snub nose 38 for cc ?

In 38 special the only weight they offer is 80 gr, isn't that kind of light ?

The model 37 I am looking at is in absolute mint condition without a mark, scratch or wear mark any where. It looks like it was a safe queen and fired very little. Lockup is tight with no movement in the cylinder at all. It is an aluminum frame with steel cylinder and barrel, also the barrel is not pinned.
Is the aluminum frame any cause for concern ?
Do you guys recommend any particular brand of inside the pants holster ?
 
I like the idea of a revolver vs compact auto, cause you don't have casings flying all over the place. This could be a big liability. I am happy with my Air Weight S&W.
 
I have a mod 36 which I've been carrying
since the fall of '72.I've since switched over
to a G26.
The Snubby is a great gun but don't use those
big "ashtray" hollow points.
(Winchester 125 gr silver tipped hollow points)
I don't know how close a deer's hide compares to
heavy clothing but I tried to dispatch a deer
with my 38 (after a shot with a muzzle loader) and
the big hollow point barely made it thru the hide
and inflicted a bloody bruise in the muscle of the deers
neck.The bullet was on the surface of the muscle.
Loaded up the muzzle loader and shot in the base of the skull.
Hard cast bullets for me from now on.
 
"What are the Glaser Safety Slugs ?"

Overly expensive hype rounds that I wouldn't use for personal protection on a bet.


"Do they come in 357 mag ?"

Yes.
 
I have a nickel model 38 with the small j frame pachmayr rubber grips to take care of recoil.

I carry 200 grain std pressure.
 
The model 37 airweight I am looking at and have on lay away is in such mint condition I doubt it was carried or shot very much. I was a little concerned that perhaps it had been reblued but the gun at the gun shop said an aluminum frame cannot be reblued. Does anyone know if this is true ? If not then this gun had to be a safe queen.
 
rebs said:
The 2 model 37's I looked at were not aluminum, one was blued steel and the other was slightly heavier stainless steel, I believe.
Could I be wrong ?
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It's easy to get it wrong, I do it all the time. The model 36 is the steel j-frame, also called the Chief's Special. the model 37 is the aluminum j-frame, and is called the Airweight. The Model 38 is the old humpback revolver with the shrouded hammer. It is also aluminum and is likewise called the Airweight.

In 1965, Smith and Wesson brought out their first stainless handgun. It was also a J-frame, 38 special five shot revolver. To distinguish it from the blued and aluminum models, they called it the Model 60. For many, many years, the Model 60 was my daily carry piece. It's now on semi-permanent loan to my daughter-in-law, who prefers the heft of a steel revolver. In it's place I now carry a Model 38, the old humpback revolver of Vietnam fame.
 
The model 37 airweight I am looking at and have on lay away is in such mint condition I doubt it was carried or shot very much. I was a little concerned that perhaps it had been reblued but the gun at the gun shop said an aluminum frame cannot be reblued. Does anyone know if this is true ? If not then this gun had to be a safe queen.
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Aluminum can not be blued. I'm not sure what S&W used to color the frame of the 37, but it is not bluing.
 
On occasion, I pocket carry an older (well, they all are) Colt Cobra snubnose. It doesn't conceal as well as a Ruger LCP but I prefer the simplicity of a revolver.
 
My regular pocket gun is a M36 which is the all-steel version of the M37 (or conversely the M37 is the airweight version of the M36) and have no complaints whatsoever. The only thing about the M37 that would give me pause is that they should not be used with +P ammunition (no J-Frames prior to 1999 were rated for +P, but the steel frames can handle limited amounts of it). If, however, you're happy with standard pressure .38 Special ammo, the M37 should make a superb pocket gun.

I'd rather get an aluminum-frame Ruger LCR38 with a ton of technical improvements since the 37 yet still not pay S&W's recent prices...
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I'm a bit confused by this statement. S&W's current airweight .38's can be had all day long for the same price or slightly less than an LCR 38 (which is also an excellent gun). In my area, 637's, 638's, and 642's routinely sell for $400 or slightly less NIB.
 
I occasionally carry a Smith 637. I pocket carry almost exclusively 8 months of the year because it gets a little warm here in central Texas, and the light weight is great for that purpose .. as others have said, the real problem with a snubbie is that it takes some practice to feel confident you can hit what you aim with; I find my regular EDC Kahr PM9 much easier to shoot tight groups with at SD distances ... if you practice, a snubbie is a great choice ...

as far as price, spent $450 or so with tax for mine at Cabela's several years ago, I've seen them since for about $400 ... great price for Smith quality ...
 
Have carried a J frame for 35 years. Two speed strips of Speer 135 Gold Dots always also. No better small CCW out there IMHO. Yes it does hide better than a G26. Carry that too on occasion. I'm just not much for the small 380s etc.
 
Since the model 37 is not for use with +P ammo I have looked some more and found a new Smith snub nose 38 that is for +P ammo and its $100.00 more.
Just how important is +P ammo for CC in a snub nose 38 ? I mean a $100.00 is a good chunk of money to me as I am retired.
Is +P ammo that much better or necessary ?
 
I've tried several different size guns and while I would prefer to carry a compact 9mm semiauto I know I will always be able to carry my 642 one way or another. It's not the most fun to shoot and certainly not the easiest one to shoot accurately but it certainly is the easiest to carry and is rock-solid reliable.
 
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