Need an Education on Snubbies

P

Peter M. Eick

New member
I have been thinking about getting a snubby. (or is it snubbies...) My interest has been in a 3rd generation Detective Special or Agent, but I am thinking I am missing the boat by not looking at the Smiths. For the last year I have been collecting N frame 5-screw Smiths, so I thought I should reconsider this.

My situation is simple. I want more power for CCW carry around the sub-division and on short trips around town. My P7PSP is my standard carry gun (9mm, 9 shots) but during the hot summer down here (Texas) it is a bit big and heavy for shorts without an odd looking belt to carry it. Thus I have been carrying my Colt Gov 380 (8 shots, 380 auto) which is nice and small, but I decided I want more power and would like a revolver. This gun will be carried a bunch, shot occasionally but I don't want to carry more then a 38 special. I would prefer nice blued (hence the Detective Special) but from a sweat and rust standpoint Stainless, Alloy or TI-SC sounds pretty darn good.

So all of you snubby owners. Give me some advice and suggestions. This is for shorts carry, not fighting gangs (most likely mongral dogs and rabid skunks!) light, small, and 38 special.
 
Don't discount the fury of mongrel dogs and rabid skunks in large groups. (the horror, the <snif, snif> smell? ;) )

IMH experience, I'd second the liteweight model of whatever you choose. Put an all steel snubbie in most shorts' pockets and you'll need a belt anyway. Toss in sweat and humidity on top and an alloy seems to make sense. Carried a lot, shot little and all that.

I like my Taurus Ti. The price was right, the weight is unbelievable, I don't flip out over the unnecessary safety and .38 should handle your scenario as well as anything else. That's what I carried in Houston on vacation instead of my .45 anyway.

FWIW (he acronymed)
 
Taurus makes some very nice snubbys. I have a couple of 'em. That being said, my Smith 642 is my favorite out of all my snubbys (currently have 8). It carries easy in a pocket and it's a nice little shooter. Besides, every Smith owner should have atleast on Smith snubby.
 
I've had a 340SC since Feb `03 and it is my "always" gun. "The beast" kicks like a mule but it "carries" very easily.

I also have a Smith 649 and a Colt Magnum Carry. There's no comparison in weight.

I like .357's and I use Federal 130 gr in all the snubs. None of the three have ever had a .38 in a chamber. The recoil is hard but managable.

I have Crimson Trace over molded grips on the Sc/Ti and they help,

John
 
Snubbies

For small numbers of critters, both two and four legged, the snubbie can't hardly be beat.
I would suggest the .357mag.
The platform I carry is the Taurus M605.
The ammo I carry is 158gr Gold Dot.
Smiths are nice, but I have just started warming up to them after the "agreement" fiasco and have not had a chance to purchase any.
 
Consider picking up a copy of Ed Lovette's THE SNUBBY REVOLVER published out of Paladin Press. Ed's got unimpeacheable credentials in the field as an SF officer, a LEO, and a CIA P-M officer. It's compact and concise with a fair bit of specifics to back up his points.

Cheers.
 
My no-budget-specified recommendation:

342 or 342PD for carry

640 or 40 for practice

bonus: 3" 60 for trail and plinking
 
I vote for the S&W 442 if you want a blue/black gun and the 642 if the color doesn't matter. I've carried my (barely)used 442 in a front pocket for a couple of Richmond's nasty summers and it hasn't rusted yet. Empty it's 15.8 oz. IIRC.

John
 
I picked up a Colt Cobra, 6 shot .38 special. It is lighter than the Detective Special (I think around 6 oz.) and recoil is not bad even with the wood grips. I believe the Cobra weighs 16 oz. and DS is 22 oz. Rubber grips make the recoil much better.
 
Is 18 oz. too heavy for you?

Take a look at S&W's Model: 396 - not your typical pocket or ankle holster weapon, but has an honest 3" bbl, 5 shot capacity and one of the better SD rounds for most situations that come with 2 to 4 legs. While not your classic, honey-you-think-bowser-might-have-swallowed-it micro gun, it does come with Hogue Bantam grips.

Here is S&W's website for it -

http://firearms.smith-wesson.com/store/index.php3?cat=293608&sw_activeTab=1

Ever since I got a 629 3", I wanted to get something sort of matching for weak-side shooting. ;)
 
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I second the Colt Cobra for hot weather carry. It disappears under loose fitting clothes. You'll forget that its there.

RIKA :)
 
I'll second JCM on the 340sc recommendation. Great to carry, rough to shoot, but as a "carry just in case" gun, it's perfect. Lighter than any other revolver (short of the NAA), and packs 5 rounds of .357. Unless money is tight (it's about 100 bucks more than the 342ti which is basically the same thing but shoots only .38), I'd go with the 340 (or 360). It'll shoot .38's if you want, but gives you the option (and is presumably stronger). It carries great in a Galco/Desantis ankle holster.
 
My always gun is a Taurus Model 85 Ultra-Lite with stainless steel barrel and cylinder and aluminum frame, .38 special +p rated, 17 ounces unloaded.
Not ported--recoil is no problem. Fantastic finish, smooth trigger pull, very accurate. Very good factory rubber grips.
Comfortable in an Uncle Mike's pocket holster in jeans or dress pants.
Doug
 
S&W 642

My S&W 642 goes with me practically everywhere it's legal. It's the only gun I can reliably conceal, no matter what I'm wearing.
DAL
 
I was poking around S&W site trying to figure out all of the numbers. As a pre-numbered S&W collector I hate to say it but can some one enlighten me on the numbering system?

I am to used to highway patrolman, heavy duty or registered magnum to figure out all of the numbers. I was hoping for a quick breakdown.
 
Dear Peter M. Eick

Let me suggest a S & W 386 which is a 7 shot TiScan with a 3" barrel. It is chambered for 357 and weighs in empty at around 18 0z. Has been a great carry for me in situations such as you describe. Good shooting ;)
 

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