SP 101 and 22/45 Mk3

[arthury]

I just bought an SP101 2.25" for conceal back-up and a 22/45 Mk3 for my kids range practice.

I have read quite a few reviews about these guns and most people seemed to like a lot. Are there any qualms or areas of concerns which you think I should be aware of before they arrive?

I love the fact that some people called the SP101 the Sherman Tank. Had a bad experience with a Charter Arms snubby and that's why I am upgrading to the SP101. I have also bought an Uncle Mike's hip holster for this new snubby. Some owners changed the spring to a 10lb Wolff and replaced the grip with a Hogue, are those worth it? I thot the factory grip is already a non-slip rubber grip.

My kids couldn't really shoot my S&W M&P well because of limp wrist issues and that's why I bought the Mk3 for them. Hopefully, that will solve the problem.

 

[contender]

Welcome to the Forum!
THe Sp is somewhat of a tank, and we have a few of them around here. Very dependable. As for grips, find what fits YOUR hands the best. If that's the factory stocks, fine. If not, try a few others. I've added Wolff springs and Hi-Viz sights to ours. I also keep different grips on ours as we use them a LOT in our WOT clinics. That allows the ladies to try a different grip feel with the same gun to see what works the best.
The MKIII is also a good choice for teaching kids to shoot. An excellent platform, and while disassembly/re-assembly can get some folks all worked up, it can be learned w/o too much of an issue. Many of us prefer the MKII for it's lack of the mag disconnect safety, and the lack of the loaded chamber indicator. However, I have a MKIII I also use in our WOT clinics to teach the ladies with. It has a slip over rubber grip adaptor so that the ladies can see the difference between that and the factory stock MKII they try.
All in all, you can easily make either gun fit YOU better if necessary.

 

[chris_]

Let your kids shoot the SP. :D

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I like the SP-101 a lot but is a little heavy and the trigger pull is a little heavy also. A lighter spring set and a good break-in period or a little trigger work can improve that a lot. The SP often comes with some sharp edges around the trigger or trigger guard or hammer so take a stone or a file or some sandpaper to those areas that might cut or cause discomfort. The brushed finish can be returned with a Scotch-Brite pad. The factory grips are good but a little short. With 357 mag loads it can be a handful. With 38 special loads it is pretty mild. Enjoy. 8) 8)

...Jimbo

 

[arthury]

Thanks, guys.

I still have about 500 rounds of 38sp and 2 boxes of 357Mag left. I intend to run them thru the sp101 for the initial intro phase.

 

[jslshooter]

Love my SP101 3". It's like the Glock 19 of revolvers...if you know what I mean? Anyway,superb revo and always my go to gun.

 

[arthury]

I have finally received both of these handguns.

Have a question: when I release the cylinder using the Crane Latch on the SP101, I seem to notice that the Ejector Rod is kinda wobbly. Is it supposed to be like this?

 

[mustang99]

Yes it is.

 

[arthury]

Yes it is.

Any idea why is it wobbly?

 

[arthury]

First experience in the range with the SP101.
I tried both 38sp and 357mag ammo.

At 7 yds, owing the 357mag rounds being in a hurry to go somewhere, I seemed to feel that they are a tad more accurate, although the recoil and the vibration of the surrounding air is in the vicinity of a rifle ammo.

I also like the padding on the grip and the weighted barrel is perfect to absorb the recoil.

With a 38sp ammo, the sp101 felt like a walk in the park compared to my other snubby nose.

The finish was very nicely done by the Ruger team. Smoothly deburred and nothing around the trigger guard were uncomfortable. The stainless is very appealing to me.

 

[arthury]

Positive experience:
Wow, Ruger has really hit a home run with the Mk3 22/45 trigger. It's light, smooth and predictable. Well done, folks! BTW, I have the Target + Bull barrel model.
Suggestions for improvements:

• I would suggest a color coded trigger lock: red means FIRE and black/blue otherwise. Or rotate the lock so that it is parallel to the barrel and use the un-lock position to mimic the direction of the bullet.
• Magazine disengaging spring needs to be stronger so that it will actually pop out the magazine. The current design disengages the mag but I still need to slip in my finger nail to drag it out.
• Factory sights are not correctly adjusted. It's hitting at around 1" in the 2 o'clock direction. I will have to revisit the range again to sight the windage and elevation.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Yes it is.

Any idea why is it wobbly?

The ejector rod is loose because it does not support the cylinder, all it does is slide through the center of the cylinder to eject the empty cases unlike many other revolvers where it actually rotates with the cylinder and is part of the support system for the cylinder/crane. On the Rugers the front of the crane has an additional latch to secure the cylinder closed. A much more secure and better system IMHO. 8) 8)

...Jimbo

 

[arthury]

It's not as bad as what some people described and complained about it. I think the instructions are clear but the instruction booklet can be improved to elevate the clarity.

They should separate out the instructions for the different models (22/45 vs regular Mk3). That way, the reader does not need to watch out and skip the unrelated parts, which kinda made one lose the continuity. I believe that if they separate it, even a first time reader can make it in their first try.

 

[arthury]

Yes it is.

Any idea why is it wobbly?

The ejector rod is loose because it does not support the cylinder, all it does is slide through the center of the cylinder to eject the empty cases unlike many other revolvers where it actually rotates with the cylinder and is part of the support system for the cylinder/crane. On the Rugers the front of the crane has an additional latch to secure the cylinder closed. A much more secure and better system IMHO. 8) 8)

...Jimbo

Uh ... that made sense. Thanks for the good explanation.

 

[mohavesam]

Don't forget there are several aftermarket grips available for the SP101. The factory grips are minimal and often very little bulk is added by changing to Hogue, Pachmayr, Eagle or Ajax grips.

Try the small investment and see what fits best. I'm still waiting for Pachmayr to make a shovel grip. The factory handles never have fit me worth a darn. ;)

 

[arthury]

Don't forget there are several aftermarket grips available for the SP101. The factory grips are minimal and often very little bulk is added by changing to Hogue, Pachmayr, Eagle or Ajax grips.

Try the small investment and see what fits best. I'm still waiting for Pachmayr to make a shovel grip. The factory handles never have fit me worth a darn. ;)

Thanks for the suggestion. I am looking into a simple rubber-based Hogue because I did not like the plastic piece smacked right in the center of the factory grip.

Incidentally, does anyone know how the rubber Hogue grip is installed onto the sp101? No screws ...? What's the possibility of it popping out at a critical moment?

 

[JumpmasterC]

VERY good choices my friend! The 22/45 is perfect for kids or bringing newbies into the sport. It is also fun enough that I will sit at the range for a hour or two & just play with that. I went with the MKII, but it was just a personal preference...if you discover the pesky mag disconnect is a feature you don't like...it is fairly easy to do away with by performing a simple mod.

The SP101- EXCELLENT gun. Out of my small collection (10-15), it is by far my favorite...right there with my old 10/22 (my first rifle). There are so many ways it can be set up, depending on your goals for it. To fire it at the range mostly, the stock Ruger grips are pretty comfy. Hogue, Pachmyer & Crimson Trace make good, even more comfortable grips too. With a set of those & .38 loads....the SP101 is a joy to shoot.

If CC is your desire, it is a very good gun for this purpose. This is mine:



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I filed down a few edges (they can ride kind of uncomfortable), it wears the smaller, hard plastic Crimson Trace grips, though not as comfy to shoot, they are much smaller & hardly print at all & they are made from hard, smooth plastic that does not "grab" clothing often leaving your concealed weapon inadvertently exposed. I sent it in and got it Magna-ported...it seems to improve follow up shots---but because it redirects the sound-waves to the side. The lanes next to me when I take it to the indoor range don't like it much.

Like you said....it's built like a tank. I have used it pretty heavily, loaded any (safe) ammo I came across in in (never once has it failed to go boom). When I carry it..a lot in the desert (IWB) & sweat can be tough on guns...but the SP101 is just as pretty as the day I bought it. When your out of ammo, unlike many of the light weight scandium frames revs we see a lot of these days...not the SP101...it has some heft to it & empty can be used as a pretty nifty CQB weapon in a pinch.

Both good guns man, you will enjoy them for a long time! Disassembly of that 22/45 can be a stinker...read some of the many discussions on the forums talking about it before you give it a go & it may save you some time & effort!

Good luck & happy shooting! :D

 

[arthury]

I made the mistake of running a box of CCI Blazer Round Nose Lead thru my beauty 2 days ago.

Now, even after soaking the inside of the barrel with Hoppe #9 for 2 hours and brushing it, I still cannot get rid of the lead fouling.

Just ordered Kroil ... I hope it can do better to clean it.


Any suggestions for lead removal?