Ruger SP101 Blued 2.25" 357 Magnum Revolver - Blue/Black, 2.25" Barrel, 5 Rounds, 3-Dot Sights

This gun is the ugly girlfriend that you dumped in HS then saw her 10 years later who blossomed into a beauty. She may not be the lightest or most carry friendly but man does she grow on you. The heft of this gun makes .357 recoil manageable and the blueing is flawless. Keep in mind you only have 5 shots so if you want more this is not for you. If you’re in bear county or want to be nostalgic pick this one up.

This gun is built rock solid. It’s a bit heavy and I can’t hit the target with it. It’s a reliable wheel gun, but not accurate at all.

Really nice, and a little unique for an SP101.

I am a fan of the .357 and own a number of firearms in this caliber. This is my first Ruger revolver, though I own other Ruger firearms. My first impression of the SP101 is that it is a beautiful weapon. It is well-made and doesn’t seem as rough around the edges as some other Ruger firearms. My biggest complaints are the heavy trigger pull and the stiff hammer if trying to use this weapon in single action. I was hoping it would become more loose after firing some rounds, but this is not the case. I have two S&W .357 weapons and a Taurus and they are not this stiff and have a much lighter trigger pull leading to more accurate shots down range. I was disappointed with the overall stiffness and accuracy compared to other .357’s I own.

Simple, elegant, powerful. Why carry a 9 when you can have a .357 mag? Seriously, I’ve ran about 200 rounds through this, it’s a ruger revolver, so of course it just keeps on firing. This has become my go-to concealed carry. The gun is tiny, but surprisingly easy to handle when shooting. Definitely take it out and shoot though, as the grips are small, and take a little getting used to if you have larger hands.

I haven't had an opportunity to use the weapon at a range, but I do like Its construction, weight and feel.

I have decided to carry a revolver and in particular a Ruger SP 101 .357 for personal defense. Even though the SP 101 is a smaller frame, it is anything but diminutive. The frame is made of one piece of steel as opposed to the side plates on some other well known revolvers. And the mainspring is also stronger than the leaf spring used in other revolvers. Then the SP 101 is built with more steel than it's competitors which translates into more heavy rounds being used comfortably.
Another advantage of this model is that the rounds can be scaled up or down depending on your purpose. You can use .38 specials for target or a 180 grain for woods going where dangerous game might be an issue. Then you can use everything in between for defense. The Ruger SP 101 can stomach it all and come back for more.
Then there's the issue of revolver as. automatic. I say this. I can keep an SP 101 under my pillow for a month and it's still gonna go bang when I pull the trigger. I would not want to try this with an auto. The revolver will take more neglect and for most people this is an advantage. At 61 years of age, I'm probably not going to be on a battlefield where I would need the firepower of an auto. Again here the SP 101 wins out. Five rounds of .357 magnum should be enough for any problem I'll probably ever run into.
My advice to you is to consider an SP 101 for your defense. It is very tough, it is the most modern revolver design that I know of and as a .357 it is perhaps the most versatile of any defensive handgun you will ever want to carry. Get the Ruger!!!

Some thoughts on this blued SP101.
I picked this up after seeing the Ruger promo video of on it on YouTube. The gun shoots fine, but I would note that the double action pull was a little disappointing. It is not a smooth pull and it might need an upgraded spring kit. I will say, my only other Ruger double action revolver is a GP talo edition gun and it might be a better DA trigger pull because it gets some extra attention from Ruger/Talo before being shipped. Also to my surprise the revolver cylinder had a pretty pronounced turn line on it as if someone had been dry firing the gun quite a bit. Maybe this is normal. The bluing is a little more of a matte finish than a polished finish. The pictures of the gun online and in the Ruger video were not quite the same as what I recurved on my gun. It defiantly lead me to believe there would have been a bit more of a polish on the finish than what there really is.
Overall the gun is good, fries fine, and I will keep it.