Snubby Dilemma

[Gun Fan]

I am a long-time fan of revolvers, especially for their ease of use and reliability. Aside from the above (which is certainly important), why would you choose a 2" barrel .38 snubbie over a semi-auto with an equal or higher power cartridge, thinner width, shorter length (even with a longer barrel) and a higher capacity? Snubbies are EXTREMELY popular for self defense, but I have seen so much research showing the .38 is underpowered and that a 2" barrel does not allow hollowpoints (of any caliber) to perform nearly as well as they were designed too. If chosing betwen snubbie and semi-auto, it seems like the snubbie loses in nearly all regards. So, why choose a revolver?

 

[netsecurity]

One answer is to be able to fire repeatedly from within a purse, or pocket.

 

[VERT]

One answer is to be able to fire repeatedly from within a purse, or pocket.

This is a good answer. A pocket gun or backup gun is a weapon of last resort. Being able to fire it from within a pocket might be an advantage. Also remember what we should be comparing. The snub verses the ultra sub compact pistols. Given the choice between my j frame and my Glock, I am going to choose the Glock.

Also, the revolvers tend not to be finicky about ammo and avoid some of the reliability issues associated with the pocket autos. This is not to say they are infaliable. Snubbies are fairly complex mechnical devices when compared to an automatic. They can and do break and in the worst possible ways. But they are also not prone to failure from bad technique. In other words a failure because of limp wristing.

Snubbies are great social guns. Not a scary "evil black gun" like some of the autos. They are classy in a nostalgic way.

Snubbies conceal very well. Something about the nice round lines of a small revolver allow it to blend in with the human physique. It is not square, simple as that. I often carry my snub strong side IWB or in my pocket and I am shocked by how it simply disappears.

 

[shooter521]

for their ease of use and reliability. Aside from the above (which is certainly important), why would you choose a 2" barrel .38 snubbie over a semi-auto

I don't think there IS an "aside from the above". IME, "the above" are about the ONLY reasons. Absent simplicity and reliability, a 2" .38Spl revolver is thicker, has a lower capacity, has worse sights and is WAY slower to reload than most of the equivalent semi-autos (think small frame single-stack .380 or 9mm).

 

[evanrw61]

Not all people want the complexity involved with operating a semi-automatic. Thumb safeties, grip safeties, slide locks and magazine ejection. Older people and those that suffer with arthritis, or carpel tunnel may not have the strength to pull a slide back. As far as speed on reload, my 78 year old mother can reload a S&W model 19 in just over 3 seconds with her speedloaders (3).
While I agree that the 38 is underpowered, why limit yourself to that caliber. 40,44 and 45 caliber snub nose revolvers are available at reasonable prices, and are easily controled (with the possible exception of the .40 S&W).

 

[jayeff]

My S&W 340 .357 weighs 13oz and has Crimson Trace laser grips. With 135gr short barrel GDHPs it is my favorite summer carry piece.
I feel better carrying it than my.380 Ruger LCP and it is almost as conceilable

 

[Bartman]

I don't see what the dilemma is about. If you want to carry a semi-auto knock yourself out. As to why others would choose to carry a revolver:
The points on reliability that have already been mentioned. Also most compact semi autos use a 3 inch barrel. You can call that an advantage if you like, but that 2" barrel on the revolver is measured from the forcing cone. If you have a round chambered in the barrel of a pistol, a 9mm cartridge is over an inch long so you may not have quite as much advantage as you thought with the length of the barrel.

If you think the .38 special is underpowered (I don't) you can have a .357 magnum in the exact same size. And yes, the width of the cylinder of a j frame is wider than (some) semi auto pistols. but that cylinder is only about 1.5 inches long. The rest of the frame runs about .5" wide. So the revolver is wider, but only over a small cross section.

 

[WestSider]

I think they both have their place. A .38 snubbie is still a great choice for a BUG, but so is a LCP. I'm confident that if need be I can do the job with my LCR with only 5 rounds with one assailant at 10 yards or less. It is VERY rare that I carry just that gun though instead of something with more firepower.

I like to throw something like that in my cargo shorts pocket just to wear in and around the house, more comfortable than having a larger pistol strapped to my hip.

 

[billyboyr6]

The best of both worlds (IMO) 6-shots, 2 1/2" barrel, weighs nothing, quick moon clip reloads, night sights, and best of all .45 acp.

I wouldn't trade this gun for any semi auto. My EDC S&W 325 night guard. If your weird and would rather cary .357/.38 you can do so with the same gun with the options of 6,7,and 8 rounds. With different size frames of corse. I wouldn't trade 6 .45's for 8 .357's though myself.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Life is full if trade offs and you listed a good number of them in regards to small revolvers. I carry one during the work week and here are a few reasons why:

-they're easy to pocket carry--my boss won't let employees carry weapons on their property, so it's easy to remove and store.

-less ammo sensitive, reliable.

-point and shoot ease of operation for other members of the family, should they ever have to use it.

-we have another 38 my wife is familiar with so there is training and ammo commonality that is leveraged.

 

[JetGirl]

This is not to say they are infaliable.

They can and do break and in the worst possible ways.

Absent simplicity and reliability

Just to run with those ^ a little further...when a semi-auto jams, the fix is usually as simple as *tap/rack/bang* and you're good to go.
When your revolver jams...now you got problems that are not a two-second "fix".

And as stated before, yes they can.

 

[mjblazor]

I too struggle with my edc of choice. I also prefer revolvers. However, I have a Kahr CM9 that I cannot seem to replace with better option. I have one of the good ones as I have absolutely no failures of any kind with it. It breaks down easy and shoots extremely accurate with as little recoil as any 9mm I've fired (or maybe it's just cuz I usually shoot my M&P 40 prior it just seems that way)??? I want to trade for an LCR but feel I'd be trading down for some reason. I don't like semi's for the fact i cannot bond with any of them like my revolvers. I love the trigger on the LCR but really the CM9 trigger is better. I'd like both but for now the CM9 is my edc. I do have a beautiful mod-classic SW model 40-1 (nickel finish) 1-7/8" all-steel snubbie. I CCW sometimes but it is better as a colder weather coat pocket gun with my CM9 IWB. It's all mental cuz either one will do the job.

 

[led4thehed2]

I can carry and conceal my revolver (S&W 642) in ways and places I simply cannot conceal my GLOCK. If I get one of these M&P Shields (nice and thin) that may change things. For instance, I can IWB carry a revolver with a much tighter shirt than I can my GLOCK. My GLOCK prints fiercly even on a shirt one size too big. My revovler is gone. I can use my belly band to hide a revolver under and over-sized shirt for when I go jogging, but the GLOCK feels like a log. GLOCKs are great combat pistols, but they certainly weren't made with CC in mind. I can also pocket carry my S&W 642 easily, not so with the GLOCK. Sights suck, capacity sucks, reloads suck, but those 5 shots of .38 Special +P are sometimes all I can realistically carry or conceal, and they sure beat nothing. I'm constantly looking for a more powerful, higher capacity weapon to carry in place of the 642 that conceals just as easily but I haven't found it yet. Even sub compact autos with similar dimensions to my 642 are printing monsters due to their sharp angles, sights, and wide grips.

 

[youngda9]

I'd be willing to bet that the OP has little experience shooting revolvers.

 

[poolman1]

i second that 38 s&w air light main carry for me sitts behind my wallet just right

 

[bwframe]

My experience has been that shooting snub nosed revolvers well is difficult.

 

[pokersamurai]

I have a Smith and Wesson 642, Glock 26 (my most compact 9mm), and Ruger LCP and I carry them all a lot. In my opinion the snubbies biggest plus is its size/weight to firepower ratio. My 642 weighs only 15 oz. but fires rounds that are more powerful then a full size 9mm (buffalo bore). Also, I actually think my snubbie is much easier to conceal then my 26 and almost as easy as my LCP. The revolver's shape is much more natural looking, especially in the pocket, and makes is alot easier to conceal. When you combine this with the snubbies reliability, ease of use, and track record, I still think revolvers rule in the small pocket gun arena.


P.S.
Here is the data I've collected on all of my small CCW guns defensive ammo:

Glock 26: Velocity/ Ft. lbs. energy
Federal 124gr +p HST 1135/335
Federal 147gr HST 994/323

S&W 642:
Buffalo Bore 158gr +p 1031/373
Remington 158Gr +p LSWCHP 825/239

Ruger LCP:
Remington 102gr Golden Saber 790/141
Fiocchi 95gr FMJ 875/162

 

[KoopaKGB]

-less ammo sensitive, reliable.

-point and shoot ease of operation for other members of the family, should they ever have to use it.

With a revolver you can limp wrist all day, hold it at an awkward angle, squeeze the trigger poorly, push the gun’s barrel right directly into something else, flesh or thin wood or a jacket coat, or otherwise just do some really odd things that would all stop a semi auto from working.

Just to run with those ^ a little further...when a semi-auto jams, the fix is usually as simple as *tap/rack/bang* and you're good to go.

When your revolver jams...now you got problems that are not a two-second "fix".

And as stated before, yes they can.

Sure anything can fail, I've never had a revolver "jam" on me. Granted I've shot less then 600 rounds of .38spl, .357mag, .44 mag. Never had a problem in all those times. Where as my LCP had a heck of a break in period even clean as a whistle it would fail with different ammo types. Both clean, lubricated, un lubricated, dirty, didnt matter much, it was just a fussy gun. I've never once heard of a fussy revolver.

 

[JetGirl]

My experience has been that shooting snub nosed revolvers well is difficult.

I'd agree with that (from my own experience).
Every time I hear (or read) some guy saying his girl is dead on accurate with them at such & such feet, I always think "Geez! Get that gal a 5" race gun and sign her UP!" Can you imagine what she could do with an indisputably more accurate gun?? Wow.

I've never had a revolver "jam" on me. .

I have. My little S&W 637. And it's definitely not a two-second *tap/rack/bang* fix.

 

[VERT]

My experience has been that shooting snub nosed revolvers well is difficult.

I would agree. But again it just depends on what we are comparing. I find the ultra compact, mini mouse guns to be difficult to shoot as well. By this I am referring to the little mini .380s. Snubbies while hard and in the case of an airweight painful to fire can actually be somewhat accurate. Obviously a compact to medium sized duty pistol is going to be much easier to handle.

I'd agree with that (from my own experience).
Every time I hear (or read) some guy saying his girl is dead on accurate with them at such & such feet, I always think "Geez! Get that gal a 5" race gun and sign her UP!" Can you imagine what she could do with an indisputably more accurate gun?? Wow.


I have. My little S&W 637. And it's definitely not a two-second *tap/rack/bang* fix.

Guys that buy their girl a snub revolver or little .380 tend to grind my gears a bit. Talk about the worst guns to learn to shoot with. But hey they are cute right? And everybody knows that a revolver is easier to use.

Yes people revolvers fail! I have seen it happen and is not something a person is going to fix right then and there. Mechanically I would even make the suggestion that they are more fragile and prone to failure then a quality auto. What a revolver does remove from the equation is that they are not finicky to different types of ammo (provided the ammo is good and the gun works properly.) So if a person is looking for a gun to take to the range a couple of times a year, then buy a single box of defense ammo that is going to last a few years, a revolver might be a good choice.