I read somewhere that it takes at least 3 inches of barrel to make the 357 mag preform. If that's true or not idk. But you would have a little bit better site radius, with the 3 inch.
I have the 2 inch barrel. I love it but mag rounds really really ring ears.

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Depends what you mean by "perform." Any standard .357 cartridge will have more muzzle energy than a .38 out of the same barrel. I usually shoot about 90% .38 in my 101 anyway.

 

I have both snub and 3 inch SP101.

For me,there is a subtle difference.If I had to choose just one,it would be the snub,but so far I have been inclined to hang on to both.

Too bad Ruger does not offer the three inch with adjustable sights.

 

In looking at some data between my snub SP101 and 4 5/8" Blackhawk, I showed average difference between them to be slightly higher in the Blackhawk (as expected)

.38 Special, 158grn SWC - 740fps to 844.1fps = 104.1fps
.357 mag, 158grn JHP - 1115.2fps to 1301.4fps = 186.2fps
.357 mag, 125grn JHP - 1175.4fps to 1469.4fps = 294fps

Granted, that's not the true comparison you seek, but it gives you an idea...

Aqualung

 

I think what I was reading was talking about. Burning the powder. But as stated I have the 2 inch. The only real advantage I could see with the three would be I little longer site radius

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214 inch is good for pocket carry the 3 inch is notr pocketable unless you have cargo pants.

 

Does a 3 inch have a longer ejector rod, like S&W? There may be an improvement in clearing magnum brass.

 

vilkus,
Nope, the ejector rod is the same on both barrel lengths. The Rugers kick out empties much better than S&W's of comparable barrel length.

Best Regards,
ADP3

 

I much prefer the 3 inch barrel because there is a difference in accuracy at least for me shooting a 3 inch vs 2.25 inch barrel. But I doubt there would be very much difference shooting .38 special because of the recoil!!!

 

Me personally anything over the 2.25" snub and I'm getting a GP100.

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My disagreement with this statement is based on weight. The lightest .357 GP100 is the 3" fixed sight at 36 ounces. Weight then goes up towards 2.5 lbs and beyond. A 3" fixed sight .357 SP101 runs 27 ounces. I don't feel the need to add 1/2 lb. + to gain one more round capacity. If you need adjustable sights, need more velocity via a longer barrel, want optics or are recoil sensitive, sure get a GP100. If you want compact power, stick with a SP101. My 2 1/4" SP101's get pocket carry and the 3" guns go to the range. They'll all stay on a playing card at 50 feet. Windage is spot on and elevation is predictable based on powder charge. I only shoot 158 gr. .357 LSWC reloads or Barnes TAC-XP 125 gr. JHP's. A couple of years back I packed a 1911 on a 12 mile mountain trek. That's when I decided I didn't need or want any extra weight. If I was 40 years younger I might consider the GP100 but no thank you since I'm 65.

Best Regards,
ADP3

 

The OP stated, " ....I have to wonder why Ruger makes both."
The answer to that question is, "because people BUY both".

The OP then states, "Surely there's an advantage to the 3".
There is and don't call me Shirley (Sorry, watched the movie "Airplane" too many times)

OK, all jokes aside, the 3" barrel offers a longer sight radius and slightly more velocity at the expense of weight and bulk. As someone else pointed out, there's no advantage in the length of the ejector rod stroke on a 3" SP101.

I'm a big fan of 3" DA 38/357 revolvers. They are a good compromise between size, weight, power and accuracy. However, the 3" revolver is no longer a snubnose gun and is no longer a pocket gun or ankle holster gun. The 2.25" SP101 is big by snubnose standards to start with and may already be too big for pocket carry.
So the real question is, "Are you willing to pay the price in weight and bulk for that extra 3/4" of sight radius"?

The old Speed-Six had a 2.75" barrel and a 6 round cylinder. The SP101 has a 2.25" OR a 3" barrel and a 5 round cylinder. The 3" SP101 is the modern equivalent of the old 2.75" Speed-Six, minus one round. it's an excellent tool but restricted to holster carry.

As for the accuracy of a 2.25" SP101 - the gun is capable of fine accuracy matching the 3" version,; it's just more difficult to extract that accuracy from the shorter barrel with its shorter sight radius. With practice, the short barrel gives up very little. The advantage of the short barrel is ease of concealment and ease of carry.

 

That's a good post, I have to agree with it. I'm still struggling with accuracy on my 2-1/4" .357, but I'm just going to practice practice and practice some more. I've been spoiled by my 5" Colt 1911 and my 4" S&W .38spl revolver, so until I get to where I feel good and confident with Mr. Shorty, the larger pistols aren't coming on as many camping trips as they normally would.

I'm not making it easy on myself though either, I don't like shooting any closer than about 10 -15 yards or so and figure once I can get where I want at 25 or a bit more I won't have any issues with anything closer.

 

Petro & Powder I like your reasoning. I really like 3 inch revolvers. My personal favorite that I still do not have is either a 2.5-3 inch S&W K frame .357. Mod. 19/66, 13/65. The Ruger Security Six 2.75 is a close 2nd. My revolver that I have now to fill that niche is either my Ruger GP100 WC .357 or my SP101 3 inch .327FM both offering 6 shots! The GP100 WC now that I have shot a few rounds thru it has the smoothest action & trigger pull of any revolver including my S&W Mod. 66 no dash. But now for size & power the SP101 3 inch .327FM is no slouch in power in some loads it comes very close to the .357 Magnum! I am hoping with time the SP101 will smooth up. It's getting better vs when I bought it. I could do a spring kit trigger job on it. But I never had on any of my revolvers. I never had problems either. My SP101 with Hogue Wood grips makes a nice smaller 6 shot revolver. A Ruger LCRX in .327FM would be very nice......Hey Ruger you have LCRX's in .38 & .357 now you need one in .327FM!!!

 

Would it be accurate to say that a 3" SP101 is the optimal length for shooting, and the only reason they make a 2 1/4" is for better concealability?

I can stash my 2 1/4" in my back pocket with a Sticky holster and barely feel it's there. But IWB has always been my optimal place to carry, so the 3" would work perfectly.

 

I think so

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As a general rule the longer the barrel the more muzzle energy the cartage produces. The powder has longer time to burn.

 

I have two SP 101's, a 3 inch and the 4.2 inch. For me 3 inch is the perfect barrel length for the 101. It's very heavy for a pocket gun and I never carry that way. On a belt holster I think the 3 inch carries better than the 2 1/2. Shorter revolvers are sometimes feel top heavy on my belt.

 

Since I pocket carry my SP101 everyday and only shoot once in a while I went with the 2.5

 

Well, I'm about to find out first hand how the two differ.

 

Report back once you're done. I've had both barrel lengths in the 101 and didn't notice much difference in shooting. But I liked the 3" better for looks and the knowledge that it was slightly more efficient with a .357 powder charge.

 

I won't shoot anything revolver less than 4" in .357 mag or above. My clientele confirms.

 

Why not? Not disputing, just curious. Underwood ammo tests one of their loads out of a 3 inch SP. According to them, it chronographed 1500fps out of that gun, and 1700 out of a 6 inch GP.

 

First thing I did was put new shoes on both of them, Pachmayr Diamond Pro grips. I like the Pachmayr compact grips just fine, but I wanted to try these.

You can see the tapered cylinder of the new SP101 compared to the straight cylinder. Hopfully I'll be shooting them both in the next few days.

 

I have both,as noted in earlier reply,something else to add-for hip holster trail use,particularly riding in vehicle with hip holster,in fact the snub is noticeably more compact. But the three inch most often is the go-to. The four inch just too much.
Something about the balance and dimension of the three inch.

 

I tested out a 3" SP101, and ended up buying a 4" SP101 because I shot it better. If you're not talking about carrying, then the 3" doesn't really have any advantages over the 4". I preferred the 4" for the extra sight radius, fiber optic sight, and velocity increase. Not a CC gun for me, so no reason not to get the 4".

 

I can now corroborate what others said, there's little felt difference between the 2 1/4" and 3.1" SP101s. Sight radius is the main difference, but the fixed sights aren't really adequate for precision target work beyond about 15 yards. Too hard to see and align them against a dark target. Regardless, they are both a pleasure to shoot in .38. But even the Diamond Pro grips can't make .357 pleasant.

I shot about 20 rounds through the 2 1/4", and 90 through the 3", at distances from 5 to 20 yards.

 

I'm actually a fan of fixed sights. They don't get "out of adjustment", they're a lot tougher in general and far less likely to snag on something. However, they don't provide quite the same "clean" sight picture as most adjustable sights. The rear sight being the chief culprit. Painting the flat, rear facing surfaces of the rear sight can help a little bit on a stainless gun.
The Novak style fixed rear sight is about the best compromise between the utility of a fixed sight and the better sight picture of a typical adjustable sight. Unfortunately it adds bulk and requires a taller front sight. It's also not an option for all revolvers.

That 3" SP101 will serve you well and I bet with some more trigger time, you'll find that you can extract some more accuracy out of it. Practice with 38 Special loads and keep your bullet weights close to 158 grains. That SP101 will deliver.

Great new gun, Enjoy.

 

I personally think that the most useful SP101 would be a 3", but one they do not make: that would be one with the same barrel as on the 4.2" .357, but in a 3" version.

IMHO, it would be a truly rugged "kit gun" that could handle the .357 with no issues, and be just short enough to stow in a lot of places the 4.2 " can't fit.

d

 

If you mean a 1/2 lug 3" SP101 - I'M WITH YOU !
That would be a cool kit gun.

 

I only have one SP 101 .357 Mag.3",so I can only spek about it.I love it.