In today's "tacticool" world, high capacity, plastic, semi-autos seem to be all that is talked about in the gun rags as well as on many forums. Yet if you were to check with with those who "have seen the elephant" it seems many carry a short barreled revolver as a back-up, or in some cases as a primary when a pocket gun is called for. Why? The answer is simple enough...they work. While no firearm (or anything made by man) is 100% reliable 100% of the time, the revolver when made by a reputable company comes closer than any other type of action. When loaded it can sit for years with all springs is a resting position. Shrouded or hammerless versions can be fired from inside a coat pocket. It comes in a variety of calibers that anyone can handle from the lowly 22 rimfire up through the mighty 44 magnum and beyond. While many of the 5 shot, 2 inch snubbies are fixed sights, the slightly larger 6 shot 2 1/2 inch barrel guns come with adjustable sights and all are capable of minute of felon accuracy. They can also be very lightweight, scandium frame J-Frame S&W weighs in at 12 ounces. Even my N-Frame 45ACP 325PD weighs in 4 ounces shy of 2 pounds.

Accuracy is one of the issues that always crops up when snubbies are discussed. I have heard "they are accurate out to 10 feet" many, many times and have never understood that. Trust me the bullet doesn't go 10 feet then turns left. While the shorter sight radius makes being accurate a longer ranges more difficult it is a simple matter of practice. Actually if you look at the traditional pocket semi-autos the sight radius on the snubbies is actually as long or longer and quite often the sights are larger and easier to see on the revolvers. Even with the fixed sight 2 inch guns it is not that hard to keep all shots center mass on a FBI qualification target at 25 yards with just a bit of practice.

Today the selection of available snubbies is quite large as well. S&W alone offers dozens of variations and the market is solid enough Ruger recently introduced a snubbie. Other makers include Taurus, Rossi, Charter but I do recommend sticking with the US made versions. Also on the secondary market many Colts are still available both in the 2 inch D-Frame as well as the 2 1/2 inch J-Frame guns. And while prices tend to run hi9gher than some of the cheaper semi-autos such as the Kel-Tec they are inline with semi-autos of similar quality.

Here is a short list of pros and cons regarding the snubby, this is not a complete list nor is it meant to be...it is just the highlights:

Pros:

lightweight
many different calibers from light to heavy
shrouded or hammerless can be fired from inside a coat pocket
easy to conceal
if a round fails to fire simply pulling the trigger brings a fresh shell into play
will function even when in contact with the target
easy to make safe at home
easy to check to see if loaded
same trigger pull for every shot
ease of loading, unloading
very simple manual of arms

Cons:

lower capacity than many semi-autos
slightly wider depending on caliber
can be slower to reload (with practice this can be alleviated for the most part)
longer trigger pull in many cases (again practice negates this)
heavier trigger pull in some models versus a SA semi-auto
exposed hammer models can snag if you don't recognize the problem and dress for it (avoid jackets with mesh linings)
speedloaders are bulky (I used speedstrips quite often)

The vast majority of self defense shootings occur at near toe to toe distances, what is often described as ECQ (extreme close quarters). The firearm used needs to be as operator proof as possible meaning the simpler it is to use the better. In a stress situation it is too easy to miss swiping off a safety, in contact shooting a semi-auto can easily be pressed out of battery, will likely only fire one round when shot from inside a coat pocket, may suffer from a failure to feed/extract if the slide's movement is impaired. The revolver works many times in situations that will reduce a semi-auto to a single shot that has to be manually operated for a second shot.

I would also say I am not anti semi-auto, I own and carry several including Glock, H&K, Kel-Tec, Browning, and Colt. But the simplicity and reliability of the revolver appeals to me and the snubbies are easy to carry and easy to conceal. Whether in a coat pocket, pants pocket, belt or shoulder holster the snubbie fits very well. It also hides well in purses, fanny packs, even more unusual carry methods like the Kramer Confidential T-Shirt. Of course semi-autos also carry well in these positions but the point is a revolver carries as easy as the semi-auto and the short barrel makes concealment easy.

Currently I utilize mainly three snubbies for daily carry. They are a S&W 325PD, a 45ACP revolver that uses full moon clips to hold the ammunition. For carry I also use 45 auto rim in speed strips. Two of these fit nicely in a belt pouch and looks like a cell phone case. Second snubby is my old model Detective Special with an original Colt Hammer shroud. This gets carry time on the belt, in the pocket and with winter approaching will get a good amount of time in my coat pocket. On the bottom is a Model 12, an airweight K-Frame. This also gets both pocket and belt carry and I like the fact it is a six shot rather than 5 like the standard J-Frames in 38. Quite often all three of these will be carried at the same time. Also shown id the best book written on the subject of the snub nose revolver, "The Snubby Revolver" by Ed Lovette. I recommend this book to anyone who carries are snubby or is looking for a small gun.



Perhaps it is my advancing age but I find that simpler is almost always better. The revolver is a simple firearm with fewer steps involved in it firing cycle. The fewer things that must happen is sequence for anything mechanical to work is always a good thing as there are fewer things to go wrong. The snub nosed revolver is a robust simple tool in today's high tech world. I absolutely love my H&K P7M8 but despite the fact it has always worked I still have more confidence in my revolvers. My Kel-Tecs have always worked nearly flawlessly but the revolver still feels better in hand.

Don't discount old school when looking for that perfect pocket gun, the older I get the more I realize old does not mean outdated.

I've got a Ruger SP101 in .357, with a 2.5" barrel. It shoots pretty good out to ten yards or so (the furthest I've shot it). I've never been a big revolver fan, but this thing is built like a tank.

I own the same one in DA only. The trigger pull is a bit cumbersome...but like you said, it's a damn tank and will last forever. I am comfortable relying upon it to save my life if need be.

My mom just bought one of the new Ruger CLRs in .38 Special.

I don't find the trigger on my SP offensive at all. Then again, I wouldn't know a good revolver trigger if it jumped up and kicked me in the balls.

Actually, I probably don't know a good trigger either. It may very well be a good trigger. I'm just so used to the crisp triggers on my hunting rifles I think I'm spoiled. Hehehe.

The comfort factor of a revolver comes from the grip area being fairly easy to customize for the individual hand. Autos cannot do this as well as the grip area on pistols is where the magazine goes.

Not a fan of the SP triggers. All of the SPs on my job have this stacking issue.
As you squeeze, the pressure seems to build, and you can't feel the break point.
Sounds familiar?

This is for all of the naysayers that think a compact revolver is only accurate to 25 feet, I give you a 200 yard shot with a .38 Special S&W Model 60, shooting factory ammunition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tied-t1fFsk

That's actually exactly right, jor-el, now that I think about it. I've had a lot of surprise breaks when trying to accurately fire. What are your thoughts on the CLR? It seems like a good gun, but I was worried about frame durability because it's an aluminum/plastic frame. My mom won't be putting a ton of rounds through it, but still...

Ah shucks, I was looking for a good flame war. Too bad you came off as reasonable and honest.

While I could never envision myself using a revolver for daily CCW, if it works for a person, then they should use it. I would much rather have someone carry a snubby than nothing at all. I'm definitely in the polymer camp. My Sig P226R .40s&w is getting phased out of daily carry. My new carry piece is a Five-seveN with one 20rd mag, and two 30 round back up magazines. I really like the peace and security of having 80 rounds on my person. However, it is a relatively bulky system and requires that I wear a light jacket or a collared shirt to conceal. My system obviously would not work for a t-shirt kind of guy. I think that if someone wants to carry a serious caliber then a light weight snubby is one of two ways to go. The other being a sub-compact polymer. But I don't know of anyone who can shoot a Glock 27 as well as a J-Frame.

The only downside that I think you failed to mention is that 99% of sub-compact semi-autos have much better sights than snub nose revolvers. There are exceptions from the S&W camp, but I have no desire to drop a grand on a J-frame.

Ruger DA triggers have always been somewhat different than S&W's. They do tend to stack but shoot enough and you get use to it. But it is the biggest reason along with weight that I have always shied away from the Rugers. I know many people who like them...just not my cup of tea.

BTW...I do not use spring kits in any of my carry guns but I have polished (polished not changed geometry) all the baering surfaces inside my revolvers, it does make a difference. I don't trust the light springs however, I have seen too many "tuned with springs" revolvers fail to fire due to a light primer hit for me to ever run anything but factory springs in my carry guns. The new model Colt Detective Specials and Agents also suffer a little in the trigger arena but if you can fins an old model (no ejector shroud) you will find they have trigger every bit as smooth as an old Python.

As for sights I find the revolvers have better sights than the pocket semi autos for the most part. And J Frames can be had for under 400...S&W MSRP prices are sorta silly...lol.

My experience is exactly the opposite. A friend of mine teaches a lot of new shooters, women in particular, and they tend to gravitate to the M&P compact. Most really dislike the j frame after they've shot it, even though they liked it initially due to size.

I wholeheartedly agree with the remarks on accuracy. 10 and 25 yard shots can be made with
the standard sights, and a little bright paint on the front sight makes things that much easier to see and use. I'm to the point where I think that any handgun, particularly little pocket guns, need Crimson Trace grips. That laser makes hits with Kel Tecs and j frames so easy that it's like cheating, especially when the standard sights aren't very usable. For those who like to "always cheat, always win!", they're a must have.

This is a nice article on the j frame by Dr. Gary K. Roberts. It might have been posted here before...if so, please forgive the new guy.

http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=19914

i do love my Risso M461 2inch .357mag. i would carry my M66 S&W combat magnum but with the 4inch barrel and being stainless with a OWB holster the barrel tends to peak out and people freak out.

I like my 357 snub,
and I have no issues at 25 yards,
it is about the same size as my PPK, but it has lots more hitting power.
I do find it strange that most of my friends don't like it,

I <3 snubbies

Well, I <3 Revolvers in general, and snubbies are like the little cherry cheeked children of the revolver family.

There's a S&W 342pd residing in my pocket as I type this. The 38 is more powerful than a 32 or 380 and I know it'll go bang 5 times. Being 12oz is also a nice perk. Oh and the brass stays in the gun.

My original 442 is on my ankle as we speak.

Top notch write up as usual.

Please allow me to introduce myself....

I own both, carry both, and love both. I spent a lot of time and $ getting my snubby shooting up to par with my Glock. Love the hammerless in the summertime when I just want the piece of mind of keeping a reliable firearm in my pocket.

I carry a S&W, Scandium J Frame in .357 all the time.
I also have crimson trace laser sight on it, too offset any distance shooting problems.

tons of punch in a very small package.

For those of us who carry revolvers on a regular basis we know that speedloaders are tough to drop in a pocket and even in a belt pouch tend to be bulky. Bianchi Speed Strips allowed 6 rounds to be carried in a flat manner but unless you carried a 38 you were out of luck.

Enter Tuff Products, These folks started making their version called the Quick Strip several years ago and not only do they make a great product they make it in a very wide variety of calibers. Every common handgun caliber is covered, from 22 rimfires up to the 500 S&W. They also fit many rifle calibers and even 410 shotshells making for a very nice way to carry 6 extra rounds quietly.

These work the same way Speed Strips worked allowing you to load two rounds at a time. They also make 3 sizes of pouches, seen here is the large with the 45 Auto Rim I use for reloads in my 325PD.




With a bit pf practice you can load quickly using these. Simply insert 2 rounds into the cylinder and twist, then repeat two more time and you are loaded.




I use the speed strips for 38, 44, and 45 Colt as well. They are even handy for loading a single action. I still normally carry a couple moon clips but there are time like church when I prefer to slim down and not have the bulk of the moon clips. For those who shoot a J-Frame they even make 5 round strips. Tuff Products also sell a great pocket holster that holds the firearm and one speed strip ot magazine. Their mag pouchs work great as well with pouches that are MOLLE compatible and can hold up to 8 mags in seperated pockets. You can check them out at: http://www.tuffproducts.com/home.php

I'm digging that 325PD. How is the recoil on that gun? I don't have much revolver experience at all, I've fired .357 out of a 6in barrel Ruger but thats it. I've become interested in picking up a revolver and would like the 45ACP since I already have that caliber.

Absintheur, good write up but you forgot a few of the major cons: punishing recoil if you don't get a proper grip, short sight radius (might as well forget the sights most of time anyway), larger muzzle flash than other revolvers. The lighter the pistol, the worse the muzzle flip meaning slower follow-up shots. That goes for small automatics as well but I find most snubbies to be more uncomfortable to me so I buy pocket pistols for my daughters instead of snubbies. I also prefer a 3" barrel rather than the 2.5" or 2.25" barrels most snubbies sport since I like .38 Spec. +P and .357 Magnums in my wheelguns.

If and when I am able to buy firearms again I want a decent wheelgun. I miss my old Colt Trooper .357 Magnum. With a 6" barrel it wasn't a snubbie by any means but it still was my carry pistol in a IWB holster no less. But I've also carried S&W revolvers and could go for one of those.

Well they have dropped the 325PD but now offer the same gun in the Night Guard series, the 325 Night Guard. It comes with Pachmyers grips and XS 24/7standard dot tritium front night sights and Cylinder & Slide Extreme Duty fixed u-notch rear sights in matte black finish. But you can still find the PD on the secondary market, I bought my dad a used one for his birthday last June...cost me $500.00.

With the wood grips and full house loads recoil is stout but very manageable, especially if you are used to shooting a 45 already. I would add that 45 Super is painful out of this gun however. (my 45 Super load is a 230 grain at 1100fps) For extended range sessions I will put Pachmyers on it but prefer the smooth wood for carry as the wood doesn't catch on fabric. As far as the sight I am planning on installing one of the Cylinder & Slide Extreme Duty fixed u-notch rear on mine...adjustable sights just aren't needed on this gun and I can do without the sharp corners on the sight. This is without a doubt my favorite carry gun. Just the intimidation factor alone makes it a winner...you look at that polished muzzle and see the huge hollow points pointing at you and you would rapidly reconsider your criminal career. I know many discount the intimidation factor but if you consider the number of times the mere presence of a gun in an intended victim's hand has ended a confrontation then you understand why the more intimidating the better. I don't rely on that happening but it does happen and the best outcome of a confrontation involve no rounds being fired.

p.s. I just looked on gunbroker...prices have gotten silly on the PDs but there is one in the 750 range.



I never really found the smaller guns to be uncomfortable to shoot but I don't own an airweight J-Frame either...I have shot them a good bit tho. My Detective Special is all steel and the Model 12 is a K-Frame. Also DPX is a low flash load and works well at night. I do like the 3 inch as well but they can be hard to find. As far as improper grip...on a revolver it might be painful but an improper grip on a semi-auto can result in severe injury or a malfunction...neither good in a gunfight. I also think in a gunfight you won't notice the recoil at all most likely. As I said I have nothing against semi-autos, but the revolver adds many more options such as firing through a pocket if need be or one of my favorite walking through a parking lot at night carries, the gun in hand with jacket draped over it. A woman can even have the revolver in hand inside her purse and fire through the purse without malfunctions if needed.