# 'Loved the SP-101 SO much.....



## NLAlston (Nov 15, 2011)

.....that I JUST ordered the GP-100.

Yes, in a (hopefully) short period of time I will have the bigger sibling to (what is now going to be) my wife's SP-101. I could have very easily sprung for another SP-101, but I'd wanted to see what a GP-100 felt like, in my hands. My hands are of the larger size and, after gaining the opportunity to hold one I was hooked. I didn't buy from the gun range, which had the gun, because there is another outlet that I give all of my business to. But the matter of a week, or two - or maybe even somewhat longer - is not an issue. As long as I know that one is on its way is enough for me.

I opted for the 3" barrel because, despite its objectionable (to some) weight, this will be MY carry gun. 

Just can't wait until it gets here .


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I agree that your carry gun needs some forward weight, and that a three-inch barrel is a good choice.
A three-inch barrel is a good compromise among forward weight, longer sight radius, and ease of quick presentation.
(Remember that a long barrel can just get shoved deeper into your pants for concealment, while a longer grip is very hard to hide.)

So, who is going to carry that Ruger snubbie that you own?
Please don't tell me that it's going to be your wife, as in: "A little gun for the little lady." My reply would have to be: "Did she choose it for herself?"


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## NLAlston (Nov 15, 2011)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> I agree that your carry gun needs some forward weight, and that a three-inch barrel is a good choice.
> A three-inch barrel is a good compromise among forward weight, longer sight radius, and ease of quick presentation.
> (Remember that a long barrel can just get shoved deeper into your pants for concealment, while a longer grip is very hard to hide.)
> 
> ...


Yes, Steve, you've got it right: the SP-101 is going to be my wife's gun . Did she choose it for herself?
The answer is no. Yesterday, when I returned home from the range, I was remarking to her as to how highly I thought of the SP-101. I asked her to check the gun out, and let me know how she felt about the fit & feel of the gun.
it turned out that she seemed to feel pretty good with that, and I said to her that it was hers - providing
that she wanted it. She DID.

Lately, I have grown to be of a mind that revolvers would lend a higher degree of operational assurance, than
semi-autos. And it is for that reason that I have decided to carry a nice, competent revolver as my carry weapon.
i love my wife, dearly, and really wouldn't want her to be any less outfitted, regarding a carry gun. She isn't a big woman, and wouldn't be belt-carrying. But, first thing's first: we'll see what her verdict is going to be after sge's 
actually spent spent time at the range with it. If she opts for something else (maybe smaller/lighter) then I 
i will get her something to fill that order. But the SP-101 will be going NOWHERE. I'll keep, both, it - and
its big brother.


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## NLAlston (Nov 15, 2011)

Forgive the erratic sentencing, in my above post. My iPad seems to be on the stupid side, st present.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I suggest that after your wife has actually fired a few shots through that snubbie, you will find that she hasn't enjoyed the experience.
Indeed, it may turn her off to pistol shooting.

If your wife is inexperienced with pistols, the best teaching tool is a full-size, full-weight pistol.
The object is to minimize recoil (and pain) during the learning experience. Only mass (weight) can do that.

My wife is an experienced defensive-pistol shooter who stands just under five feet, and weighs about 90 pounds, fully dressed and soaking wet.
I started her off dry-firing with a full-size 1911 in .45, teaching her good technique _without any recoil to deal with_.
When she was ready, I started her out shooting that same pistol loaded with full-strength G.I. loads. She never felt any discomfort from recoil.

Later, I asked her to choose her own carry gun. She chose a .38 Special snubbie like yours (but by S&W), so we worked with that.
She could shoot it quite well, but its twisty recoil was extremely uncomfortable to her. In the end, she rejected it.

Don't be surprised, if your wife rejects the pistol _that *you* have chosen for her_. My bet: She will.
Teach her to shoot first, with a soft-recoiling gun*, and then let her choose her own pistol.

***The 1911 in .45 is indeed a soft-recoiling gun. It is heavy, and its bullets leave its barrel moving slowly, which adds up to a soft "push" of felt recoil. Your .38 Special snubbie, and even your three-inch, will recoil with what feels like a sharp jab.


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

You didn't say whether you fired the SP-101, or what ammo you used (if you did). I'm assuming that you did fire it, and did shoot it fairly well. If you were using .38 Special ammo, I'm not surprised, because the Sp-101 has enough weight to allow for a comfortable level of recoil, with .38 Special ammo. If you were shooting .357 Magnum, and still love it, then I'm somewhat impressed, because that is the reaction I would expect from an experienced shooter.

If you are shooting .38 Special, be advised that when you clean it, you should pay particular attention to the carbon ring that will form at the end of the cartridge case in each chamber of the cylinder. It is somewhat harder to remove than the other grime, and you need to keep it smoothed down, else you will eventually experience problems with chambering .357 Magnum ammo, because of its longer case.

As for the GP-100 3", I think that is a great choice.


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## NLAlston (Nov 15, 2011)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> So, who is going to carry that Ruger snubbie that you own?
> Please don't tell me that it's going to be your wife, as in: "A little gun for the little lady." My reply would have to be: "Did she choose it for herself?"


Yes )), I was thinking of the SP-101 for my wife. She likes the gun, now - but we'll see how things work out after I get her to the range with it. But, no matter what, this revolver is a keeper. If she DOES undergo a change of mind, then I will just have to seek something else for her.

She HAS fired my S&W model 439, my Fratelli Tangfoglio TZ-75, as well as my previously owned S&W .38 spl revolver (model 67-1) without issues. Of course, we aren't talking .357 loads, with those guns, and it could turn out that she may NOT like .357 caliber loads.

What's the least caliber power that you would recommend for a smaller woman? And what revolver, in that caliber, would you recommend our looking at?

Advanced thanks.

Blessings,
Nathan


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

NLAlston said:


> ...What's the least caliber power that you would recommend for a smaller woman? And what revolver, in that caliber, would you recommend our looking at?...


I'm not as experienced with revolvers as I am with semi-autos. It's merely a matter of preference.
My wife, Jean, who is a good pistol shot, prefers a tiny, pocket-size .380 ACP Kel-Tec P-3AT. But remember that tiny pistols are experts' guns. They are _very_ hard to shoot well. (So neither Jean nor I recommend her choice for your wife.)

I suggest that .38 Special is just about the minimum effective self-defense cartridge, and I further suggest that the 158-grain bullet load (_not_ +P or +P+) is probably the best self-defense revolver cartridge for a beginner. (The softest recoil impulse comes from a slow-moving bullet. Slower is better.)
But much more important is the pistol. So I suggest that your three-inch carry gun might be a good pistol with which your wife could start. (Maybe even a four-inch: Heavier is better.)

Another good beginner's load would be .38 Special full-wadcutter target loads. These use lighter bullets, but travelling at very low speed, and the recoil impulse is easily managed.
But as soon as some useful skill is built, she should switch to slow, heavy bullets. She needs to practice with loads that are similar to those she will be carrying for self-defense, so that both recoil impulse and point-of-impact stay the same.

Side Note: No purse carry. No off-the-body carry at all. _The gun stays on the person at all times._ Why? Well, she could put her purse down, and then walk away from it..."just for a second." And then a small child sees the unattended purse, and investigates it with childish curiosity. And then "BANG!" Or a purse-snatch provides a criminal with an unexpected bonus.


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## NLAlston (Nov 15, 2011)

Bisley said:


> You didn't say whether you fired the SP-101, or what ammo you used (if you did). I'm assuming that you did fire it, and did shoot it fairly well. If you were using .38 Special ammo, I'm not surprised, because the Sp-101 has enough weight to allow for a comfortable level of recoil, with .38 Special ammo. If you were shooting .357 Magnum, and still love it, then I'm somewhat impressed, because that is the reaction I would expect from an experienced shooter.
> 
> If you are shooting .38 Special, be advised that when you clean it, you should pay particular attention to the carbon ring that will form at the end of the cartridge case in each chamber of the cylinder. It is somewhat harder to remove than the other grime, and you need to keep it smoothed down, else you will eventually experience problems with chambering .357 Magnum ammo, because of its longer case.
> 
> As for the GP-100 3", I think that is a great choice.


Yes, I did shoot the SP-101. My wife's aunt had given me a near-full box of .38spl wadcutters, that her husband had, and that is what I shot (wasn't able to avail myself of any .357 ammo, at that time). I shot into a head and torso silhouette target, and a 20ft distance. How well did I do? Not good.

I shot cylinder load into the target, and reeled it in to gain a better visual of what I had done. I was a bit dismayed to find that - of those five shots - one was off paper, three were grouped within about a 5" circle, and the remaining one was about an inch, or so, outside of that group. But what REALLY got me was the fact that I had aimed for the circular, center chest mark - only to find that my shots entered lower than that, and a little to the left. All subsequent shots proved to be not much better.

This was only my second time that I had been at range, but that's going to change. Practice, practice, and MORE practice is the key, and the range keepers are going to get to know me real well. I plan to visit there as frequently as I can, and can't wait for the time when I will be able to pride myself on consistently shooting tight, well-placed groups.


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## boatdoc173 (Mar 15, 2014)

if your wife has never shot a revolver,I suggest(like steve did) a fullsized one. The gp100 is a great gun. maybe rent a 5 or 6" for you and the wife to try. they are awesome. My wife shoots our 6" better than I do(in SA anyway). I am going to get a gp100 3" one day soon. Rugers are great revolvers--MHO


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

NLAlston said:


> ...But what REALLY got me was the fact that I had aimed for the circular, center chest mark - only to find that my shots entered lower than that, and a little to the left...


If a right-handed shooter hits low and left, the problem is one of trigger - and hand - control.
The effect is called "milking the grip" because the lower fingers are squeezing ever harder as the trigger finger completes its press.
That squeeze rotates the gun down and left as the fingers tighten.

The problem is easy to fix, but the fix takes large amounts of practice.
The trick is to "isolate" the trigger finger. That is, you need to be able to move your trigger finger completely independently, while the other fingers maintain a steady, firm grip on the gun.

Did you read my post to you about dry-fire practice? That's what you need to do. Find it and read it.
When you dry-fire, grip the pistol _very_ tightly, but leave your trigger finger free to move. Then press the trigger, and watch the sights.
The trick is to complete a smooth trigger press without moving the sights at all: Not in relation to the wall, and not in relation to each other.


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> The trick is to complete a smooth trigger press without moving the sights at all: Not in relation to the wall, and not in relation to each other.


Imagine that you have the ability to control the bullet and direct it to the target, after it leaves the muzzle. It's a mind trick to help your trigger pull and follow-through.

When you get your GP-100, practice with it until you get very good, and then start trying to master the SP-101. Small pistols require extreme concentration that can be learned with dry firing, as Steve said.


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## NLAlston (Nov 15, 2011)

@boatdoc173

My wife HAD shot a .38spl Smith & Wesson revolver, model 67-1, that I once owned. She did mention about its punch, but made no mention about it being objectionable to her. In fact, her sole concern was that the grip was too big for her hand. With the SP-101 being of smaller size, I thought that she might want to try it out, and see how she likes it.


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## Bullseye (May 14, 2007)

> 'Loved the SP-101 SO much.....
> .....that I JUST ordered the GP-100.


Same here, except I went the other way. About 10 years ago I purchased a GP100 and liked it so much that I went out and purchased a SP101. It didn't stop there, then the Super Redhawk, Security Six, Single Six, on and on. Been addicted to Ruger Revolvers ever since.


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## NLAlston (Nov 15, 2011)

Bullseye said:


> Same here, except I went the other way. About 10 years ago I purchased a GP100 and liked it so much that I went out and purchased a SP101. It didn't stop there, then the Super Redhawk, Security Six, Single Six, on and on. Been addicted to Ruger Revolvers ever since.


WOW!! You've got some hardware, there .

yes, we both took somewhat different directions, but wound up in the same arena .

i absolutely LOVE the SP-101, and know that I will share the same degree of love with the GP-100. I just can't wait until it gets here.


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