Ruger SP 101 vs S&W 38spl

s rosenthal · 03-26-2008, 07:37 AM

Gundealer suggested a look at the Ruger 101 as a home protection handgun in addition to looking at an S&W 38spl. Waiting for Ruger to be in shop for comparison. Wonder if anyone can clue me in to ability of wife to use one over the other as far as fit, feel and most importantly, trigger pull. Wife tried friend's Taurus and found it very difficult to pull trigger. Hoping one or both of the Ruger/S&W models will be better.

Triggerjerk · 03-26-2008, 07:46 AM

Hand fit is important. A Smith or a Ruger are both fine guns. I prefer Smiths, but if I needed a gun and had a Ruger on hand I would not feel sorry for myself! I found that the Ruger SP101 had a long trigger pull compared to the Smiths. But that is for my hand. Try a bunch of different guns.

The nice thing about .357's and .38's is that there are lots of different cartridges of all different power levels available. I also like the simplicity. No safties, magazines, decockers, etc. I am a revolver man.

nathangdad · 03-26-2008, 07:56 AM

I feel the Smith and Wesson has the better trigger pull from the factory. I would choose the .357 mag as you can shoot .38 specials plus a range of +P loads up to the .357 mag.

Whatever you choose - practice, practice, and practice until both of
you develop confidence and capability to quickly handle the gun in an
emergency situation.

Good luck, good shooting, and remember to practice.

Taurus Fan · 03-26-2008, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nathangdad

I feel the Smith and Wesson has the better trigger pull from the factory. I would choose the .357 mag as you can shoot .38 specials plus a range of +P loads up to the .357 mag.

Whatever you choose - practice, practice, and practice until both of
you develop confidence and capability to quickly handle the gun in an
emergency situation.

Good luck, good shooting, and remember to practice.

You usually have to throw some money at a gunsmith to get any other double action revolver's trigger pull to be as good as an out-of-the-box Smith & Wesson, been that way for generations.

(Excluding some of the high-end guns that cost big $$, of course )

Triggerjerk · 03-26-2008, 08:24 AM

My issue is the length of the pull and whether you can comfortably run the trigger through the entire double action stroke without having to shift your grip. I have shot handguns that had long trigger pulls. My finger was as far back as it could comfortably go, and there was still more pull needed to complete the stroke. This caused me to shift the gun to complete the stroke, resulting in a shot that was off center.

I find that I need something in the compact or sub-compact range, whether revolver or auto, to get a grip on.

madcratebuilder · 03-26-2008, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triggerjerk

My issue is the length of the pull and whether you can comfortably run the trigger through the entire double action stroke without having to shift your grip. I have shot handguns that had long trigger pulls. My finger was as far back as it could comfortably go, and there was still more pull needed to complete the stroke. This caused me to shift the gun to complete the stroke, resulting in a shot that was off center.

I find that I need something in the compact or sub-compact range, whether revolver or auto, to get a grip on.

Take a look at the K frame S&W's, M10, M15, M19. With the proper grip panels they should fit any hand.

Triggerjerk · 03-26-2008, 10:37 AM

Yeah, I do well with a target grip on a Model 10...but I settled on a Model 36 and a Model 442. I carry them all of the time, and I did not want the Model 10 just sitting in a closet. So I sold it to a good friend at a good price.

TXplt · 03-26-2008, 11:02 AM

Ruger has excellent TP -- about as good as it gets for snubby. The extra weight helps as well. This is a drawback for carry but a plus for shooting. Smith makes fine snubby. Try them both, and realize it won't be any better than these......SP-101 has better grip in my opinion, but I'd shoot them and see what she likes.

Triggerjerk · 03-27-2008, 07:06 AM

Madcratebuilder suggested a Model 10. My dealer has one in his case (used) in really nice shape for $239. I had a hard time walking away from that one.

If I was in trouble and had a Model 10 with +p's in my hand, I would not really feel undergunned. Hell...if I had a Model 10 with standard loads I'd feel okay!

billy · 03-27-2008, 07:12 AM

i swapped the springs in my sp 101 and it feels like a new gun.
it took maybe 10 minutes.
i used the wolff spring kit

Triggerjerk · 03-27-2008, 07:14 AM

I really like the SP 101's...but they are a bit heavier than I like to carry. So I go for a S&W snubby.

03-26-2008, 07:37 AM	#1
s rosenthal Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 44 Trader Rating: (0)	Ruger SP 101 vs S&W 38spl Gundealer suggested a look at the Ruger 101 as a home protection handgun in addition to looking at an S&W 38spl. Waiting for Ruger to be in shop for comparison. Wonder if anyone can clue me in to ability of wife to use one over the other as far as fit, feel and most importantly, trigger pull. Wife tried friend's Taurus and found it very difficult to pull trigger. Hoping one or both of the Ruger/S&W models will be better.

03-26-2008, 07:46 AM	#2
Triggerjerk Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 978 Trader Rating: (0)	Hand fit is important. A Smith or a Ruger are both fine guns. I prefer Smiths, but if I needed a gun and had a Ruger on hand I would not feel sorry for myself! I found that the Ruger SP101 had a long trigger pull compared to the Smiths. But that is for my hand. Try a bunch of different guns. The nice thing about .357's and .38's is that there are lots of different cartridges of all different power levels available. I also like the simplicity. No safties, magazines, decockers, etc. I am a revolver man. __________________ We old dogs can learn new tricks. We just may not like performng them. TJ

03-26-2008, 07:56 AM	#3
nathangdad Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,253 Trader Rating: (0)	I agree with Triggerjerk I feel the Smith and Wesson has the better trigger pull from the factory. I would choose the .357 mag as you can shoot .38 specials plus a range of +P loads up to the .357 mag. Whatever you choose - practice, practice, and practice until both of you develop confidence and capability to quickly handle the gun in an emergency situation. Good luck, good shooting, and remember to practice.

03-26-2008, 08:24 AM	#5
Triggerjerk Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 978 Trader Rating: (0)	My issue is the length of the pull and whether you can comfortably run the trigger through the entire double action stroke without having to shift your grip. I have shot handguns that had long trigger pulls. My finger was as far back as it could comfortably go, and there was still more pull needed to complete the stroke. This caused me to shift the gun to complete the stroke, resulting in a shot that was off center. I find that I need something in the compact or sub-compact range, whether revolver or auto, to get a grip on. __________________ We old dogs can learn new tricks. We just may not like performng them. TJ

03-26-2008, 10:37 AM	#7
Triggerjerk Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 978 Trader Rating: (0)	Yeah, I do well with a target grip on a Model 10...but I settled on a Model 36 and a Model 442. I carry them all of the time, and I did not want the Model 10 just sitting in a closet. So I sold it to a good friend at a good price. __________________ We old dogs can learn new tricks. We just may not like performng them. TJ

03-26-2008, 11:02 AM	#8
TXplt Lost in the Ozone Again Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 2,399 Trader Rating: (0)	Ruger has excellent TP -- about as good as it gets for snubby. The extra weight helps as well. This is a drawback for carry but a plus for shooting. Smith makes fine snubby. Try them both, and realize it won't be any better than these......SP-101 has better grip in my opinion, but I'd shoot them and see what she likes. __________________ Old fighter pilots never die.....They just wind up in Texas

03-27-2008, 07:06 AM	#9
Triggerjerk Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 978 Trader Rating: (0)	Madcratebuilder suggested a Model 10. My dealer has one in his case (used) in really nice shape for $239. I had a hard time walking away from that one. If I was in trouble and had a Model 10 with +p's in my hand, I would not really feel undergunned. Hell...if I had a Model 10 with standard loads I'd feel okay! __________________ We old dogs can learn new tricks. We just may not like performng them. TJ

03-27-2008, 07:12 AM	#10
billy spiritual counselor Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca Posts: 10,865 Trader Rating: (0)	i swapped the springs in my sp 101 and it feels like a new gun. it took maybe 10 minutes. i used the wolff spring kit __________________ i'll keep an eye out for ya!

03-27-2008, 07:14 AM	#11
Triggerjerk Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 978 Trader Rating: (0)	I really like the SP 101's...but they are a bit heavier than I like to carry. So I go for a S&W snubby. __________________ We old dogs can learn new tricks. We just may not like performng them. TJ