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#13903346 06/15/19
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I'm thinking about replacing my 1911 home defense (nightstand) gun with a 3" SP 101.

Talk me into it.

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Take a look at the Sig P365 +P rated 9 mm, holds more reds and fits in a jean front pocket.



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Nope.......I'm a wheel gun guy and only interested in the 101.

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The SP101 series are great revolvers, and I have a few. I wouldn’t replace a nightstand-1911 with one, however, because the SP’s advantages—size, particularly—are irrelevant to a nightstand gun and its drawbacks—capacity, first and foremost—are liabilities in a home defense gun.

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OK....I'll keep the 1911 and keep em both in the nightstand......now can we please talk about the 101.

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Good guns, heavy for what they are. The 4.2” 22 and 327 have been my favorites. The only 357 snub I would use for heavy, hunting, .357 ammunition. Dry firing will smooth their triggers considerably and Wolff spring kits work nicely as well—but dry fire first. What specific models are you looking at?

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Originally Posted by FieldGrade
OK....I'll keep the 1911 and keep em both in the nightstand......now can we please talk about the 101.



they are fabulous revolvers--bull strong.

a really good option now is going the 9mm, as the ammo is cheap, so you can practice plenty--without having to hand-load.

9mm in short barrel revolvers is amazing, and they will churn up nearly 1100 fps out of the snub barrel. they outclass many .38 Special loads, and though not quite up to the .357 magnum--it's close in the snubs--with less recoil and muzzle blast.

you can't do much better than that in a small package.


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the more you progress, the more it expands into greater discovery--and the less of an audience you will have...
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Originally Posted by Hi_Vel
Originally Posted by FieldGrade
OK....I'll keep the 1911 and keep em both in the nightstand......now can we please talk about the 101.



they are fabulous revolvers--bull strong.

a really good option now is going the 9mm, as the ammo is cheap, so you can practice plenty--without having to hand-load.

9mm in short barrel revolvers is amazing, and they will churn up nearly 1100 fps out of the snub barrel. they outclass many .38 Special loads, and though not quite up to the .357 magnum--it's close in the snubs--with less recoil and muzzle blast.

you can't do much better than that in a small package.


+1 to this. Unless you have a need for the power and bullet profile flexibility the .357 offers, you’re better off with 9mm these days, particularly if using factory ammunition and not daily carrying the gun. I find carrying revolver moon clips to be less than ideal, and have avoided revolvers chambered in rimless cartridges for concealed carry for that reason.

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Used S&W 64 4”. Buy a couple of them.

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I'm on the opposite end...

Yes they are Ruger Overbuilt Tough but would much rather have a 3" LCR than a SP-101... Have had the SPs in 9mm and .327 and have shot others in .38, .357 and .22 and have never been impressed with the trigger pull either DA or SA. Even with spring kits they come nowhere close to a LCR, S&W J or K frame or a 3" GP-100...

Sights suck, especially on the new 3" guns that don't have the nice little windage adjustable rear...

Sorry...maybe for you but not for me...Bob


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Originally Posted by FieldGrade
OK....I'll keep the 1911 and keep em both in the nightstand......now can we please talk about the 101.



So, if it's for the night stand, why not a GP100, rather than the SP101?


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Can’t see replacing an 8 or 9 shot 45 with a 5 shot. If I’m replacing a 45 it will be because of higher capacity



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I know you're talking the 3" Ruger, but here's my journey. I spent a lot of time conflicted between the SP101 4.2" and the S&W 60 3". I wanted adjustable sights and portability. I envisioned this as a trail gun more than anything else. Unfortunately I couldn't compare them side by side at the same time because no one had both, so I ended up buying the Ruger- mainly because it seemed to have better sights (on the 4.2" version it has a fiber optic front) plus it had a unique sexy look to it too.

After playing with it for awhile, I realized it had an awful (to me anyway) double action trigger pull. This was my first double action Ruger since 1987- and I sold that so long ago I can't remember the trigger pull on it, but I've owned several Smith & Wesson revolvers since then. So I dry fired a few thousand times. Negligible difference. Watched the tutorials for polishing the parts and did that. Negligible difference. Then I bought a spring kit and experimented with it. While much, much better, it still REALLY stacks just before firing. It's doable, but... meh. Single action trigger pull is fine.

I also experimented with grips. The factory ones felt too "round". I first went with the black Hogue Overmolded and they felt better, but later I went with a set of pretty wood grips, also by Hogue, with a "Top Finger Groove". Feels great now. Sights are still a work-in-progress. I've always liked the white outline on a rear sight. Swapped it out for one that was taller and needed to raise the front quite a bit. Didn't want to lose the fiber optic, so I cut it in half and experimented with JB welding it higher. Kept getting it crooked one way or another. Eventually just bought a new factory front and put it back on, then ground down the rear. Got a little warm and the white outline kind of faded. Point of impact was finally back within limits of adjustability though.

All this has happened over the course of the last couple years. I still have it, but a month or so ago, I finally went out and bought the S&W 60 3" I've wanted for years. Even though it's only a few ounces lighter, it feels much lighter. Factory rubber grip was hard as a rock and the arch hits right in the center of my hand. Changed those to some pretty Altamont Altai's- they feel like a dream. Rear sight had too narrow of a window- widened it out with a file. Sights were still hard to pick up, used some fingernail polish. Trigger pull, while much smoother than the SP101, was WAY too heavy- off my Lyman's 12 lb trigger pull scale. Swapped the springs out and now have a great trigger at about 9 1/2 lbs.

I still have both, and did a fair amount of side by side shooting them just a few weeks ago. The first thing that stood out was.. 5 rounds goes quickly! Seems like after I loaded and started getting warmed up.. time to reload again. Wouldn't want to depend on that as my home defense gun. I like the idea of keeping the 1911 for that. Otherwise, both were doable with full power loads, but the .38's were much more fun to shoot. With the extra weight, the Ruger was a little more comfortable on the stiffer loads, but I think I enjoyed shooting the S&W a little more, probably because it was brand new to me and this was my first time shooting it.

Added a photo with the wood grips and one of the experimental JB Welded front sights that are no longer there.
[Linked Image]

Last edited by bhemry; 06/16/19. Reason: Added a photo
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Originally Posted by FieldGrade
I'm thinking about replacing my 1911 home defense (nightstand) gun with a 3" SP 101.

Talk me into it.




Not sure you need a compact carry gun as your nightstand gun. What's wrong with your 1911??

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Originally Posted by FieldGrade
OK....I'll keep the 1911 and keep em both in the nightstand......now can we please talk about the 101.



Haha dontcha love it Charlie??

I've 2 sp's, a 327 and a 4" 357, the 327 is on my nightstand, love am both, I like the 327 best, it's got a 3" snout. ..


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Never liked the 101 enough to want one.
Too heavy for a 5 shot compact gun.

If it's in the night stand, size and weight don't matter.

I agree with jwp475, if I'm ditching a 1911, it's for
more ammo.


Double stack 1911?


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I have a SP101 in 357 mag with 2 1/2” barrel, they are easy to shoot well with the short barrel because of their bulk which negates the reason for the short barrel.



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FieldGrade, guns are a personal decision, and a subjective one. I've got the SP101's and I like them a lot. If you like it, and you want it, get it. Who cares what anyone else thinks.


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Originally Posted by Cariboujack
FieldGrade, guns are a personal decision, and a subjective one. I've got the SP101's and I like them a lot. If you like it, and you want it, get it. Who cares what anyone else thinks.


Yep. Great advise.

Personally I’d prefer an old six shot Ruger Security Six with the 4” barrel or a S&W 66 of the similar variant, if I was going with a revolver. But get whatever you like, if that’s what you want. No flies on the SP101.

Last edited by chlinstructor; 06/16/19.

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Originally Posted by chlinstructor
Originally Posted by Cariboujack
FieldGrade, guns are a personal decision, and a subjective one. I've got the SP101's and I like them a lot. If you like it, and you want it, get it. Who cares what anyone else thinks.


Yep. Great advise.

Personally I’d prefer an old six shot Ruger Security Six with the 4” barrel or a S&W 66 of the similar variant, if I was going with a revolver. But get whatever you like, if that’s what you want. No flies on the SP101.


Yea......I just ignore the usual "do what I do" crowd.


I'm just kicking the idea around right now because I don't shoot the 1911 very well (hands are too small or something) and I really prefer wheel guns so the 101 in 357 caught my eye. I already have two S&W 38's that I reload for so practice ammo wouldn't be an added expense.
Course I could always stuff some + P rounds in my 4" Model 10-8 but what fun would that be?

The varying opinions on the 101's trigger concerns me a little......I'm kind of a trigger snob.....but I might take a chance if I can find a used one at a good price.

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