HeadHunter
New member
A lot of people ask me about how to grip the snub revolver, so I wrote an article about it.
Link to full article
Link to full article
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Gripping the snub revolver
- Thread starter HeadHunter
- Start date
HeadHunter
New member
Fixed the link.
I enjoyed reading this. I was actually looking at my grip the other day and had never given it much thought. I actually shoot thumbs forward I guess due to shooting semi's. I guess I've never had issue due to the fact that even on a J frame my thumb is short and doesn't reach the end by 1/8-1/2". I definitely want to give thumbs down a try.
IMHO, best control of a snub revolver comes when the factory stocks are used and the middle finger of the shooting hand is all the way up behind the trigger guard, in other words, the way experts keep saying not to do it. Grips, including popular rubber grips, that keep the hand to the lower part of the grip don't give as good control as the hand held higher.
Jim
Jim
superspirit
New member
that was a link to pop up city, couldnt read the article for all the pop ups
Aguila Blanca
Staff
The link takes me to a VERY brief synopsis of the article, and seems to be telling me that I have to register to see the full document.
Which I won't do. Sorry.
Which I won't do. Sorry.
People's hands vary in size.
Factory and after-market grips vary a whole bunch. And some people don't like getting the knuckle rapped by the trigger guard, which the T-grips in the article will prevent.
So I'm saying there is not any one best way that works for everybody.
But everybody should keep soft flesh away from the front of the cylinder. Nobody wants localized B-B-Q on their hand
Bart Noir
Factory and after-market grips vary a whole bunch. And some people don't like getting the knuckle rapped by the trigger guard, which the T-grips in the article will prevent.
So I'm saying there is not any one best way that works for everybody.
But everybody should keep soft flesh away from the front of the cylinder. Nobody wants localized B-B-Q on their hand
Bart Noir
SFsc616171
Moderator
Gripping the Snub Revolver
First law of revolver gripping --- get your fingers and thumbs back behind the front edge of the cylinder!!
Second law of revolver gripping -- get your hand centered and as high as possible up on the grip. Some revolvers have what is called 'a recoil shoulder', like the SandW Centennial snubby. On Taurus Centennial-inspired snubbies, get as high to the lock screw as you can. On SandW original (pre-poly) Bodyguards, get your hand up to the hammer slot, but not over it (ouch!).
As a viewing for reference, I would suggest any of that wily Youtuber,
"hickok45", and his various revolver shooting videos, such as "Revolver Lore". I have viewed him as an 'elder uncle wanting to share his knowledge'. he has shown me a few things I did not think of.
Also, for 'a schoolin' in Snubby Academy', go find the videos of Michael
deBethencourt. Be ready to stand, and say, "Sir! yes, sir!" he has a website blog, 'SnubTraining.com'. Look under 'snubby reload' on YouTube, and you will find them there.
Lastly, find anything with revolvers and Clint Smith.
Go seek, go learn, (I still am), have fun, but know that revolvers can be very good, and final, no-nonsense tools. I carried a SandW Model 15 while in SouthEast Asia. It was a sweetheart, and I am happy with the Model 15 that I came upon. I'm learning to navigate the waters of the snubby world.
As with the archer and his arrow, 'become the bullet'.
First law of revolver gripping --- get your fingers and thumbs back behind the front edge of the cylinder!!
Second law of revolver gripping -- get your hand centered and as high as possible up on the grip. Some revolvers have what is called 'a recoil shoulder', like the SandW Centennial snubby. On Taurus Centennial-inspired snubbies, get as high to the lock screw as you can. On SandW original (pre-poly) Bodyguards, get your hand up to the hammer slot, but not over it (ouch!).
As a viewing for reference, I would suggest any of that wily Youtuber,
"hickok45", and his various revolver shooting videos, such as "Revolver Lore". I have viewed him as an 'elder uncle wanting to share his knowledge'. he has shown me a few things I did not think of.
Also, for 'a schoolin' in Snubby Academy', go find the videos of Michael
deBethencourt. Be ready to stand, and say, "Sir! yes, sir!" he has a website blog, 'SnubTraining.com'. Look under 'snubby reload' on YouTube, and you will find them there.
Lastly, find anything with revolvers and Clint Smith.
Go seek, go learn, (I still am), have fun, but know that revolvers can be very good, and final, no-nonsense tools. I carried a SandW Model 15 while in SouthEast Asia. It was a sweetheart, and I am happy with the Model 15 that I came upon. I'm learning to navigate the waters of the snubby world.
As with the archer and his arrow, 'become the bullet'.
fdreano & SFsc616171 - don't know if you know or not, but if you recognize that the OP is the author, you ought to also recognize he's quite a respected master of the snubbie himself, and could've/should've been on SFsc616171's list as well (instead of hickok45 
).
As to SFsc616171's "first law of revolver gripping", it's a commonly-held belief, and universally applied, but it ain't a "law". Yes, hot gas from magnum-powered ammo can damage the thumb (hey, flamers - did y'all notice I said as much right up front?
), but a thumb-forward revolver grip can be a perfectly viable grip with full-sized guns & standard powered ammo (hey flamers - did y'all notice I said it "can" be, while not saying it's the only way to grip? ). So long as one remembers to adjust accordingly, there's nothing wrong with a thumbs-forward grip. I go thumbs-down with snubbies and magnums, but my standard grip is thumbs-forward and my thumb is perfectly fine, thank you very much.
). As to SFsc616171's "first law of revolver gripping", it's a commonly-held belief, and universally applied, but it ain't a "law". Yes, hot gas from magnum-powered ammo can damage the thumb (hey, flamers - did y'all notice I said as much right up front?
), but a thumb-forward revolver grip can be a perfectly viable grip with full-sized guns & standard powered ammo (hey flamers - did y'all notice I said it "can" be, while not saying it's the only way to grip? ). So long as one remembers to adjust accordingly, there's nothing wrong with a thumbs-forward grip. I go thumbs-down with snubbies and magnums, but my standard grip is thumbs-forward and my thumb is perfectly fine, thank you very much.
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HeadHunter
New member
Well, I just managed to win the Stock Service Revolver Division of the Austin Schall Memorial IDPA Championship using that grip. The revolver is a 3" Model 10 S&W. My closest competitor, who has been practicing all year to beat me, was about 9 seconds behind me.
I smoked the Standards stage. Out of a field of 120 people, some of whom are very competent sponsored shooters, only 12 had a better time on the Standards. And no one was very far ahead of me.
I don't just talk about techniques, I test them. Talk is cheap, ammo is not.
I smoked the Standards stage. Out of a field of 120 people, some of whom are very competent sponsored shooters, only 12 had a better time on the Standards. And no one was very far ahead of me.
I don't just talk about techniques, I test them. Talk is cheap, ammo is not.
I keep my thumbs straight and rest the triggerguard on my right middle finger (Right Handed). This gives me optimum recoil control and a rock steady sight picture!
My Chief has S&W/ Uncle mikes rubbed grip bought straight from S&W.
I don't shoot +P ammo only standard .38 special factory ammo.
HTH,
BPDave
My Chief has S&W/ Uncle mikes rubbed grip bought straight from S&W.
I don't shoot +P ammo only standard .38 special factory ammo.
HTH,
BPDave
My problem with S&W K-frame snubbies (both round and square butt) is that the grip I find comfortable (a high grip) isn't the grip that best aligns the sights so that the bore is parallel to the ground. When I hold a high grip the muzzle seems to want to rise so that the instinctive pointing alignment is pointing toward the clouds above. When I hold a low grip as recommended above, that problem is corrected, but it feels unnatural. The only remediation for this for me is to put those ridiculous cushy Pachmayr grips on the thing, which seems to be the best ergonomic compromise on my Model 64. My wife won't let me do that to her Model 10, so that keeps the S&W wood grips.
In my case, it's the opposite and it's with J frames. The K frame with an exposed backstrap grip points very naturally for me, any bbl length. But the J frames point high compared to my natural and learned grip/point. I have to change grips to get some more "meat" behind the upper part of the small grips
and/or get more meat in front of the bottom part of the grips.
Those little wood grips that come with the M36s are great for hiding out. But they're too small and don't point well for my mitts.
Sgt Lumpy