The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Handguns => Topic started by: dj454 on May 31, 2008, 07:21:23 PM
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I am planning on purchasing a Ruger sp101 for concealed carry and I would like to carry in my pants pocket with a holster of course. I have read other places that the sp101 is too large for pocket carry but I am a big guy and inside the pants carry can be uncomfortable. I have considered a J frame Smith in .357 but they are out of my price range. I have also considered a Taurus but I have had good luck with Ruger . I have also read if you shoot the Smith and Taurus a lot with magnums they will not hold up. I will shoot my carry piece frequently just like my other pistols because I reload and love to shoot as much as I can and need it to be durable but comfortable to carry. Any advice will be appreciated.
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i'm actualy planning on replacing my taurus 85 with the sp101, in .327 when ever it comes down from the almighty gun god and graces its presence in the gun shop i buy from. i either ankle or pants cary the taurus with no problem howerver the trigger pull on mine is a reall beast so its only good real close up. i dont know a thing about s&w but from what i hear they are pretty good guns, great in fact if you ask my old victimology professor
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In my opinion, you are going to find that the Ruger is a bit too large for carry. If S&W is out of your price range, and you must have a revolver then go with the Taurus snubbie in .357
But if S&W is really the way you want to go, then I say do what you can to scrape together the extra dough. You will never miss it if you get a high quality gun that you really wanted in the first place, but if you get stuck with a gun that you hate you will have wished that you spent the few hundred extra.
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I am an auto guy at heart but the small easily concealed autos are not reliable enough to depend my life on. I have several great full size autos they just can't be easily concealed and a revolver never fails to feed and I need a gun I will not leave in the vehicle because it is uncomfortable to carry.
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I am an auto guy at heart but the small easily concealed autos are not reliable enough to depend my life on. I have several great full size autos they just can't be easily concealed and a revolver never fails to feed and I need a gun I will not leave in the vehicle because it is uncomfortable to carry.
If you take what you just said out of context, I have said those very same things about my Glock 26 on countless occasions....... Go get yourself a Glock!
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I own 2 glocks but even the baby glocks are too hard for me to conceal. Inside the wasteband digs in to my side and is not comfortable. Even as much as I love my Glocks when slides get that short they do not feed as reliably as their larger counterparts and the baby glocks are still a too thick for easy concealment at least for me.
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Wear pants made for adult males (ie:FAT DUDES) I could conceivably fit my 3 inch SP101 into the pockets of various pairs of dress slacks, work slacks or jeans.
To me, the Glock 26 needs a pinkie rest. Sorry, Glock gang. However, Gerda Glock (the "big" 21) fits so nicely.
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I had two Taurus model 85s, one for personal carry, one for the car. I traded them both in for a Ruger SP101 in .357. The muzzle energy is more than double that of the .38 Special and I have always believed that if you carry a gun for protection at the time you need it you will want every thing you can to get the job done. I live in SC where light clothes are the standard 8-9 months out of the year and a gun of any size is hard to conceal, but it is a worthwhile trade off when the time comes. I have carried in my pocket and in an IWB and occasionally a belly band. The SP101 is a bit heavy in the pocket unless you have some sturdy pants, light slacks don't hold it up well and it bounces a bit when walking. I would completely recommend this gun especially as you stated for frequent shooting. This gun is all stainless and built with Ruger's well known reliability and over engineering. Take great comfort in your choice, it will serve you well. Also I am a believer in spending money on a good reliable gun but not too much. If the police have to take it or it manages to get stolen from your car or home then you have not lost an $800.00 Smith or something like it. Good luck and happy shooting!
Wheelgun
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Thanks Wheelgun Dunn, that helps a lot. I don't wear light clothing very often anyway usualy cargo pants or jeans. This has had me going back and forth for awhile. Thanks again.
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If you decide on the pocket carry solution, you might consider Mika's Pocket carry holsters as one of the options. He does make them for the SP101:
http://www.frontiernet.net/~akim/pocket.htm
Here's one from Safariland:
http://www.productwizard.com/safarilandholsters-model25.html
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If you decide to go with the sp101 take a look at the model with the bobbed hammer 2 1/4" barrell and factory laser grips. The package deal is a little cheaper than buying the grips separately. Can't beat the rock-solid strength of Ruger sp101 & gp100. Check out Mas Ayoobs write-up on the sp101 in "Guns" magazine.
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Totally agree with 7mmReloader! Go for the hammerless/LaserGrips set-up. My 101 has been slicked up by Grant Cunningham (http://www.grantcunningham.com/), but he's not taking any new work right now. If I wanted action work on one I'd probably go to Jim Stroh at Alpha Precision (http://www.alphaprecisioninc.com/), who has worked on my S&W revolvers for years.
I gotta say the little Ruger is a spec porky for pocket carry...I usually default to the Taurus titanium .38 or the Charter .44 Special for that duty...but it works great in a high ride belt holster or as a car gun.
Michael B
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Thanks everyone. Now I have a new problem I guess I'll have to buy 2 guns. I really like the Ruger and I will try it and just try different ways of carry and I guess I'll have to get a lighter slighly smaller model for pocket carry later. Thanks again for the help.
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If you decide to go with the sp101 take a look at the model with the bobbed hammer 2 1/4" barrell and factory laser grips. The package deal is a little cheaper than buying the grips separately. Can't beat the rock-solid strength of Ruger sp101 & gp100. Check out Mas Ayoobs write-up on the sp101 in "Guns" magazine.
+1 on this. I'm somewhat on the "ahem" large side. In loose fit jeans, the gun fits nicely in a pocket holster (DeSantis ). Same as above:2-1/4 bbl;.357;bobbed hammer with CTC grips.
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+1 on this. I'm somewhat on the "ahem" large side. In loose fit jeans, the gun fits nicely in a pocket holster (DeSantis ). Same as above:2-1/4 bbl;.357;bobbed hammer with CTC grips.
Thanks whiskeymike I really want the Ruger. I didn't know if it was too big for the pocket that makes me feel better.