Archived Posts » 59,726,163
Got my first wheel gun; Ruger SP101!
1/30/2012 6:07:17 PM
Just got back from my FFL's place a little bit ago. Picked up my very first wheel gun; a 2.25" Ruger SP101 in .357. I've read countless people say "It's built like a tank", and they aren't lying. This thing feels so solid.
While the trigger pull feels smooth, it's heavy as hell. I already expected this, since I did a lot of reading on this gun long before I ever purchased it. I'll be purchasing one those 3-packs of main springs and seeing what I like. People seem to like the 12# spring as a good medium; lighter pull but not too light as to where light strikes occur. Some people report having no issues even with the 10# spring. I think the factory spring is 14#. I'll experiment and see what works best.
I received my Badger boot grips last week, and they've been waiting patiently for today, to meet their new host!
...........and a few minutes later:
In the next pic, you can see a slight alignment issue with the grip halves. It looks like the holes in the halves for the support bar thing are a tad off. I'll be dremeling them out a little bit to get the flush fit. I'll admit, I was kinda put off, given the price of the grips. But I'm otherwise very happy with the grips.
Here are some pics showing the size comparison between the factory grips and Badger grips:
The Badgers are a tad thicker, which fills out your hand better. Otherwise, there's not a huge difference in size. The Badgers are also a tad shorter, but your pinky finds it's home by hugging the rounded bottom of the grip.
While the trigger pull feels smooth, it's heavy as hell. I already expected this, since I did a lot of reading on this gun long before I ever purchased it. I'll be purchasing one those 3-packs of main springs and seeing what I like. People seem to like the 12# spring as a good medium; lighter pull but not too light as to where light strikes occur. Some people report having no issues even with the 10# spring. I think the factory spring is 14#. I'll experiment and see what works best.
I received my Badger boot grips last week, and they've been waiting patiently for today, to meet their new host!
...........and a few minutes later:
In the next pic, you can see a slight alignment issue with the grip halves. It looks like the holes in the halves for the support bar thing are a tad off. I'll be dremeling them out a little bit to get the flush fit. I'll admit, I was kinda put off, given the price of the grips. But I'm otherwise very happy with the grips.
Here are some pics showing the size comparison between the factory grips and Badger grips:
The Badgers are a tad thicker, which fills out your hand better. Otherwise, there's not a huge difference in size. The Badgers are also a tad shorter, but your pinky finds it's home by hugging the rounded bottom of the grip.
1/30/2012 9:26:47 PM
Congratulations! I don't think you will be disappointed. These Ruger SP101's are great little guns! I don't have one yet, but a friend does and I have shot it enough to know that I really like them.
1/31/2012 10:24:43 AM
Nice set up. May be your first revolver but it won't be your last. Just bought my 4th since May of last year.
1/31/2012 10:30:45 AM
I'm already looking at the Super Redhawk Alaskan. That thing looks like a monster, and I love it!
1/31/2012 3:18:45 PM
Looks good NY......
1/31/2012 11:29:36 PM
Originally Posted By JTWO:
Looks good NY......
Looks good NY......
Thanks, bro!
2/1/2012 12:04:11 AM
The grips really add to it's appeal! 
2/1/2012 7:18:27 AM
You have a good gun there. Get the spring kit, Made a big difference mine
2/1/2012 9:49:27 AM
One other thing to add... After a decent amount of range time with mine, I realized I couldn't stand (or see) the front sight. Put one of the XS sights on there - huge difference.
2/2/2012 7:08:53 PM
Got a spring kit on the way. I'll decide on the sight after I get some trigger time on it. Thanks for the heads up.
2/3/2012 6:25:28 PM
Good looking wheel gun. I'm thinking about selling off a glock for one.
2/3/2012 10:33:07 PM
Got the exact same gun, but I kept the factory grips mounted.
I have been able to shoot it very well, even at 25 yards.
I have been able to shoot it very well, even at 25 yards.
2/3/2012 10:46:56 PM
Nice grips but I bet you're going to hate shooting 357's with them. I opted for the Hogue grips.
2/3/2012 10:59:36 PM
Originally Posted By AR15Texan:
Nice grips but I bet you're going to hate shooting 357's with them. I opted for the Hogue grips.
Nice grips but I bet you're going to hate shooting 357's with them. I opted for the Hogue grips.
From what I've been reading from people who own the grips, they say .357 loads are no problem with these grips. Most likely not as comfortable as thick rubber grips like Hogue, though.
I'll have to see for myself. I have the Wilson Combat spring kit on the way, so hopefully I'll get some trigger time soon.
2/3/2012 11:29:28 PM
Originally Posted By NY_Shooter:
From what I've been reading from people who own the grips, they say .357 loads are no problem with these grips. Most likely not as comfortable as thick rubber grips like Hogue, though.
I'll have to see for myself. I have the Wilson Combat spring kit on the way, so hopefully I'll get some trigger time soon.
Originally Posted By AR15Texan:
Nice grips but I bet you're going to hate shooting 357's with them. I opted for the Hogue grips.
Nice grips but I bet you're going to hate shooting 357's with them. I opted for the Hogue grips.
From what I've been reading from people who own the grips, they say .357 loads are no problem with these grips. Most likely not as comfortable as thick rubber grips like Hogue, though.
I'll have to see for myself. I have the Wilson Combat spring kit on the way, so hopefully I'll get some trigger time soon.
Just because the houges are soft doesn't mean they are the best , grips are a very individual thing .
I sort of like most of the Houge grips , my medium size hands tend to fit them and the Houge sized finger bumps fairly well and I have them on both of my 686s. On my 629 however
I shoot better with a big round set of hardwood grips that fill my hand better than the narrower Houges.
Boils down to you just have to get the grips and try shooting them .
2/4/2012 6:59:37 AM
Congrats....you're gonna like that hunk of steel.
I like the fact yours is hammerless. Is it a bobbed hammer? Can you take a pic of the hammer?
I like the fact yours is hammerless. Is it a bobbed hammer? Can you take a pic of the hammer?
2/4/2012 7:59:04 AM
I had one, same version as yours, I had to send it back to ruger becaise the hammer was jamming, when ruger sent it back, it still had this issue, I traded it off, but, even with those issues, I loved that gun, I am going to get another one but with an exposed hammer.
I did have the wilson spring kit too, the #12 was great, I cant wait to get another one.
I did have the wilson spring kit too, the #12 was great, I cant wait to get another one.
2/4/2012 9:54:25 AM
Great gun.
I suggest sending the cylinder out to be milled for use with moon clips. While this is a slight bit pricey, if you plan to use this gun for a carry piece, nothing beats the reloading speed of moonclips for revolvers.
I suggest sending the cylinder out to be milled for use with moon clips. While this is a slight bit pricey, if you plan to use this gun for a carry piece, nothing beats the reloading speed of moonclips for revolvers.
2/4/2012 10:10:56 AM
Nice!
2/4/2012 11:27:20 AM
Originally Posted By SigSauer228:
Congrats....you're gonna like that hunk of steel.
I like the fact yours is hammerless. Is it a bobbed hammer? Can you take a pic of the hammer?
Congrats....you're gonna like that hunk of steel.
I like the fact yours is hammerless. Is it a bobbed hammer? Can you take a pic of the hammer?
It's a factory spurless hammer. I'll snap a pic tonight and post it up. I've seen the pics of standard hammers that have been bobbed, but this one is a factory job.
Originally Posted By UNIT6639:
I had one, same version as yours, I had to send it back to ruger becaise the hammer was jamming, when ruger sent it back, it still had this issue, I traded it off, but, even with those issues, I loved that gun, I am going to get another one but with an exposed hammer.
I did have the wilson spring kit too, the #12 was great, I cant wait to get another one.
I had one, same version as yours, I had to send it back to ruger becaise the hammer was jamming, when ruger sent it back, it still had this issue, I traded it off, but, even with those issues, I loved that gun, I am going to get another one but with an exposed hammer.
I did have the wilson spring kit too, the #12 was great, I cant wait to get another one.
I haven't shot it yet, but I haven't experience any hang-up with the hammer while dryfiring so far.
Did you try the 10# spring with the Wilson kit? It's seems reports are 50/50 on whether you'd get light strikes with the 10# spring. People seem to like the 12# as a good medium.
Originally Posted By bigcraig:
Great gun.
I suggest sending the cylinder out to be milled for use with moon clips. While this is a slight bit pricey, if you plan to use this gun for a carry piece, nothing beats the reloading speed of moonclips for revolvers.
Great gun.
I suggest sending the cylinder out to be milled for use with moon clips. While this is a slight bit pricey, if you plan to use this gun for a carry piece, nothing beats the reloading speed of moonclips for revolvers.
I'm not sure if I'm going to put that kind of money into this piece. I don't plan on carrying it often, and figured I'd use some speed strips for those times I did carry.
Can I ask you a question, though? When you get that service down to a revolver, do you need to use moon clips at all times, for headspace issues? Or can you load rounds into the cylinder without a moon clip?
2/4/2012 11:40:20 AM
Originally Posted By NY_Shooter:
I'm not sure if I'm going to put that kind of money into this piece. I don't plan on carrying it often, and figured I'd use some speed strips for those times I did carry.
Can I ask you a question, though? When you get that service down to a revolver, do you need to use moon clips at all times, for headspace issues? Or can you load rounds into the cylinder without a moon clip?
Originally Posted By bigcraig:
Great gun.
I suggest sending the cylinder out to be milled for use with moon clips. While this is a slight bit pricey, if you plan to use this gun for a carry piece, nothing beats the reloading speed of moonclips for revolvers.
Great gun.
I suggest sending the cylinder out to be milled for use with moon clips. While this is a slight bit pricey, if you plan to use this gun for a carry piece, nothing beats the reloading speed of moonclips for revolvers.
I'm not sure if I'm going to put that kind of money into this piece. I don't plan on carrying it often, and figured I'd use some speed strips for those times I did carry.
Can I ask you a question, though? When you get that service down to a revolver, do you need to use moon clips at all times, for headspace issues? Or can you load rounds into the cylinder without a moon clip?
Nope, you do not HAVE to use the moonclips, the gun will function perfectly without their use.
Speed strips are slower to use that a speed loader, and just about as slow as single round loading, IMHO.
Moon clips are the way to go.
Look here.
I hade the cylinder on my GP100 cut for moonclips, and love it.
Don't get me wrong, the cost isn't cheap when you factor in the cost of machining and the moonclips, but I feel that it is 100% worth the expense.
2/4/2012 11:49:58 AM
I couldnt duplicate my problem dry firing, no, I never tried the other springs.
2/4/2012 11:56:57 AM
Originally Posted By bigcraig:
Nope, you do not HAVE to use the moonclips, the gun will function perfectly without their use.
Speed strips are slower to use that a speed loader, and just about as slow as single round loading, IMHO.
Moon clips are the way to go.
Look here.
I hade the cylinder on my GP100 cut for moonclips, and love it.
Don't get me wrong, the cost isn't cheap when you factor in the cost of machining and the moonclips, but I feel that it is 100% worth the expense.
Originally Posted By NY_Shooter:
I'm not sure if I'm going to put that kind of money into this piece. I don't plan on carrying it often, and figured I'd use some speed strips for those times I did carry.
Can I ask you a question, though? When you get that service down to a revolver, do you need to use moon clips at all times, for headspace issues? Or can you load rounds into the cylinder without a moon clip?
Originally Posted By bigcraig:
Great gun.
I suggest sending the cylinder out to be milled for use with moon clips. While this is a slight bit pricey, if you plan to use this gun for a carry piece, nothing beats the reloading speed of moonclips for revolvers.
Great gun.
I suggest sending the cylinder out to be milled for use with moon clips. While this is a slight bit pricey, if you plan to use this gun for a carry piece, nothing beats the reloading speed of moonclips for revolvers.
I'm not sure if I'm going to put that kind of money into this piece. I don't plan on carrying it often, and figured I'd use some speed strips for those times I did carry.
Can I ask you a question, though? When you get that service down to a revolver, do you need to use moon clips at all times, for headspace issues? Or can you load rounds into the cylinder without a moon clip?
Nope, you do not HAVE to use the moonclips, the gun will function perfectly without their use.
Speed strips are slower to use that a speed loader, and just about as slow as single round loading, IMHO.
Moon clips are the way to go.
Look here.
I hade the cylinder on my GP100 cut for moonclips, and love it.
Don't get me wrong, the cost isn't cheap when you factor in the cost of machining and the moonclips, but I feel that it is 100% worth the expense.
Well that's good to know that you can still fire it without the moonclips inserted. I assumed they had to be in there.
I know speed strips are exactly speedy. I think the idea is more to be able to carry more rounds, in a flat manner, and not have them loose in your pocket. Regular speed loaders don't work with the Badger grips unless you shave down some of the grip for clearance. I knew this before I bought them and was OK with it, since I didn't plan on carrying speed loaders anyway.
But I will say, looking at the price of the machining on that link, it's not as expensive as I thought. It might be something I look into down the road. Thanks for the info and link.
2/4/2012 11:57:49 AM
Originally Posted By UNIT6639:
I couldnt duplicate my problem dry firing, no, I never tried the other springs.
I couldnt duplicate my problem dry firing, no, I never tried the other springs.
Thanks for the heads up. Hopefully I don't run into this problem.
2/4/2012 3:37:56 PM
Originally Posted By SigSauer228:
Congrats....you're gonna like that hunk of steel.
I like the fact yours is hammerless. Is it a bobbed hammer? Can you take a pic of the hammer?
Congrats....you're gonna like that hunk of steel.
I like the fact yours is hammerless. Is it a bobbed hammer? Can you take a pic of the hammer?
Here you go:
2/4/2012 5:34:02 PM
With a little practice, speed strips are significantly faster than single loading. With proper training and practice, speed loaders and speed strips can be pretty quick and fumble free.
I carried a revolver as a police officer for several years. A revolver is not like an auto, the skills needed to fire and reload under stress are much more complicated. Learn it right from somebody who knows. Then practice it about a ten thousand times. Get some snap caps, to practice loading, do it until you can do it with gloves on, in the dark. I did.
Smooth is two thirds of fast.
If you choose to carry a revolver, become proficient with it.
I carried a revolver as a police officer for several years. A revolver is not like an auto, the skills needed to fire and reload under stress are much more complicated. Learn it right from somebody who knows. Then practice it about a ten thousand times. Get some snap caps, to practice loading, do it until you can do it with gloves on, in the dark. I did.
Smooth is two thirds of fast.
If you choose to carry a revolver, become proficient with it.
2/6/2012 2:16:13 PM
Very nice, but for what you paid for those grips, I'd send them back until they were perfect.
2/6/2012 7:12:17 PM
I need to buy the same hammer for mine.
2/7/2012 6:48:25 AM
Originally Posted By SigSauer228:
I need to buy the same hammer for mine.
I need to buy the same hammer for mine.
From what people here are telling me, and from what I'm reading elsewhere............you're going to have to send your whole gun into Ruger and have them swap the hammer, and I guess you don't get the one you sent in, returned. So I'm not sure if you have to pay or not.
I've researched the hell out of the hammer situation, and it seems that in the rare occasion that a vendor ends up with some SP101 hammers for sale, it's always the standard hammer. This is a small part of the reason I went with the spurless hammer; in hopes that I'll maybe find a standard hammer for sale down the road and be able to snatch it up for future use if I decide to go that route.
Just a heads up.
2/7/2012 8:22:27 AM
Welcome to the club 
2/7/2012 1:38:58 PM
Originally Posted By Firebird69:
Welcome to the club
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii138/Firebird69/DSCN2118.jpg
Welcome to the club
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii138/Firebird69/DSCN2118.jpg
Nice!
2/9/2012 12:37:49 AM
NY Shooter...thought about it. Going to take the hammer out and have my uncle (machinist) make me a hammerless one.
One thing about Ruger, they make disassembling the revolver a snap. Had mine apart today for a deep cleaning.
Here's a pic I found online.
One thing about Ruger, they make disassembling the revolver a snap. Had mine apart today for a deep cleaning.
Here's a pic I found online.
2/9/2012 1:04:38 AM
Originally Posted By SigSauer228:
NY Shooter...thought about it. Going to take the hammer out and have my uncle (machinist) make me a hammerless one.
One thing about Ruger, they make disassembling the revolver a snap. Had mine apart today for a deep cleaning.
Here's a pic I found online.
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ-edzhKAJ7KNZ60UFM2_GiDtM2Ary0hhfvBbYcuo6D3M4y0gQK9w
NY Shooter...thought about it. Going to take the hammer out and have my uncle (machinist) make me a hammerless one.
One thing about Ruger, they make disassembling the revolver a snap. Had mine apart today for a deep cleaning.
Here's a pic I found online.
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ-edzhKAJ7KNZ60UFM2_GiDtM2Ary0hhfvBbYcuo6D3M4y0gQK9w
Awesome, man. Be sure to post pics and let us know how it goes.
One cool thing that you'll have over a factory spurless hammer like mine, is that you'll still be able to shoot single action if you want to. I tried half-cocking the hammer on mine and then grabbing it with my thumb to see if I could go single-action. No dice. Must be something internal with the factory spurless hammer models that lacks the SA capability.
2/21/2012 6:33:19 AM
Sorry for not posting pics, but , I got me a new 3" sp101 yesterday, going to pick up a set of houges then take it for a spin. I have been trying to trade into another 101 since I got rid of my 2.25" 101. Hopefully I wont have any problems with this one.
2/21/2012 3:01:15 PM
Congrats on the new gun. SPs are, IMHO, the top of the heap for snubbies.
I have one that I carried for several years off duty and for backup when I worked at my PD job. It originally had a spurred hammer, because I couldn't find a spurless one when I was looking. After getting the spur caught up in clothing when I drew it, I bobbed the spur pretty quick. I also stoned and slicked up the action to the point that it was smoother than the S&W M649 it replaced. The trigger was a little heavier since I kept the stock springs for reliability's sake, but it was smoother.
Mine always shot very well and, with practice, 25yd shots weren't too difficult. For me, the factory rubber grips with the panels (like yours) worked out the best. Small enough to conceal, but large and long enough that I could get a (somewhat cramped) three finger grip on it, making it MUCH easier to shoot well. I dressed it up with wood grip panels from a guy over at www.rugerforum.com that was making and selling them there. Dressed it right up while still keeping the stock grips.
For me, anyway, the SP handles full house .357 ammo very well, for it's size. The extra weight from all the steel really soaks up recoil! My S&W M649 is an early .357 model without the lock. With .357 ammo, I had to regrip it after every shot. With the SP, it wasn't hard to rip off a cylinderfull of 125gr .357 ammo, while maintaining my grip. Not pleasant and followup times weren't too great, but it was doable.
A suggestion, if you haven't already done it. Strip your SP and clean it out very well before shooting it. Ruger, while making good guns, is (or used to be, anyway) somewhat famous for leaving lots of dirt, shavings and just general crap in it's guns. My SP was so bad out of the box that the trigger wasn't returning after dry firing and the action was gritty as hell. It looked like Ruger was saving money by not having trash pickup and was dumping the floor sweepings into the guns to get rid of it! A good cleaning and it was good to go.
Another point to consider is to make real sure that you practice with your speed loaders and/or speed strips before carrying the gun. They aren't hard to use, but they do take some practice to use effectively. They require more manipulation and practice than just slamming a new mag into an auto and are much easier to fumble under pressure. Practice, practice, practice!
One more point. I don't know about your overall experience level, but keep in mind that stainless steel is stainLESS, not stainFREE! It rusts and corrodes a lot less than carbon steel, but it will rust and corrode and still requires regular maintenance. I learned this the hard way with my M649. I figured it was stainless and didn't clean it right away after sweating like a pig on it one fine summer day. By the time I finally got around to cleaning it a couple days later, the gun had rust and some pitting under the left grip panel, since the rubber panel held the sweat in right next to the gun. Lesson learned for me, stainless still requires regular maintenance. Less than carbon steel, but it still needs maintained.
Enjoy your new SP and let us know how it goes. I think you'll really enjoy it. With practice, they make very good self defense guns. And, if you do manage to run it dry and the bad guy is still feeling froggy, they make a GREAT bludgeon!
Bub75
ETA- Since I don't want banned, here's the obligatory pic.
I have one that I carried for several years off duty and for backup when I worked at my PD job. It originally had a spurred hammer, because I couldn't find a spurless one when I was looking. After getting the spur caught up in clothing when I drew it, I bobbed the spur pretty quick. I also stoned and slicked up the action to the point that it was smoother than the S&W M649 it replaced. The trigger was a little heavier since I kept the stock springs for reliability's sake, but it was smoother.
Mine always shot very well and, with practice, 25yd shots weren't too difficult. For me, the factory rubber grips with the panels (like yours) worked out the best. Small enough to conceal, but large and long enough that I could get a (somewhat cramped) three finger grip on it, making it MUCH easier to shoot well. I dressed it up with wood grip panels from a guy over at www.rugerforum.com that was making and selling them there. Dressed it right up while still keeping the stock grips.
For me, anyway, the SP handles full house .357 ammo very well, for it's size. The extra weight from all the steel really soaks up recoil! My S&W M649 is an early .357 model without the lock. With .357 ammo, I had to regrip it after every shot. With the SP, it wasn't hard to rip off a cylinderfull of 125gr .357 ammo, while maintaining my grip. Not pleasant and followup times weren't too great, but it was doable.
A suggestion, if you haven't already done it. Strip your SP and clean it out very well before shooting it. Ruger, while making good guns, is (or used to be, anyway) somewhat famous for leaving lots of dirt, shavings and just general crap in it's guns. My SP was so bad out of the box that the trigger wasn't returning after dry firing and the action was gritty as hell. It looked like Ruger was saving money by not having trash pickup and was dumping the floor sweepings into the guns to get rid of it! A good cleaning and it was good to go.
Another point to consider is to make real sure that you practice with your speed loaders and/or speed strips before carrying the gun. They aren't hard to use, but they do take some practice to use effectively. They require more manipulation and practice than just slamming a new mag into an auto and are much easier to fumble under pressure. Practice, practice, practice!
One more point. I don't know about your overall experience level, but keep in mind that stainless steel is stainLESS, not stainFREE! It rusts and corrodes a lot less than carbon steel, but it will rust and corrode and still requires regular maintenance. I learned this the hard way with my M649. I figured it was stainless and didn't clean it right away after sweating like a pig on it one fine summer day. By the time I finally got around to cleaning it a couple days later, the gun had rust and some pitting under the left grip panel, since the rubber panel held the sweat in right next to the gun. Lesson learned for me, stainless still requires regular maintenance. Less than carbon steel, but it still needs maintained.
Enjoy your new SP and let us know how it goes. I think you'll really enjoy it. With practice, they make very good self defense guns. And, if you do manage to run it dry and the bad guy is still feeling froggy, they make a GREAT bludgeon!
Bub75
ETA- Since I don't want banned, here's the obligatory pic.
2/21/2012 7:53:42 PM
Originally Posted By bub75:
Congrats on the new gun. SPs are, IMHO, the top of the heap for snubbies.
I have one that I carried for several years off duty and for backup when I worked at my PD job. It originally had a spurred hammer, because I couldn't find a spurless one when I was looking. After getting the spur caught up in clothing when I drew it, I bobbed the spur pretty quick. I also stoned and slicked up the action to the point that it was smoother than the S&W M649 it replaced. The trigger was a little heavier since I kept the stock springs for reliability's sake, but it was smoother.
Mine always shot very well and, with practice, 25yd shots weren't too difficult. For me, the factory rubber grips with the panels (like yours) worked out the best. Small enough to conceal, but large and long enough that I could get a (somewhat cramped) three finger grip on it, making it MUCH easier to shoot well. I dressed it up with wood grip panels from a guy over at www.rugerforum.com that was making and selling them there. Dressed it right up while still keeping the stock grips.
For me, anyway, the SP handles full house .357 ammo very well, for it's size. The extra weight from all the steel really soaks up recoil! My S&W M649 is an early .357 model without the lock. With .357 ammo, I had to regrip it after every shot. With the SP, it wasn't hard to rip off a cylinderfull of 125gr .357 ammo, while maintaining my grip. Not pleasant and followup times weren't too great, but it was doable.
A suggestion, if you haven't already done it. Strip your SP and clean it out very well before shooting it. Ruger, while making good guns, is (or used to be, anyway) somewhat famous for leaving lots of dirt, shavings and just general crap in it's guns. My SP was so bad out of the box that the trigger wasn't returning after dry firing and the action was gritty as hell. It looked like Ruger was saving money by not having trash pickup and was dumping the floor sweepings into the guns to get rid of it! A good cleaning and it was good to go.
Another point to consider is to make real sure that you practice with your speed loaders and/or speed strips before carrying the gun. They aren't hard to use, but they do take some practice to use effectively. They require more manipulation and practice than just slamming a new mag into an auto and are much easier to fumble under pressure. Practice, practice, practice!
One more point. I don't know about your overall experience level, but keep in mind that stainless steel is stainLESS, not stainFREE! It rusts and corrodes a lot less than carbon steel, but it will rust and corrode and still requires regular maintenance. I learned this the hard way with my M649. I figured it was stainless and didn't clean it right away after sweating like a pig on it one fine summer day. By the time I finally got around to cleaning it a couple days later, the gun had rust and some pitting under the left grip panel, since the rubber panel held the sweat in right next to the gun. Lesson learned for me, stainless still requires regular maintenance. Less than carbon steel, but it still needs maintained.
Enjoy your new SP and let us know how it goes. I think you'll really enjoy it. With practice, they make very good self defense guns. And, if you do manage to run it dry and the bad guy is still feeling froggy, they make a GREAT bludgeon!
Bub75
ETA- Since I don't want banned, here's the obligatory pic.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn40/bub75/sp-101-7.jpg
Congrats on the new gun. SPs are, IMHO, the top of the heap for snubbies.
I have one that I carried for several years off duty and for backup when I worked at my PD job. It originally had a spurred hammer, because I couldn't find a spurless one when I was looking. After getting the spur caught up in clothing when I drew it, I bobbed the spur pretty quick. I also stoned and slicked up the action to the point that it was smoother than the S&W M649 it replaced. The trigger was a little heavier since I kept the stock springs for reliability's sake, but it was smoother.
Mine always shot very well and, with practice, 25yd shots weren't too difficult. For me, the factory rubber grips with the panels (like yours) worked out the best. Small enough to conceal, but large and long enough that I could get a (somewhat cramped) three finger grip on it, making it MUCH easier to shoot well. I dressed it up with wood grip panels from a guy over at www.rugerforum.com that was making and selling them there. Dressed it right up while still keeping the stock grips.
For me, anyway, the SP handles full house .357 ammo very well, for it's size. The extra weight from all the steel really soaks up recoil! My S&W M649 is an early .357 model without the lock. With .357 ammo, I had to regrip it after every shot. With the SP, it wasn't hard to rip off a cylinderfull of 125gr .357 ammo, while maintaining my grip. Not pleasant and followup times weren't too great, but it was doable.
A suggestion, if you haven't already done it. Strip your SP and clean it out very well before shooting it. Ruger, while making good guns, is (or used to be, anyway) somewhat famous for leaving lots of dirt, shavings and just general crap in it's guns. My SP was so bad out of the box that the trigger wasn't returning after dry firing and the action was gritty as hell. It looked like Ruger was saving money by not having trash pickup and was dumping the floor sweepings into the guns to get rid of it! A good cleaning and it was good to go.
Another point to consider is to make real sure that you practice with your speed loaders and/or speed strips before carrying the gun. They aren't hard to use, but they do take some practice to use effectively. They require more manipulation and practice than just slamming a new mag into an auto and are much easier to fumble under pressure. Practice, practice, practice!
One more point. I don't know about your overall experience level, but keep in mind that stainless steel is stainLESS, not stainFREE! It rusts and corrodes a lot less than carbon steel, but it will rust and corrode and still requires regular maintenance. I learned this the hard way with my M649. I figured it was stainless and didn't clean it right away after sweating like a pig on it one fine summer day. By the time I finally got around to cleaning it a couple days later, the gun had rust and some pitting under the left grip panel, since the rubber panel held the sweat in right next to the gun. Lesson learned for me, stainless still requires regular maintenance. Less than carbon steel, but it still needs maintained.
Enjoy your new SP and let us know how it goes. I think you'll really enjoy it. With practice, they make very good self defense guns. And, if you do manage to run it dry and the bad guy is still feeling froggy, they make a GREAT bludgeon!
Bub75
ETA- Since I don't want banned, here's the obligatory pic.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn40/bub75/sp-101-7.jpg
Thanks for the tips. I appreciate it. This is my first wheel gun, so I'm all ears to advice.
I still haven't shot it yet
. But I did receive my set of Wilson Combat springs, and I'll be trying out the 12# spring when I can. It also comes with a 10# spring, but from what I read, the 10# spring seems 50/50 on whether you'll get light strikes or not. The 12# spring is, according to other owners, a very good medium.2/22/2012 7:34:29 PM
NY_Shooter, I haven't had any experience with the reduced power springs in the SP, so I can't help any with that. I can tell you, though, that I did try some reduced power springs in my S&W M649 and I had a few FTF. Even the next spring down from the factory spring occasionally failed to pop a primer in .357 ammo. If you do try some reduced power springs, try them with .357 ammo. The Magnum primers are a little harder, so it takes a little more "oomph" to set them off. If it works with .357 ammo, you'll be good to go with .38.
If you're interested, I'll start a thread with details of how to reload from a speed loader. I did a thread over on www.rugerforum.com quite a while back and it went over pretty well. Like I said, it's not hard, but it does take some practice, especially in getting the rounds lined up with the chambers. Bullets with a little bit of a rounded ogive help with that, wadcutters are the worst. Most SD ammo has a somewhat rounded ogive, so it shouldn't be a real problem.
Bub75
If you're interested, I'll start a thread with details of how to reload from a speed loader. I did a thread over on www.rugerforum.com quite a while back and it went over pretty well. Like I said, it's not hard, but it does take some practice, especially in getting the rounds lined up with the chambers. Bullets with a little bit of a rounded ogive help with that, wadcutters are the worst. Most SD ammo has a somewhat rounded ogive, so it shouldn't be a real problem.
Bub75
3/25/2012 8:00:13 PM
Ok, FINALLY found a DOA hammer for sale. Got it and it installed easily and it fits like a glove. The gun has a whole new look now !
