Customer Reviews for Ruger SP101 4.2" 357 Magnum Revolver

Not a buds rating! Will not blame it on buds. But Ruger revolver barrels are not squared anymore. My Sp101 in 2016 with fixed sights is probably better than this sp101 with adjustable sights in 2024. Sad! Quality control must be out the window, when I can instantly see it with the naked eye. I should not have excepted this” offset “ revolver. Screw the rear sight completely left and deal with an ugly sight on a beautiful gun…? I guess I don’t know what to do now. Maybe have a gunsmith try to rotate the barrel further in place of an $800 dollar pistol to square it up? At least visually! Not happy at all for a damn “quality 357 revolver”! Junk with barrel alignment two pistols in a row! The $350 Taurus revolvers have been more solid shooting than this junk. Sorry, I’m not happy…. Odds are it’s the Ruger products. I purchased the 4.2 barrel for my dad’s retirement gift, but am now reluctant to hand it to him sighted in with the rear sight cranked way over to the left. He’ll call that out immediately. As would anyone pulling up a new pistol for the first time. What can I do besides have the barrel turned tighter? This Ruger quality control is unfortunately gone in my opinion. To have the same issue that I had in 2016 is ridiculous. Sorry, most likely a family of firearm buyers lost here. No more Ruger until proven otherwise….

Absolutely love this beast!!! I haven't shot her yet bit can't wait till I can! The over all feel and look is amazing! Grip feels great buy its a little small for my big hands but otherwise beautiful!!! Only issue was there was some damage to the tip of the barrel but hopefully this doesn't affect the overall use??

Beautiful gun, shoots great. Will probably change out the front sights on it. Only issue I had was with the cci aluminum case 357. Does not like that at all. Had fired rounds that would not eject for the life of me. Had to take it home and pop out shell with a screwdriver..

I absolutely LOVE this pistol. Light, fairly compact, and packs a PUNCH!

Being both a revolver and Ruger fan I had always wanted an SP101. It did not disappoint. I was on a waiting list with Buds who reliably notified me when it became available. The transaction was typically efficient, as expected. To the revolver. Beautifully finished and with a smooth action right out of the box. The sights are excellent, which enhances its accuracy along with the 4" barrel which makes it a pleasure to shoot. One comment is that although the wood inlay grips are attractive, .357 magnums proved to be somewhat of a handful for me due to their narrow profile. .38 specials were fine. This of course could be me getting up there in years. Because of this I installed some Houge rubber grips which made the magnums much more manageable. Overall great gun coupled with excellent service from Buds.

I purchased this RUGER SP101 .357 few years back and I must say, I love this revolver for it's size, comfort and style and does very well when needed for providing protection when I go hiking in the mountains as a back up firearm . I am always confident that this Magnum will perform as expected from the first round all the way to the last.. This .357 goes anywhere I carry. Bud's Gun Shop has always come through. When I contacted customer Service for questions I had with availability and shipping info, they were more than happy to answer all my questions and were not only knowledgeable but very professional as well. Thank you Bus's for a very pleasant experience each time I need firearms and ammo. Gary B.

Perfect revolver. Accurate, and spot on.

My reason for this purchase was to have something on my hip when hunting grouse in Michigan, just in case I'm an idiot and step on a black bear when trudging through the brush. I carry IWB on my right hip, you'll know it's there for sure, but you'll want that weight if you need to fire a .357. It's not too much weight to trudge around the woods for a 3 day grouse hunting trip. I would think twice before selecting this for everyday concealed carry, but for the purpose of a kit gun in the woods I couldn't be happier with my choice.

This is my second Sp101. I Like them both very much. Buds service was great.

I bought this gun because I have always wanted a .357 magnum (and it also is compatible with any .38 special.) I originally thought of getting the Ruger LCRx but
decided it might be a bit light for .357 shooting. Perhaps I should have ordered the GP, a bit too large and heavy for carrying. The SP101 (five shot) is a bit small
and perhaps has more recoil (but I got the four inch barrel.) My only problem is with the small grip in my medium size hand, but I will probably replace it with a larger
after market grip.

Great gun, shot 200 rounds out of it so far and had a load of fun. Only reason I'm not giving it a perfect rating is the grip: It's a bit small, which lead my knuckle getting busted up a bit from .357 loads, though it was fine through .38's. The grip is also pretty clearly meant for right-handed shooters, so if you want to keep the factory grip I'd highly recommend seeing if you could hold it at a local shop. Great gun for the price, feels sturdy and has a wonderful single action and fairly smooth double action. No issues with using standard cheap-o speedloaders with it, and it's easy to clean and dismantle if you want to swap grips. It ain't too big to be oversized for most anyone, but it's heavy enough that a hot .357 load isn't gonna break your wrist. Front sight looks a little bent, but it's so slight that I'm not even sure if it really is, so I can't fault for that. Can't wait to practice on the range with this gun for years to come

This gun is my first 357 Magnum. It has some kick but it definitely is a pleasure to shoot. I'm thinking about upgrading to the Hogue grips. The original grips seem to be a little small in my hand but it's still okay . Although, I have experienced the wooden inlays to shift after shooting it. 38 Special in this thing has less of a kickback at my 9 mm Smith & Wesson M&P Shield. Bud's is no joke, straight up, quick shipping, not a problem, item arrived perfect.

Outstanding service from Buds, will definitely use them again! The Ruger SP 101 is a fine example of their revolvers, tough, well made, and even with the smaller frame, still handled the recoil from the. 357 magnum nicely. At first, the spent casings from PMC Bronze didn't freely eject after firing as they expanded quite a bit, but no issues with Winchester or Remington, so I believe it to be cheap ammo. Overall, well pleased, great shooter, highly recommend.

Extremely smooth shooting revolver! Can't wait to do some deer hunting with this bad boy next season!

Great gun. Well built and very well balanced. Found the grip to be a little short for my liking so I added a Hogue Monogrip. I also swapped the trigger and hammer springs with ones from a Wilson Combat kit. Very big improvement. Top notch service from Bud's as usual.

As always so far buds was fantastic, gun was shipped the same day they received my money order. The Ruger sp101 is a fantastic gun fit and finish are perfect this Is my 4rth Ruger , and super accurate i shoot steel at 50 yards, 8 inch and 6 inch plates and I never have any problems hitting my targets. I shoot mostly handloads and some factory and never had a single problem. The fiber optic front sight and adjustable rear are the best for me for target,steel and bullseye shooting,Great gun at a great price.

Hello Bought the sp101 Ruger in 38/357 Great gun! 2 issues with it First the grip is very nice looking BUT it is made for a child's toy gun, I have a medium hand and only get 2 fingers around the grip, Ruger does not make a larger one same style wood/rubber. The Gp-100 has same grip and fits all your fingers on it. So I ordered the Hogue grip already for it, shame as the stock grip is really nice looking. 2nd. Really not a big deal BUT the hammer spring is pretty tough could use a lighter spring especially in double action use. Very nice gun!

This is a great revolver. Built like a tank. The trigger pull is heavy, but some after market springs would fix that and the grip isn't the best but after a Pachmayr grip it feels great in the hands and shoots even better. The sights are nice. Only problem is trying to find a holster for it is a little difficult. Thanks Buds!

Received gun, metal filings in barrel, gun needed to be cleaned and double action jams

For someone (like me) with relatively small hands this is one of the most ergonomic and well balanced revolvers I have handled. Ruger quality is present throughout. Although the stock grips look nice and handle well, Hogue grips make 357 mags a lot more pleasant to shoot. Bottom line: It's a keeper.

Great gun and shoots well. The only negative mark was that I had to send the gun back to Ruger due to the spent casings for the .357 not wanting to eject from the cylinder. Shipped the gun back to Ruger and they changed out the cylinder and had it back to me in 3 days.

After a great deal of research I decided to go with the Ruger SP101 4.2. This is my first gun purchase and I just received it today. Couldn't wait to get to the range and see how it performed out of the box. Started with the 38's and was quickly able to get some nice groupings. The gun fits in my hand like a glove and the grip allows you to get full contact with the.hand. This is one reason I chose this piece over the 2.25 SPANISH 101. The 357 has a kick but felt in complete control handling the recoil. Had to grind when the people at the lane next to me commented "that's loud." This gun is our home defense weapon but still small enough to carry. It feels, looks and shoots solid. Very happy with my purchase. Now a few words about about Buds Guns Shop. I scoured the Internet for the best deal and Buds was the best price. This is the most difficult SP101 to find and they sell quickly. The site is easy to navigate and they kept me advised me every step of the way via email. Couldn't be happier and I will be back. Thanks Buds!

This is my first revolver purchase, and I am very happy overall. Ruger has a reputation for making quality firearms and this pistol is no exception. The brushed stainless steel finish is beautiful, the sights are well made and visible, and the pistol is more accurate than I will ever be. I was concerned about the grip size when the SP101 was first delivered, but it turns out to be just the right size - and I have large hands (size 5 in Army gloves). My pinky just holds to the bottom of the grip when I push my fingers into the frame to get as high on the pistol as possible. The rubber grips have the right amount of tackiness, and the wood panels are good-looking and make the pistol less likely to catch on or stick to clothing when drawing. The action was solid out of the box, but seemed gritty overall. I think this was due to some metal shavings left during the manufacturing process. The problem was easily solved by disassembly and lubrication. If the bulk of a GP100 doesn't interest you, then you will like this pistol. It is much slimmer, weighs 3/4 of a pound less, and you are only giving up 1 round to get the savings. The barrel does not seem to large for the size of the pistol, and actually balances quite well when held. Also, the weight makes 38 Special extremely fun to shoot. Magnum loads are not quite as fun but definitely manageable. Overall, I am extremely happy with the pistol and the price that I paid.

Got this Revolver for my daughter for Christmas. Was a little concerned that the recoil may be too much for her with the small frame, but the 4" barrel and the weight she handled it like a .22. (shooting .38). Cant wait to see her use some .357 through it. Trigger pull is a little heavy but should loosen up with use. Shoots accurate as can be.

Again : A smooth transfer although a little slow due to the Christmas rush but all same all same ! The piece shoots deadly accurate right out of the case and surprisingly minimal recoil from a lite handgun - esp. with .38 Specials. And with 50 Grain Critical Defense loads its like shooting a 22 Magnum. Thanks Bud's !