ladyJK

I'm looking at getting the Ruger sp101 .357 revolver and would like to know your opinions. I have looked at the S&W 642, 38 special revolver as well, but I'm leaning more towards the Ruger because it weighs a little more. I have read that the 642 tends to "wander" more because of it's light weight.

I would appreciate any opinions

opdsgt

Small, short-barreled magnums recoil a lot, but the Ruger is pretty heavy and has a good factory grip. I take it this will not be a concealment weapon? Or would it be something you'd drop in a purse or napsack?

The Ruger really isn't the 642s competitor, they are different animals designed for different purposes. As a pure concealment revolver, one of the airweight or Ti Smiths are hard to beat.

ladyJK

This would be a concealed weapon. It will always be on my body....not in a purse!

I also like that I can choose between the .357 and .38 specials with the Ruger! If I'm going to get a lot of "kick" out of the 642 because it is light weight, why not get the Ruger that weighs a bit more where I can choose to use .357s or choose to get more "kick"?

opdsgt

Please take no offense at the purse remark. I'm anything but sexist.

You can run .38+P through several of the newest revolvers, even a few titanium ones. No, they don't hit quite as hard as a magnum round and yes they kick plenty, but when the Moment of Truth arrives you're not going to feel recoil anyway.

The off-duty (or in your case, concealment) gun that's best is the one you carry every single day. The Ruger may prove bulkier or heavier than you're going to like and could wind up staying home once in awhile; an airweight 5-shot is so small you can carry one no matter how you're dressed.

FWIW, I'm a sergeant in large Midwestern city and have 21 years LE experience. I've bought, carried, shot and sold so many handguns over the years, I can't possibly enumerate them all here.

Generally speaking, I think for your purposes (body-carry), a bobbed, single-stack auto might be a wiser choice. They are easier to conceal (consistent print through clothing unlike the chunkier print of a revolver), carry as many or more rounds, and are easier to reload quickly.

I've been carrying a modified G36OD for the last year or so. It's very concealable, surprisingly controllable, and with an aftermarket magazine floorplate it packs seven rounds of single stack .45 ACP, a nice insurance policy to be sure.

ladyJK

I didn't take the purse remark as sexist, I understand that's what most women do.....I just won't do that (as that's the first thing most thieves go for on a woman)!

As far as polymers go, I piddled around with them a little in the stores and do feel like I'd be more comfortable with a revolver. My hubby is looking into getting the S&W M&P .40 cal for himself and I'll probably practice with his a little, but I'd like to get a little more comfortable with those before I buy one of my own. For now, I'd like to stay with the revolvers as this will be my first gun, so I want something that I'll be comfortable with and I think that is the most important thing!

opdsgt

If you can commit to wearing the right clothing and taking your 101 with you everywhere you go, then it would be a fine revolver for your personal defense needs. Practice with non P+ .38 ammo (Winchester white box would be a good choice) and carry +Ps or magnums when you're out and about; again, you'll not feel the difference in a real live shooting situation.

I recommend the hammerless version with fixed sights. No snagging, perfectly adequate for typical street engagements.

ladyJK

Thank you for all of your input

JAC

i bought a Taurus 850B2 with internal hammer for my wife, right size for her hands, but she has a hard time pulling the trigger. something to think about

opdsgt

Lady, you're more than welcome.

JAC, I agree, the hammerless 5-shot .38s often do tend to have have heavy trigger pulls. I think the Ruger is better in this regard.

HotFrosty

The Tanner gun show is this weekend. That would give you a to put a lot of different guns in your hands, then you can see what fits. The guys over at the 2A Booth are super friendly and very knowledgeable, Russ and Jamie.
Then you can stop by my booth and say "Hi"!

Depending on how you dress some are much easier to conceal then others. The Ruger LCP or the KelTec P3AT have been very popular because of their size and weight. I've been researching the Sccy because it's a 9mm. but haven't been to the range with one yet.