First Time at Range...

[Lance0812]

... with my SP101.

Since I'm assuming most on this forum are familiar with the SP101 (and if you're not: why not?) I'll confine the report to a couple of observations.
(After 3000+ dry-fires, I thought it time to take it to the range.)

First, my shots tended to go high and left - strange to me since with autochuckers I'm more likely to shoot low and left.

(By the way, most shooting was at 5 yards with Martech FMJ flatnose 158gr.) (Also shot some at 7 and 10 yards, mixing single and double action.)

When I ran out of those, I fired 36 rounds of LRN reloads and these were closer to the mark - maybe because after 100 rounds of Magtech I was getting a better feel for the gun.

And lastly: On two occasions over the past three years I've owned and shot S&W Airweights. Didn't shoot them very much, though.

However whether it's because of the weight or the grips or the combination of both on the SP101, I had no hand pain or fatigue after 136 rounds. Could have shot a lot more if I'd had more ammo with me.

Better accuracy will come with time and break-in, but until then this gun is a delight to shoot.

 

[Arky]

I have an SP 101 3in. One daughter has one in 2 in. Another daughter has a GP100 4in. I also have a single 6 and a SBH Bisley in .41. We all shot the single actions and the GP well before we got the SP's. We all shoot both SP's low and left. Then my wife decided on a gun and got the S & W airweight 38 +P with the 1 7/8in tube. Even though the trigger pull on the Smith is about 75 % lighter than the SP's we all shot it low and left. I found an article on grip and trigger pull for snubbies and that was the answer. The daughter with the 2in. sp has not done quite as well as the rest of us but is away at school and shoots a lot less.
We usually shoot 158 gr. flt nose whether factory or reloads using Berry's plated. I just loaded some 125 gr Berry's HP and they shoot well too. I shoot some 357's and they pretty much shoot to the same POI if I do my part.
I love the feel of the SP in my hand but love the feel of the Airweight on the hip.
Funny thing is, the younger daughter is a Ruger snob and will not shoot the Smith!

 

[Ashlander]

The original grips on my SP101 were small and made the gun bit harder to hold through the recoil. Unless I unduly concentrated on the hold, the gun would twist a bit in my hand as it went off and I would send the bullet an inch and a half or so left and a bit up at 7 yards. I put the larger Hogue monogrips on and it solved the problem. Similarly, I had some boot grips for a S&W 640. Same thing happened. Great grips for concealment, but not accuracy. Fuller size grips solved that too.