Ruger SP101, c'mon Ruger...

[Flopsweat]

Rock Islands are great. I took a GI model in 38 Super and had a Beavertail and combat hammer installed with the slide and frame tuned at the same time. The trigger was good to start with but now breaks like glass at about 3 1/2#'s. I've replaced the wood grips with the Hogue Rubber finger groove wrap a rounds and had Tim Copeland install adjustable match sights from Dawson. All told I've got about $800.00 in to this including the cost of the pistol that I bought new for the project.

I've put that grip on a couple of different guns. Unless you have unusually large or small hands it's a great grip.

 

[RVTECH]

I've put that grip on a couple of different guns. Unless you have unusually large or small hands it's a great grip.

Yep best grip I have ever used on a 1911!

AND when I eventually get a RIA 'Ultra' 9mm I hate to say it but I will be replacing the pretty nice grips it comes with for a set of the same Houges as on my .45.

It would be nice if some guns had an option to come 'gripless' for a discount so one can choose his or her own grips.

 

[oremike]

Yep best grip I have ever used on a 1911!

AND when I eventually get a RIA 'Ultra' 9mm I hate to say it but I will be replacing the pretty nice grips it comes with for a set of the same Houges as on my .45.

It would be nice if some guns had an option to come 'gripless' for a discount so one can choose his or her own grips.

That's why I bought the plain Jane gi model, I knew I was going to put it together my way.

 

[RVTECH]

That's why I bought the plain Jane gi model, I knew I was going to put it together my way.

AND I would get the plain Jane GI model IF the front sight was dovetailed and not swaged because that would be one of the first things to swap out and a dovetail is much easier to deal with.

I have never replaced a swaged style sight and it doesn't appear to be a big deal - even without the prescribed tool - and heck, who knows, maybe I'll go take a 2nd look at the GI model!

 

[OldTengu]

I've got a couple RIAs, they're great.
As far as the ruger goes, I bought a used one with a ding in the cylinder, sent it in for a polish job, and they sent me a new cylinder back along with the one the pistol was sent in with.

 

[oremike]

AND I would get the plain Jane GI model IF the front sight was dovetailed and not swaged because that would be one of the first things to swap out and a dovetail is much easier to deal with.

I have never replaced a swaged style sight and it doesn't appear to be a big deal - even without the prescribed tool - and heck, who knows, maybe I'll go take a 2nd look at the GI model!

I had Tim Copeland cut the dovetails for the sights I wanted. He did an excellent job and his price was very fair.

 

[EasEWryder]

Ruger customer service is very good. I wouldn't spend a penny on it until Ruger makes the gun as perfect as they can.

I have a few different older Ruger revolvers and they're all great, and their lock-up puts modern custom shop S&W guns to shame.

This is the route I will go. I will send them a nice email with pics. I'm not giving up on Ruger, and still like their guns. Definitely not gonna dump this gun on somebody else though. This gun WILL be awesome one day!

 

[rjmt]

I don't know, my Ruger Service 6 has developed loose lockup on one chamber after 45 years

but at 7', who cares

Ruger tells me they no longer supports the Service 6

 

[clanhanson]

I had an SP101 which had the same issues. Ruger made it right. However, I'm sick of having to utilize their customer service with every new Ruger I purchase. Their fit and finish isn't the best these days it seems, one of the reasons I went back to S&W.

 

[rjmt]

I had an SP101 which had the same issues. Ruger made it right. However, I'm sick of having to utilize their customer service with every new Ruger I purchase. Their fit and finish isn't the best these days it seems, one of the reasons I went back to S&W.

we've had ZERO problems with our year old GP100 4"
it doesn't have the aesthetic style of a Smith 686, but side by side, they shoot equal

 

[RVTECH]

we've had ZERO problems with our year old GP100 4"

I bought a GP 100 several years ago when I was having trouble finding a mod 19 or 66 (to replace the M-19 I stupidly sold many years ago) and it was FLAWLESS.

I only sold it because I found the pristine mod 66 & 60 I bought as a pair at an estate sale and the GP was becoming a memory!

 

[rjmt]

it's all in the style one prefers
my wife and I have S&W 686s
my son has a Ruger Redhawk, GP100 and uses our SP101 for concealed carry
he thinks the Smiths look flimsy compared to a Ruger

 

[RVTECH]

he thinks the Smiths look flimsy compared to a Ruger.

Show him this picture.

This is my dads 'Duffel Bag' Victory Model Smith & Wesson .38 Special 'K' frame laying on top of my GP 100.

Other than the underlug Not much of the GP showing from around it.

'Width' of course is a different story and the GP is no doubt 'thicker'.

 

[rjmt]

and that underlug makes a world of difference in recoil with full power .357

 

[clanhanson]

we've had ZERO problems with our year old GP100 4"
it doesn't have the aesthetic style of a Smith 686, but side by side, they shoot equal

I'm a huge Ruger fan. My first rifle was a 10/22 that's still going strong after hundreds of boxes of cheap garbage and hundreds of gopher souls sent to the aether. I had a Ruger Alaskan that was great too, and didn't care about the rough fit and finish since it was purely a defensive tool. My Mini 14 is super fun, looks good, and will cycle anything. All had to be returned to Ruger at some point due to odd QC issues but were fine afterwards. My SP101 was probably the worst offender with a canted barrel and poor finishing techniques. Overall I still like Ruger and I look forward to the new Ruger-produced Marlin 1895 models, but OCD folks tend to find issues out of the box since new guns from them are often a bit rough out of the box.

 

[rjmt]

Show him this picture.

This is my dads 'Duffel Bag' Victory Model Smith & Wesson .38 Special 'K' frame laying on top of my GP 100.

Other than the underlug Not much of the GP showing from around it.

'Width' of course is a different story and the GP is no doubt 'thicker'.

View attachment 992673

I have a vintage Ruger Service 6, about the same size as your K frame
but the heavier GP100 with full underlug is much easier to control in .357 than the old Service 6
as I stated, the Ruger is not as elegant as a Smith, but they are built like tanks and have lifetime warranty from Ruger
when I sent my SP101 back for repairs after 30 years, they didn't ask any questions, just fixed it at no charge
granted, they took out my aftermarket parts and replaced them with OEM, but they didn't refuse to work on it with non-OEM parts installed

 

[RVTECH]

but the heavier GP100 with full underlug is much easier to control in .357

Yep - this is for sure (as I owned a GP 100) but I never load 'full house' .357 for my Mod 66.

I am currently looking for either a Mod 27 or 28 in 6" and with those being 'N' frames they will be able to handle heavier loads but even then I would probably never load that heavy.

NOW if a 6 " GP ever rears its beautiful head I may forget about the Mod 27 or 28s !

 

[rjmt]

Yep - this is for sure (as I owned a GP 100) but I never load 'full house' .357 for my Mod 66.

I am currently looking for either a Mod 27 or 28 in 6" and with those being 'N' frames they will be able to handle heavier loads but even then I would probably never load that heavy.

NOW if a 6 " GP ever rears its beautiful head I may forget about the Mod 27 or 28s !

so true - so true, I tried to find one also

now look at the photo of my 686, you will not an unfluted cylinder and 5" bbl - a TALO Special Order

but true be told, I find the 4" 686 better balanced and I don't find any difference in accuracy

 

[oremike]

I've got a 4" GP-100 that I've had forever. I bought it for walk-about carry when I wanted something a little more handy than a 7 1/2 Blackhawk in 45 Colt. Now it does night stand duty, ever ready with 6 full house 158gr Gold Dots.

 

[RVTECH]

Yep - 4" Smith K or L frames are pretty dang hard to beat.

The larger "N' frame takes a bit of that nice balance away in a 4" but in 6" it all comes back !