Value help please: sp101 357 125gr only stamped

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mindustrial

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 6, 2009
Messages
142
Location
dayton, oh
Helping friend sell his sp101. Like new in box, excellent condition.

KSP-331 3" stainless .357….stamped 125 grain bullet only. Yellow box with green label. 1991 mfg if memory serves…maybe 1500 made in first 3 mo. production?

Any help with value, taking it to OGCA tomorrow. Last one I saw was in the $550 range, but that was 5yrs ago.
 

LDB

Bearcat
Joined
Oct 17, 2012
Messages
57
Location
Houston suburb
According to last year's Blue Book the SP101 in 100% is $575, 98% is $500, 95% is $425. The 125gr marking was discontinued in 1991. Add $100 for 125gr marking.
 

mindustrial

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 6, 2009
Messages
142
Location
dayton, oh
Sold for $600. Close to what a new one brings, would have taken a collector looking for one to bring more. Thanks for looking.
 

NikA

Buckeye
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Nov 2, 2014
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1,808
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Yrisarri, NM- high in the Manzanos
The cylinder is .1" shorter. Supposedly, only 125gr .357 cartridges fit without binding the cylinder; in reality, it depends on bullet shape as well as weight.

The .38 SPs were also initially .1" shorter cylinders as well, the first .357s were just bored deeper until a cylinder redesign around 1991.
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
Messages
9,651
Location
Dallas, TX
NikA said:
The cylinder is .1" shorter. Supposedly, only 125gr .357 cartridges fit without binding the cylinder; in reality, it depends on bullet shape as well as weight.

The .38 SPs were also initially .1" shorter cylinders as well, the first .357s were just bored deeper until a cylinder redesign around 1991.

Thanks. I have the SP101 in .38 only. But I don't have a 357 to compare it too.

FergusonTO35 said:
SP's seem to be gaining a following. Used to be you could buy them like new for $200.00 or so, now they are close to new price often times.

You know, I'm sure you've seen Kimber's revolver. They have a striking appearance to the SP101, but cost a lot more. I really wanted one earlier this summer, but never could bring myself to pay that much. I'm sure that has something to do with the price surge in SP101's. Well, that and the fact everything else is going up in cost also.
 
Joined
Apr 2, 2014
Messages
3,168
Kevin said:
You know, I'm sure you've seen Kimber's revolver. They have a striking appearance to the SP101, but cost a lot more. I really wanted one earlier this summer, but never could bring myself to pay that much. I'm sure that has something to do with the price surge in SP101's. Well, that and the fact everything else is going up in cost also.

My luck with previous Kimber products will keep me from ever buying another.
I wouldn't be surprised if they engineered a way to cause a revolver to
"stovepipe".
Dave
 

NikA

Buckeye
Joined
Nov 2, 2014
Messages
1,808
Location
Yrisarri, NM- high in the Manzanos
Kevin said:
NikA said:
The cylinder is .1" shorter. Supposedly, only 125gr .357 cartridges fit without binding the cylinder; in reality, it depends on bullet shape as well as weight.

The .38 SPs were also initially .1" shorter cylinders as well, the first .357s were just bored deeper until a cylinder redesign around 1991.

Thanks. I have the SP101 in .38 only. But I don't have a 357 to compare it too.

Wouldn't matter unless your example was manufactured before the cylinder redesign.

The full history as I understand it:
SP-101 was originally designed as .38 only when released. A few brave souls determined that the frame/action could handle .357 pressures and had gunsmiths ream the cylinders to .357 length. Ruger followed suit with a release of .357 models, but marked them as limited to 125gr ammunition due to concerns about .357 OAL with heavier bullets. In ~1991, Ruger redesigned the cylinder to accommodate longer .357 loads and implemented that change across all models.

So only pre-change models have the shorter cylinder, and the only way to tell on the .38s is by comparing to another known example or by serial number. The frame of the revolver is dimensionally the same IIRC from measuring the examples I've had access to.
 

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