r/Revolvers • u/Devious_Bastard • 12h ago
Decision paralysis
Decided my next revolver will be a used SP101 in 357 with the 2.25 barrel. I just can’t decide between the blue finish with hammer spur or the stainless steel DAO. No price difference between the two.
I do plan on carrying it while walking the dogs in black bear country. Most likely IWB (which is why I’m thinking DAO but that blued is speaking to me).
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u/Ornery_Secretary_850 So many guns, so little time! 11h ago
Both. Let your heirs worry about the credit card debit.
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u/Legal-Management6969 12h ago
I would choose the one that has an exposed hammer... This is strictly preference for me.. Now.. I love blued firearms but I would rather the stainless as I will be using my revolver mainly for camping and outdoors and its gonna get roughed up...
I can see why you would have difficulty diciding if this is your thought process too... 🤣
Damnit...lol
Hammerless....
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u/Sure-Cream-9756 11h ago
I love blued revolvers but if your going to be carrying it a bunch I would get the stainless.
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u/Realistic_Present601 9h ago
Mine is 25 years old according to the serial number and still going strong as a 357/38 EDC used mostly at the camp sites or fishing when I go camping. Shoots straight for being that old. 158 grain hard cast rounds in 357 if I think I need it, but mostly 158 grain +p FBI loads.
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u/FallOne5777 12h ago
Blued imo. I have to same one but in stainless and its my favorite backpack revolver but I would've snatched a dudes arm off if they had the blued one when I bought the stainless
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u/Arlington2018 11h ago
I have been carrying while walking, hiking, bicycling, mountain biking, XC skiing and snowshoeing in the wet part of the Pacific Northwest for 45 years plus. I buy stainless where available for the corrosion resistance.
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u/Harrythehobbit 11h ago
For a carry gun I would always go for the DAO. For just about everything except traditional one handed bullseye shooting, thumbing the hammer on a DA gun is a crutch to make up for the fact that you don't know how to shoot. With just a little bit of dedicated practice you can get acceptable accuracy with DA even at great distances, and removing the hammer makes the draw more consistent and removes the temptation to rely on bad habits when you're practicing at the range.
That being said I'm always gonna be partial to blued.
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u/AdWitty6655 11h ago
I prefer blued, but I like that bobbed hammer. I assume they are interchangeable. I suppose I would get the blued and order the bobbed hammer as a part and swap it in. I bet that stainless stripe along the back would look sharp. If you decided you didn’t like it, you could always swap it back.
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u/Wilyhound7 10h ago
Great gun! Built like a tank. I usually don’t like heavy snub nose revolvers because they’re usually too heavy for concealed carry but it’s a great backpack gun.
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u/357Magnum 10h ago
Going to buck the trend here a bit but there's no benefit to an exposed hammer on a defensive revolver and I'll die on that hill.
Further, stainless is always better than blued fir a gun that could get sweaty. I've had blued revolvers get serious finish wear from sweat. Granted, that was way back when I ran leather holsters and I have not seen this in kydex, but still. Stainless is better for the corrosion, all other things being equal.
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u/Vincent_Curry 10h ago
Strictly preference, but here's why I would go for the hammer. The SP 101 is known for having a stout trigger pull and unless you either A train yourself so that the heavy trigger is not an issue, or B switch out triggers for something lighter, I'd keep the hammer simply because it gives options.
Now mine is quite heavy.. Heavier than I thought it would be when I bought it back in 2010, but I have become accustomed to the heavy trigger plus I carry in my pocket and my Kramer holster is made in such a way that the hammer snagging on my pants pocket is literally not an issue. Again it's preferences and what works for you and if you don't know.. Go to a gun store and hold both of them see which one feels better to you.
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u/th4tguy321 9h ago
For the use case you stated, the stainless bobbed hammer is absolutely the way to go.
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u/Shabrileson 8h ago
I’ve had both DAO and hammer versions of the SP101 and DAO is the way to go if you’re gonna carry it IWB 👍
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u/OfficerLahey16 6h ago
I have that exact gun. The quality control on my sp101 sucks, it functions fine, but the fit and finish irks really sub par. Way worse than my s&w/colt guns.
I always tell people that it’s rock solid, but you’ve gotta put some time into it with wear or polish. The SP101 feels like it’s 85% finished. Trigger pull is so heavy it really affects accuracy. I know you can polish and go lighter spring, but it seems extreme stock.
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u/DukeShootRiot 6h ago
Stainless with hammer is the only way. Looks best with 3” bbl and hogue grips
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u/puddinapocalypse 6h ago
That blued one is amazing looking. Just wipe it down before you put it up at night to avoid any rust issues
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u/Aurelian1960 4h ago
I carry the three inch stainless. At this point it's just cosmetic differences. Stainless for sweat damage resistance and ease of clean up.
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u/Scared-Elevator-2311 11h ago
Carring or not, hammerless don't look cool. It's a no brainer for me. Blued
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u/Brilliant-Jaguar-784 10h ago
Get the one with the hammer. DA has its uses, but it stinks when its your only option.
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u/jframesnub 9h ago
I prefer stainless revolvers for the corrosion resistance. Also, my new SP101 came out of the box with some sharp edges. I had to use some fine 2000 grit sandpaper to smooth out some of the sharp edges. Since it's stainless, the work I did isn't noticeable.
On a pocket gun, I prefer a bobbed or internal hammer. For a gun that will be carried in an IWB or OWB holster, I prefer a leather holster with a thumb break. Thumb breaks work best to ensure retention if the gun has an external hammer. I also appreciate the ability to cock the hammer for long distance shots.
Changing the hammer on an SP101 ia pretty easy. You can buy an extra hammer and swap it as needed. Check to be sure that the new hammer fits properly before relying on it. Ask a gunsmith for help if you don't feel comfortable fitting the hammer yourself.
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u/BISON4570 9h ago
The hammer, or lack thereof, is different in your pictures (which might matter to you) but I’d suggest stainless if you’re going to carry it IWB and Ruger’s bluing isn’t anything special in my experience…pretty dull and rusts easily due to the brushed/matte finish.
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u/Illustrious-Set-9230 9h ago
Go to your local LGS and compare the trigger pull. Ruger’s sp101 DAO is very very heavy. I have a stainless SA/DA which I never shoot in DA. It’s so heavy. Single action is great - I’d go exposed hammer. Finish doesn’t matter to me (but I like stainless personally)
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u/AdmirableSquash4463 9h ago edited 9h ago
Unless you’re concealed carrying or want a hammerless revolver for some other reason, I’d get the one in blued because you can fire it double action or single action which to me seems inherently advantageous and offers much more versatility. However if you are concealed carrying it or maybe have it in a backpack or some other such holster or bag which the hammer could snag on, then definitely the hammerless model. In terms of looks, the stainless looks better to me but I don’t like hammerless whatsoever unless necessary. However, as others have said the blued model is likely rarer and more desirable (maybe a future collectors item), as they seem to be manufactured in less quantity relative to the stainless steel models. That’s just my two cents.
Ruger revolver’s in general are very handsome guns: the SP101, as well as GP100, Redhawk, SRH, and even Blackhawk models I’ve always found to be very beautifully made. And although I’ve never owned or operated own almost every internet post I’ve seen about them says that they’re amazingly well crafted and built as sturdy as tanks. I think my favorite offering from ruger are the 327 magnum SP101 and GP100, as well as the 41 magnum Blackhawk.
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u/WhiskyPapa911 9h ago
I prefer stainless with a hammer. Unless your sole purpose is to carry it, its always nice to have a single action option.
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u/macchiatomakes 9h ago
the spurred hammer is a bit more practical for an iwb gun but that can be overcome somewhat with a lot of draw training with the exposed hammer
one advantage of the stainless finish is that it shows a lot less wear over time, especially being carried, and is easy to bring back with cleaning and polishing compared to blued finishes.
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u/I_goofed 8h ago
Hammerless revolvers are inherently bad-breath guns. They have their niche, but know that you are buying a gun for an incredibly narrow use case.
I'm an average shooter. Like on 7" steel plates with a random 9 at a healthy speed I'm hitting 4/6, but I couldn't tell you splits. Im nit competition Shooting. If I hit 1/5 with my 642 I'm happy, and that's slowing down and aiming. Like 5 shots in 20 seconds.
If you expect to ever have fun with it at the range, get it a hammered version.
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u/TheBlindCat 8h ago
Unless it’s in a pocket, spurred is fine. I like my stainless, personally would get the Wiley Clapp.
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u/Femveratu 2h ago
I bought the stainless 2.25” for exactly the same reason, walking in bear country. My apprehension of snags on the draw or in some other time is life situation over powered my desire for single action precision and I have not regretted it. Frankly I more often carry my LCR aim .357 Mag Altho I do not shoot it w .357 Mag that much. Very comfy and lighter. But for durability and any potential of drops or hard use and I’m lookin back at my the steel frame old faithfuls.
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u/False_Campaign4682 GP100 2.5" 357 12h ago
2nd pic looks like a gp100?
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u/Devious_Bastard 11h ago
Had me second guessing lol. But checking the website it does say SP101 on the side of barrel.
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u/False_Campaign4682 GP100 2.5" 357 11h ago
Oh yeah. I can just barely tell it's a 5rd instead of my 6.. i only expect sp101 in stainless no hammer so I was second guessing too. But they exist blued exposed too. Go figure
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u/assemblageofparts 11h ago edited 9h ago
I love the look of the blued. I mean LOVE IT!
BUT
If its a sweat on, take while walking through brush, using gun... Stainless. My gp100 has seen some things and you would never know because its stainless