Snub revolvers are still relevant

[HansGruber]

At least I can fantasize about making snubby hits at 25 yards, Hans. . That is about as close as I can get! I do really like them, though, because they are as handy as a pocket on a shirt.

It takes work, but…you can do it, too.

At the end of the day, it just comes down to the fundamentals; grip, sight picture, trigger press.

I started at ten feet until I could make a ragged hole (or at least a very right group); then moved it back to 20 and repeat, then 30, etc…once you get past 15 yards/50 feet, it goes fairly quick.

But, yeah…it takes time, ammo, and some dedication…and a crapload of frustration when you first get started.

 

[Sld1959]

They might not stop & drop, per se…but high-velocity body piercings tend to make people stop what they were doing that made them candidates for aforementioned piercings…

In the video above, the receiver sure as heck stopped fighting, and started running…and that’s a win in a use of force scenario, particularly for a concealed carrier.

So, yeah, I’m pretty sure even the old 158gr LRN would be plenty effective in getting a “stop” that way.

I still have an old box of Winchester 158gr LRN that was used by my father in law as a bailiff for the Courts in the Detroit PD where he carried this Colt until he retired. My wife let's me actually carry it on the rare occasion especially for the 60s 4th of July cookout. He had one shooting with it and one round in the chest did the trick, robber laid down crying for help and he had a ton of paperwork.

 

[HansGruber]

I still have an old box of Winchester 158gr LRN that was used by my father in law as a bailiff for the Courts in the Detroit PD where he carried this Colt until he retired. My wife let's me actually carry it on the rare occasion especially for the 60s 4th of July cookout. He had one shooting with it and one round in the chest did the trick, robber laid down crying for help and he had a ton of paperwork.

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Beautiful setup!

 

[BarryinIN]

Snub user here. Just not usually a snub-only user.

S&W 642UC and/or a 2” Model 12.
I have a thing for Model 12s.

 

[Lo-Profile]

Yep, I'll pocket carry a S&W 642-2 Airweight sometimes if I'm just going out really quick. I do use a Desantis B2 pocket holster with it.

 

[Sld1959]

Beautiful setup!

Thank you.

Her father told me that Detroit PD bought blued revolvers and had them plated at a Detroit auto plant.

I am dubious, but that was what he believed. I do know thier revolvers were all plated but I suspect they were bought that way. BUT, the story is interesting enough and part of her father's revolver enough to just leave alone and not look into further. Sometimes a good story is enough, especially when it's your daddy.

 

[BarryinIN]

Oh yeah, I left out a couple that see some occasional use.

Ruger LCR 9mm.
Why 9mm? Because I can practice with it anytime I’m at the range, even if I wasn’t planning to, since I always have 9mm practice ammo along. I don’t always have .38 practice ammo with me, so can’t do the same.

S&W 431PD .32 H&R Mag.
This one is still new to me, but I’m liking it. Stepping down from .38 caliber to .32 may sound backwards to many, but it’s so much easier to shoot well and has a sixth round. So far, those things are winning the tradeoff comparison for me.
Lost River ammo company’s wadcutter loads are pretty nifty.

P.S. on the 9mm snub:
9mm in a snubby can be a little brisk.

 

[somorris]

It takes work, but…you can do it, too.

At the end of the day, it just comes down to the fundamentals; grip, sight picture, trigger press.

I started at ten feet until I could make a ragged hole (or at least a very right group); then moved it back to 20 and repeat, then 30, etc…once you get past 15 yards/50 feet, it goes fairly quick.

But, yeah…it takes time, ammo, and some dedication…and a crapload of frustration when you first get started.

Thanks, Hans. You have inspired me to get better at longer range shooting with a snubbie. I shot about 20 rounds last week and had to quit because the 642 was really pinching the “inside” of my trigger finger. I am going to use dry fire and see if I can figure out why. The 642 is the only gun I have shot that pinches like that. I think if I had kept shooting my finger would have gotten bloody.

 

[HansGruber]

Thanks, Hans. You have inspired me to get better at longer range shooting with a snubbie. I shot about 20 rounds last week and had to quit because the 642 was really pinching the “inside” of my trigger finger. I am going to use dry fire and see if I can figure out why. The 642 is the only gun I have shot that pinches like that. I think if I had kept shooting my finger would have gotten bloody.

Can’t say I’ve had that issue…I know that hot loads through a lightweight will beat up my middle finger by slamming it against the trigger guard…

 

[Sld1959]

I’m not terribly concerned that the 158gr+P SWC-HC’s—aka “FBI Load”—aren’t going to penetrate.

Placed between the neck & the ‘nads, they’ll do.

I also know that I can make hits with a 2” snub at 25 yards fairly easily; 50 yards with a little more work.

They’re still plenty relevant.

Those loads I have tested plenty, and are what is in our bedside revolvers, my wife's 637, my model 60 and the extra speedloaders.

They penetrate just fine from my tests and just as you say, a couple on the right places will be very effective. Thry worked very well for many police for many years.

Have studied the Miami shootout several times and lots of blame if they wish to call it that, is there for everything. Lots was made of penetration, and we are seeing the emphasis on it to this day, being the fault in the FBI Miami shootout failures but many factors that failed there. Poor tactics, being vastly overgunned and underestimating just how offensive, determined and effective thier opponents would be were just as much to blame. Platt and Maddix took initiative and attacked completely destroying the FBI tactics, pushed them backwards on thier asses and wounded before they even knew what hit them. These factors helped make thier return fire less than effective, greatly increasing emphasis on the few sub optimal hits that were made. I imagine thier tactics have changed greatly. Sadly it went terribly wrong. And according to toxicology reports they were not on drugs as many believe.

Just one man's opinion.

 

[Sld1959]

Can’t say I’ve had that issue…I know that hot loads through a lightweight will beat up my middle finger by slamming it against the trigger guard…

I think most people i know who complain about Jframes being abusive comes from the triggerguard slap. I think modern grips have helped with this immensely.

 

[Sld1959]

It takes work, but…you can do it, too.

At the end of the day, it just comes down to the fundamentals; grip, sight picture, trigger press.

I started at ten feet until I could make a ragged hole (or at least a very right group); then moved it back to 20 and repeat, then 30, etc…once you get past 15 yards/50 feet, it goes fairly quick.

But, yeah…it takes time, ammo, and some dedication…and a crapload of frustration when you first get started.

I see old timers with jframes making "long range" hits eith thier Jframes, canes and thick glasses a lot. Damn i just pretty much described myself, am officially an old timer lol.

 

[somorris]

I think most people i know who complain about Jframes being abusive comes from the triggerguard slap. I think modern grips have helped with this immensely.

I just spent several minutes dry firing the 642 and even called S&W to see if they had heard these complaints. They had not heard of the finger pinching issue and did not have any different triggers. Based on my dry firing, I believe (and this may be limited to me and other folks with similar hand size) the very end of the curved trigger jumps up with recoil and the very corner of the squared off end of the curved trigger severely rakes across that particular place on my index finger. A file and fine sandpaper might solve the problem. I think if the sort of sharp corner is rounded off it might solve or at least help the problem. I have hogue grips which help a lot with the web between my thumb and fingers, but had no effect on the finger pinching.

 

[Sld1959]

I just spent several minutes dry firing the 642 and even called S&W to see if they had heard these complaints. They had not heard of the finger pinching issue and did not have any different triggers. Based on my dry firing, I believe (and this may be limited to me and other folks with similar hand size) the very end of the curved trigger jumps up with recoil and the very corner of the squared off end of the curved trigger severely rakes across that particular place on my index finger. A file and fine sandpaper might solve the problem. I think if the sort of sharp corner is rounded off it might solve or at least help the problem.

Ouch, never had it happen but it does not sound pleasant. File and sandpaper should round it off and smooth it out.

 

[HayesGreener]

As I have noted in the past, light weight snubbies are unpleasant for most folks to shoot with defensive ammo. The pain of shooting them discourages practice. Most folks are just unwilling to train a lot with them. But, at bellybutton distances, they will surely get the job done

 

[Sld1959]

As I have noted in the past, light weight snubbies are unpleasant for most folks to shoot with defensive ammo. The pain of shooting them discourages practice. Most folks are just unwilling to train a lot with them. But, at bellybutton distances, they will surely get the job done

My first experience shooting handguns was at 12, 13 somewhere in there. The two handguns were a .45 acp Colt Commander and S&W snub 38 special with the old type splinter of wood grip, unsure what model of Smith and if Colt was steel or lightweight. I do know the calibers because I policed up and kept the brass in a drawer for years. In that experience I enjoyed and shot the Colt better, the snub hurt my hand. Over the years I shot those same weapons several times and after the addition of a Tyler T grip on it the snub was not a whole lot different feel than the Commander in my neophyte hands.

The way the Tgrip filled the area behind the trigger guard and positioned the hand made a huge difference. I find modern grips do that and fill the hand better than the old splinter grip. I have found few adults who cannot shoot a modern snub. Yes, a steel revolver will always be less painful than a lightweight but not many reasonably healthy adults I have shot with find it intolerable even with a lightweight. I do understand lightweight woes as I wanted to run and cry behind the shed after shooting several cylinders of full magnums in a scandium .44 magnum.

Not that my experience is anywhere near as extensive as yours, just what I have observed during mine. I still believe the reputation and mythos of the snub makes things worse for some because they expect a fire breathing dragon.

As an aside I believe the most uncomfortable CC weapon commonly carried was a 45 Colt Derringer with either the .45 Colt defensive round or the 00 buck 410. My moron cousin tried to use it when we both took the shootibg part of the CPL class. He ended up shooting the instructors. 22 i shot it after the class and it was brutal.

 

[Shibadog]

I’ve toted a lot of handguns over the last 56 years-very few pack as easy in a pocket as an old school J frame

 

[MrMichaelActual]

I have never really been a big revolver guy, for no good reason other than I can only afford so many guns and calibers of ammo... They are beautiful things though. I did inherit this little guy and it can be quite chippy.

 

[UC_Guy 1971]

Snubbies will always be relavent. Not everyone wants or needs 10+1, 12+1, 15+1. Now some actually do. I've been to a shady part of Memphis that made me wish I had an AR pistol, a couple of friends with AR's and maybe a drone with hellfires for a little extra spice, in lieu of my then Glock 23, but I digress.

I don't carry my wheels as much as I used to. However, I won't let them go either. My 605 protector is the one that I pull out when I feel like 5 rounds of pew is enough, or enough backup though. During those times it is normally on my ankle, loaded with Honeybadger .38 Spl. +P. I also like the Speer Gold Dot for short barreled revolvers in .357 mag.

 

[Sld1959]

I have never really been a big revolver guy, for no good reason other than I can only afford so many guns and calibers of ammo... They are beautiful things though. I did inherit this little guy and it can be quite chippy.


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Very very nice. I had the 3 inch barrel version for a few years before my Dr friend friend i shoot with because of my arthritis suggested for my longevity that i change from calibers that start with 4 to calibers that start with 3s which greatly changed my CC, hunting and woodswalking carry. You are right it can be chippy.