1st trip w/a New Ruger SP101 3"...and it wasn't good!

[Gideon46]

Well I just bought an SP101 3". Notice dry firing it that every once in a while when cocking the hammer that it would bind up. Only happened once in a great while and never in DA. Decided to take it out to the woods to shoot it for the first time and after a box of 125gr .357's it got worse to the point every 2 or three pulls on the hammer it'll bind and you can sometimes feel it binding in DA. So I quit shooting and will have to send this off to Ruger

I also discovered something very odd when I was examining it. On the side of the revolver that the cylinder swings out on, there's a small metal protrusion in the bottom right corner of the opening (it's supposed to be there) I think it somehow stops the cylinder from moving back when ejecting cases, anyway, with .38 ammo it's possible to line it up just so, that the lip of the case gets wedged against that and you can't eject until you rotate the cylinder just a hair.

Needless to say I'm a bit disappointed. I've shot all my life and never had any problem with any revolver ever, any way shape or form, until now. Here's hoping Ruger is good on their warranty service although technically they offer no warranty at all.

And if any of you can recommend a low recoil practice .357 round I'd appreciate it. Those 125gr. .357's were STOUT! And boy is this gun sharp

I have a small hole in the first notch of my trigger finger where it was cut on the edge of the trigger right where it goes up into the frame. It comes from gripping the gun high on the backstrap and using the first joint to pull the trigger instead of the 1st pad. I learned to shoot better this way with my S&W J frame.

I'm confident I'll get the gun fixed but it has to be dehorned but I'm planning on sending this to Gemini Customs soon for bead blasting and action work. God knows it needs it bad!

I still think it's an excellent weapon and would recommned the SP101 to those who want a cheaper, stouter .357 small frame revolver but there's no doubt S&W rules when it comes to revolvers.

Couldn't check accuracy because of the problems above, the recoil, the cut finger, etc. but it seemed to be very low and left but better at longer ranges. I'll have to wait for the gun to get right at the factory and I'll have to get that trigger re-shapped before I can work more on accuracy.

Oh well, sure hate waiting for buying a gun much less getting one back from the factory!

Again if you can recommend the lightest recoiling practice round in .357 I'd love to hear your thoughts. For carry I'm likely going to use Speer Gold Dot 135 gr short barrel .357 ammo.

God Bless
Gideon

[elwaine]

Don't get discouraged. Every once in a while such things happen. Ruger will stand by the gun. I had a similar problem with a Ruger Alaskan in .44 magnum, except that the binding of the cylinder occurred in Double Action mode - not in SA. Sent it back to Ruger (they were very accommodating and paid shipping both ways). Several parts were replaced. Just got it back today.

Dry firing resulted is 2 possible episodes of binding - although I was pulling the trigger quite rapidly and may not have let the trigger travel forward enough... so perhaps they did fix it and the recent binding episodes were my fault. I won't know for sure until I take it to the range next week.

As far as low recoil practice rounds in .357 magnum, use 38 specials. I don't know of a nice .357 practice round... but Corbon makes a 100 gr. Pow’R’ball .357 magnum that has less recoil than the 125 gr. If you think the 125 are harsh, try the 158 gr. 357mag. Now that's nasty.

I can't say enough positive about Gemini Custom. Marc worked on my S&W 640. He did a great trigger job, etc., and the bead blast finish is exceptional. If Ruger fixed the problem with my Alaskan, I'll probably send that off to Marc for some custom work.

[Mosin44az]

My last SP would hang up when I pulled the trigger rapidly several times. Took it to my gunsmith, who spotted one of the parts of the action being out-of-spec. Since he was doing an action job anyway, and had a spare on hand, he popped it in and solved the problem.

Ruger service is very good, they will fix the problem. I used to think Ruger quality control was near-perfect, but still believe their guns are very durable.

For "low recoil" practice, I used .38s....

I found my SP to recoil harshly with anything above 110-grain .357s, although ElDorado Starfire 150's sometimes didn't seem too bad.

[skeeter1]

Don't be discouraged with your Ruger. They are decent handguns, and if Ruger can't fix it for you, I'm sure a decent smithy can for a few bucks.

I like S&Ws myself, but of late, the prices of them have gone through the roof. I'm glad I got mine years ago.

[Gideon46]

Thanks guys. I've been around guns a long time and know there's no brand that 100%, 100% of the time but I do have a question:

Does it do anything bad to switch back and forth between .38's and .357? I read one guy who said he'd never shoot anything but .357 in his revo because shooting .38's caused build up?

Is there a watch out here? I don't always clean my gun ever trip to the range , so will this be a problem with a .38/.357? Your advise would be appreciated. I've had a number of revolvers but they were all single caliber...

And I will definitely be sending the gun to Gemini. That's the reason I bought it in the first place. I saw one of these and just loved it. I don't need the gun but really liked the look.

I intend to have the hammer bobbed because this will never be a hunting or target gun. I'll use it for CCW once in a while and as a sidearm when hiking, fishing, running traps, etc. Mainly its protection there too.

Only concern I have is whether I'll want to carry it in the woods after Gemini is done customizing it. It would be terrible to have the finish scratched so I'm thinking of just getting his action job and the new front sight but the bead blasted finish is SO PRETTY! BUT CAN IT HOLD UP?

Anyone had that finish for a long time?

Anyway, have a good rest of the weekend guys...

Gideon

[Mosin44az]

.38s obviously are shorter than .357s so, if uncleaned over a period of time, will leave powder residue in the front of the cylinder that would, eventually, make it harder to put new rounds in the cylinder. I clean generally every trip or every other trip to the range, and have never noticed a problem. It doesn't take that long to clean a revolver.

As for wearing it in the woods, after putting money into its appearance, and its appearance being important to you, um, I guess I wouldn't. Carry guns, especially woods guns, you have to be prepared to take some "hits", in my experience. I don't know how the finish you are thinking of cleans up if scratched, you might ask Gemini.

[Gideon46]

I think you're right! Why carry a "custom" gun in the woods. I suppose I'll just have to get a GP100 for that
God Bless
Gideon

[ronto]

Just one thing to add to the excellent posts so far, it's a good idea to practice with the same ammo you plan to carry for SD...Don't need any surprises when it really counts.

[elwaine]

I have a different slant on whether or not to take a "beautifully finished" gun into the woods, etc.. If the gun is collector quality, don't carry it and never shoot it. But otherwise, why deprive yourself the joy and pleasure of carrying around a really good looking gun? So what if it gets a scratch or two. Bead blasting is cheap and can always be re-done. Your local gun shop may actually know of someone in your area who does it - saving you shipping costs. Yes, Gemini does a beautiful job, but you are sending it to him primarily for his trigger and action job (and you won't be sorry).

I grew up in a plastic covered home... couldn't sit on the real upholstery. The real deal was kept in pristine condition by protective seat covers… which in turn had plastic slip covers to protect the damn seat covers. No one remembered what the original upholstery looked like – but it was great condition, I’m sure.

Carry a nice looking gun so that you, and not the second owner, will enjoy it!

[Rimrod]

"...when cocking the hammer that it would bind up."

" ...it got worse to the point every 2 or three pulls on the hammer it'll bind and you can sometimes feel it binding in DA. So I quit shooting and will have to send this off..."

"...with .38 ammo it's possible to line it up just so, that the lip of the case gets wedged against that and you can't eject until you rotate the cylinder just a hair."

"I have a small hole in the first notch of my trigger finger where it was cut on the edge of the trigger right where it goes up into the frame."

"Couldn't check accuracy because of the problems above, the recoil, the cut finger, etc. but it seemed to be very low and left but better at longer ranges."

" I'll have to wait for the gun to get right at the factory..."

"...although technically they offer no warranty at all."

"I still think it's an excellent weapon and would recommned the SP101..."

That's one heck of a recommendation, makes me want to run right out and buy one of those "excellent" weapons.

[skeeter1]

I clean generally every trip or every other trip to the range, and have never noticed a problem.

Smart advice. My dad would have kicked my butt if I'd ever gone to bed without cleaning any of my firearms after a day at the range or hunting. Consequently, I have some that are quite old and still look and work like new. To me, cleaning your firearm at the end of the day is both easy and relaxing. There's little reason for not cleaning your firearms. My $0.02.

[springmom]

My SRH needed to go back to Ruger after its first time out, too. They will fix it, and they'll do it in good time. But insist on a prepaid shipping label. If you wait for them to reimburse you for shipping, you'll be waiting quite awhile. I just got my check yesterday and I sent them the gun at the end of October.

You should clean that revolver every time. Be sure to clean well under the extractor star. Shooting .38's will be fine, just clean the gun at the end of the day.

Good luck.

Springmom

[HammerBite]

Originally Posted by elwaine

I grew up in a plastic covered home... couldn't sit on the real upholstery. The real deal was kept in pristine condition by protective seat covers… which in turn had plastic slip covers to protect the damn seat covers. No one remembered what the original upholstery looked like – but it was great condition, I’m sure.

The people who used to live across the street from me were super neat freaks. Their yard was always precisely manicured and nothing was ever in disarray. Their living room lights were left on all night long, with the curtains open so everyone could see their nice furnishings, and never once in seven years did I ever see anyone actually in the living room. It was a virtual museum.

I have a few very nice guns, some with high-grade engraving and gold accents, and I shoot them. I am careful not to ding them up too bad, but they get shot.

[44 AMP]

Although downloaded by the ammo makers over the years, the .357 magnum still packs a hefty kick. I have no sympathy for people who get a tiny .357, and then complain about the recoil.

There is no free lunch. You take a small (medium frame) gun, add in a short barrel, and magnum ammo, and yes, it will kick. And blast!

Want a mild load, shoot .38 Special. Don't worry about .38s leaving buildup in the chambers, just clean them. Unless you have extremely dirty ammo, or shoot several hundred rounds before cleaning, you won't have any problem. Anytime you are in doubt, just drop some .357s into the gun. If they drop all the way in, no problem. If you have to give them a little push to get them fully seated, clean the gun.

Sorry to hear about your troubles with your new Ruger. I have only had two problems with a Ruger guns in over 25 years, and currently own 5 Ruger handguns and 5 Ruger rifles. Neither problem required a trip back to the factory. 10/22 rifle had it's extractor blown out and lost, due to defective ammo. Ruger sent me another one. .44 Mag vaquero base pin retainer unscrewed and dissappeared at the range. Got another one from Gunparts, and "Guntited" it in place. No trouble since.

Ruger will do you right, even if it takes a while.

[Gideon46]

Thanks for all the good info and yes, I still recommend this excellent weapon. I've been around guns my whole life and learned a little. Sometimes a gun is unreliable because it's a poor design or poorly manufactured. I won't recommend a gun like that for CCW even if there are many that work fine. However, sometimes you come across a gun that is a good design and generally well manufactured but one got out the door with a minor issue. I've worked in manufactuering for a while and know that there's no such thing as a 0% defect rate. The SP101 is a very well engineered desing and it's very well built if a little rough on fit and finish but when you consider what you get in comparison to the price you pay and consider how long it'll last, It's an excellent weapon.

I belive there's just one little minor thing wrong with this gun that a Ruger gunsmith will probably know the moment they read my letter. Once it's fixed, I doubt seriously it it'll ever "bread down" as opposed to this being some issue that went wrong when it was being made so yup, I still recommend them and I'm very confident this will work out fine. If I had to soften the edge against my trigger finger I could do that myself easily but I'll get Gemini take care of it.

All said, I believe it'll be a good shooter but I'll have to practice more. The recoils differen than all my autos, even my .45 1911.

thanks again all for the input on the .38 vs .357 thing!

God Bless
Gideon

[Steve 48]

I found out my SP 101 in 3 inch likes the 158 grs and if you reload, it really loves the Leadheads 158gr Keith style lead bullet with 6.7 grs of Universal Clays. Steve48

[azredhawk44]

I found out my SP 101 in 3 inch likes the 158 grs and if you reload, it really loves the Leadheads 158gr Keith style lead bullet with 6.7 grs of Universal Clays. Steve48

Excellent advice. My 3" sp101 also loves a steady diet of 158gr LSWC and a fast pistol powder. I've used titegroup almost exclusively for it, with a smidge of unique at the beginning. Same concept, though.

[James A. Mullins]

I have the binding problem in my SP 101 .357. Mine started on my third box of Rem. 158 JHP. It sure hasn't anything to do with cleaning the gun. Bought new,and cleaned it. Shot a box at the range and cleaned it. Next range session the same. Third trip couldn't rotate cylinder after 10 shots. Stoped shooting and checked out gun. I could not find any problems. Checked under extracter, flooded and drained gun with crc, no help. Tryed flooding and compressed air blow down . Still binds. Sent to factory and havent heard back yet. I've been shooting Rugers long and short arms and owe many. This was my first problem. I'am not even worried. I sent a 22 pistole to the I'v owned since 60. I can't even guess how many rds fired. They refitted and blued the whole gun to new condition. Cost shipping and $ 15.oo.
James

[rcupka]

It will be interesting to hear what component is actually causing this issue, Please share it with us when you find out. I have an two year old SP101 (2.25") with over 2500 rounds through it and no problems at all. Over 2000 rounds were .357 mag. and the rest were 38 and 38+P. I have never put a lead round nose or SWC through it, everything has been jacketed so maybe that is related. I clean the cylinder and barrel every trip to the range (almost every weekend) and have taken it totally apart 3 times for a complete clean and lube.

[Ben Shepherd]

My 2 1/4 inch sp101 LOVES a stiff dose of 2400 under a 158 laser-cast slug. So much so that I have a toolhead on the dillon 650 dedicated to that load.

Don't worry, ruger will fix it. My personal 7 year old sp101 has just went over the 70,000 round mark this month(99.5% were full snort 357). Still works just fine.

[James A. Mullins]

rcupka All three boxes were jacketed store bought 158 JHP. I'll let you know what Ruger says.
James

[MADISON]

My SP-101 [2 1/4 inch] is extremely tight!
There is less ddistance between the cylinder and the forcing cone than my S&W 686. Also, most handguns do not have an even cylinder front.
When I reload for the 101 I need to clean primer pockets to get the cylinder to revolve.

[Big_Bullet]

Had the exact same problem with a new Super Blackhawk. I have owned many Rugers. Any Rugers made after the old man died are pure Junk! That might be your problem. Their older guns are very well made. They raised their prices and substantially lowered their quality. Hope this isn't the case for your sake. Should not have to repair an expensive brand new stinking piece of crap!

RC

[JohnKSa]

Any Rugers made after the old man died are pure Junk!

I think that's clearly overstating the situation.

There has been a bit of a QA/QC slip, but IMO that started before Ruger's death. And while I'm not terribly happy with the direction they're going with some of their new products, I think that it's a serious exaggeration to say that it's all junk.

[Gideon46]

I agree that you shouldn't have to send a brand new gun off to be fixed but the truth is anything that's mass produced has problems. Not to defend Ruger but they are definitely one of the better guns even today. Let's face it, competition drives down cost, so mfgs have to cut costs on their line of guns as well as introducing high end guns which have a better margin for their sales. So any manufactuer is going to try and reduce cost in a weapon and we'll see it. But at the same time someone is always introducing new guns at the high end.

For example, Springfield is selling their 9mm EMP 1911 like hot cakes. They're getting a grand or better for it and will for a while. As a result demand for their micro .45 will likely go down a bit and I'd predict a drop in the price of their micro .45 this year.

Also, once the sales of the EMP slows just a bit, you'll see them introduce a new size but they won't say a word about it unless someone holds off buying the EMP 3" for the new size.

It's all marketing and companys are like people, they go through stages and different periods. I still think Rugers are great guns even if I am disappointed to have to send one back right off the bat.

Mine is still at the factory so I'm just waiting patiently but in a way I get to have the excitement of "getting it" twice

Besides, I didn't need the SP at at all, it was a pure want because of what I envision it'll look like after it gets back from Gemini (sometime down the road when I send it )

Anyway, I don't think any of the top names are junk but they have their moments. Like Keltec. I got a 1st gen P3AT and have had nothing but trouble but they were trying to push the design envelope while keeping the selling price unusually low so they were bound to find some challenges. Despite the issues with my first one I plan on buying a new 2nd generation becasue theres nothing else that really fills that niche.

Okay, enough rambling...
God Bless
Gideon