I tried to carry with an SP101. It requires a quality holster and belt, and even with that, it is a bit hefty. Consider a LCR(x) variant for carry. It may surprise you.

 

I'll be looking for a deal on a 101.
I've been carrying the GP100 a little.
I polished the internals and changed the springs, I'm impressed with the trigger.
I'd like to have the lighter '101 and put a trigger job on it.

 

I'll be looking for a deal on a 101.
I've been carrying the GP100 a little.
I polished the internals and changed the springs, I'm impressed with the trigger.
I'd like to have the lighter '101 and put a trigger job on it.

There’s one for sale about an hour away from me for $500, but I’d have to sell something first and I’m not sure I want to sell any of my rifles. It’s a good problem to have

 

Can't beat a clean Ruger SP101 in .357 magnum for EDC. I still have my 2.25" SP101 in .357 Magnum from December 1994 when I bought it as a Christmas gift to myself. That started a trend that has carried through to this day...buying a Christmas gift for myself. It's still available for EDC, but I carry a Glock nowadays.
I had LCR's for a bit but, between the LCR and the SP101, I ended up keeping the SP101 and selling the LCR's (I've owned LCR's in .357, .38, .22WMR, and .22lr) as I felt more comfortable with the SP101 than the LCR's...and carry weight was not an issue.
I love the little SP101's...you can easily install an aftermarket sight (I prefer XS Sights on my fixed-sight revolvers), there's a slew of different sized grips and configurations available - Hogue, Badger Customs, Eagle Grips, not to mention all the far eastern stuff available on eBay. Not to mention the plethora of holsters available for it to carry IWB, OWB, RH, Cross-draw, SOB, etc.
Best of luck finding one and enjoy!

 

There's nothing wrong with you wanting to carry. Main thing is just practice with it. In the case of your particular gun, either use .357 or 38 spcl. The 38 won't have as much recoil which may be to your benefit. Don't let anyone have you believe that a .38 Special isn't a powerful enough cartridge. They have likely not been shot by one.

SG

 

There's nothing wrong with you want to carry. Main thing is just practice with it. In the case of your particular gun, either use .357 or 38 spcl. The 38 won't have as much recoil which may be to your benefit. Don't let anyone have you believe that a .38 Special isn't a powerful enough cartridge. They have likely not been shot by one.

SG

a friend of mine took his marlin 1894 in 357 on a hunting trip, but goofed up and brought his 38spl ammo. Lo and behold the deer he shot was exactly as dead as the deer i shot with a 30-06. I'd probably keep some 38+p for EDC, .357 for woods walking

 

Good self defense caliber. With any carry, you want a good belt. A steel insert belt with closer hole spacing is by far the best. Bigfoot is one example.

Practice drawing and shooting. Clearing your shirt/jacket takes practice to build muscle memory. Not to mention acquiring the target faster as you bring the gun up to sight level.

 

A 2.25" DA only SP-101 357 mag. is one of my carry guns. It is perfect for your jacket hand-warmer pocket. I have a relatively recently acquired ported 2.25" SP for which I have an OWB holster: it's going to be my fishing buddy in the mountains.

To me, the SP-101 is not too heavy with the proper holster or a good jacket.

 

Thankfully I live in an open carry state so concealing isnt a concern. I walk through Lowe's and see no less than 5 people every time strapped up and no one cares. I think a Ruger DA on the hip works just fine.

 

I EDC a Ruger gp100 4.2" in 357
I imagine the sp would carry very similarly
Personally I don't like snub nose unless ultimate concealment is your goal.
In the summer I open carry, in the winter my coat conceals it.
I find it to be an easy gun to carry
And could conceal in summer decently under t-shirt.
It's also a good shooter for me
No sense carrying a gun you can't hit with

Here is how it looks owb on my right hip.
Not 100% concealment, but far from obvious

 

The SP101 is a great choice. They are heavier than your regular J frames, but not so bad that carrying becomes a chore. I have a DAO that I carry comfortably in a DeSantis Speed Scabbard. I will say one thing, while the Lett grips look really nice, the Houge grips make shooting a much happier experience. The Letts tend to allow the trigger guard to smack your middle finger. I also replaced the front sight with a green fiber-optic which makes shooting a dream. It's capable of putting one hole on top of another.

I should note also that price isn't bad when you consider the msrp for a new gun runs over $900. Good luck.

 

If I was limited to only owning ONE handgun, which had to do everything for me, a .357 SP101 would certainly be a primary consideration, probably a 3” version, for all the well known reasons.

Fortunately, I have no such limitation, and as such, the SP101 is a bit of a “tweener” gun for my purposes. I prefer something smaller (642) for most of my CC……..typically pocket carry but sometimes a belt slide. And something bigger/heavier (GP100) when I want/need to carry .357 rounds, typically concealed OWB in a Desantis thumbreak scabbard or JIT belt slide.

That said, the SP101 is capable of filling both of my needs, if I could only have one gun.

 

I sometimes IWB my 3" SP101 in an Alien gear holster, it's not too bad at all, but I normally carry my LCR in an IWB as it's barely noticeable.

While the SP101 trigger isn't bad, the LCR DA trigger is awesome.

 

Nice gun that I bought long ago. Speaking strictly within EDC, the issues I’d see are it’s a tad heavy. And the 2.25” only hold 5 rounds. Great home gun for me though.