Well last year I picked up a Ruger SP101 in 357, and maybe it's from shooting semi-autos, I just can't seem to get used to the sight system. My brother picked up a S&W Shield in 9mm, and the few times that I've shot it, I've been a lot more accurate and quicker with on target and follow up shots. So now I'm toying around with making the switch. Unfortunately, I can't keep both, so hope I would be making a wise choice that I won't regret.

Carry what you are most comfortable with.

__________________
Jorge

How much faster and more accurate were you? I'd recommend using a shot timer if you can, to quantify the time. I'd also recommend measuring group sizes for comparison.

I have a feeling most people would shoot better with a 9mm semi-auto over a .357 snubby. Make sure to consider holster and ammo set ups; this can add a lot of money to the new gun.

Personally, here's what I would do:
1.) Figure out exactly how much money it will cost to acquire the new gun, factoring in depreciation, holster replacement, and ammunition expenditures to reach the same level of shots fired (as your current piece.)
2.) Take that amount of money, and buy a ton of ammo for your current piece. Maybe also get some different grips to try--they can radically alter the feel of a revolver.
3.) Get out and practice a bunch. You will have the ammo.

I really think that so much time and money is often wasted making a switch in a carry gun, for no real quantifiable gain. I know I've been guilty of it in the past. I suppose that helped give me the perspective I now have.

Carry what you shoot the best. After all, your life may one day depend on it.
Having said that, it's a shame to have to consider getting rid of the SP101. I already have a Shield 9mm (my carry gun), and several other semi-autos, but the SP101 4" is next on my list! I love the way it feels - both the grip AND the weight!
Can't wait to add one to my arsenal.

I agree you should carry what makes you feel comfortable; but I went back to revolvers for SD and HD some years ago because as good as modern autoloaders are, there is still less that is likely to go wrong with a revolver when push comes to thug. If nothing else, a less-than-ideally-firm grip under emergency conditions won't cause them not to fire, and shoving the muzzle against an assailant won't cause them to go out of battery.

I don't want to reopen the endless debate about revolver versus automatic, and the autoloaders have many advantages, but that was the decision that made me feel safer.

__________________
Oh well, what the hell.

How far away and how fast are you shooting, and at what size target? Self defense shooting is not in the same time zone as target shooting. After the first two, groups don't matter, because you're not getting many more off any way.

Gunfights are six feet or less, six shots or less, six seconds or less, according to everything I've ever been taught or read . . .

__________________
Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Shouldazagged, that is the reason I chose a revolver, just wish the SP101 had a better rear sight.

I am sure more practice with the SP101 is the best option at this point. My groups look more like buck shot at this point, and feel like I am lucky to get a quick first shot off inside a 10" target at 7 yards. Shooting on my plate rack I struggle to knock 2 or 3 plates down at 10 yards.

Where I reload, I guess I should try to work on a load that closer matches the factory hollow-points I carry.

Could also be trigger control too. DAO can be difficult and much practice is necessary. I bet if you stick with it you will do fine.

__________________
Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

This is my guess... At 7 yards, you should be able to hit COM on a B-27 silhouette by just point shooting. You won't be taking time for perfect sight alignment and sight picture in a defensive shooting.

Practice dry firing and keeping the sights on target with the DA trigger pull. Made a huge difference for me with my DAO autos in only a week.

There are a couple of gunsmiths who make better sights for snubbies. That's not cheap, but if you are aging and your eyes are a factor (like me ), you may have to spend some money to get your performance up to speed. The nature of the investment varies. I personally find it easier to shoot a pistol well, and I suspect that in the long run, you will do better with the Shield and some decent 9mm duty ammo. You should also seek out GOOD training. I plan to attend HITS for a couple basic classes (cuz basics done well is what "advanced" is), and yeah, it's a good drive, but it's an investment to me.

__________________
NHI, 10-8.

I have always carried revolvers. Fathers day I bought on a couple hundred dollar off come on a .380 sig sauer P 238. The trigger is the hardest I ever encountered. This makes it impossible to hit with for me. I went back to my smiths model 36 3" and my old model 40. Dont know what I will do with the sig.

I'd suggest practicing with .38 specials, and since you reload, I'll take my suggestion one step further: Wadcutters. I load mine up to make IDPA power factor (read: legitimate defensive power) yet still light--148 grains at about 725fps. I use 3.5 of Win 231 to get me there but there are plenty of powders that can accomplish this velocity, even in a snub. My S&W 442 with its 1-7/8" barrel chronos the above load right around 725fps. Hits to POA in my snub.

Wadcutters would work for defensive purposes too, in a pinch. A confident hit with a wadcutter beats a peripheral hit with a "gee-whiz" hollow point. But mostly it will get you practice, that's not punishing, with sight alignment and trigger control.

My 442 goes with me everywhere I go and as long as I can keep doin' this;

At about this far away;

It'll stay that way.

__________________
Keep on Chooglin'

I received my law enforcement training on K-frame revolvers. It took me a while to become as proficient with autoloaders as with a 4" or 6" revolver. My SD and HD guns are usually autoloaders but that's my preference. I also use a Model 65 3" Round butt. My all-time favorite SD revolver.

I won't try to talk you out of this or that. Ruger makes a fine, sturdy revolver. While revolvers are generally considered more reliable than autoloaders as they're not as ammunition or grip sensitive, revolvers can and do fail. My experience is that you should keep an old toothbrush in your cleaning kit and be sure to scrub the cylinder recess under the extractor star as well as the extractor star itself. Unburned powder under the star can keep the cylinder from closing.

Next, and very important, you must develop a consistent and fool-proof method of extracting your casings from the revolver.
As a trainer, I've seen many instances in which a shooter, because of incomplete or tentative manipulation of the extractor, manages to get a fired shell casing under the extractor, either while still in the chamber or laying sideways. If that were to happen during an actual SD situation, your gun is out of action and not easily returned to action.

Lastly, too many people think the strain screw on an S&W is an action adjustment screw. If you acquire an S&W revolver, keep the screw tight at all times if you expect the gun to fire 100% of the time. If your double action pull exceeds factory specs, the screw needs to be shortened, not loosened.

I bought a Ruger SP101 a while back in DAO. I carried if for a week, and came to a realization. Its quite heavy, and doesn't appendix carry like my J Frames. It's weight, although not identical to a 2 1/2" K frame, it feels comparable to me. And for me, if I'm going to go with something this heavy, I'll carry my M19, get a trigger that is worlds better, a fantastic sight picture, and of course, an extra round in the cylinder.

I appreciated the SP for what it was, but it didn't fit my profile of a good carry gun for my purposes, so I sold it used the proceeds to purchase a Sig 239 in 40sw from a fellow officer. My carry revolvers are , now and forever, Smith and Wessons.

..... and shoot the best ......

I find the SP just too heavy for CCW; may as well just bump up to a K-Frame. I find the LCR's more comfy.

The most important thing is to be able to hit what your aiming at. If you cannot do that with the SP-101 despite your efforts to improve the situation, then there is no question you should drop it for the Shield.

I am glad that my CCW is not weapon specific. I switch off from time to time depending on my type of clothing and where I am going to be. For the most part I rotate between my P30 and my FNP40 and my P229. I am just about as proficient with one as the other.

__________________
I Cor. 10:13 "1611KJV"

I have a rotation too. I don't own any handguns that I can't carry concealed with. I'm sure like most people, I use the lighter guns during the warmer months and break out the longer, heavier ones when I can wear a coat to help hide them. I can see the wisdom in carrying the same gun year round, but I also like variety. I couldn't carry the same gun everyday, I love them all too much!

That's some nice shootin' for a snubby. You do have a laser on yours no?

The Shield in 9mm is the easier piece to shoot well rapid-fire. Full-bore .357 loads from light revolvers tend to kick quite hard and make it difficult to follow-up.
If TWO .357 magnum rounds = 1,000 lb-ft and THREE 9mm rounds = 1,000 lb-ft WHICH can YOU shoot more accurately, more quickly? The answer is YOUR choice!

[Underwood makes a +P+ 115 grain 9mm load that delivers an HONEST - TESTED 500 lb-ft per shot...so three of these would generally EXCEED anything from a short-barreled .357 Magnum revolver in terms of kinetic energy!]

Lose the Ruger ,keep the S&W

If you shoot the Shield more accurately and you are more comfortable doing it, then it's a no brainer. The Shield is a reliable gun that will not let you down if needed.

Get the Shield.

__________________
Still carrying my S&W 642

Feeling comfortable and confident with whatever you carry is a must.
If you still aren't so with that SP101 after a year, I'd say it's time to for it to go.