[collim1]

I cant explain it. I just want one. I have a perfectly good carry gun, a P239 9mm.

Lately I have been dying for a SP101 in .357 and want the 3" barrel to take advantage of the magnum round.

My question is this. Is the 3" the best compromise between a 1&7/8" and a 4" barrel for concealability vs performance?

I have an SP101 in .22LR and love it.

I am a wheelgun guy and really want one to carry off-duty. Is the extra recoil worth it in a 3" gun?

[Berto]

The 3" ruger bbl seems to get pretty good ballistics based on chrono data I've seen, sometimes overlapping 4" S&W guns.
At the late Stephen Camp's site, he does a nice writie-up on the 3" Sp101.
I love mine.

http://hipowersandhandguns.com/Ruger...1%20Report.htm

Recoil isn't bad at all with the factory grips.

[battlin bulldog]

They are built like a tank.

[janice6]

And, because you have "taste".

[MM56]

I recently picked up a a used sp101 3 inch barrel at local gun shop. Took it to the range and was very impressed. The recoil with magnum loads is stout but manageable and much less than a lightweight snubby. 38 loads were a breeze. I think it would make a good iwb carry gun, just don't have a holster yet. Like mine so much, wouldn't Mind getting a 2.25 inch shrouded model. Good luck.

[Kingstan]

I love the 3" barrel revolvers (check out the 3" GP100).

Good ballistics, and a long enough rod to get reliable extraction of empties.


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[NeverMore1701]

I've had both the 2(.25?)" and 3", and while I liked them both, the 3" was by far my favorite.

[FLglockdude]

I want to like the SP101 but I can't really find a purpose for it. If you are going to carry something of that size and weight, why limit yourself to only five rounds?

[OldArcher]

Buy a G30SF, a couple of boxes of Lawman .45acp, a couple of extra mags, install Trijicon night sights, and go to the range. Call me in the Morning. You need only say, "Thank-you!"

Good Night,

(Another turned from the Dark Side...)

OA, out...

[redrick]

I've been wanting a 3" 357 revolver lately myself.

[DonD]

Try some Buffalo Bore 158gr JHPs, they run over 1300 fps in my 3" SP101 or just over 600 ft lbs. You do know when you touch one off.

Fun gun. Don

[unit1069]

The 3 1/16" Ruger SP-101 is the only revolver I'm considering buying. I don't know enough about revolvers to take the plunge into anything else but I have shot a neighbor's SP-101 with full power Magnum rounds and the long-barrel SP is the only way to go in my opinion.

[ViennaGambit]

Originally Posted by FLglockdude

I want to like the SP101 but I can't really find a purpose for it. If you are going to carry something of that size and weight, why limit yourself to only five rounds?

EXACTLY!

I sold my SP101 and kept my 642 and 686+ 4".

[blastfact]

I got my wife a Smith 60 Pro. Don't want to be that guy. Do your self a favor and check into it. I enjoy mags in it.

[Texanmile]

If anyone wants to buy mine, very well cared for and <100 rds, let me know. I want to buy a 4 inch now.

[LAWDOGKMS]

Originally Posted by ViennaGambit

EXACTLY!

I sold my SP101 and kept my 642 and 686+ 4".

Same here...had a 3" SP with a wonderfully tuned action..

Loved to shoot it!

Good lord that thing was heavy though, and only 5 rounds for all that weight..

So...off duty I carry the G27 with less weight, twice as many rounds, better sights and maybe better ballistics when I want to be prepared for battle (ie..subject to a spur of the moment callout...and a 642 when going "ultralight"..

So..it became my nightstand-gun..

But then I got to thinking...if something goes bump in the house in the middle of the night, wouldn't I want to reach for a gun I'm intimately familiar with, like the G23 I carry on duty?

Shortly after I reached this conclusion, the SP was traded for another G23 for the nightstand..

I loved it, just have no niche for it..

[cowboywannabe]

i had one that i traded for an American Classic Commander .45acp 1911.

the 3" sp101 is a fine gun and id like to have another one, but for carrying purposes it just wasnt efficient for me. the o/a length and weight coupled with its 5 shot capasity just didnt compare well to a G29. i want the biggest round, in the biggest gun, in the smallest package, with the most bullets i can comfortably carry. my G29 does this.

the 3" sp101 is a fine gun but for my purposes there are better choices.

[GlockFish]

Originally Posted by FLglockdude

I want to like the SP101 but I can't really find a purpose for it. If you are going to carry something of that size and weight, why limit yourself to only five rounds?

I guess you have to love the 357 magnum round to understand.

[Highspeedlane]

Just me personally, but I like to keep magnum level cartridges like the .357 that tend to be loaded with slower burning powders in barrel lengths over 4".

For a couple of reasons, mainly being the performance of the round due to much powder not being consumed in the shorter tube and the tremendous flash and blast accompanying.

OTOH, there are many handload recipes and factory .38 Spl +P carry ammo that address those points for those concerned, and the revolver you're talking about will be a tank solid performer that will digest heavy .357 loads day in and day out without even blinking.

[collim1]

Well, that settles it. I have a birthday coming up first of May and I have to have one.

Guess I'll have to pick one up along with some 125g Gold Dots and a Don Hume H721 leather OWB thumb break.

[cowboywannabe]

CCI makes a great 158gr. jhp .357 mag round. at approx. 1150 fps from the 3" sp101 it ought to be pretty good without the blast of the lighter loads.

[barth]

I've thought about it.
seems like the best compromise between a 2" and 4".
I find a 4" barrel revolver a bit hard to carry.

Thing is my 640-1 2" goes on the belt great.
But for short periods runs fine in my pocket too.
I'm thinking 3" barrel = no pocket carry.
There's good reason why 2" snubbies are so popular.

Plus those 3" ballistics don't look much better than 2"?
3" barrel GDHP 357 125 gr 1200 fps?
2" is the same thing?
I would have hoped for maybe 1300 fps from a 3"?



I've shot most of the 357 125 gr mag rounds available.
1450 fps 4" standard full power rounds end up 1200 form 2".

Where mid range 4" 1220 fps Golden Sabers still run 1100 from 2".

Personally I run Winchester PDX1 bonded HPs.
There rated at 1325 from a 4".
I'm guessing ~1150 from a 2".

Plus the recoil is manageable for followup shots like the Sabers.

[DonD]

Originally Posted by LAWDOGKMS

So...off duty I carry the G27 with less weight, twice as many rounds, better sights and maybe better ballistics when I want to be prepared for battle

Carry what you like but at full power (most commercial .357 ammo is watered down), the .40 S&W isn't equal to the .357.

Your point about greater capacity is of course correct and a valid decision point. Don

[M2 Carbine]

I bought one a couple months ago.
I'm a Ruger fan but the 101 is a disappointment. Very rough action. Every few rounds the cylinder won't turn.

I have a bunch of nice Ruger revolvers, including a couple Security Six and Police Service Six, but this 101 is a stinker.

[Bruce M]

I prefer a three inch K frame revolver for about the same weight or a three inch J frame if smaller is needed