Sp101, any easy way to add a scope mount or Red Dot ?

I am thinking of buying a 4.2 inch SP101 in .32 H&R for woods walking, plinking, and maybe squirrel and rabbit hunting. It looks to me that this model of SP101 is only available with the "Windage" adjustable rear sight (what is ruger thinking?). Is there an available scope or Red dot sight mount for the SP101 with this sight configuration? I know that the single six can be bought in blue with adjustable sights, but really like the lighter weight and stainless finish that I can get the SP101 in.

If not, about what might a gunsmith charge to drill and tap for a scope mount?

Thanks,
Lorrin

Welcome to the Forum.
I have not seen any option where you can mount a scope or red dot on a SP-101 gun. The size of the SP-101 doesn't lend itself to such modifications easily. Now, if you stepped up to the GP-100 there are a few options. BUT,,,it's not available in 32 H&R mag. It WAS made in 327 Mag which will accept the 32 H&R mag ammo easily. But they aren't cheap when you find one.
Easiest & less expensive option is to go the Single-Action route.

The OP's post title IMMEDIATELY made me think of the cartoon on the front on one of Brownells Gun Kinks books, where a guy had a huge scope mounted on a snubbie.

leelorr - I don't know of any red dot that would be small enough. Why not go with a Crimson Trace or similar laser grip?

RoninPA said:

The OP's post title IMMEDIATELY made me think of the cartoon on the front on one of Brownells Gun Kinks books, where a guy had a huge scope mounted on a snubbie.

leelorr - I don't know of any red dot that would be small enough. Why not go with a Crimson Trace or similar laser grip?

Click to expand...

FWIW I've got an LC9 with a Lasermax and it is virtually useless in the day light. I shoot at an outdoor range and the lasermax will not even show up on a 7 yard target. Red dot would be the way to go but just not on an SP-101.

Single Six!!

leelorr said:

If not, about what might a gunsmith charge to drill and tap for a scope mount?

Thanks,
Lorrin

Click to expand...

You could possibly go two ways.

One would be to have a gunsmith mill the frame to accept the Ruger adjustable sight (right now I am not where I can get my SP101 out to see if that would be feasible) or Two, again go to a good gunsmith and see if it would be possible to adapt the frame to accept a red dot (possibly a Buris Fast Fire as they are fairly small) or scope. The small red dot would probably be the best bet.

The gunsmithing charges would depend on the work that has to be done to get the gun ready for what was being put on. I would guess at least $100, especially if any machine work has to be done.

I have an Ultra Dot sight on a 4" Taurus model 94, which is about the same size as a J frame Smith. I had to remove the sight and drill and tap holes for the Weaver base though.

As far as I know, D&T would be the only option on a SP101. 8)

You could have a mini Weaver/pic rail mounted via two holes D&T and throw a fast fire/mini red dot on there. That would be a small little package. I would guess $100 for the labor, also. (Isn't everything in $100 increments now days? Lol)

Bowen offers a Smith and Wesson adjustable sight feature for the SP101.

So do other well known gunsmiths.

I like the suggestion about the Burris

I suggest just going with the GP100 and getting a Jack Weigand no tap rail.
http://www.jackweigand.com/Ruger-GP100-Scope-Mounts-No-Drill.html

There is not enough material on the frame to put the adjustable rear sight on the windage only frame. You would have to weld on material to have somewhere for the cross pin to go. Drilling holes for a rail would be easy and cheap enough for a nice small red dot. No issue with strength either.

Joe S. said:

Single Six!!

Click to expand...

or 22/45.

Thank you all for your advice!

I guess it is a little difficult for me to accept carrying a heavy handgun (GP100=40oz, wow!) while hiking because I currently do that with my 11 oz Smith Ti. I guess more thinking and research is required. Well, research and planning is fun too. :^)

Thanks again,
Lorrin

There is one company that makes scope mounts (actually red dot sight mounts) for the Ruger SP-101, Allchin Gun Parts.
They make a mount that fits the adjustable sight models of the SP-101 (the 4.2 inch SP-101 models).
Their mount is made to fit the Burris Fastfire III, which is one of the smaller red dot sights.
Here's the website: http://allchingunparts.com/product-list.php?pg1-cid5.html

I bought one of the Allchin mounts for my SP-101, but then I decided not to use it for two reasons:
First, the tiny little silver SP-101 revolver looked ridiculous with a black electronic red dot sight on top of it! Really, people will laugh at you.
The Fastfire III looks huge on the SP-101.
Second, any electronic red dot sight that depends on batteries defeats the entire purpose of owning a revolver instead of a semiautomatic, the fact that revolvers are simple and reliable! You can just toss a revolver in a (locked) drawer, forget about it for two years, take it out, pull the trigger, and it will shoot every time, without having to worry about whether the safety's on, whether the magazine is empty, whether there's a round in the chamber, whether you've racked the slide, whether there's a magazine disconnect safety, and whether the gun will jam. An electronic red dot sight, you have to worry about whether the battery is dead, whether you have time to switch it on, what brightness setting to use, etc.

I like the Trijicon RMR dual-powered sight better than the Fastfire III, because the RMR doesn't require batteries, and it's also smaller.
So I tried to convert Allchin's Fastfire III mount to use a Trijicon RMR instead by using an RMR to Docter conversion plate, which I'd heard would also fit a Trijicon RMR. The conversion plate almost worked, ALMOST. The holes for the Docter sight are in the same place as the RMR sight, but all the screws are a different length, so even though I was able to attach an RMR sight to my SP-101, I couldn't tighten it correctly and couldn't get the RMR sight level. (By the way, be carful using Loctite on a revolver mount, because if it accidentally drips through the scope mounting hole onto the cylinder, it can gum things up).

I finally gave up and went back to using the factory sights on the SP-101. If Allchin or someone else ever comes out with an RMR mount for the SP-101, or a small Picatinny or Weaver mount for it, then I might try again with the RMR. I do have an RMR sight on my GP-100 (using a Weigand mount), and it's very accurate.

Back to the beginning. Where did you see a 4.2" SP-1201 in .32 H&R? The current web site does not show it or any SP chambered in .32H&R or any other .32. There was a 4" SP-101 with the semi-adjustable (windage only) rear sight in .22LR and .32 H&R in the past but they have been out of production for several years.

The current 4.2" SP-101 with fully adjustable sights is available only in .22LR and .38Special/.357 mag. Either, with suitable loads, would make a good woods/kit gun with the .38/.357 version being a lot more versatile.