Sp 101 in 9mm Parabellum

[ssunfish]

Hi ALL! I won my first Gunbroker auction! No one else bid on it and don't know if they knew what it was. It's my holy grail of weapons. SP101 in 9mm Parabellum. I really like the idea of a Ruger stainless with Double action! All I could ask for! I have a hi-point carbine in 9mm and a Baretta 92FS done up to look like a taser. I will post pics when they are out of the Pawn Shop. I also picked up some sweet lead free 9mm rounds, 38 grain. I have it in Uncle Mike's Sidekick holster of cordura.
How do I check if its safe to operate? Do I have to use Moon Clips?
Thanks for the forum and for reading this!

 

[NewportNewsMike]

Do I have to use Moon Clips?

Moon clips are not REQUIRED for firing, but they are what make simultaneous extraction possible. Since a 9MM round is rimless there is nothing for the extractor star to grab a hold of unless you use the moon clips. If you have no clips you can still test fire it since the 9MM round headspaces on the front end of the case. But you will have to "dig" the empties out with your fingers one at a time. Or punch them out, one at a time, with a pencil or similar from the front of the open cylinder. Moon clips make it all MUCh easier.

..... lead free 9mm rounds, 38 grain.

38 grains sounds WAY small for a 9MM round. Are you sure they are 38 grains?

Congratulations on your new 9MM SP-101. They are a "way cool" gun.

 

[RugerForMe]

Gunbroker is funny that way..

Two identical guns, one sells for $200 the other $500.
Only explanation I can come up with it once someone starts bidding they quit searching.

The 9mm SP101 is on my list.

 

[contender]

Welcome to the Forum!
I have a Speed-Six in 9mm, and would love a SP-101 in 9mm to go with mine.
Use the moon clips. LOTS less headaches. I own 2 guns that use them. Cheap headache relief!

 

[Thel]

"Gunbroker is funny that way..

Two identical guns, one sells for $200 the other $500.
Only explanation I can come up with it once someone starts bidding they quit searching."

Either that or maybe some people get committed to that one gun and are bound and determined
to get it. Also, there seem to be lulls in bidding activity. A while back there were a lot of deals to
be had on various guns which no one bid on. I give up trying to figure it out. Just take advantage
of a deal when one floats by.

 

[rammerjammer]

Welcome to the 9mm SP101 club. My 3" model has doubled in value since I got it and is a great shooter. Much cheaper to fire off a bunch of 9mm than 38SPL or 357 Mag. I've made up in the premium pricing I paid for my 9mm SP101s just in costs of ammo.

You don't have to have moon clips but like others have written it makes extraction much easier. You can still find them online and if I remember right Midway has them at the cheapest rate. But shop around and they aren't too expensive.

I've noticed with my 9mm SP101 I get no fireball when shooting it. But when I shoot my 38SPL SP101 that thing is a fire breathing dragon.

 

[k22fan]

Moon clips are much less expensive ordered through Ranch Products, the company that makes most of them. The draw backs are they only sell by the 100 and you can't order through their web site. You have to call them and understand they're only a small family business. None the less they make all the moon clips S&W sells. IIRC 9mm SP101s use the same clips as S&W model 940s.

Ranch Products
PO Box 145
Malinta, Ohio USA 43535
Phone: 313-277-3118

I own a 940 and other S&W revolvers chambered for auto pistol cartridges. The effort required to remove their empties without clips is usually exaggerated. It's common for some or most of the empties to fall out just pointing the revolver up. The rest come out with the slightest tug with my finger nails. For 40 years I've been reading about people poking empties out of 1917 .45ACPs with a rod, but some how never seen it done in real life. At the worst reloading auto pistol cartridges without clips in a DA revolver is faster than a reloading a SA revolver.

There is one exception: relatively high pressure steel case cartridges in 9mm and .40 S&W. Don't even fire them in your DA revolvers. Steel cases do not contract back after expanding as much as brass cases do. Ejecting 5 9mms or 6 .40 S&Ws at a time takes more strength than DA ejector systems have. It just bends the ejector rod. I haven't tried steel case .45 ACP because they never were priced low enough to be tempting. At their lower pressure they might be O.K., or not.

 

[rammerjammer]

Yup, like the above post mentioned avoid steel cased ammo in your 9mm SP101. It will be more likely to expand and make extraction difficult.

On a side note I have shot thousands of rounds of steel cased ammo through my semi-autos and they have fired fine. Id did have my first and only squib so far in my P90 with Herters 45ACP.

And if you reload, I've been told that you must use jacketed bullets in the 9mm SP101. Lead bullets will have some sort of ill effect but I can't remember what that would be exactly.

 

[ssunfish]

Oh Wow I love posting in this site! I get a lot of insight and entertaining thoughts really fast! Thanks guys, I enjoyed the intelligent responses and musings. One thing I wonder...should I have a gunsmith check it for safety before I try to fire it?
Sorry It was 50 GRAIN +P ammo

 

[Merle1948]

Hi ALL! I won my first Gunbroker auction! No one else bid on it and don't know if they knew what it was. It's my holy grail of weapons. SP101 in 9mm Parabellum. I really like the idea of a Ruger stainless with Double action! All I could ask for! I have a hi-point carbine in 9mm and a Baretta 92FS done up to look like a taser. I will post pics when they are out of the Pawn Shop. I also picked up some sweet lead free 9mm rounds, 38 grain. I have it in Uncle Mike's Sidekick holster of cordura.
How do I check if its safe to operate? Do I have to use Moon Clips?
Thanks for the forum and for reading this!

I have a Speed Six & it will fire about half the rounds. I checked the case lengths & found that many cases were at or below minimum case length. Instant problem.

 

[Merle1948]

Moon clips are much less expensive ordered through Ranch Products, the company that makes most of them. The draw backs are they only sell by the 100 and you can't order through their web site. You have to call them and understand they're only a small family business. None the less they make all the moon clips S&W sells. IIRC 9mm SP101s use the same clips as S&W model 940s.

Ranch Products
PO Box 145
Malinta, Ohio USA 43535
Phone: 313-277-3118

I own a 940 and other S&W revolvers chambered for auto pistol cartridges. The effort required to remove their empties without clips is usually exaggerated. It's common for some or most of the empties to fall out just pointing the revolver up. The rest come out with the slightest tug with my finger nails. For 40 years I've been reading about people poking empties out of 1917 .45ACPs with a rod, but some how never seen it done in real life. At the worst reloading auto pistol cartridges without clips in a DA revolver is faster than a reloading a SA revolver.

There is one exception: relatively high pressure steel case cartridges in 9mm and .40 S&W. Don't even fire them in your DA revolvers. Steel cases do not contract back after expanding as much as brass cases do. Ejecting 5 9mms or 6 .40 S&Ws at a time takes more strength than DA ejector systems have. It just bends the ejector rod. I haven't tried steel case .45 ACP because they never were priced low enough to be tempting. At their lower pressure they might be O.K., or not.

While you are at it I would suggest you get their demooner & remooner tools. Makes loading & unloading full moon clips a LOT easier.

 

[22/45 Fan]

Sorry It was 50 GRAIN +P ammo

That still sounds very wrong. Try reading the box again.

 

[Merle1948]

Sorry It was 50 GRAIN +P ammo

That still sounds very wrong. Try reading the box again.

Maybe not, I recall some very light, very fast 9mm (among other calibers) being offered by some botique manufacturer.

 

[KWYJIBO]

It's great that you've found an SP-101 you like.

My question is how did you fix up your Beretta to look like a taser, and more importantly, WHY?

 

[ssunfish]

I again appreciate all who posted on this thread. Now I wonder how good would it be to run into all of us in a gun store and have some good conversation and pass around weapons and talk.
I DID read the box and yes its 50 grain bullets 9mm.
OK Instant problem, I do notice the bullets shake in the cylinder....could be what you are referring to in case length.
I suppose I could set up a system to hold and fire the gun without endangering my hand to see if it fired safely. but is there anything I could check so I wouldn't need a system and accidentally shoot me?
My Beretta was not modified to the degree you are thinking. its not disguised as a taser it looks like one cause its black and yellow and many thought I was packing a taser.

 

[rammerjammer]

Make sure its 9mm Parabellum, or Luger. 9x19. If the ammo is 9mm Steyr, Makarov or anything other than 9mm Parabellum or Luger 9x19 you've got the wrong stuff. If its the right stuff just go shoot it. Your SP101 will be incredibly hard to damage by shooting it.

I again appreciate all who posted on this thread. Now I wonder how good would it be to run into all of us in a gun store and have some good conversation and pass around weapons and talk.
I DID read the box and yes its 50 grain bullets 9mm.
OK Instant problem, I do notice the bullets shake in the cylinder....could be what you are referring to in case length.
I suppose I could set up a system to hold and fire the gun without endangering my hand to see if it fired safely. but is there anything I could check so I wouldn't need a system and accidentally shoot me?
My Beretta was not modified to the degree you are thinking. its not disguised as a taser it looks like one cause its black and yellow and many thought I was packing a taser.

 

[Merle1948]

Sorry It was 50 GRAIN +P ammo

That still sounds very wrong. Try reading the box again.

Just for grins & giggles I googled up "50 gr 9mm" and found it listed by Liberty ammo as 2000 fps.
So it does exist, but opinions vary as to it's effectiveness. :roll: