The Ruger SP101 is a series of

double-action Double action (or double-action) refers to one of two systems in firearms where the trigger both cocks and releases the hammer. * Double-action only (DAO) firearms trigger: The trigger both cocks and releases the hammer. There is no single-action ...

revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...

s produced by the American company Sturm, Ruger & Co. The SP101 is a small frame and all-steel-construction carry revolver, with a five-shot (

.38 Special The .38 Special, also commonly known as .38 S&W Special (not to be confused with .38 S&W), .38 Smith & Wesson Special, .38 Spl, .38 Spc, (pronounced "thirty-eight special"), or 9x29mmR is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & ...

.357 Magnum The .357 Smith & Wesson Magnum, .357 S&W Magnum, .357 Magnum, or 9×33mmR as it is known in unofficial metric designation, is a smokeless powder cartridge with a bullet diameter. It was created by Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, and Douglas B. ...

, and

9×19mm Parabellum The 9×19mm Parabellum (also known as 9mm Parabellum or 9mm Luger or simply 9mm) is a rimless, tapered firearms cartridge. Originally designed by Austrian firearm designer Georg Luger in 1901, it is widely considered the most popular handgun a ...

), six-shot (

.327 Federal Magnum The .327 Federal Magnum is a cartridge introduced by Federal Premium Ammunition and also sold by Sturm, Ruger & Co. It is intended to provide the power of a .357 Magnum in a six-shot, compact revolvers, whose cylinders would otherwise only h ...

and .32 H&R Magnum), or eight-shot (

.22 LR The .22 Long Rifle or simply .22 LR or 22 (metric designation: 5.6×15mmR) is a long-established variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition originating from the United States. It is used in a wide range of rifles, pistols, revolvers, smooth ...

) cylinder.

History

The Ruger SP101 was introduced in 1989 as the smaller-frame counterpart to the GP100. Both of these revolvers, together, replaced Sturm, Ruger & Co's long-standing staple in the American firearms market, the Ruger Security-Six series revolvers. A

9 mm 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Arabic digit In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...

version was available until its discontinuation around 1998, but was later re-released in early 2018. A basic

version was also available until 2003 while a redesigned version was introduced in 2011.

Features and description

*The SP101 is currently manufactured in

, and

. *

Barrel A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, ...

lengths 2" (57.15mm), 3" (77.79mm), and 4" (106.7mm) with full underlugs. 4" (101.6 mm) and 4" (106.7mm) with half underlug. *

Stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...

construction *

Transfer bar safety Close-up shot of a safety of an M16A2 rifle In firearms, a safety or safety catch is a mechanism used to help prevent the accidental discharge of a firearm, helping to ensure safer handling. Safeties can generally be divided into subtypes su ...

mechanism **

Firing pin A firing pin or striker is a part of the firing mechanism of a firearm that impacts the primer in the base of a cartridge and causes it to fire. In firearms terminology, a striker is a particular type of firing pin where a compressed spring ...

mounted in frame **The Transfer bar in the SP101 is connected directly to the

trigger Trigger may refer to: Notable animals and people ;Mononym * Trigger (horse), owned by cowboy star Roy Rogers ;Nickname * Trigger Alpert (1916–2013), American jazz bassist * "Trigger Mike" Coppola (1900–1966), American gangster ;Surname * Bru ...

*Fixed (all calibers) or adjustable (.327 Federal Magnum, .357 Magnum and .22 LR)

sights A sight is an aiming device used to assist in visually aligning ranged weapons, surveying instruments or optical illumination equipments with the intended target. Sights can be a simple set or system of physical markers that have to be aligne ...

*Spurred or spurless (double-action only) hammer

Specifications

*Weight: **2", 25 oz. (708 g) **3", 27 oz. (765 g) **4", 22 LR: 30 oz. (850 g), .327 Federal Magnum: 29.5 oz (836 g), and .357 Magnum: 29.5 oz.(836 g) *Barrel lengths: 2" (57.15 mm), 3" (77.79 mm), 4" (101.6 mm) *Double-action/single-action **Double action only on select models *Five-shot (.38 Special, .357 Magnum, 9×19mm Parabellum), six-shot (.327 Federal Magnum, .32 H&R Magnum), eight-shot (.22 LR) *Maximum effective range: 33 to 55 yards (30 to 50 meters) depending on barrel length and cartridge load

Models

*All models are made of stainless steel *Caliber: .357 Magnum SP101s handle all .357 Magnum factory loads and accept factory .38 Special cartridges *Spurless-hammer models (double-action only) are designated by an "L" in their catalog numbers

Notes

References

Ruger's SP101 pageRuger SP101 -- A Sturdy Rimfire "Secret"
by Clair Rees, Guns

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruger SP101 SP101 .327 Federal Magnum firearms .38 Special firearms .357 Magnum firearms 9mm Parabellum revolvers .22 LR revolvers Police weapons Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1989