Snubby.38 Revolver Suggestions?

Biggfoot44 said:

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And I will stick with original nod to SP101 . Slightly larger j heavier than the Tauras and J frames, but not seriously so except for ankle or tight pockets . But the SP101 is smallest revolver to be potentially useful as a real gun , with actual .357 .

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DJones2987 said:

I'm leaning very heavily towards the Ruger SP101. Now...2.25" barrel or 3"? Mostly will be used for HD if my glock is out with me and occasionally at the range. If it ever is carried concealed by her it will be OWB under a jacket or shirt.

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I've been on a small frame revolver kick. S&W J-frame, S&W Model 64, Ruger SP101 with 3-inch barrel, Colt Cobra, and a couple Kimber K6S revolvers (2- and 3-inch barrels). I find the Model 64 to be an awesome range gun, but a bit big for carry.

My favorite revolvers of those that I feel more comfortable carrying are the SP101 (5-shot 357) and the Colt (6-shot 38 Special), and this is despite the Kimbers being 6-shot 357 double action only revolvers with sweet triggers. I shoot the SP101 and Colt better - in double action mode. Moreover, like Biggfoot mentioned, 357 rounds are pretty controllable from the SP101, nearly comparable to a S&W 686 that I have with a 3-inch barrel. On the other hand, I'm not comfortable shooting 357 from even the 3-inch Kimber K6S (yeah, I'm killing my resale prospects with the revolver by being honest about it - maybe new grips could fix this). I like the fact that the 3-inch barrel makes the 357 round even more potent. Otherwise from a 2-inch barrel, I'd likely elect to carry 38 +P rounds instead.

Although my S&W J-frame is easy to shoot well and I have a nice OWB holster for it, I never pick it up for carry opportunities. I think I would do the same for a Ruger LCR - it would be safe queen, so haven't bothered to get one. I can see pocketing the smaller K6S sometime because it's a 6-shot.

If your girlfriend likes the SP101, get it. I spent $450 (+ $30 transfer) when I got one new, so it's just a little higher than the $400 limit mentioned earlier.

Gratuitous pics of some revolvers mentioned above ...

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mpdc4511 said:

If it's not an ankle gun than the 3 inch is the clear winner

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Lol, and I have you to partly blame for the small revolver kick.

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I love to try a Manhurin .

Unless it were to be an ankle gun, 3in is the way to go with the SP101 .

The 3in fixed sight K Frames were quite popular in the final years of Revolver Era , so there's a decent number of them in circulation. That one linked at United seems like a good catch with the Aherends ( presuming no mechanical issues in person ) , and Rockville isn't that far from H'town on the weekend w/o traffic.

TWO inch K frames are rare-ish , and elicit significant collector interest. I used to believe what I read , and thought 2in K Frames were silly and pointless . Until I shot one . The way they feel and balance in the hand is better than sliced beer and canned bread .

It is commonly said, the hardest part of a revolver is the grips . After one shooting session , most new J frame owners immediately seek oversize grips, so that they can control , and not be painful. A K frame RB with Magnas , or Boot Grips is about the same bulk as oversized J frame grips ( see where I'm going ? ) . But with the much smoother action , and shootability of a K frame. Yeah, yeah, it's "heavier" , but with a decent belt & holster , no problem. And with either Roy Baker or DeSantis pancakes , tucks right in . No problems concealing two K frame snubs under a shirt tail .

It's a conversation in itself. But even though I always shoot DA , I prefer the conventional DA/SA lockwork. And even IF DAO , still prefer the spur .

BUT , back in the Revolver Era , dehorning a revolver was extremely common , both on purpose, and as remediation for bent spur. ( Murphy's Law #38 , a dropped revolver will always land on the hammer spur ). Spurless is as close as your nearest sort of gunsmith , or your Dremel . I will recomend instead , the second most common revolver surgery. Shorten and round the spur . This will eliminate 90% of potential snagging issues , yet retain sufficent function for most " spur things " . I spotted a M36 No Dash , so treated, at the Jarrettsville show for a good price, and probably would have picked up on C&R if it had been out of state.

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.22lr revolvers are wonderful things. Even people who are competent with centerfire revolvers would have much fun , and coincidental training value, from having a rimfire revolver also.

Biggfoot44 said:

I love to try a Manhurin .

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Stop by Frederick sometime, maybe after sitting for MSI at a gun show. The double action pull is pretty unusual.

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You have my attention. One of the French LE trade ins ?

Biggfoot44 said:

You have my attention. One of the French LE trade ins ?

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Yes. Bluing is something special. Doesn’t really show in the picture. Might be due to the ordnance grade metal (the revolver feels so durable, moreso than any Ruger or S&W). Size of this 4-inch gun is close to a K-frame. MPDC4511 also got one at the same time with the black target grips.

AlanInSilverSpring said:

I love mine. Can get one new right now for $320. Free shipping and $50 rebate makes out the door cost $330. That's about as good as it gets.

Only thing I would do though is contact SMGA to be absolutely positive it's the airweight as they have the SDVE in the specs

https://www.smga.com/p-101647-sw-163810-642-1875-38spl-stsalum-cent.aspx


EDIT: My go to ffl charges $50 for transfers (which I happily pay for the service I receive) so if yours is cheaper it gets even better

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You might want to double check that. Appears there’s a mistake, they put this under the description of the 642 (it’s obviously a different gun):


SKU: 223900
Model: S&W SD9 VE Std Capacity
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 16+1
Safety: No Thumb Safety
Barrel Length: 4" / 10.2 cm
Overall Length: 7.2"
Front Sight: White Dot
Rear Sight: Fixed 2-Dot

I am "a revolver guy" and would say at your price point to look for a good used K- frame S&W (Model 10, 15, 64, 65, or 66). They are getting hard to find within your budget, but they are out there. The J-frames (36, 49, 60 and their lightweight equivalents) size makes them good guns for concealed carry or backup but not for shooting - stout recoil that puts off many inexperienced shooters. Stainless steel Rugers also offer great value for the money. Personally, I think the older S&W double action revolvers were the finest handguns ever made. Would I want one in the mud of a WWI trench or the dust of the Middle East, probably not, but with proper care, even those conditions would not be a problem.

AlanInSilverSpring said:

I love mine. Can get one new right now for $320. Free shipping and $50 rebate makes out the door cost $330. That's about as good as it gets.

Only thing I would do though is contact SMGA to be absolutely positive it's the airweight as they have the SDVE in the specs

https://www.smga.com/p-101647-sw-163810-642-1875-38spl-stsalum-cent.aspx


EDIT: My go to ffl charges $50 for transfers (which I happily pay for the service I receive) so if yours is cheaper it gets even better

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Since I live pretty close to the Quantico Tactical store here, I didn't need to have it transferred if I were inclined to purchase one. I'm not buying anymore S&W revolvers, I'll be sticking with Colt.

boundlessdyad said:

Standard hammer is fine for OWB. If that's how she will carry there is no reason not to go with the three inch.

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That's where I'm leaning.

AlanInSilverSpring said:

I love mine. Can get one new right now for $320. Free shipping and $50 rebate makes out the door cost $330. That's about as good as it gets.

Only thing I would do though is contact SMGA to be absolutely positive it's the airweight as they have the SDVE in the specs

https://www.smga.com/p-101647-sw-163810-642-1875-38spl-stsalum-cent.aspx


EDIT: My go to ffl charges $50 for transfers (which I happily pay for the service I receive) so if yours is cheaper it gets even better

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I can get the airweight locally brand new for $400 bucks. $350 after rebate.

I agree, K frame is where it's at (or larger). The J-frames are much less fun to shoot, and many in .357 are a pain. Big grips can help tame them, but then you are losing the advantage of having a small pistol.

I haven't bought a new S&W in many years, I'm reading here and there that the quality has gone down, is this so? I have one on order, will compare it to some 10+ years older stuff.


The more I look at that 3" 6-shot Kimber the more its growing on me.

Do not waste your money on new S&W revolvers with the Hillary Hole (internal lock) when there are so many classic Smiths out there for sale. So many are available that were shot very little or not at all.

A used S&W without the HH will hold its value, meaning you can have a store of value that you can defend your home with or enjoy at the range.

A new Smith will lose about 15-20% of its value the day you sign for it.

That, and nobody starts conversations at the range or at picnics in Free America about how cool your Smith with the internal lock is. And don’t get me started if you lock the damn thing and lose the key.

I would suggest a Charter Arms snubby but that depends on when it was made. Charter's quality control was iffy depending on what time period and ownership they were under at the time. You can find some great Charters out there but some crappy ones as well. Most gun makers have had occasional bad periods of quality control (Dan Wesson is another) but Charter is likely one of the repeat offenders in that regard.

reference

I really enjoy shooting my SP101 at the range with both .38 and .357. Mine is the DAO 2.25" bbl version. You should be able to find these at the $500 price point pretty easily.

I'd be interested in trying the LCRx with the 3" bbl. I've heard good things about it.

joppaj said:

Good deal. I stand by the recommendation of the Sp-101 then. She might like it with Crimson Trace laser grips, I never got used to them. When I bought mine ten years ago it was common to replace the hammer and trigger springs with Wolf brand springs to smooth out the trigger pull. I don't know if that's still commonly done but it did improve the trigger on my gun.

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I've had a first year production (1989 I think) SP101 in .38SP for years with the Crimson Trace grips which IMHO help a lot. I'm not a fan of the DA trigger, but when fired single action breaks nicely. I think I paid around $300 then a $100 or so for the grips. They run forever flawlessly.

Ohhhhh ! MM showed a picture of my favorite small revolver grip frame, the J Square ! Lamentably discontinued by S&W .

For trivia , the grip frame used by small & medium-small Rossi used exact same shape, albeit with different screw placement . Some , but not all aftermarket grips would fit, with minor fitting of the holes for the grip locating pins.

My M36 Square currently wears Pacy Grippers. Excellent for range shooting , but for concealment , less concealable than K frame Boot Grips . I keep meaning to get some Altamonts for it to switch off , but keeps barely slipping off the to do list.

FWIW, small frame revolvers all benefit from Tyler T-grips, unless the shooter is a 90 pound midget.

Link: http://www.t-grips.com/ (Scroll down a bit)

She likes the feel of the Smith 642 but I'd rather get her into the ruger sp101. Time will tell.

Rack&Roll said:

Do not waste your money on new S&W revolvers with the Hillary Hole (internal lock) when there are so many classic Smiths out there for sale. So many are available that were shot very little or not at all.

A used S&W without the HH will hold its value, meaning you can have a store of value that you can defend your home with or enjoy at the range.

A new Smith will lose about 15-20% of its value the day you sign for it.

That, and nobody starts conversations at the range or at picnics in Free America about how cool your Smith with the internal lock is. And don’t get me started if you lock the damn thing and lose the key.

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Loud & Proud.. https://youtu.be/ZvSX_WKl3bI?t=10m36s