I bought .357 and .22 LR SP101 revolvers in the early Nineties. I never warmed up to shooting .357 Mag, through the one, and ended up selling or trading both of them, in order to help finance the next latest and greatest thing, a bad habit that I had, back then. Then, something prompted me to try another .357 SP101, in 1997, and I still have it, plus others I have added, since then. I cannot recall all of the details, but by 1997 I had learned to hold these little guns HIGH on the grip, to really minimize muzzle flip. I now really do like the SP101, and especially regret selling my .22 LR snubby version, in the early Nineties, as those are so very rare.

I bought a SP101 that was imported from France. I like the gun but as parabellum says long trigger reset. If I shoot a S&W revolver prior to shooting the SP101 I have a problem with short stroking the trigger.

quote:

Originally posted by Rexster:
I now really do like the SP101, and especially regret selling my .22 LR snubby version, in the early Nineties, as those are so very rare.

I have one of the original 4 inch models from the same time frame. It’s a great little gun and also rare. Though not as rare as the snubby IIRC.

I've never had a problem with the trigger on the 101, but I have pretty long hands and fingers, which may be why I like it. I do love J-Frames too, though.



The only issue I have with my SP101 is that the cylinder arbor tends to gum up fairly quickly (between 75-100 rounds), which makes the trigger pull suffer. If you put more than 150-200 rounds or so through it between cleanings, it becomes pretty much unusable. Thankfully disassembly is pretty easy on these, but its kinda annoying to have to take it down that far so frequently. My J-Frames seem to have a better gas seal in that area and don't require such frequent attention. I've tried various lubes...wet, dry, and no lube at all...buildup still happens at about the same rate.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
One disadvantage of the SP101- for me, anyway- is that the DA trigger pull is longer than that of the J Frame. I find it difficult to shoot accurately.

Is the same true of GP100s compared to larger frame S&Ws? This is the first I'd heard of this, but I have no direct experience with Ruger revolvers.

Daniel

I purchased an SP101 in the early 90s, a snubnose DAO spurless model in .357Mag. It is a really cool handgun, very well made, but unfortunately I could never shoot it with any acceptable degree of accuracy. I eventually gave it to my son who is able to shoot it well.

I have a DAO version. Can be a handful with 357. But quite pleasant with 38s

I really want to like this gun and have shot several. Always found the trigger to narrow to win me over. Am I the only one?

Ive owned 5 or 6 over the years and always sold them. Couldn't find a use for them. Too heavy to carry. Low capacity. At least on a Smith 340SC, it weighs 11 ounces, so I can make due with the capacity. In my mind, if Im carrying something that heavy, it better have 15+1.

Great shooters though...