3" sp101

[03RN]

https://www.centerfiresystems.com/product-details?id=106250

[OlongJohnson]

Nice try, but I'm holding out for the blued half-lug.

[JonInWA]

Looks to be more of the French Railway Police guns, with Trausch grips and a lanyard loop.

Best, Jon

[TheNewbie]

Is that a dual retention holster?

Almost like a 070 from safariland? The 070 is triple retention, but the has the two snaps.

[Dave J]

Is that a dual retention holster?

Almost like a 070 from safariland? The 070 is triple retention, but the has the two snaps.

Not quite like a 070. This one has a conventional thumb break, and a second strap over the trigger guard that must be released by lifting the tab with the two snaps you see in the picture, which would have to be done prior to acquiring a master grip. You can’t do both simultaneously like you can with the 070. It kind of reminds me of how you’d draw from a flap holster, that also had a thumb break.

I received a similar style holster with one of my MR-88s.

[Grizzly]

Did they file the front sights lower for lighter bullets?

[Dave T]

Nice try, but I'm holding out for the blued half-lug.

I'm holding out for a 6-shot. Ruger could give Colt and Kimber, even Taurus, some serious competition with a 3", 6-shot, SP-101 and it wouldn't have to be much bigger than the current offering.

Dave

[Chuck Whitlock]

Bear in mind that these are in .38 Special, not .357 Magnum.

[Dave T]

Bear in mind that these are in .38 Special, not .357 Magnum.

SP-101 6-shot, 3", 38 Special (obviously +P). I'll still buy one, with or without the half lug. In blue steel or stainless, it wouldn't matter much to a desert dweller like myself.

Dave

[vtfarmer]

I'm holding out for a 6-shot. Ruger could give Colt and Kimber, even Taurus, some serious competition with a 3", 6-shot, SP-101 and it wouldn't have to be much bigger than the current offering.

Dave
I've been hoping for that for years. Actually, I'm interested in a 2" version in .357, but if we get one, we'll get the other eventually. I have a Detective Special that was my pocket snubby for 25 years until I got my SP101. Framewise the two guns are exactly the same size. The Colt cylinder is .05" wider than the SP101, which isn't very much. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[HCM]

https://atlanticfirearms.com/ruger-sp101-38-special-revolver-police-surplus

Looks like Atlantic Firearms got in some more of these French railway police SP-101s.

[R89074]

I bought one of the SP101 imported from France. My first experience with the 101, the gun is a little heavy and trigger was heavy ,also. I put Wolff main spring in and it helped. I ordered a letter from Ruger and it shows being shipped to a French importer.
https://i.imgur.com/Okg5gE6.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/BymjR83.jpg

[john c]

Each of the listings for these guns (Centrefire Systems and Atlantic Firearms) states the barrel length as 3.07 inches. Is this a separate SKU for France? Or is the regular barrel just 3.07 inches and they're being sticklers about it?

[JWintergreen]

[QUOTE=Dave T;1055332]I'm holding out for a 6-shot. Ruger could give Colt and Kimber, even Taurus, some serious competition with a 3", 6-shot, SP-101 and it wouldn't have to be much bigger than the current offering.

[Rex G]

Each of the listings for these guns (Centrefire Systems and Atlantic Firearms) states the barrel length as 3.07 inches. Is this a separate SKU for France? Or is the regular barrel just 3.07 inches and they're being sticklers about it?

The “three inch” SP101 barrels have always been three-and-one-eighth inches.

[entropy]

Damn this is tempting....

[farscott]

The “three inch” SP101 barrels have always been three-and-one-eighth inches.

Not to niggle (ok, yes I am), the SP101 Ruger-specified barrel length was 3-1/16" or 3.06". It was back in 1995 when I bought my first sample. The older manuals back to 2002 show the 3-1/16" and 2-1/4" lengths whereas the most recent manual omits barrel length descriptions. I am not sure when the catalog spec changed to 3" other than after 2002.

[Rex G]

Not to niggle (ok, yes I am), the SP101 Ruger-specified barrel length was 3-1/16" or 3.06". It was back in 1995 when I bought my first sample. The older manuals back to 2002 show the 3-1/16" and 2-1/4" lengths whereas the most recent manual omits barrel length descriptions. I am not sure when the catalog spec changed to 3" other than after 2002.

True, it is three-and-one-sixteenth. I should not post before caffeine.

[TiroFijo]

I have one friend that used to shoot atomic +P+ reloads in his SP101 chambered in 38 spl... a lot of them, never a problem. I guess the pressure was easily in the 357 mag range.

What is the consensus regarding this practice?

Is the metallurgy the same as in the 357 models?

[farscott]

I have one friend that used to shoot atomic +P+ reloads in his SP101 chambered in 38 spl... a lot of them, never a problem. I guess the pressure was easily in the 357 mag range.

What is the consensus regarding this practice?

Is the metallurgy the same as in the 357 models?

Ruger has never stated if there are or are not any differences in metallurgy between the .38 Special and .357 Magnum SP101 models. .38 Special pressures are considerably lower than .357 Magnum's, so Ruger might have saved a few pennies with a different heat treatment/metal spec. As such, no one can really make a definitive statement. It does stand to reason that for the sake of efficiency that both frames and cylinders would be designed and built to run at the same pressures, with only chamber depth, rifling rate, and markings different. Considering the 9x19 SP101 runs at similar pressures with no issues, I would expect the .38 Special model to do just fine. But that is no guarantee, and I would not do so unless I had no other options or choices.

If I was going to launch +P+ .38 Special rounds, I would expect the Ruger to handle them. I would still use something that I know would, such as a .357-marked SP101 or GP100.

[Zeke38]

It's been my understanding that Ruger heat treats the 38s and 357s cylinders to the same level. What I would worry about would be over pressure in the 38 case due to compacting the powder charge. A 357 level load of Unique in a 38 case with a heavy jacketed bullet could be disasterous. But 38/44 level loads would be great. Then to separate those loads from 38 J frame Airweights.

I use a nickel case for 38/44 loads and a brass case for standard 38s. Immediate recognition of power levels.

[Tex41mag]

My wife carries a stainless 2.5" Factory DAO SP-101 in .357mag. She prefers to practice with the .38sp +P and is very good with it. Here it is with my stainless 3" Factory DAO GP-100 also in .357mag. It is a repatriated Canadian Mounted Police gun. I got it 10 years ago through CAI. I've done some work on the action, trigger, bead blasted and dehorned it for carry.

75507

[TheNewbie]

My wife carries a stainless 2.5" Factory DAO SP-101 in .357mag. She prefers to practice with the .38sp +P and is very good with it. Here it is with my stainless 3" Factory DAO GP-100 also in .357mag. It is a repatriated Canadian Mounted Police gun. I got it 10 years ago through CAI. I've done some work on the action, trigger, bead blasted and dehorned it for carry.

75507


DAO revolvers with a bobbed/spurless hammer are among the best looking guns out there.

[gato naranja]

My wife carries a stainless 2.5" Factory DAO SP-101 in .357mag. She prefers to practice with the .38sp +P and is very good with it.

I frequently carry the same gun, but with its factory CTC lasergrips. The standard front sight blade was not my bag of chips, so it was replaced first with a tritium Meprolight, then a regular-size 24/7 XS dot; vast improvement, that.

It is not as pocketable as a J-frame, but it can be done. With all the .38 Special loads I have had the cojones to run through it, it is very controllable; with factory wadcutters it is almost absurdly user-friendly. Anything other than a mild .357 load is more entertainment than I care for. Should Ruger ever offer a .38 Special ONLY version of this in DAO with a Novak-style rear sight, it would be the cat's pajamas for duffers like myself. Actually, as I begin to age out, a 2.25" or 3" SP101 with a Novak rear and in the 8-shot .22LR chambering would not be a bad option.

Too bad I will never live to see it.

SP101s remain sort of an underrated "sleeper" among handguns in these parts, what with the average LGS strongly pushing LCRs onto people just getting into CCW.

[45dotACP]

My wife carries a stainless 2.5" Factory DAO SP-101 in .357mag. She prefers to practice with the .38sp +P and is very good with it. Here it is with my stainless 3" Factory DAO GP-100 also in .357mag. It is a repatriated Canadian Mounted Police gun. I got it 10 years ago through CAI. I've done some work on the action, trigger, bead blasted and dehorned it for carry.

75507Beautiful looking Ruger. What are the grips it's wearing? I've been looking at replacing my Lett compact stocks

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

[Tex41mag]

Beautiful looking Ruger. What are the grips it's wearing? I've been looking at replacing my Lett compact stocks

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

Her grips on the SP101 are from Hogue, mine on my GP100 are no longer made but they are from Uncle Mikes.

[JRB]

Centerfire now has these for $399 but w/o the holster.

https://centerfiresystems.com/product/ruger-.38-special-sp101-3-barrel#product_detail

Damned, damned tempting.

Edit:

To anyone who's bought one of these; I'd be real interested to know how the sights are regulated on these particular SP101's.

[42Willys]

JRB

Front sight on mine was filed down and it shoots low.

[Rex G]

Filing-down the front sight raises the point of impact. A taller front sight lowers the point of impact.

Heavier-bullet ammo tend to shoot better, to point-of-aim, with fixed-sight SP101 revolvers. Of course, any one individual SP101 could be a law unto itself, and perform otherwise.

[LittleLebowski]

Centerfire now has these for $399 but w/o the holster.

https://centerfiresystems.com/product/ruger-.38-special-sp101-3-barrel#product_detail

Damned, damned tempting.

Edit:

To anyone who's bought one of these; I'd be real interested to know how the sights are regulated on these particular SP101's.

Very tempting.