play in new gun

CorneliusIII · 03-11-2010, 01:12 PM

How much play should there be in the cylinder of a new SP101?

stantheman86 · 03-11-2010, 02:18 PM

I don't have an SP, but many GP's and Sixes. A very little bit of play on full lockup (trigger back, hammer down) is normal. My brand new in box GP100, before I even fired it, had 4 chambers that were (still are) very tight, and two with very slight play. My 6" half lug and 4" Speed Six have the most play in lockup, and these were shot a lot by past owners. Ironically they are among the best shooters I have.

Depends on how much it is moving, if it moves just a hair it's fine, I have checked out several NIB Rugers including a .327 GP and it had a hair of play. I also have some that have been fired a lot and all 6 chambers have that "welded shut" feel.

That's just Ruger, it won't hurt performance a bit. I have yet to see a Smith without a hair of play either.

CorneliusIII · 03-11-2010, 07:53 PM

Thanks, Stan. I've been examining it and dry firing it some and I see that it locks up very tight just before the hammer falls. I REALLY like this gun, it's a .357, 2 1/4" with the bobbed hammer. Probably I'll have to wait a couple of weeks before I get to shoot it. Can't wait!

stantheman86 · 03-12-2010, 02:33 PM

If that SP101 is your first Ruger DA, be warned! They tend to "multiply" and no doubt sometime soon you will end up having a "need" for a GP100, and then a Six, and then another Six.........it's how it happened to me! It all started with a 6" GP100 I bought an an impulse, just to "try" a Ruger revolver, and it quickly led to a used Speed Six and less than a year later I have all the DA's listed in my signature as I kept having a "need" for nice ones that I saw

Your SP101 will be one of the few guns you will ever own that actually gets better the more it is fired. I think a Ruger needs at least 3 or 4,000 rounds before it is broken in. Here is my older 1974 Speed Six that looks to have seen countless rounds in it's former life as a cop gun, and it has an action and accuracy that matches even my best S&W's. I have since added a vintage 70's era Bullseye spring kit, and a trigger shoe to go with the T-Grip so all the "add on" stuff is 1970's vintage, and it makes one perfect all around range shooter. I used to carry this when it had stock springs but I replaced it with a GP100 3", so as a range gun this can't be beat! I don't know how, but it's the only fixed sight .357 I own that shoots dead on POA with any bullet weight, .38 or .357. Not sure how but it just does!

Nutty Ned · 03-13-2010, 05:19 AM

cyl gap should be .068 or less

CorneliusIII · 03-14-2010, 10:53 AM

Stan,
it is my first revolver. A friend brought his Blackhawk .357 to our range and it was such a blast to shoot, I decided I had to have one. I didn't care that much about revolvers before that, but the feel of the gun and the shockwave of energy it produces when you shoot it is instantly apealing. So I went to the gun shop and picked up the little stainless gun and I was sold!
The trigger is much smoother than I had expected. It seems a little heavy but not terribly so. There is that slight stacking at the end of the pull, but I like that; it lets me know "where I am".
When I have practiced with it for a time, it will become my primary carry gun. And I'll have fun during the 3000 round break-in.

03-11-2010, 01:12 PM	#1
CorneliusIII Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 172	play in new gun How much play should there be in the cylinder of a new SP101?

03-11-2010, 02:18 PM	#2
stantheman86 Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 510	New guns I don't have an SP, but many GP's and Sixes. A very little bit of play on full lockup (trigger back, hammer down) is normal. My brand new in box GP100, before I even fired it, had 4 chambers that were (still are) very tight, and two with very slight play. My 6" half lug and 4" Speed Six have the most play in lockup, and these were shot a lot by past owners. Ironically they are among the best shooters I have. Depends on how much it is moving, if it moves just a hair it's fine, I have checked out several NIB Rugers including a .327 GP and it had a hair of play. I also have some that have been fired a lot and all 6 chambers have that "welded shut" feel. That's just Ruger, it won't hurt performance a bit. I have yet to see a Smith without a hair of play either.

03-12-2010, 02:33 PM	#4
stantheman86 Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 510	New Rugers If that SP101 is your first Ruger DA, be warned! They tend to "multiply" and no doubt sometime soon you will end up having a "need" for a GP100, and then a Six, and then another Six.........it's how it happened to me! It all started with a 6" GP100 I bought an an impulse, just to "try" a Ruger revolver, and it quickly led to a used Speed Six and less than a year later I have all the DA's listed in my signature as I kept having a "need" for nice ones that I saw Your SP101 will be one of the few guns you will ever own that actually gets better the more it is fired. I think a Ruger needs at least 3 or 4,000 rounds before it is broken in. Here is my older 1974 Speed Six that looks to have seen countless rounds in it's former life as a cop gun, and it has an action and accuracy that matches even my best S&W's. I have since added a vintage 70's era Bullseye spring kit, and a trigger shoe to go with the T-Grip so all the "add on" stuff is 1970's vintage, and it makes one perfect all around range shooter. I used to carry this when it had stock springs but I replaced it with a GP100 3", so as a range gun this can't be beat! I don't know how, but it's the only fixed sight .357 I own that shoots dead on POA with any bullet weight, .38 or .357. Not sure how but it just does! Last edited by stantheman86; 03-12-2010 at 02:35 PM.

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03-11-2010, 07:53 PM	#3
CorneliusIII Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 172	Thanks, Stan. I've been examining it and dry firing it some and I see that it locks up very tight just before the hammer falls. I REALLY like this gun, it's a .357, 2 1/4" with the bobbed hammer. Probably I'll have to wait a couple of weeks before I get to shoot it. Can't wait!

03-13-2010, 05:19 AM	#5
Nutty Ned Joined: Mar 2010 From: Nc Posts: 752	cyl gap should be .068 or less

03-14-2010, 10:53 AM	#6
CorneliusIII Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 172	Stan, it is my first revolver. A friend brought his Blackhawk .357 to our range and it was such a blast to shoot, I decided I had to have one. I didn't care that much about revolvers before that, but the feel of the gun and the shockwave of energy it produces when you shoot it is instantly apealing. So I went to the gun shop and picked up the little stainless gun and I was sold! The trigger is much smoother than I had expected. It seems a little heavy but not terribly so. There is that slight stacking at the end of the pull, but I like that; it lets me know "where I am". When I have practiced with it for a time, it will become my primary carry gun. And I'll have fun during the 3000 round break-in.