Ruger SP101 Handling Review: No Thanks

[roo_ster]

A few years back my FIL bought a Ruger SP101 in .32 Federal Magnum with a 3" barrel.  He wanted it for protection from 2-legged critters, local roaming dogs, and to take out venomous snakes too close to the house.  I squared him away after he complained THE DANGED THING WAS SO LOUD IT HURT.  I did that by sending him some .32 S&W Long wadcutters, which were just as effective killing snakes but did not leave him with ringing ears.  (I would have suggested a used S&W .38spl but I was not there when he bought.)

This weekend I installed a cheap Tasco red dot on his Mossberg .22LR Plinkster(1) as he found he could not see/use the iron sights.  Also installed sacrificial washcloths on the stock with Gorilla tape to get his eyeball in line with the sight.  Five shots later, he could put .22LR rounds into an inch at 15 yards from a rest.  More than good enough for squirrels and cats trying to eat his pigeons' eggs & chicks.

As an exercise I had son & daughter clean both rifle and revolver for their grandpa.  While inspecting my daughters revolver-cleaning handiwork (not bad for 10YO, about 80% as good as I would do in a hurry and good enough for most revolver shooters), I handled the Ruger SP101.  It sure looks sturdily-built and of quality manufacture.  Then you pull the trigger.  Hell, what an awful thing.  As bad as the trigger on MY grandpa's awful RG revolver in .22 Short, the one my dad and I cut up as a safety measure.

The particulars:

1. Heavy. 
Not AMT DAO Backup heavy, but getting close to Kel-Tec P-11/P-40 heavy.  Worse than S&W and Taurus small-frames.

2. Gritty. 
The absolutely the most gritty revolver trigger I have yet squeezed.  From any manufacturer.  Just.  Awful.

3. Return Double-Scrunch. 
Let us say you throw caution to the wind, squeeze the trigger, and decide you want to do so again because you are a glutton for punishment.  As you release the trigger you get a nasty scrunch after some return travel and figure it is good to fire again, only to realize that nope, it ain't.  That was just the first scrunch.  If you are then so foolish as to try to pull the trigger, you get a lock up and the trigger goes nowhere until you release it to return some more...and then get your second nasty return-travel scrunch.  Only then can you get yourself more of that gritty trigger pull.

What the heck is up with Ruger's smaller revolvers?  I have shot a Ruger Redhawk in .44mag and it had a relatively decent trigger.  Not great, but pretty good.  The Ruger LCR had an easy DA trigger pull, but took F  O  R  E  V  E  R to reset.  It took long enough to be distracting and mildly unpleasant to my trigger finger, which is fine with all S&W and small frame Taurus trigger pulls.  The LCR did not have the SP101's nasty grit & double scrunch, though.

All in all, I expected better from Ruger.  I would steer folk toward an all-steel S&W  J or K frame or even a Taurus instead of the SP101. 




(1) Just don't.  Buy the Ruger 10/22 from Walmart if you must buy a cheap .22LR semi-auto rifle.  It is functional, but very cheaply made and not amenable to modification, gunsmithing...or even repeated dis-assembly.

[AJ Dual]

I had a SP101 in .357mag. Exposed hammer, so I could fire it SA when I wanted to.

I'd have cuts and little holes worn into my hand after just five rounds of .38 wadcutter from where the flats merged into the trigger guard. And powder tattoos on my thumb despite a good position. Got rid of it. Don't miss it.

And I learned the same lesson on .22 rifles. My lesson was in 1991 with a Remington Viper my first firearm purchase... from Walmart when I turned 18. What a turd. My 10/22 all-weather and Charger I've SBR'd into a pocket rifle haven't given me a bit of trouble, other than when .22 crud buildup gets to be too much and needs to be blasted out with a spray of brake cleaner, and some new oil every 500 rounds or so.

[lee n. field]

All in all, I expected better from Ruger.  I would steer folk toward an all-steel S&W  J or K frame or even a Taurus instead of the SP101.

"handle and dry fire first"   --noted.  I've had in mind for some years to someday maybe replace my Taurus 605 with an SP101, because of the reputation and support thing.  No absolute need to.  The 605 has never failed.

Buy the Ruger 10/22 from Walmart if you must buy a cheap .22LR semi-auto rifle.

Test fired an older Marlin Glenfield Model 60 today, as part of evaluating some estate guns for a friend.  (Her hubby thought there was some problem with it.  Not that I could find.)  If I didn't have a 10/22 I never shoot, I'd probably get one of these.

[HeroHog]

The old tube-fed Glenfield Marlin Model 60 with the long tubes are GREAT rifles! Mine was bought for $5 at a yard sale with no wood and I welded up my own stock. That gun has been an anvil of a gun for me! It is dependable as the day is long.

[T.O.M.]

On the SP,  I've never  fired one, but lingered under the idea that one would be nice to buy some day as a trail gun.  Maybe I should stick with S&W...

[bedlamite]

My 3" 357 SP101 was a little rough at first, but smoothed up nicely. Dehorned it with a cratex and a light polish on the trigger changed it completely. Single action was even better than my 19-3.

[roo_ster]

I had a SP101 in .357mag. Exposed hammer, so I could fire it SA when I wanted to.

I'd have cuts and little holes worn into my hand after just five rounds of .38 wadcutter from where the flats merged into the trigger guard. And powder tattoos on my thumb despite a good position. Got rid of it. Don't miss it.

Ouch.  FIL has not complained that it is painful to fire.  He is happy with the very mild .32S&W Long wadcutters after the loudenboomer Fedmags.

"handle and dry fire first"   --noted.  I've had in mind for some years to someday maybe replace my Taurus 605 with an SP101, because of the reputation and support thing.  No absolute need to.  The 605 has never failed.

Yeah, I think I made a mistake buying my small-frame 2" bbl Taurus 651SH2 Total Titanium .357mag snubby 10+ years ago.  Should have bought the S&W 638/642/442 in .38spl+P.  But like you, it has been dependable and while the outside gets scuffed, the innards get better, what with work-polishing the mating surfaces in the trigger system and a reduced-power spring kit from Wolff.  Toss in a clearance-sale crimson trace laser grip.  Last hog outing, my wife commandeered it as her backup piece, stoked with hard cast 158gr wadcutters from Underwood.  She liked its light weight and point & shoot capability in low light.  I might get the opportunity to buy another J-frame if she adopts it for keeps. 

On the SP,  I've never  fired one, but lingered under the idea that one would be nice to buy some day as a trail gun.  Maybe I should stick with S&W...

I sure would handle & dry-fire first.  And rent/borrow one to fire. 

Maybe my FIL's is a lemon.  He is not a gun guy and would not know a good trigger from a hole in the ground.  Maybe the grittiness can be smoothed out and the pull lightened up a bit.  But that double-scrunch on the return is a horrorshow and seems to be part of the design. 

Did some digging and the SP101 does seem to have a long return stroke and is somewhat notorious for bad trigger pull...and that folks manufacture shims to keep the trigger bits in line.  I kind of expect that with my super-cheap Kel-tec P-40.  Not so much with a big boy firearms manufacturer.

[Grebnaws]

My significant other bought an sp101 as her first gun. It definitely needed a few thousand dry fires and some internal work to smooth out but it's still a heavy trigger. She passed her ccw course using hers in double action and scored highest in her class. Better than the other men and I could have done. It's a stout little gun but they need work. Probably over sprung too. They are very capable and can pack an enormous punch for such a small package. I've even run some heavy 180gr loads through it. It certainly gives truth to the phrase "kills on one end and wounds on the other".

I purchased my own DAO sp101 before getting rid of it to buy an LCR instead. The second sp101 was far worse out of the box than the first one. Bone dry on the inside and with surface rust jamming up the hammer mechanism. It was a 2014 manufacture and had been sitting at least a year before I took it home. It needed the same work as the first but still had sharper edges and a worse finish externally. It was sold without being fired, the LCR is just so much better for lightweight belly gun. The LCR trigger is so much better out of the box even though people complain about the reset. I think the gun is pretty nasty with +p loads (mine is .38 only and weighs 4oz less than the .357 version) and can't understand why the long reset is such an issue. It's a 5 shot snub that recoils like heck with heavy loads. Can anyone really tie one up while shooting?

As the owner of more than one Ruger revolver you really have to approach them as a starting point. The only one that I haven't touched was an old lowback grip frame security six with a positively sweet trigger. The old Six series is better in this regard. It sucks but the new ones all need trigger work. You could try a comparable Smith instead and hope for better but they don't seem to be worth the premium any more.

[Brad Johnson]

I have an SP101 in .357 as my truck gun. Dry firing will smooth yours up. 30 minutes with some 1500 grit sandpaper and metal polish will smooth it much, much more. A Wolff reduced power mainspring is also $15 well invested. I have a ten pounder in mine. Tons of grip options out there, too.

Brad

[HeroHog]

Get a used S&W Model 10 and live happily ever after!

[MechAg94]

I got a Ruger GP100 Match Champion on 357 Mag.  It was the first Ruger revolver I ever bought and I was impressed.  The best double action trigger pull I ever fired.  I would recommend it as a very good revolver.  A guy at the range one day had a Ruger single action blackhawk? in 327 Mag.  It had almost no recoil, but the muzzle blast was substantial.  I wouldn't recommend it in your case.

If he wants a quieter revolver, get one with a longer barrel, maybe 5" or 6".  Maybe 45 ACP or 45 Colt would be a better round also.  Less velocity and a different sound. 



I have seen a Ruger's LCR in 38 special with a 3" barrel, but I never saw it fired.  I always figured it might be a handy revolver for those that want light weight. 

[Brad Johnson]

Also, if he wants a "quieter" revolver, that begs the very serious question of whether or not he was wearing adequate hearing protection (or any hearing protection at all, for that matter...).

Brad

[roo_ster]

Also, if he wants a "quieter" revolver, that begs the very serious question of whether or not he was wearing adequate hearing protection (or any hearing protection at all, for that matter...).

Brad

Who knows?  80+ YO.  Unless it is a safety issue about me & mine, I don't ride him on contemporary firearms norms and mores.

But there is a big flipping difference between a high pressure magnum cartridge and a low pressure cartridge.  A magnum out of a short bbl revo will cause folk discomfort even through plug & muffs whereas light target loads are mild as milk. 

FTR:
.357mag 35k psi
.327mag 45k psi
.38spl 17k psi
.32sw long 15k psi

And I doubt the .32 S&W Long wadcutters are pushing the max.

[K Frame]

There's a reason why all of my revolvers (save an old .22) are Smith & Wessons.

Oh, and I keep forgetting about the 3 Colts... 

[Brad Johnson]

Also, was the revo properly cleaned and lubed? I've seen many a just-fine boomtwig set aside as "terrible action feel" when the real problem was a simple matter of dirty and dry.

Brad

[RoadKingLarry]

Of course I'm irrationally biased but it is what it is....

You want good double action revolver buy S&W.
You want good single action revolver buy Ruger.

Way back in the long ago when I decided I was going to buy my first big boy gun, I wanted a .357 magnum. I shopped Colt, S&W and the "brand spanking newly come to market"* Ruger GP100

The Colt I sort of wanted was a bit on the expensive side for me at the time. The GP100 while a slick looking and feeling gun just seemed unbalanced and barrel heavy to me.
Enter the S&W 586 Distinguished Combat Magnum with a 6" barrel. I was smitten. I actually ordered it from the factory with a couple of chosen by me options.
Four weeks later the gun shop had it, two weeks later I got to take it home (thank you, Connecticut). Dammit I wish I still had that gun.


* Can you guess the year with out looking it up?

[MillCreek]

I just opened up the safe and counted and I have seven Ruger double-action revolvers: two Security Six (.357), one LCR (.38) and four SP-101 (.22, .38 and two .357).  I have to say that with adequate dry-firing and lube on the action points, my triggers now work pretty well.  Not as well as my S&W 686 built in the mid-80's, granted.  The 2.75" Security Six lives in my emergency response bag under the bed.

[Unisaw]

I have a .357 mag. SP-101 that I like a lot, but only after dry firing it a couple of thousand times, cleaning the internals, knocking the sharp edges off the trigger, and using Slipstream.  The trigger pull is now extremely smooth, albeit somewhat long compared to a 642.  I also replaced the stock grips with Pachmayr Compac grips and installed a Gemini Custom Small Wonder front sight.

[French G.]

On the SP,  I've never  fired one, but lingered under the idea that one would be nice to buy some day as a trail gun.  Maybe I should stick with S&W...

SPs are quite heavy for what they are. So if your trail involves walking, no thanks. Smith 325 or 327 is a wonderful trail gun.

[roo_ster]

There's a reason why all of my revolvers (save an old .22) are Smith & Wessons.

Oh, and I keep forgetting about the 3 Colts... 

I, too, have a tendency to forget I own some firearms.  Which is why when I am asked about numbers, I reply, "Several."

Also, was the revo properly cleaned and lubed? I've seen many a just-fine boomtwig set aside as "terrible action feel" when the real problem was a simple matter of dirty and dry.

Brad

Ayup, BTDT.  Before I left I wanted to make sure it was both clean and lubed up properly for FIL.  Wife and I square him away in our own ways, given his age & such.

It was cleaned just fine by my daughter.  I didn't dry-fire it until my daughter was done with it, though I had cleared it before I handed it to her.  After dry firing it, I asn't sure about lube in the lockwork, so I gave it a healthy snort of Breakfree CLP aerosol into the lockwork from up top by the hammer and down below by the trigger and worked it.  No love.  I did not dis-assemble it as I am not familiar with the SP101's innards.  I also did not have my full panoply of cleaning supplies, as I was on the road.  I bought FIL a pistol cleaning kit, a .22 rifle kit, and the aforementioned CLP. 

The SP101 worked, was clean, and was lubed.  It just had an awful trigger pull.

SPs are quite heavy for what they are. So if your trail involves walking, no thanks. Smith 325 or 327 is a wonderful trail gun.

Indeed, my idea of a trail gun is something relatively lightweight, since the intent is to hike not hunt or shoot recreationally.  A 3" bbl S&W 325 with .45Super in moon clips would be near ideal on the large end, alloy 2" .38spl J-frame with HCWC on the small end.

[MechAg94]

I, too, have a tendency to forget I own some firearms.  Which is why when I am asked about numbers, I reply, "Several."

  I tend to just say "I don't know", but for some reason all the non-gun owners seem to assume I don't know because I have too many to count.  In reality, I don't count because I don't want to have to lie when I say I don't know. 

[K Frame]

  I tend to just say "I don't know", but for some reason all the non-gun owners seem to assume I don't know because I have too many to count.  In reality, I don't count because I don't want to have to lie when I say I don't know. 

My response to a question like that depends on the politics of the individual asking.

If it's someone in the same camp, I just say something to the effect of 'a bunch..' then talk about a few of them.

If it's a weepy mun-boy SJWer, I'll look him in the eye and say "I own more than 100 firearms," (I do) just to see the instant wave of fear, hysteria, revulsion, and absolute outrage sweep across his face.

Those are encounters I live for.

[Jamisjockey]

Thanks for the review.  Haven't shot one that I can recall.  Thinking of a compact .357 for woodsy carry now that I'm in an area where there's 'splorin to do.

[lee n. field]

Full house .357 is painful to shoot in my steel 605, a couple ounces lighter (IIRC) than the SP101.  The few times I've done it I've wanted to look to see if the gun is still together.

How well does the sp101 handle .357?

[RoadKingLarry]

My response to a question like that depends on the politics of the individual asking.

If it's someone in the same camp, I just say something to the effect of 'a bunch..' then talk about a few of them.

If it's a weepy mun-boy SJWer, I'll look him in the eye and say "I own more than 100 firearms," (I do) just to see the instant wave of fear, hysteria, revulsion, and absolute outrage sweep across his face.

Those are encounters I live for.

Depends on the audience, people I have at least some degree of trust with my response to the question of how many guns I own is to get a look of concentration on my face, stare off into space for a few moments, stroke my beard for effect then answer with, " I don't really know anymore".

Someone I don't know very well or have enough trust in the answer is " a few" or "enough".

Strangers get "That's really none of your concern".