concealed hammer snubbies...

S

SkaerE

New member
im looking for one for carry. i like the idea of having a full weight hammer that doesnt get snagged on anything (not a big fan of bobbed hammers) anyhow

i know smith made some good ones, 640 and 642 i think 442 i think as well

anyone ever use a Taurus 650 or 850? how do they rank?

how about the new Taurus Protector (similar to the bodyguard?)
shrouded hammer but allows cocking for single action shooting.

anyhow, what do i want to get? i bought a Kahr MK40 but just never really bonded with it so i want something else. (in fact it is for sale/trade wink wink ;) )

thanks guys
 
You might also try a couple other Smith snubs. The 49 and 649 are two shrouded-hammer guns. The 49 is blued steel and the 649 is stainless. There are alloy versions too the M38s. I am familiar with several of these and like them a lot. There are used pre-agreement Smiths in .38 Special available on line and elsewhere.

I know people who like the Taurus snubbies. I have been too satisfied with the used Smiths I've bought to give Taurus a try.
 
I just went through the same thing myself.

After much research on multiple Gun Boards and talking to several knowledgeable people I bought a NIB S&W 640 .38 special off of Gunsamerica. I've only had this gun 5 days now but have been to the range with it 3 times already. I LOVE THIS GUN! It's my first revolver. What had I been thinking all those years buying automatics?

Any how, the straw that broke the tie between the 640 & 649 for me was when a retied ARMY NCO told me that in his opinion the 640 was the only way to go. He explained that ANY gun with a exposed hammer no matter how little it's exposed can be over come by a knowable Bad Guy by simply grabbing the gun and blocking the hammer. He demonstrated how and he did it so easy.

I only got the 640 due the fact that I like steel. Hope this helps you.
 
For a hammerless/concealed hammer snubbie...the 640/940 or either Taurus will do you just fine. I would buy a 357 based gun even if I only shot 38's thru it...a stronger platform, not much heavier and holds their value better if you decide to sell it later.
The Taurus 650's Ive got to shoot have better triggers than any Ruger Ive shot (or owned) and not far behind the smittys in DAO pull. I dont think you can go wrong with any gun mentioned.
The "humpback" design didnt appeal to me at first...but has the advantage of trad. d/a trigger with pocket carry options......
Any will do you well...Shoot well

The protector looks alot like a 649...do you think its a coincidence?
Shoot well
 
He explained that ANY gun with a exposed hammer no matter how little it's exposed can be over come by a knowable Bad Guy by simply grabbing the gun and blocking the hammer. He demonstrated how and he did it so easy.
Click to expand...
You don't have to block the trigger, just grab the cylinder and hold on--that will lock-up any revolver (including the concealed hammer models). There are good reasons for going with the concealed hammer models, but this is not one of them.
 
VERY GOOD POINT. He did demonstrate this on my Guardian .32 an automatic. I never even thought about grabbing the cylinder. Still I do LOVE this gun!
 
I've got a SS Taurus 650 and I really like it. Paid just under $300 NIB on gunbroker, what a bargain. It shoots very well, considering its size, and of course it carries GREAT. I can shoot a 3" 5-shot group at 20 yards with it (but not always!). I put a wolff reduced power trigger return spring in it, and after several hundred dry fires, the trigger is NICE.

It replaced an 85 I had; I wanted maggie power, and a concealed hammer that wouldn't collect lint and dust, which can build up really heavy with ankle or pocket carry. I never would have guessed I'd prefer a DAO revolver, but now I do (in a snubby).
 
im torn between the shrouded hammer and the completly concealed hammer. ive heard of people getting coins/lint/anything jammed in the channel that the hammer is in thus not allowing the gun to function. im leaning towards the Taurus 650 cause of this reason and plus i dont really like buying first year models of any type...like to let the bugs get worked out if there are any...

so...humpback or smooth?

one more thing...

how reliable are the taurus locks? ive heard RUMORS of them locking up...bad. so, how do they work? can you locktite them in the unlocked position?
 
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I currently own the following:

1) S&W 649 all stainless steel Bodyguard in .38 Special
2) S&W 638 Airweight stainless/alloy Bodyguard in .38 Special

These two are a couple of my favorite carry guns. They are carried as a pair or individually or used as a backup to a 1911 .45 ACP.

3) A second 649 .38 Special

This is just a spare in case something ever happens to my other one.

4) A second 638 .38 Special

This is my wife's purse gun.

And I have owned but sold due to unGodly recoil:

5) A 649 all stainless steel Bodyguard in .357 Magnum

The above was sold to a good friend whom I communicate with regularly.

One of my best friends owns:

6) An early model 649 .38 Special (it wears the old wood grips they used to use)

Another friend's wife has:

7) A 638 .38 Special

It is her purse gun.

Of these 7 guns, all have been shot extensively and none has ever malfunctioned. One is carried on an ankle regularly, and two are carried in a purse regulary and are prone to lint and/or sock fuzz exposure. They are extremely accurate...much more so than they should be due to the short barrel and sight radius. These are awesome guns and would be among the last that I ever parted with. I can't say enough good about the Bodyguards.
 
I really like the Taurus 650. -feels good, love the trigger. Accuracy is much better than I expected from a barrel that short.

.38 Special +P works great. .357 is OK but lots of recoil.

As I posted elsewhere, no problems here with Taurus locks. I actually like them!:) (OK, here come the flames!):eek:

Logistar
 
I've about decided to get the Taurus 850 CIA in titanium, 16 ounces which is about 6-7 ounces lighter than the stainless. It is a fair amount more though - saw one for $400 last month.
 
Taurus 850

I had a S&W 642 that I sold a while ago. Didn't give it a fair chance and regret selling it. Recently bought a Taurus 850 and am very happy with it. Extremely smooth trigger pull. I may consider the lighter weight model at some point.
 
I know it's all subjective but I like the concealed hammer best for self defense...and I think the lines are a whole like cleaner than the humped back shrouds....
 
smith snubbie vs taurus

I've seen tons of thread comparing these two so let's get to the bones of it....(forget reliability and politics)....isn't the smith slightly smaller when all is said and done....and don't they also make the lightest version as well?
 
S&W 642

I can personally vouch for the 642--it's a great little carry gun. Accurate, light in weight, concealable, decent power--this gun has a lot going for it. The only thing that would make it better is if it came in .44 Spl., which is why I may someday pick up a S&W 296.
DAL
 
Actually, if you compare the S&W to the Taurus they are damn close to the same size...if you compare the 650 CIA to the 640, the Taurus is smaller because of the grip. It comes with a 2 finger boot grip instead of the 3 finger unit on the smith.
Frame, cylinder and barrel size are almost identical.

As far as weight, the smitty Sc series is the lightest...as comparing steel guns they are within an OZ. or so, of each other.

Ill take a steel gun and stick to 357's in it. Just me :D
Taurus offers 357's as low as 16 oz's....

Ill take one in the 20+ oz range...just because it helps with recoil and there is less risk of dislodging a bullet. Ive heard this happening in the super fly weight guns and it locks the cylinder....NOT GOOD. Plus I know they will take the abuse my ammo choices will dish out, for a long time.

Another plus is the barrel style on the Taurus. Its like a mini Ruger SP with the full tapered lug under the barrel. It just looks
mean :mad: :D

Shoot well
 
I have an old flat-latch M40 Centennial that I like very much. Carried for several years and it is very slick coming out of a pocket or from under clothing. never any snags. Fun to shoot, too, with mild loads. Hot loads are a bit much in the recoil department for extended shooting.

You can get nearly same effect by "de-horning" a standard hammer. For about $40 I had a gunsmith cut off the hammer spur and convert a M58 to DA only. Still a big gun, but nearly as slick and snag-free as the little .38. I think a regular old M36 Chief's Special made DA only with the spur gone would be sweet, indeed.
 
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Skaer...if you don't like the lock, don't buy it....if you mess with a safety device like that, yo are opening yourself up to more legal trouble if you ever need it...just buy one without the lock...they are out there...used snubbies are the best deal on the market.....carried a lot, shot very littel..i picked up my 442 smith for 200.00 with maybe 100 rounds through it....
 
I really like my Taurus 605. My daughter carries a Taurus 85. Both are stainless and have concealed hammers. We think they are great for carry. They are functional and reliable.
Jim Hall
 
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