[andy]

I have a 2 1/2" SP101 in 357 and a Kahr K-40 in 40 S&W. I want to use one as my dedicated carry gun For the gun I choose i need night sights installed, and a couple of nice holsters.
They are very close to the same size and weight, although the Ruger is thicker. Both are reliable, and I think power is too close to call. I shoot one about as poorly as the other.
I don't really want to spend the money to set both up and then decide, so I am gonna have to pick one or the other pretty soon.
I am leaning towards the K-40, one more round of capacity and thinner.
Which of the two would you choose?

Andy

 

[UnCruel]

.357 Magnum and .40 S&W are not equal cartridges. Both have good penetration. However, the larger bore of the .40 is more satisfying to those leaning toward "knock-down power", while the .357 has more energy. The .357 Magnum (in 158 grain) is the handgun cartridge with the statistically highest "one shot drop" rate.

The revolver is going to provide an immediate assurance of reliability, while confidence in the autoloader can only be acquired after a couple hundred rounds have been put through it.

Those are my theoretical considerations. The most important consideration is how well you can shoot with one versus the other. Does the grip fit your hand well? Will the trigger impede your ability to shoot accurately? Will the recoil cause you to flinch? Unfortunately, the best way to answer these questions is to fire them both.

 

[ribbonstone2]

Have had them both... it depends on how much that extra thickness of the Ruger 101 really is worth. Am a skinny old guy (5' 11" 160 pounds) so that "little bit" of extra thickness did made a difference in how the gun was carried. Could just manage EITHER a thinner revolver (5-shot S&W .357) or a thinner semi-auto.

If you are normal-thick to fat, can pretty well hide anything under the "dun-lap" (as in "It done lapped over my belt").

 

[VictorLouis]

While I am a fan of Kahr, I'm not a fan of the .40 round. Sorry.
The revolver does it for me. The SP is tank-tough.

 

[Lion]

I voted SP101 because that's what I usually carry. It's a one-shot stopper, and although slightly thicker, with an IWB leather holster, it carries better for me (5-10, 160) than any of my autos. K-40 is fine too, and at the distance you'll us them, both are deadly; the .357 is the powerhouse of the two. Don't forget that prior to the .44Mag arrival, the .357 was king. Which one to use? Only you can answer that. Which one feels best in your hand, feels best concealed, removes from its holster the easiest, and that you feel best shooting (certain of hitting the target)? As far as hitting the target, I'm a better shot with the autos, because the snubbies, except at real close range, can be difficult to master. Something really important is that the revolver is going have a lot of cylinder flash and noise. In the open, that's not an issue, but in say, a car, or enclosed place, one shot from the .357 SP101 is going to have a numbing effect on everyone, including the shooter. That will be very important for a follow-up shot. Suppose that your adversary is a few yards away and you choose to fire from inside your car. If you miss your attacker, then he may very well have the advantage now because he doesn't get the horrendous flash, noise, and sensory disrution that you just inflicted on yourself. In such a case, the K-40 would be a better choise. Again, know what your circumstances will likely be, choose the best that you handle and carry well, and practice. If you do, then you will not be wrong should you have to take a stand. Something that I almost always do now is carry two, my SP101 and one of my autos. Many might say that is too much, but if you're in a situation demanding deadly force, you'll change your mind. With two, I pick the best for the situation, and have the other as backup.

 

[Ole1830]

I'm partial to revolvers for CCW, so you know what I picked.

 

[Farrier Matt]

Suppose that your adversary is a few yards away and you choose to fire from inside your car. If you miss your attacker, then he may very well have the advantage now because he doesn't get the horrendous flash, noise, and sensory disrution that you just inflicted on yourself.

If you engage a target from the insides of your car at a distance of a few yards and fail to neutralize said target, you probbaly should not be depending upon said weapon to begin with. Training and marksmanship are the most important skills in an self defense situation.

 

[AVIVIII]

.40 in general isn't my favorite either, and I'm definitely a revolver guy, and I own and carry an SP101 on a regular basis, so this was a no brainer for me. If you are worried about that 6th round, go with a 3" GP100.

If you find yourself in a fight that can't be settled in 6 rounds, you probably got involved in the wrong fight.

 

[2Bits]

I favor the .40 cal over the .357 mag but I would not be carrying either of those pistols personally. I like my Glock 10mm pistols far to much for anything else on the market.

 

[fcfirearms]

SP101....all semi-autos will jam sooner or later, revolvers don't. Some have luck bad enough that the one time their autoloader fails it will be when their life depends on it. If you need more than 5 shots you are in deep manure anyway since the average gunfight has 3 shots exchanged.

 

[JPaulF]

I am a 1911 carrier; however, the SP would be my choice, between the two. I base this on the caliber and reliability and safety of the revolver - not knowing your level of expertise.

 

[m141a]

while I am not a fan of Kahr arms, I would go 40.
I have found it to perform fine, it works fine in my G23.

Why is it that the .40 always gets such a bad rap?

Your choice of the SP101 would be a good one too, as a 125 grain .357 was the proven police performer in the days when revolvers were the norm for LE.
I have a Security six, 2 3/4" barrel, just like your 101. It carries well, and there is never a question as to will it work.

Guess the real answer is which do YOU trust and shoot more?

...but for the poll question, I chose the .40

 

[m141a]

SP101....all semi-autos will jam sooner or later, revolvers don't. Some have luck bad enough that the one time their autoloader fails it will be when their life depends on it. If you need more than 5 shots you are in deep manure anyway since the average gunfight has 3 shots exchanged.

I've seen a model 36 smith fail due to pocket lint in between the cylinder and flash shield. So much in fact that the cylinder would not turn....good thing it was on the range.

and yes, it was purely the owner's fault for not maintaining his carry piece.

 

[TMan]

I would rather go with the SP-101 for the versatility/reliability. As carrying daily goes, a S&W M37 would be even better. My Kahr P9 has been a very reliable and easy handgun to shoot well though.

 

[LUV45LC]

My personal choice would be the SP101. My CCW is an S&W Mod19-2 2.5". I used to carry an SP101 in a concealed holster mounted on my vest when I was still in LE. I carried an S&W 4516 as my primary and the Ruger was my backup. A revolver will work every time from any angle. Plus, with the Hornady LeverEvolution 140gr ballistic tip ammo you can have about 600+ ftlbs of energy. I can't find a .40 with that kind of energy.

But, like several have said, it is YOUR choice. Whichever one you choose you will need to practice which way you want to carry and stick to that. I prefer a high ride pancake to a IWB holster because of years of practice drawing and firing a gun from that position. If you state allows you to carry more than one weapon, you maight want to think about carrying the Ruger in an ankle holster or a body band.

 

[Sunwheel29]

I would go for the revolver because I am old school.

Heaven forbid you have to use it, but honestly do you want to stand there with some sissy metrosexual purse pistol that the thug might think is a kid's toy, when he could be staring at wicked hollowpoints poining out at him from the chambers of the wheelgun?

Also, anybody who thinks the .40 caliber has ANY stopping power has never witnessed a shooting with it.
Its a common round where I live and there have been multiple shootings with it. Not one was a one shot stop. One guy shot himself in the leg and drove himself to the hospital. Another guy got shot six or seven times with .40 pistols and the police had to beat him into submission with ASP batons and Mag Lights to cuff him.

You want to defend your life with that? Just because some fool gunwriter who never fired a shot in anger in his life was impressed by a marketing campaign? Brotha please!

The .40 was developed as a compromise round and it was successful at that part, at least. It has less stopping power than a .45 and less firepower than a 9mm. From local shooting results I can attest it apparently has less stopping power than a 9mm or a .38. Its paper stats are nothing but ballistic masterbation, as one wag put it.
Bill Jordan once said jacketed pistol bullets didn't perform worth a crap and it looks like the man knew what he was speaking about.

 

[LE Almost 30yea]

SP 101 - a fine pistol -

Thought I would show off some of the fine work done by Marc Morganti at Gemini Customs. This job was done to my specs and included:

1. Complete Action Tuning
2. Crown Barrel
3. Chamfer Cylinder Throats
4. Recontour & Polish Trigger
5. Dehorn for Carry
6. Eliminate Cylinder Endshake
7. Replace all Springs
8. Polish all Plungers and Pins
9. Bead Blast entire Revolver
10. Install XS sight System Custom grips w/ finger groves removed.

Marc is one of the best pistolsmith I've ever worked with and is a Steely-Eyed Missile-Man when it comes to the SP101.

If you ever need work done....use him (link removed)

 

[MikeG]

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your endorsement, but with this being your first post it appears to fall into the category of commercial advertising. That would require permission of the site owner. I have removed the link from your post.

Thanks for understanding.

 

[LE Almost 30yea]

Huh?

Was just saying what was done to a gun I own and had work done on it and would have posted a photo if the site would allow me to.....


I do endorse the work....

by the way, how can photo's be posted???

 

[MikeG]

Here's the instructions:

http://www.shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=34239

Might seem harsh, we get a lot of spam, and tend to scrutinize new members. Difficult to separate enthusiasm from spam, some days (we make mistakes sometimes). There's a bunch of people trying to freeload their advertising on other people's sites.... I'm sure you didn't mean that

Feel free to start your own thread and show off your custom SP101.