Ruger SP101 Worth Buying

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HappinessIsAWarmGun
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Ruger SP101 Worth Buying

Post by HappinessIsAWarmGun » Sat Feb 18, 2017 8:41 pm

Would appreciate some advice,

I have an opportunity to buy a used Ruger SP101 3" for $450 (not on this site and not from this area). It has had a maybe 500 rounds threw it (nothing I'm concerned about) and appears to be in great condition from the pictures I've received. It comes with xs tritium front sight, Hogue grips, holster (left handed unfortunately), 10 lbs main spring, box of 357 hollow points, a couple speed strips, and the factory box/grips/papers.

Then he mentioned that it had a squib round fired through it that scuffed the inside of the barrel (says its a small mark). He hasn't sent me photos of it yet and I haven't had the opportunity to see it in person. He also said it hasn't affected the accuracy at all. I am not a reloader and have no experience with squibs.

Is this something I should be worried about? Is it a deal breaker? I know Rugers are built like tanks, but would this compromise it in any way?

Thanks for any information you all can provide.

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Re: Ruger SP101 Worth Buying

Post by bladebum » Sat Feb 18, 2017 9:04 pm

It really depends on how the stuck bullet was removed. If done incorrectly, like beating it out with a metal rod, you can ruin the barrel. A good gun smith can scope the barrel and see if there was any damage or not. I would be a little worried with the comment "scuffed the inside of the barrel" and the gun isn't in this area to have it looked at. I would bet that the mark is from the removal and not from the stuck bullet. Beware... unless you can have it inspected. My .02 :)
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Re: Ruger SP101 Worth Buying

Post by HappinessIsAWarmGun » Sun Feb 19, 2017 10:36 am

Thanks for the advice. He will try to get a photo of it by Wednesday for me, hopefully that will reveal the extent of the damage. I will probably put off the sale until I can examine the gun myself though, I'll be in the area next month. Hopefully its nothing serious, would love to grab a 3" SP101 at this price with those upgrades.

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Re: Ruger SP101 Worth Buying

Post by Doug Helton » Sun Feb 19, 2017 2:21 pm

Listen to bladebum , lead is not hard enough to score a barrel , keep looking not cheap enough for a potential head ache

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Re: Ruger SP101 Worth Buying

Post by Rigger28 » Sun Feb 19, 2017 8:48 pm

An excellent condition SP101 should go for $450. If the guy thought that the "blemish" was significant enough to mention to you before purchase it means it is obviously noticeable in person. There are LOTS of SP101's available nationwide and to be honest if you are going to spend that kind of money for a Ruger revolver get the GP100. Just my opinion obviously....

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Re: Ruger SP101 Worth Buying

Post by HappinessIsAWarmGun » Sun Feb 19, 2017 9:29 pm

Thanks for the replies, I am very new to revolvers and appreciate everyone's input. I'll be passing on this one and will be looking for a better one.

Rigger, why the GP100 instead of the SP101 in your opinion? I am very new to the world of revolvers and unfamiliar with the 357 cartridge. From my research it just sounded like a nice revolver to start with and a good all-round caliber.(I also wont be shooting very many hot loads through it)

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Re: Ruger SP101 Worth Buying

Post by Rigger28 » Sun Feb 19, 2017 11:29 pm

HappinessIsAWarmGun wrote:Thanks for the replies, I am very new to revolvers and appreciate everyone's input. I'll be passing on this one and will be looking for a better one.

Rigger, why the GP100 instead of the SP101 in your opinion? I am very new to the world of revolvers and unfamiliar with the 357 cartridge. From my research it just sounded like a nice revolver to start with and a good all-round caliber.(I also wont be shooting very many hot loads through it)
There are 2 major benefits of the gp100 over the sp101:

1) 6 round capacity (gp100) vs. 5 on the sp101

2) the gp100 has fully adjustable sights on the 4" and larger barrel models. I own the 4.2" stainless model.

I just feel the GP is worth the little extra money. Another great .357 for the money is the Taurus 66. But only the older ones, don't buy a newer Taurus. I bought a NIB Taurus Tracker .41 mag in 2011 and the cylinder was so sloppy it would shave little chunks of bullet off when entering the forcing cone because it couldn't line up properly. It was a POS, I sold it immediately.

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Re: Ruger SP101 Worth Buying

Post by Call Turner » Mon Feb 20, 2017 7:53 am

Old Taurus's shave lead too. Brazilian junk to copy S&W. Not a fan at all! :?
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Re: Ruger SP101 Worth Buying

Post by Mossy » Mon Feb 20, 2017 8:54 am

I'm with Rigger in this. Unless you plan on cc the 101, I would also opt for the gp100. Another benefit with the 100 is the weight; a lot more fun at the range because you will want to shoot it more.

Hogue grips are around $10, sounds like the holster won't work for you and speed loaders are pretty cheap as well.
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Re: Ruger SP101 Worth Buying

Post by greatbob6 » Mon Feb 20, 2017 8:48 pm

If you are new to revolvers, and the .38 Special/.357 Magnum, then I would recommend trying them out before you buy them. My experience from renting both the GP100 and the SP101 at Sharp Shooting is that the SP101 was not fun to shoot .357 Magnum with but the GP100 was fine, but both of them worked fine for .38 Special. The SP101 was (for me) just too light with too small of grips for the power of the .357 Magnum...it was shootable but definitely not enjoyable.

That said...I am currently thinking about picking up an SP101 in .22 LR because it seems like a great gun for that caliber.

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