{"id":3365,"date":"2015-04-15T18:39:02","date_gmt":"2015-04-15T22:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/?p=3365"},"modified":"2015-04-16T14:04:13","modified_gmt":"2015-04-16T18:04:13","slug":"ruger-sp-101-the-shooters-snub-nose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/ruger-sp-101-the-shooters-snub-nose\/","title":{"rendered":"Ruger SP101: The Shooter\u2019s Snub Nose"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"wheel-gun-wednesday-banner\"<\/a><\/p>

Welcome to another Wheel Gun Wednesday<\/a>! We\u2019re picking back up where we left off a few weeks ago with my quest for the ideal carry revolver. In case you\u2019re just joining us, I started off by laying out some criteria<\/a> for what I consider to be the features to look for in a revolver\u00a0that\u2019s as easy to shoot and train with as it is to carry every day. The first candidate I profiled was the S&W 386<\/a> followed by a pair of 3-inch K-frames<\/a>. Testing with those guns is ongoing, and today I\u2019m adding the next contender: Ruger\u2019s SP101.<\/p>

Primary vs. Secondary<\/b><\/h3>

In most parts of the U.S., the practice of carrying a concealed handgun has only become common and legal within the last few decades, but the popularity of small frame snub nose revolvers is practically ancient. With names like \u201cDetective Special\u201d and \u201cChief\u2019s Special\u201d, the apparent target audience for the snubby was originally law enforcement personnel.<\/p>

In that profession, the snub nose was considered a secondary, or backup weapon that could be carried as a complementary option to a larger sidearm. However, the small frame snubby often took the role of a primary handgun for plain clothes cops, or guys whose roles didn\u2019t require them to get into many physical confrontations.<\/p>

Today, you\u2019re more likely to hear the terms \u201cbackup gun\u201d or \u201csecondary\u201d used more generically, usually to refer to very small, concealable handguns that are intended to be carried often and shot very little. The current small revolver market is dominated by lightweight offerings that certainly fit this description. It\u2019s almost a foregone conclusion that if you\u2019ve opted to carry a snub nose revolver, then you intend it to be a contact distance weapon only that will rarely see the light of day at the practice range.<\/p>

The Shooter\u2019s Snubby<\/b><\/h3>

Ruger\u2019s SP101 is the exception, and has a lot more in common with the old school police backup gun than with the modern featherweight alternatives. It\u2019s the secondary\u00a0that shoots like a primary. This all-steel, 25 ounce 5-shot snub nose is different from other small .357 magnum revolvers because it doesn\u2019t just \u201ctolerate\u201d full house magnum loads, it craves<\/i> them. Not that I\u2019d feed it too many full power loads — the increased recoil of magnums over a decent .38 +P load isn\u2019t worth the marginal tradeoff in performance out of a short barrel, even in a revolver this stout. Even so, the SP101 is a perfect example of why Ruger\u2019s revolvers have a reputation for being overbuilt.<\/p>

\"Ruger<\/a><\/p>

The SP101 was first introduced in 1989, which is a bit late in the revolver game to consider it a \u201cclassic\u201d, but it has still managed to develop a strong following over the years, partly due to its durability. Compared to its lightweight contemporaries, the SP101 is chunky and heavy, especially considering its humble 5-shot capacity.<\/p>

The weight might make it less convenient in the holster, but I think of it as the snubby for real shooters. High round counts and long range sessions are no problem for this gun, and easy on its owner, too. A steel Smith & Wesson J-frame is its closest competition in this regard, but a distant second in my opinion.<\/p>

The Wiley Clapp SP101<\/b><\/h3>

There are a few different versions of the SP101 available. In .357 magnum, it’s\u00a0currently being produced with either a 2.25-inch or 3-inch barrel and fixed sights. There\u2019s also a \u201ctarget\u201d model that comes equipped with a 4.20-inch barrel, adjustable rear sight, and fiber optic front sight. That one is available as a 5-shot .357, 8-shot .22 LR, or the newly released 6-shot .327 magnum.<\/p>

<\/p>

\"Ruger<\/a>
The Wiley Clapp edition of the SP101 features a tapered cylinder for easier re-holstering<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The model I opted for is the Wiley Clapp .357 magnum, a Talo distributor exclusive model. It\u2019s similar to the standard 2.25-inch model, but in place of the fixed sights, the Wiley Clapp SP101 has a drift-adjustable Novak rear sight and brass bead front sight. It also has a nice set of textured wood inlays on the grips, and a tapered cylinder, but the sights are really the big selling point. This model was released last year, following the success of the Wiley Clapp GP-100. I would have preferred a WC SP101 with a 3-inch barrel like the one found on the WC GP-100, but the 2.25-inch barrel is probably more in line with what most snub nose customers are looking for.<\/p>

Carry Comparison<\/b><\/h3>

As with the other\u00a0guns\u00a0I’ve been considering in my quest for the ideal carry revolver, I’m using a very specific set\u00a0of criteria<\/a> to compare\u00a0the merits of the SP101 to the semi-auto that I normally carry: a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm compact. The M&P9c and other compact semi-autos like it offer a very attractive combination of shootability, ease of carry, and ammo capacity. Ultimately, I’m trying to answer the question of whether there’s a revolver out there that can compete with that combination of advantages. Do you have to give up more than capacity when switching to a revolver of similar size and weight?\u00a0Does a revolver offer any real-world practical advantages over the semi-auto that we don’t typically think about?<\/p>

\"Ruger<\/a><\/p>

I’ll be tackling these questions in depth at the end of the series. For now, here’s how the SP101 measures up to the original criteria.<\/p>