm vs. .357 magnum comparison.

My favorite load for the .357 is a 160-grain Lee casting in 7.1 of Hodgdon Long Shot powder. It gives me about 1200 fps from a 4 inch barrel and about 1100 from a three inch barrel. It lets you know that you are hitting more than your target weight.

Wheelgun Wednesday: Ruger Sp101 Review The Firearm Blog

I have fired this load out of every .357 I have reviewed, even one or two not listed above. It's a good, standard thing. And, in the age where we live without ammo in the shop, my hand tools become more important.

What happens when I shoot this stuff on a standard, non-portable snubby swing is that my palm feels like someone is hitting it with a 2×4. It's not scary, mind you, just good, "bumpy" in my hand. After shooting a few rounds of it I'm ready to go to a .38 or even a .22 load.

If I'm going to pick up one of these short thumers, I'll work with a stiff .38 and finish my session with some sort of empty stock cylinder so I can keep my hand on it and get used to it. . Additionally, you need to know where your carrier fits into the shipment. You should shoot at least a few of them every time you practice.

Sp101 Ruger Review

Those four ports on each side of the barrel really work in breaking up recoil. Getting a full charge through this little 5 shooter is a lot of fun.

Lipsey's Exclusive Ruger Sp101 357 Magnum With 3\

Do you get runny nose and lightning? Of course, maybe it's a little bit because of the ports but the regression is reduced. Those gas bubbles that pop up really help + keep the mouth open and the grip from trying to take your hand off the wrist.

If you've shot a loaded magnum (.357, .44, .454, etc.), you know what I'm talking about. If you don't have one, you should try one. Like I said before, they seem to be more powerful than stationary weapons, but in my book, it's better to kill the recoil.

I think if I pick a snubby .357 to carry, I'll have a porter. Taurus has produced many ported guns, along with other gun manufacturers including Smith & Wesson. If you have a gun, you want to add a port. There's always a Mag-na-port in Michigan. They've been cutting ports in barrels for years.

Since this is a review of the Ruger SP101 and not an opinion on a portable barrel, we'll move on. I think they make sense in a heavy duty revolver like a heavy .357 snubby.

Hogue 81007 Ruger Sp101 Grip Rubber Monogrip Pink For Sale Online

Ruger introduced the SP101 in 1989 when it replaced the Defense-Six action line of revolvers. They make these guns for police officers, security guards, taxi drivers and the like. They were carried in jane style, B-flat .357 and .38 revolvers.

The SP101 features a rugged construction meant to withstand heavy shots. When the company replaced them, it took two model Rugers to do so. We know about the SP101 5-shot series, but the GP100 series of spinners was introduced at the same time as the SPs. GPs are six-shot weapons (for the most part, there are exceptions). Both lines are running very strong today.

You can get the SP101 with a 2.25-, 3-, or 4-inch barrel. Calibers include .357 Magnum, .38 Spl. +P, .327 Magnum Federal and .22 Long Rifle.

Sp101 Ruger Review

Want one in blue? No problem. However, stainless steel is the old material. Need a bigger wooden handle? You've been blocked. Correct rear vision? Of course. Even exclusive distributor products are listed on the website.

Backwoods Carry: A Ruger Sp101 And A Crkt Shenanigan

Also, Ruger uses a single frame that allows for tool-less disassembly and offers easy swapping if you want to do so. The handle covers the front and back of the handle frame. It slides off the floor and allows your hand to fully purchase the handle. The grips available from the factory are made of either hard rubber or black leather. You can get rubber grips with wood inserts that look good (below).

Here is a shot of a four inch long gun. Adjustable rear sights and fiber optic front sights are standard on this model.

Note the caliber engraved on the barrel - .327 Fed Mag. Interesting round, for sure. This small diameter round allows the gun's cylinder to hold six rounds. The .22 version holds eight, while the .38/.357/9mm pistols hold five. Add a special version of spacers (one that puts an adjustable sight on a three-inch gun, very useful in my book) and you have fifteen units in those five dimensions to choose from. Not too shabby.

Roller latches, rear and front. The lock is very secure. The rear latch is pushed inward, not the front.

Ruger Sp101 .357 Mag (pr34590)

Consider the so-called main coil spring - this setup allows for many different sizes and types of grip panels. The handle takes three fingers.

.38 stuff is good. It is a Fiocchi, JHP factory loaded with 158 grains. Mine is a one and only .357 handload, Lee 160-grain SWC in the Long Shot 7.1 grain powder load I described above.

Conditions were such that I was unable to graph either load, but experience tells me that this is true when it comes to velocity from a short barrel. Other snubby .357s I've put this stuff through usually register around 1100 fps - not bad for a 160 grain bullet.

Sp101 Ruger Review

I shot at 15 meters on a snowy day. So these aren't necessarily my best efforts, but the best I could do at the time. Anyway, the pictures below tell the story, so to speak.

Do It Yourself Ruger Sp101 Trigger Job

The shot was too far with both. I used two different points for this garment. Two of the right-hander's shots came off the crossbar and one from a hold on the far left center line to his side.

Pulled down, sure. There was a problem

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