SP-101 2.25" due in a month. What ammo?? - The Firearms Forum

Woodman · 02-12-2004, 12:50 AM

I've got the bobbed model, used, in 99%, paid, just waiting to complete a DROS.

I want to have ammo on-hand when I get it, of course.

1) target ammo
2) CCW self-protection ammo

In addition, I heard a fella say you want to keep feeding these guns .357 and .38. Do I need to alternate between the calibers? And what's with +p ammo? Do I really need that much power? I don't want a gun I can't control with one hand.

Thanks!

ACC · 02-12-2004, 02:50 PM

you can use 38's but don't shoot lead, it will build up in the chambers. +P's in 38 are fine,it's a steel gun, recoil will not be uncotrolable. Standard 38's will be good for practice and will be controlable off hand. My wife shoots 125 gr +p out of her air weight for defense, and 158 tmj for practice. Hope this will help you out.

eagle eye · 02-14-2004, 09:50 PM

I carry a sp101 2.25" in 357mag. It is quite manageable with plus p 38's, tame actually. I mostly shoot factory loaded 357 ammo and some 357 handloads. I did put a wolff spring kit in it to smooth and lighten the trigger. Wonderful gun to shoot and surprisingly accurate for a short barrelled gun. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine.

Woodman · 02-14-2004, 10:02 PM

I dry-fired it a few times at the shop two days ago when i DROS'ed it. Another ten days to pick-up.

Had a long talk withe the gunsmith about ammo. His only advice is "Stay away from lead" in the gun.

He recommended .38's for practice and .357 for carry (after I understand the load).

What I'm looking for is personal preference. And it looks like I might start re-loading. Some GB'ers have made a low-key convincing argument...I want to reload my .45's, and I guess it would transfer to other high-value ammo, like the .357.

Woodman · 02-25-2004, 02:51 AM

Still lookng for a favorive .357 self-defense load...

45Smashemflat · 02-25-2004, 07:04 AM

Sorry, my 38 is just that - a 38. I carry +P's Fed Hydrashoks. I've got some of the new Rem Golden Sabres - but I haven't shot any wet phone books yet to see what they do.

Hydra Shok · 02-26-2004, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Hydrashoks

Did somebody call me?

Woodman · 02-26-2004, 10:10 PM

Hydrashoks...
Any brand, or is that one brand name?

p.s. the SP really hugs into my body between the ribs the the waist bones.

Seems like it was made to fit there.

Hydra Shok · 02-28-2004, 06:40 PM

That was just a poor attempt at humor. Hydra Shoks are made by Federal, and it is their brand name.

Woodman · 02-28-2004, 08:15 PM

Sorry... I did some research and found, yes, it is a brand name.

I'm still considering the Wolff spring kit. The gun seems to disassemble very easily.

txpete · 02-28-2004, 11:41 PM

I have shot thousands of my reloads 158 gr swc out of mine with out a problem.they just want to sell you some high dollar rounds.
the best part mine shoots cast better than jacketed.if you shoot 38's in a 357 just do a proper cleaning of the chambers,no big deal.I can't believe a gunsmith told you that....
pete

mspears · 03-18-2004, 12:33 PM

Here is an excerpt from the famous Massad Ayoob from Guns Magazine. I 'totally' agree and carry his recommendation.

.357 Magnum

125 grain: Let's save some time here. Ray Chapman used to say that the only reason for putting up with the nasty recoil, muzzle flash and deafening blast of the .357 Magnum cartridge was the tremendous stopping power of the 125-grain hollowpoint. Chapman was probably right.

Remington led the way on this more than a quarter century ago with a bullet that screamed out of a 4-inch barrel at as much as 1,450 fps. Its scallop-jacketed hollowpoint tended to open and shed fragments to the side like little razor blades while the still-expanding core of the bullet kept going. Federal's answer was to use a wider-mouth hollowpoint for super-fast expansion. In both cases, the rounds almost never over penetrate, and Indianapolis Police Department reported that in more than 200 shootings there was never an effective return of fire by a perpetrator after taking a solid hit with one. Kentucky State Troopers had so many one-shot stops with it, even with occasional non-centered hits, that they referred to the 125-grain Magnum as "the magic bullet." Texas state troopers said they missed the "lightning bolt effect" of these rounds after they went to .45s, which made the troopers eager to adopt the .357 SIG with similar ballistics.

Personally, I could never see much difference between the Remington and the Federal in flesh, or for that matter, their Winchester and CCI counterparts. But there's no question: Ed Sanow was right when he called the 125-grain semi-jacketed hollowpoint .357 Magnum the "king of the street." It delivered a destruction cone optimized for erect bipeds, which is why it outperformed much more potent hunting rounds such as the .41 and .44 Magnum when used in the anti-personnel function. The bigger Magnums frequently spent a lot of their energy exiting the offender's body and looking for a baby carriage on the other side. The 125-grain .357 dumped all its energy in a massively wide path between the front and the back of the offender's torso. Lighter .357 rounds might not go deep enough, and heavier ones often overpenetrated, but the 125-grain hollowpoint was ideal for its purpose at .357 Magnum velocity. When in doubt: 125-grain Remington or Federal semi-jacketed hollowpoint.

Woodman · 03-18-2004, 06:25 PM

thanks!

Great read, and solid information!

stash247 · 03-18-2004, 10:29 PM

My daughter carries a SP 101, that she swindled me out of. When she asked, I gave her 4 or 5 boxes of the WW Silvertip ammo,which is, I think, 110 gr,
As a defensive wepon, the "Long range" aspects are moot;the only thing that matters is to make the threat "Go Away"
As a doting Dad, I think she is well protected; I sure would not violate her space; Knowing her mindset, I fel sorry, in advance, for anyone who does. Terry

Woodman · 05-10-2004, 03:56 PM

Well, I've takeen it a step further. I now have RCBS dies and a Lee press to start looking for my load.

And today, it is cool and sunny, I have the day off, and I will FINALLY shoot some .357 through it!

YEEEEE-HAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!

Rugster · 05-19-2004, 01:49 PM

I often carry my SP101.357Mag with a 2 1/4 inch barrel as my back up weapon on duty or on my daily Jogs.Its a great gun thats not really made to shoot past 25 or so ft.Mine Likes Remington Federal or mos any of the major name brand.For the last yr or so Ive began to carry my Beretta 9000s DAO as my Duty Back up gun.Its about the size of a .380 with 12+1 Rnds of 9MM+P.

Best!!

Woodman · 05-19-2004, 02:15 PM

wow...the thread that never dies.

So now I have Speer 125gr. UNI-COR bullets, Fed. 100 primers, and a pound of Unique.

The shop really knicked me on the stuff, but I want to give it a try.

Midway will be cheaper when I stat buying bulk.

Now to set up and load a few...

02-12-2004, 12:50 AM	#1
Woodman V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Da' Keystone State Posts: 270	SP-101 2.25" due in a month. What ammo?? I've got the bobbed model, used, in 99%, paid, just waiting to complete a DROS. I want to have ammo on-hand when I get it, of course. 1) target ammo 2) CCW self-protection ammo In addition, I heard a fella say you want to keep feeding these guns .357 and .38. Do I need to alternate between the calibers? And what's with +p ammo? Do I really need that much power? I don't want a gun I can't control with one hand. Thanks! __________________ www.fiftycal.org http://www.ccrkba.org/ -->

02-14-2004, 10:02 PM	#4
Woodman V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Da' Keystone State Posts: 270	I dry-fired it a few times at the shop two days ago when i DROS'ed it. Another ten days to pick-up. Had a long talk withe the gunsmith about ammo. His only advice is "Stay away from lead" in the gun. He recommended .38's for practice and .357 for carry (after I understand the load). What I'm looking for is personal preference. And it looks like I might start re-loading. Some GB'ers have made a low-key convincing argument...I want to reload my .45's, and I guess it would transfer to other high-value ammo, like the .357. __________________ www.fiftycal.org http://www.ccrkba.org/

02-25-2004, 02:51 AM	#5
Woodman V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Da' Keystone State Posts: 270	Still lookng for a favorive .357 self-defense load... __________________ www.fiftycal.org http://www.ccrkba.org/

02-26-2004, 10:10 PM	#8
Woodman V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Da' Keystone State Posts: 270	Hydrashoks... Any brand, or is that one brand name? p.s. the SP really hugs into my body between the ribs the the waist bones. Seems like it was made to fit there. __________________ www.fiftycal.org http://www.ccrkba.org/

02-28-2004, 06:40 PM	#9
Hydra Shok Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Chasing my Seven Year Old Posts: 724	That was just a poor attempt at humor. Hydra Shoks are made by Federal, and it is their brand name. __________________ If you can't impress them with intelligence, baffle them with BS American by birth, Southern by the grace of God Do unto others before they do unto you "Most importantly, when the time comes to pull the trigger, shoot to kill." ~ Robert H. Boatman Glock 17, 19, 26 Kel Tec 3AT

02-12-2004, 02:50 PM	#2
ACC V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Nashua NH Posts: 152	you can use 38's but don't shoot lead, it will build up in the chambers. +P's in 38 are fine,it's a steel gun, recoil will not be uncotrolable. Standard 38's will be good for practice and will be controlable off hand. My wife shoots 125 gr +p out of her air weight for defense, and 158 tmj for practice. Hope this will help you out.

02-14-2004, 09:50 PM	#3
eagle eye Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: AR. Posts: 19	I carry a sp101 2.25" in 357mag. It is quite manageable with plus p 38's, tame actually. I mostly shoot factory loaded 357 ammo and some 357 handloads. I did put a wolff spring kit in it to smooth and lighten the trigger. Wonderful gun to shoot and surprisingly accurate for a short barrelled gun. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine.

02-25-2004, 07:04 AM	#6
45Smashemflat Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 1,494	Sorry, my 38 is just that - a 38. I carry +P's Fed Hydrashoks. I've got some of the new Rem Golden Sabres - but I haven't shot any wet phone books yet to see what they do.

02-28-2004, 08:15 PM	#10
Woodman V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Da' Keystone State Posts: 270	Sorry... I did some research and found, yes, it is a brand name. I'm still considering the Wolff spring kit. The gun seems to disassemble very easily. __________________ www.fiftycal.org http://www.ccrkba.org/

02-28-2004, 11:41 PM	#11
txpete V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: texas Posts: 76	I have shot thousands of my reloads 158 gr swc out of mine with out a problem.they just want to sell you some high dollar rounds. the best part mine shoots cast better than jacketed.if you shoot 38's in a 357 just do a proper cleaning of the chambers,no big deal.I can't believe a gunsmith told you that.... pete

03-18-2004, 12:33 PM	#12
mspears Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Conover, NC Posts: 23	Here is an excerpt from the famous Massad Ayoob from Guns Magazine. I 'totally' agree and carry his recommendation. .357 Magnum 125 grain: Let's save some time here. Ray Chapman used to say that the only reason for putting up with the nasty recoil, muzzle flash and deafening blast of the .357 Magnum cartridge was the tremendous stopping power of the 125-grain hollowpoint. Chapman was probably right. Remington led the way on this more than a quarter century ago with a bullet that screamed out of a 4-inch barrel at as much as 1,450 fps. Its scallop-jacketed hollowpoint tended to open and shed fragments to the side like little razor blades while the still-expanding core of the bullet kept going. Federal's answer was to use a wider-mouth hollowpoint for super-fast expansion. In both cases, the rounds almost never over penetrate, and Indianapolis Police Department reported that in more than 200 shootings there was never an effective return of fire by a perpetrator after taking a solid hit with one. Kentucky State Troopers had so many one-shot stops with it, even with occasional non-centered hits, that they referred to the 125-grain Magnum as "the magic bullet." Texas state troopers said they missed the "lightning bolt effect" of these rounds after they went to .45s, which made the troopers eager to adopt the .357 SIG with similar ballistics. Personally, I could never see much difference between the Remington and the Federal in flesh, or for that matter, their Winchester and CCI counterparts. But there's no question: Ed Sanow was right when he called the 125-grain semi-jacketed hollowpoint .357 Magnum the "king of the street." It delivered a destruction cone optimized for erect bipeds, which is why it outperformed much more potent hunting rounds such as the .41 and .44 Magnum when used in the anti-personnel function. The bigger Magnums frequently spent a lot of their energy exiting the offender's body and looking for a baby carriage on the other side. The 125-grain .357 dumped all its energy in a massively wide path between the front and the back of the offender's torso. Lighter .357 rounds might not go deep enough, and heavier ones often overpenetrated, but the 125-grain hollowpoint was ideal for its purpose at .357 Magnum velocity. When in doubt: 125-grain Remington or Federal semi-jacketed hollowpoint.

03-18-2004, 06:25 PM	#13
Woodman V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Da' Keystone State Posts: 270	thanks! Great read, and solid information! __________________ www.fiftycal.org http://www.ccrkba.org/

03-18-2004, 10:29 PM	#14
stash247 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Central Texas Posts: 2,815	My daughter carries a SP 101, that she swindled me out of. When she asked, I gave her 4 or 5 boxes of the WW Silvertip ammo,which is, I think, 110 gr, As a defensive wepon, the "Long range" aspects are moot;the only thing that matters is to make the threat "Go Away" As a doting Dad, I think she is well protected; I sure would not violate her space; Knowing her mindset, I fel sorry, in advance, for anyone who does. Terry __________________ Don't start no s**t and there won't be none, Terry

05-10-2004, 03:56 PM	#15
Woodman V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Da' Keystone State Posts: 270	Well, I've takeen it a step further. I now have RCBS dies and a Lee press to start looking for my load. And today, it is cool and sunny, I have the day off, and I will FINALLY shoot some .357 through it! YEEEEE-HAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!! __________________ www.fiftycal.org http://www.ccrkba.org/

05-19-2004, 01:49 PM	#16
Rugster V.I.P. Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: VA Posts: 275	I often carry my SP101.357Mag with a 2 1/4 inch barrel as my back up weapon on duty or on my daily Jogs.Its a great gun thats not really made to shoot past 25 or so ft.Mine Likes Remington Federal or mos any of the major name brand.For the last yr or so Ive began to carry my Beretta 9000s DAO as my Duty Back up gun.Its about the size of a .380 with 12+1 Rnds of 9MM+P. Best!! __________________ Rugster "TouJours Pret"

05-19-2004, 02:15 PM	#17
Woodman V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Da' Keystone State Posts: 270	wow...the thread that never dies. So now I have Speer 125gr. UNI-COR bullets, Fed. 100 primers, and a pound of Unique. The shop really knicked me on the stuff, but I want to give it a try. Midway will be cheaper when I stat buying bulk. Now to set up and load a few...