Survivalist Forum banner

Ruger SP101 vs S&W Model 60 head to head.

35K views 31 replies 17 participants last post by  Griz326 
#1 ·


I admit it. I have a prejudice. I love S&W revolvers and have since I started shooting.
Having said that. I am also a big Ruger fan as well.

I have been hounding a buddy of mine for years to get this 3" Model 60 (.357 Magnum) and finally got it earlier this year.
Then, a few weeks ago I fell into a trade for an SP101 also in .357 Magnum.

I thought I might make a few observations about them both.

First, I would not hesitate taking either of them in to harm's way, however, only the Model 60 was ready to go right out of the box. It has adjustable sights but they were right on from the factory. (My buddy got it new and had only shot it a couple of times.)

The SP101 came with a canted barrel and a slight binding of the yoke when closing the cylinder. The guy I got it from said he had never fired it and the original owner had only fired it a few times. I can understand why he didn't like it. It shot 2" to the right at 7 yards because of the canted barrel and front sight.

A quick trip to the factory (less than 10 days from my call to getting it at my front door) solved the barrel and the binding issue. They even sent me a test target from the completed job. :D:

The other issue with the Ruger was the trigger pull. It was not very good. This was quickly and inexpensively fixed with a replacement of the hammer spring and the trigger rebound (return) spring (About $10 for both) I also removed a few burrs from the chamber that holds the rebound spring. Now both the single and double action are very good.

So Head to Head:
Accuracy: The Model 60 by a ton. It does help that the sights are better and the barrel a bit longer.

Double action: I hate to admit it but, with the new springs installed, the Ruger edges out the Smith and Wesson.

Single action: The Ruger is much improved but the Smith and Wesson is like glass.

Shooting with .357 Magnum: I usually carry .38 +P instead of .357 Mag. I find that I can usually shoot it more accurately. It is pretty brutal shooting hot .357 out of the S%W.
The Ruger can handle .357 all day long. (It helps to add the Pachmayr grips, the factory grips were not terrible but the Pachs really complete the package IMHO.)

Bottom line?
I don't usually pocket carry a revolver. I prefer a waist band holster.
Neither is more or less comfortable to carry that way. The Ruger is a little beefier, the S&W a bit longer.
The Ruger is heavier but not that I would find unmanageable.

Like I said, either would do the job required.

So, brute strength and reasonable accuracy means the Ruger.
+P and excellent accuracy would advantage the S&W.

Fortunately I don't have to quibble. The wife likes the Model 60, even more than her S&W Model 19, so I leave it at home for her.
The Sp101 has won a spot on my belt for everyday carry.
(except when I am carrying the LC9s/Pro or the G19 :D: )
 
See less See more
1
#2 ·
Here is the Ruger with its original grip, not awful but I prefer the Pachmayr.




I should also mention that I am really impressed at how easily the Ruger comes apart for cleaning. In just a few minutes you can pull out the entire trigger and hammer assemblies, the main spring and the yoke (crane) and cylinder.
 

Attachments

#3 ·
I have several Rugers. I don't have a SW mod 60, but I have the Taurus clone.

You can't go wrong with any of them. Great guns. I do prefer how the Ruger cylinder release is pushing in, vs the SW release pushes forward. Trivial difference.

Great write up. I should dig out my old gals since they rarely see the outside world these days.
 
#12 ·
I have one of the very first SP101s similar to Hick Industries. It is a .38 Special with 2.25" barrel. For the first ten years I had it it digested a steady diet of Winchester Q4040 +P+ 110-grain ammo, about 200 rounds of that annually. S&W I had at the time firing same number of rounds of same ammo went back to factory TWICE in two years and when it came back the second time I sold it and never looked back. S&W service dept. said that the gun wasn't rated for Q4070, but only for +P. The +P+ LE loads are loaded about 15% over SAAMI +P standard.

[I laugh out loud when I hear about people buying Model 60s in .357]...

If you are going to shoot the gun ALOT with full service loads +P or +P+ LE that Ruger will out last three S&Ws, mine did.

If you don't plan on shooting more than 500 +P or +P+ rounds in the entire life of the gun, or if you have access to a factory trained armorer to tweak the gun and tighten it up annually as it loosens up, then the S&W is OK, but be advised you can only stretch the crane twice to correct end play, then the barrel must be set back to close excess cylinder gap. After the second factory rebuild the gun will have all the oversized parts in it and they won't be able to fix it next time, so when it comes back fixed for the second time is the time to sell it... and buy your Ruger if you have learned your lesson by then.

All my Rugers have factory springs. I want them to go BANG~! Any carry gun gets its striker energy confirmed using the size "C" .225x.400" copper cylinder in the government gage and delivers not less than 0.011" copper indent in DA held vertically. If your "gunsmith" [note my use of quotation marks] is not familiar with this procedure, you might want to shop around for somebody else...
 
#13 ·
(The wife's other revolver, S&W 19-4)
Nice 19! :)

Is that nickel, or hard chrome?

I have a couple 19's, a 4" and a 2.5". Great shooting guns.

Ive had a couple of 60's over the years, and always ended up getting rid of them. The smaller snubbies in .38 are bad enough, the .357's are not fun to shoot.

These are the last two I had....




As with most of these type guns, I usually put the smallest grips on them I can find. It never made any sense to me to buy a "little" gun, and then make it bigger with aftermarket grips. My favorite for most of these type guns, is the old service stocks with a "Tyler T grip. Makes for about the smallest package, it isnt sticky, and its still controllable. Not necessarily comfortable for extended shooting though. This is the biggest negative to these type guns. Some can be quite brutal to shoot and tend to discourage the practice needed to become and remain proficent with them.

The only rubber type that come close, and Ive used them on a couple of guns, is the Hogue Barami grips. Thats whats on the gun on top.


Ive never really been a big Ruger fan. Ive owned a number of their handguns over the years, but they just never really had that feel the S&W's do.

Once youre used to the S&W's, most other things just dont seem to measure up.

I think the biggest complaint with the Rugers is their triggers. Im a DA shooter, and not at all trigger phobic, but I really dislike the way the Rugers triggers feel. The S&W's usually come out of the box like they were a custom job.

What you get used to I suppose. I have shot S&Ws for years and reciently got a Colt. Sometimes the colt takes me by surprise.
The Colts are "backwards" to the S&W's. The latch is backwards, and the cylinder rotates the wrong way. :)
 
#22 ·
You gotta have some big pockets and a belt or suspenders to pocket carry either of those guns.

I had a S&W 640 - 357mag back in the early 00's. Did not care for the recoil of 158gr 357mag in the short barrel gun. Seemed to really beat my hand up.

That's one gun I don't regret getting rid of. Maybe a larger grip would've helped.

My last "long vacation," 3 years ago, I spent some quality time shooting DA with my K-22 S&W. Find I like DA trigger pull of 6 shot S&W more than a 5 shot S&W. Easier to stage the trigger.
 
#27 ·
Hey Sarge, nice shooters you got there.
Recently, I picked up my first revolver, 3” sp101 and I really enjoy it after some modifications. The reason I got this particular gun is because I wanted my wife to get involved and I asked her to show me the best looking revolver in the gun store. I really wanted to have is as “our gun”. She selected the 3” 686 plus and 3” sp101. I should have gone for the Smith, but I am happy with my choice nevertheless.
The trigger was pretty bad and I wasn’t crazy about the grip. So, i replaced the grip with the Houge Rubber grip and dry-fired the heck out of it. I really like it now. I think I am becoming a revolver guy.))

P.S. I also have a Houge Rosewood grip for it, and I love how it feels and shoots , but it’s bigger than the Rubber one and is a little too large for my wife’s small hands
 
#28 ·
I have been after my brother in law to sell me his 60 in .357, such a nice shooter. That said my daily carry is the bastard son of a revolver, the Ruger LCR in .357. Yeah, I know, only a gun that it's mother could love, but wow do I love the way it carries and shoots.
 
#31 ·
Owned [ past tense ] 2 S&W 640-1's in .357

Also 2 Ruger SP101's.

The Smiths are gone,for many reason including they shot out of time with real magnums in them.

The 3" SP101 Ruger is still here [ with a Security 6 in 2 & 3/4" barrel ].

The Rugers are BEASTS and they will be around LONG after I am gone.

No argument that Smith makes a better action [ especially older models ] but the Ruger is a beast.
 
#32 ·
QUOTE=sarge912;16405793]Which version did you get?
Are they Double action only?[/QUOTE]

I got the k6/laser.
They a DAO.

Cannot honestly provide any reasonably evaluation yet - haven't shot it yet. I'll be doing so shooting with it at hunting camp this week. We'll see how I do against the jackrabbits.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top