[Thirties]

For those of us who like to shoot our 2" .38 specials at tin cans, paper, spinners, and clumps of dirt, how about swapping some info and experiences:

For example, do you shoot DA or SA most of the time?
What ammo do you shoot, and do you load your own?
Rubber Grips, or not?
Two hand or single hand hold?
Any shooting games that are particularly suited for the .38 snub?

Please, don't load this thread with photos. Let this be an exchange of ideas and info. There are plenty of other threads to show off your photos.

Happy New Year to all . . .

[Thirties]

I'll start off by confessing to shooting mostly single action. But one of my NY resolutions is to train myself to shoot in double action, and make it feel natural.

I admit to an attraction to the look of wood grips (stocks); but my hands like rubber when I shoot.

I reload, and am just about bored with 148 grain hollow base lead wadcutter ammo. So I will be loading more 158 grain lead semi-wadcutters.

I'm going to give my squirrels a break from lethal .22lrHV from my Ruger 10/22. I'll give them a sporting chance by using the .38 snub on them with SWC, but nothing in the +p range for my old Colt DS and Rossi m68.

There . . . I got the ball rolling.

[SnWnMe]

My most accurate snubby is my Colt Det Spl. I shoot DA for anything inside 50 yards.

[dpote]

I love shooting my snub. I usually shoot double action, but I will cock it if the target is at 50 yards or so. (Like the gong at the range)
I load my own with 158gr lead SWC. I got a deal on them online. They look like beehives with this weird black dust on them for lube.
I have rubber grips, but I prefer the wooden ones with a shoe.
I like practicing my draw from concealment, so I shoot one handed a lot. I'm not great at it, but it is fun.
I shoot my snub probably more than all my other handguns.

Dave

[Johnny Guest]

Sounds interesting. You need to keep it limited to two-inch barrels? That kicks out my three-inch models 65 and 13, but okay--Otherwise we'd have the 2-1/2" and 3" adjustable-sight L-frames and N-frame types. Although they have short barrels, these kind of get away from the original intent of the snub nose revolvers.

I'd still like to use my Model 34-1 round butt 2" .22/32 Kit Gun. It thrives on the inexpensive bulk pack Federal hollow point loads, and is scarry accurate on out past 50 yards. But you seem to want to limit it to .38 Specials. Well, that's okay, too. Otherwise we'd have the gamesmen comopeting with the lil' .17 rimfires and .32 mags.

The 2" .38 snubs I really carry are an S&W model 37 Chief's Special Airweight (mostly) and a Colt Agent. Both have standard wood stocks and Pachmayr grip adaptors. For plinking and practice, I shoot mostly 158 gr. LRN bullets with 4.0 gr. of Win 231 powder. Mild enough so that it doesn't "use up" the allow frame revolvers but with enough oomph to get out to 100 yards.

When I'm in a cheating mood, I use an old Military & Police (pre-Model 10) 2", with factory round butt stocks and a Pachmayr adaptor. in this steel frame piece, I use 158 to 162 gr. LSWC with heavier loads of 231 or Unique. My standard loads, worked up in years past, are just a BIT above published maximums.

Practically all my shooting is two-handed, double action. I shoot a couple of cylindersful one-handed. Out beyond 30 yards, I frequently shoot single action.

Those will be my "snub club" guns. How about the rest of you?

Johnny

[areandare]

I just bought a SW 640 2" 38 special only SS and really great gun to shoot. First snubnose, kinda wondering what everyone shoots in theirs. I also started reloading recently and I am planning on using w231 with a 158 lswc and start with 3.1 and go up from there.This load will be for taget practice. Any suggestions with the load and experience would be appreciated. Thanks

[ChefJeff1]

I have a SW model 38 . I have SW wood grips and a t-grip on the way. I love shooting at large cans that I take home from work. I like to fill them with water. I shoot it all diffeent ways. sa/da, one hand, two hand, whatever. I also like to shoot old food like fruit and potatoes with a .357 Ruger sp101. Once I shot an old slimy pieco of tofu, I wish I had goggles and a raincoat on. Jeff

[sm]

1928 Colt Detective Special.
Black (whatever them hard black stocks are called)
Reloads of 158gr LSWC Standard pressure. I have no clue to the recipe, and the buddy of mine that did these 20-25 years ago - cannot recall either.

Other loadings are standard pressure and whatever is handy.
I just shoot the durn thing.

Model 64 3" RB HB.
Bone stock, including Factory stocks
One is in a safe off site, with other stuff and been 13 months since I looked at these (I guess I need to think about doing so) Left it loaded with Win 125 gr STHP - they look good in that cylinder. Shoots these well and I have taken quite a bit of small game with this gun. Semi-Sorta retired.

Model 64 3" RB HB - another one that is used a lot.
Now the Eagle Secret Service Stocks walked off,and currently using the original set of stocks on this gun as well.
I seem to be big into shooting stock guns as the Errornet says one cannot do that.
Loads include :the reloads mentioned above for Colt ( 158gr LSWC standard pressure) and mostly Standard pressure loadings of whatever is handy. Gun Likes 158gr loads.
Does fine with 148 gr Wadcutters, and used these to eradicate ground hogs.
I basically grab whatever and shoot.
Speer Plastic Training bullets, and Fiocchi loads of 38E 148 gr JHP.
http://www.fiocchiusa.com/cat_centerfire.php

Model 36, Model 37, again bone stock and using Standard Pressure loads above and Speer Training bullets.

Model 10, snubby and 3" barrels - I really really like these!!

Brain Fade - J frame .22 lr - I likes this gun a LOT! I get to use this one and is a great shooter, too much fun, and quality practice for Model 36, 37

Now for the .38spls the speed loaders are on loan with the Eagle stocks and some other wood stocks.
I personally only do Wood stocks. I shoot Double action, weak hand, strong hand, using both hands, each hand only, as close as bad breath distance to out to ~ 100 yds. I shoot daylight, low light and dark. I even get on the ground and shoot back over my head.

I admit to still being a big kid and shooting tin cans off a cross-tie, clays hung from a coat hanger, cans being reeled in by a Zebco 202 kids fishing rig,and walking in rounds at a coffee can, full soda can, water balloon - "out yonder".

Currently all the .357s are loaned out and being used elsewhere.

Does the NAA 11/8" .22 lr mini revolver count? Naturally single action only...last used for a deal we did on a neck lanyard that breaks away...

Tip: hide a second one of these guns nobody knows you have, transition real fast and when folks wonder how you started shooting again so fast - holler out " Speed loaders!" :p

Had 'em going for ittle bit I did. :D

I likes these little critters, especially dedicated .38spls, bone stock and 158 gr loads my favorite with wood stocks.


Please trade in / or send to me - all these old antiquated guns - shooting old pathetic cartridges- and get a new polymer gun with higher capacity magazines that take extreme , ultimate, and enhanced loadings.

Please.

Steve

[wheelgun43]

My only snubby is a Taurus 850 CIA. It has rubber combat grips. I use a two handed hold for shooting paper targets and bowling pins. My reloads are 148gr hard cast double end wad cutters over 3.5 grs of win231. The more I shoot this gun the smoother it gets.

[MCgunner]

For example, do you shoot DA or SA most of the time?

My Taurus's DA is so good, I just have to shoot it DA. I'll alternate with my little Rossi 3" M68 from SA to DA

What ammo do you shoot, and do you load your own?

I have a favorite wadcutter (I cast of range scrap using a Lee double cavity mold) over 2.7 grains bullseye. Also a 158 SWC Lee bullet over 5.0 grains Unique. Also 2.3 grains of Bullseye under a 105 grain cast Lee SWC (a very light load and quite accurate.)


Rubber Grips, or not?

Stock rubber Taurus boot grip, it's quite good. My Rossi sports pearlite, satisfies the pimp in me. :D

Two hand or single hand hold?

Two hand either usually Weaver or sometimes Isosceles

Any shooting games that are particularly suited for the .38 snub?

We have resetable 6" steel plates at 25 yards I just can't seem to get enough of. We have some resetable pepper poppers and when I'm out there alone (usually) I'll moved to about 20 yards and practice drawing IWB and from a pocket and mowing down the 4 pepper poppers fast as I can. I do that with all my handguns, not just the snubbies, but I find myself shooting the snubbies a lot. There is a thing with various sized tombstone shapped plates one in front of the other, and the plates reduce to rediculous size at the back. If I hit the small one at 25 yards I really have to concentrate and get a little lucky with the snubbies, though the 3" Rossi is accurate enough to make it more than luck. My little Rossi .22 is killer on this target, though. :D Any gun that can shoot a 1.5" group off sand bags is good enough for that set up. What's fun is to tackle it with my .45 colt Blackhawk. The added weight, superb sub 1" accuracy, the huge 255 grain bullet, and the added sight radius makes it a sealed deal if you do your part. It's pretty impressive how fast those plates fall over when that 255 grain bullet hits 'em.:evil:

[461]

Love to plink but at the moment I'm between .38spl's. Got a 9mm SP-101 though if you'll allow cheaters with snubs.

[B36]

Two 642s, and a 34. All shot da only.

Also a 36 and 37 3", again da only.

In fact do not shoot any revolvers sa.:uhoh: :)

[Thirties]

Folks, this is a great response, and everyone is joining in the spirit of the topic. 9mm out of a Ruger SP101 still qualifies, as long as you are talking about plinking type activities.

I'm going to make some time before next week to load 158g LSWC ammo. And I'm going to start shooting DA at closer range to get good at it. When I am working on a new type of gun, or, in this case, a new type of shooting (DA), I start close (7 paces) to give myself a chance to succeed. Then I work my way farther out. But 25 yards with a handgun is tough with DA the way I've been going.

Who knows . . . I'll learn how long it takes me to approach that range. But fifty yards with a handgun is out of the question due to eyesight limitations. How can you see a small target at 50 yards? We're talking telescopes, and I don't use handguns with scopes. To me, the snub nosed revolver is for shooting with the iron sights, or point shooting.

Thanks all for posting. This is very interesting. I never realized there were so many people who enjoyed plinking with their thirty-eights!

[crazyhorse]

Ruger SP101, with CCI 158gr LRN at the range. Corbon 125gr +P JHP
for SD :evil:

[461]

I get to play, cool! I've been shooting 124gr. FMJ's as they're cheap to plink with. My SP is a DAO (Gemini customs) but the pull is very light at 10# so it's a very easy shooter. My son (12) and I have been heading to the woods with a case of clays and no expectations other than fun, they've been some of the best days of my life.

Targets have been clays at first and then after shooting the 20ga we shoot at the shotgun hulls to make them jump in the air. Very fun.

[cherryriver]

Really? You can thumb-cock a snubby?
My Colt Magnum Carry (stainless .357 small-frame, if you've never seen one) is the most comfortable-to-shoot snub I have, and extremely accurate, but for the best chance of hitting something, my '69 Detective Special gets the call. That twelve-inch forty-yard gong rings plenty with either of these.
In fact, I just went through several hundred rounds of my standard power load in these guys this past weekend. That's a 158gr Berry's RN going about 800fps in the shorties.
I showed my wife the "Bill drill" exercise (close range on a cardboard silhouette, draw or raise and fire six as fast as possible) with the DS, which she shoots quite a bit and quite well with wadcutters, and she'll stand there and pop six quick head shots in three or four seconds, all the while protesting she doesn't like shooting. Good, well centered headshots.
The next snubs I'm thinking about getting are a 2" Official Police, and a 2" Lawman. That's probably indicative of something, and not good.
One of the other fun things to do with the MC and DS is to put them in the hands of other guys who don't know about Colt snubs, especially Tupperware or J-frame shooters. (Hey, I have four Js,too.) The first time they get six dings on six plates with the little devils is always good for a laugh.
Look, I'm really dying to post some pictures, here...
Bill

[BillinNH]

I have a m38 Bodyguard and a Detective Special. Like them both a lot but for different reasons. The 38, at only 15 ounces, jumps around quite a bit, even with light target loads and 125 gr. bullets. But it is thin, short and light and is intended for pocket carry. The shrouded hammer is a convenient compromise. The DS is carbon steel and handles recoil really well. It also has the sweetest trigger of all my revolvers, a dream to shoot. A little heavy for pocket carry, though.

I have Pachmayr Compac grips on both of them. These grips are perfect for carry and for the range, IMHO.

I also have a m19 357 round butt with a 2.5" barrel and a first generation 3" Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 special. Both of these are a lot of fun to shoot but I guess the calibers disqualify them from the club :-)

Bill

[PointOneSeven]

S&W 642, reloads.

I usually head out to the woods or the sand pit with a drainage pond I can pop off rounds into. Watching the water splash up 15' in the air never gets old.

[Texas Colt]

This thread was a great reminder for me to take my snubs to the range for some trigger time. My snubs get carried all the time, but rarely shot. That needs to change.

I have two snubs: one is a blued Colt Cobra 38, which has a bobbed hammer for pocket carry. The other is a nickel Colt Lawman 357, with Badger boot grips. Both are very accurate and fun to shoot. So why has it been so long since I've shot them? :banghead:

[cherryriver]

Texas Colt, that's a beautiful post. A bobbed black-finish Agent serves that same use for me. And just thinking about the Lawman makes me want to go surfing for one. If only they were still $300 for a good one like they used to be a few minutes ago.
I'm getting an itchy picture trigger finger, here...
Bill

[MCgunner]

How can you see a small target at 50 yards? We're talking telescopes, and I don't use handguns with scopes.

Try IHMSA sometime, rams at 200 with iron sights. Actually, I always did decent on the rams. It was those danged turkeys at 150 that were my Achilles heal. But, I was doing it with a 10" contender in 7mm TCU. Still, an iron sighted handgun at 200 yards can do some neat shooting and I amazed myself with it. Watching the good shooters was fun, too.:D I could shoot about 33 out of 40, but there were 40 out of 40 guys. I can't remember, think my scores got me AA certified, but it's been a while and I've forgotten all those classifications. My eyes have never been great. I think I could get better at the IHMSA thing if I could just get into it. It was kinda boring to me. I'd rather plink at the range. Drive 150 miles to an out of town range and shoot 40 rounds at steel plates just seemed kinda stupid. LOL I guess I was trying to have fun, like with the plinking, and not taking the competition seriously enough or something.

[Sistema1927]

3 to 3.5 grains of W231 under a 148 HBWC is "snubby perfection". You can shoot them accurately all day out of any short barrel .38 (Heck, out of any length barrel .38!).

[lawboy]

I've got a couple. M64-2 2-inch and M19-3 2.5-inch. Shoot them both, Carry the M19-3. Actually, I bought the 64-2 for my daughter for her Bday a year ago. I load 160-grain LRN over 3.0grs. Red Dot in Speer 38+p cases. She's gotten quite good with it shooting single action at 25 yards and can stay on a 12-inch plate at that distance almost all of the time.
I shoot both the guns on 4-inch plates at that distance, shooting double action exclusively, and have shot the 19-3 out to 50 yards that way on 6-inch plates. There is something special about shooting side-by-side with your 18-year-old daughter at the range, each of you using your own special S&W snubnose revolver and burning ammo you loaded together. In my heart, I hope as a mature woman, she looks back on these times with half the fondness I feel right now. Good stuff.
Happy New Year to all!

[ACP230]

I mostly shoot paper silhouettes, or ones cut out of large cardboard boxes, but have shot some clay targets, empty oil jugs, wood blocks, water-filled cans, steel plates, and bowling pins with my snubnoses.

I use my .38 Special Smith 649 most, followed by my Smith M38.
Bodyguard .38s are my favorite "belly guns."
I shoot them out to 50 or 60 yards, on occasion. At that range it's mostly single-action shooting. Up to 25 yards usually double-action.

[V-fib]

S&W 642 with CT laser grips which is my CCW. Shoot 158gr SWC mainly at cardboard silhouette targets at 3-7yards. I also like to shoot at metal spinning targets. Most of my other snub plinking is done with my Taurus 94 .22lr, which is my practice gun and my carry around the homestead gun. That one gets more action on spinning targets, cans, & clays. Lots of grins and giggles.:cool:

[ldp4570]

I've got a few snub's. Two model 60's one is a three inch with adjustable sites, one 640 no dash, and a second generation DS. All are 38spl. and loads of fun to shoot!! I keep all loads standard pressure 158gr LSWC. The 640 does double duty as my always gun. It usually stays loaded with Winchester ST non-+P. Its not the fanciest loading but it will get the job done as long as I do my part. My other snub's are big boomers, 624 3", 625 3", 686 3" no dash CS-1. Yes I like the 3" guns. They just feel right!

[molonlabe]

Bowling pins are fun. I shot 158gr WC behind 4.2 gr of 231. They clock at ~850fps. The require hitting a 2 to 3 inch area near the top of the pin to clear it off the table. It's challenging and fun.

[TFin04]

I like to shoot my SW 649 in Single Action with my Crimson Laser grips at absurd distances to see just how accurate the little guy it.

Making a can jump at 50 yards is a ton of fun. :)

[BigG]

I usually shoot the 2 inch J-frame round butt pocket protectors, with standard stocks. DA, and, once I learned that was better for me, began to use the hammerless Centennial models. I also like the small Colt DS or Agent as a small pocket protector. :D

[jamz]

I'll play!

I have two snubbies at the moment.

An older M38 Airweight Bodyguard with Ahrends stocks, and a new 340pd with CT stocks. My plinking ammo is some homemade stuff, 158gr copper rn bullets, I forget the amount of powder, but I sepcifically wanted some pretty soft shooting rounds, and I made a couple thousand a while ago, and am still using them up.

I plink at a local gravel pit, shootin' rocks, targets I bring out there, milk jugs, clay pidgeons, etc. I tend to like shooting on the move, from behind my truck, under it, whatever. Anything other than standing there. I tend to shoot 3/4 or more DA and the rest SA... because my 340 is DA only, and it's a PITA to cock the M38. Mostly two-handed, due to the light weight of both guns, but there is no shortage of one handed shooting too.

[DC3-CVN-72]

I'm in the club, but I only have two. A Mod. 60-7 .38 S&W SPL only circa '94 and a Nicle plated Mod. 10-7 square butt circa '85 that is like new that I paid $290.00 out the door about 3 yrs. ago. I shoot both single and double action about the same amount of time. I have to shoot WINCHESTER WINClean at the closest rannge to my house that is only 15 min. away.the next closest is over 1 hr. away:fire: When they are loaded I use REMINGTON Golden Saber 125gr.BJHP.

[Haywood]

My snubs are my favorite. I always liked Revolvers. Thats all I carry. Snubs I have are Colt Agent 38spl. with factory shrouded hammer, Charter Undercover 38spl. DAO, S&W mdl.37 38spl.+p/bobed hammer, Ruger SP101 357 2" DAO, Rossie 971 357, Taurus 617 DAO 357 7shot, Taurus 905 9mm DAO, and my latest Taurus 605 357. I practice DAO most of the time. I use full power 357 ammo in the 357s and a mix of standerd 38 & 38+p in the 38s. When practicing I use 2 handed hold and single handed hold. I all so practice with the week hand.:what:

[kmrcstintn]

my only snubby right now is a S&W 642 'DAO'...I dn't really 'plink' with it, but I can get carried away with defensive practice drills (I usually stop at 25 rounds, but sometimes shoot 100 rounds in a session) and the area between my thumb and the rest of the hand lets me know about it, especially when firing weak hand (left) and sighting with my dominant eye (right) and the rubbing when the handgun recoils

previously I had a nice used S&W 60 (pre-magnum) and it was more comfortable to shoot for longer sessions...mostly double action; mounted a set of Uncle Mike's/Butler Creek boot grips and made the shooting better than with the skinny stock wood grips

then there was the spurless hammer 'DAO' Ruger SP-101...nice weight to offset the recoil, especially while shooting magnums; the stock grip does wonders and fit my hands well

[TonyB]

It's been a while..but I shoot in my yard(live in the woods)and I work in a Pharmacy,so I bring home empty pill bottles and shoot at them set up at different disatances.I have a 642,so it's DAO..but with my Rossi 2" I'll shoot SA at far away stuff,or if I'm shooting 357's.I hung an old oxygen tank from a tree at about 40 yards..makes a great gong.I like to see how many times in a row I can hit it w/ a snubby..the current record is 22.....on shot 23 my hand was a little weary and I jerked it like crazy......snubbies rule!
One funyy thing one time..I was shooting my snubs,and a Buddy brought his Ruger 480..this thing is freakin' huge.I was shooting at a coffe can and making it "dance" along the ground...then I shot his 480 and hit the can low,it flew like 50 ft in the air.....as it came down directly at us,we both ran in different directions like dopes.I'd rather shoot a snub all day as opposed to the 480 once..even though it weighs like 10lbs. it kicks like Rosie O'donnell in line at the Golden Corral.

[Gundenstern]

It kicks like Rosie O'donnell in line at the Golden Corral

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa....whoa. I will not stand for insulting a fine establishment like the Golden Corral by implying that Rosie eats there.

[frankt]

I love walking the woods with one of my 2" J frame S&W's or even my Taurus 85.
I carried a bobbed hammer S&W M37 for many years and loved to walk in the woods and shoot rotten stumps and blast pine cones off the ground.

I am always amazed at the accuracy of those little guns.:)

[Thirties]

Folks, it took a while to get around to it, but today I loaded some .38spl brass with Spear 158g LSWD-HP over 3.5 grains Titegroup, CCI small pistol primers, and a medium to light roll crimp.

Shot 33 of these through my Rossi m68 2" snub nose.

Had no accuracy issues in SA, but I need to practice DA shooting, that's very apparent indeed. And I will set it as a goal to get used to DA revolver shooting. That is the only way to improve. I guess it is not realistic to shoot a revolver as if it was a small rifle in your hands.

Anyway, I went back to the bench and loaded 80 more rounds of this recipe. I will be chronographing from my 4" revos and mt 2"ers. And I'll get into the DA style of firing.

Thanks for your messages. I am inspired. I pity the local squirrels around here when I get good at it!

By the way, I was shooting at the side of a corrugated box with the lid flaps folded in, and another box inside of that. So, it was 4 thicknesses of fresh dry corrugated on each "side" (not the Chinese type). When done, I found one bullet inside which was well opened. My guess is it was one of my last shots where I aimed at a wild turkey turd on the ground just in front of the box. I hit it square on, and it splashed turkey poop all over the face of the box. It was a remarkable sight! The bullet must have expanded in the gravel, jumped into the box and stayed there -- proving . . . nothing, I suppose.

[Barr]

Fell in love with a 2 inch S&W nickel plated revolver model 36. 158 gr LSWC over 3.75 gr of American Select. Nice light load at the bottom of the recommended charge. Light enough to be easy on an older gun and still hit point of aim at 15-30 yards. Pulverizes the rocks in the pistol pit at the range.

[Stainz]

I bought my first .38 and .357M 9/03 new from CDNN - a 2" 10-11 and a 6" 66-6, both made 1/03. That is still my only .38. Okay, it is an 'M&P' 10, with a snubby barrel. It came with UM's rounded 'Combat' rubber grips, a la the other 10's, 64, 67's, etc. It will take any K/L grip, but I settled on the 'wood service boots', ~$28 from S&W. It is +P rated, so a diet of my favorite 158gr +P LHPSWC's is fine, if not just a tad expensive. That's the only commercial load it, or that 66, has ever seen.

I started reloading .38's using Magnus or Georgia Arms 158gr LRN & LSWC's over 4.0gr W237 for a dirty 661 fps, with ejected powder residue on the bench. A switch to 3.5gr Titegroup resulted in a cleaner bench and gun, and 691 fps from the 2" 10 and 828 fps from the 6" 66. The 2" 10 became a regular with me when I worked as a RO at the public range. I got some practice in - shooting at a 12"-16" steel plate at 110yd was fun. When the wind was calm - and I recalled the 'drop' - I could ping that plate three out of six shots. The day-shooters who couldn't hit the plate with their scoped hunting rifles from a rest were impressed... here was this big grey-haired fat guy standing up pinging away free-handed with a snubby .38. They didn't know how much 'practice' I got - or how mild (... and frugal!) my ammo was!

Stainz

[jrfoxx]

I have a S&W M637 Airweight in .38spl.I plink exclusively with WWB ammo from Wal-mart, and mostly shoot it single action, but I do make it a point to only shoot DA when I do holster drills with it, as I CCW this gun a lot, and thats how I'd use it in a SD situation, so I make sure I'm used to firing it that way without so much as a second thought (which is why the only time I shoot it DA at all is during holster practice, and never use the holster when shooting SA,so mentally, I associate drawing from a holster with DA shooting and vice-versa, so its a reflex without thought).I enjoy the challenge of using a snubbie for plinking.I find it a much greater, and more fun challenge than I would just shooting at longer distances with a longer barrel gun.I also have an "original" (meaining not Charco, charter 2000, or any of the other re-incarnations that have spotty at best QC) Charter Arms "Undercover" from the 70's in .38spl also that I inherited from the father-in-law, and its fun to shoot also.Nice trigger, just as accurate as the m637, comfortable, reliable, the works.Not too bad in the fit/finish and general "looks" department either.I usually just put holes in paper with them, but I do really enjoy trying to hit spent 12 gauge shells at about 10-15 or so.A real challenge, but its nice to see them dance when you do hit them.:)

[sixgunner455]

So I can talk about my old DS. I load 158 gr LSWC over a light charge of Bullseye. I love shooting this old gun. I shoot the same load out of a S&W 642, it's more pleasant than Winchester 130gr FMJ.

The Colt came with some very hammered wood grips, and they were thick. I put a Hogue Monogrip on it. It fits me well this way, but I think about putting some classier grips on it.

The 642 I have swapped grips around several times, but I keep going back to the rubber boot grips that it came with. Don't love shooting this one, but I really like it for carry.

I have plinked with the Colt after deer and elk hunting, while waiting for the remainder of the party to show up so we could go home. Just shooting logs, sticks off logs, rocks.

Plinking at rocks on the side of a cut in a dry wash is a lot of fun. If I can ever track down some rabbits that will hold, I'll try shooting them with it.

I don't plink with the S&W. At least I haven't. I just shoot a couple of cylinders through it at a target every time I go to the range. I don't really like shooting it that much, like I said. I just like to carry it.

[M2 Carbine]

I've got 2 Rossi and 2 two inch S&W J Frames and 2 three inch J Frames.

I shoot them probably more than anything else because I hate to lose my brass in the backyard grass when shooting the semi auto pistols.

Have a Crimson Trace laser on one, so I shoot that a couple evenings a week.

I like shooting the small guns at different distances, out to 100 yards but lately have been shooting mostly at 10-15 yards.

Matter of fact I haven't tried it in a while, so about an hour ago I shot the 2 inch S&W J Frame at 7 yards with my eyes closed as I squeezed the trigger.
Did better than a couple months ago with a Taurus PT99. I guess I'm not shaking as much as I thought.:D

Fun.:)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v135/Bell406_206B/eyesclosedJFrame7yards.jpg

[SAWBONES]

Most seem to agree to a barrel length of 3" or slightly more (eg, Ruger's SP101 can be had with a 3 1/16" barrel), as the limit length for a "snubby", and of course most are shorter, from 1 7/8" for most of the modern J-frame Smiths to 2 1/2" for some Colts.

I find that "plinking" is rather more difficult with these short barreled guns, probably since varying ranges and varying angles of shooting basically magnify the aiming difficulties present with short sight radiuses. (I'm thinking of the example of shooting at a golf ball on the ground, which moves with every shot.)
I can't plink as well with revolvers as with semiautos for some reason, probably a combination of longer sight radius and often better trigger on the semiautos than on the snubby revolvers, though I also wonder about potential shot-to-shot variability in the revolver attributable to tiny variations in barrel alignment among different cylinder holes; even though the barrel remains stationary with a revolver, I'm not at all sure that revolvers are more consistent in accuracy than tuned semiautomatic pistols.

Obviously, those of us who like snubbies for CCW are best served by DA types. While SA snubbies exist, I know of only one in current commercial production, from USFA, and it's very expensive (http://www.usfirearms.com/cat/snubnose.asp), so of interest mostly to the Cowboy Shooters who want a period-correct "hideout gun", I'd guess.

[Livetoday]

Hi all,New to HR and thought I'd throw my two pennys worth in.I carry for CCW a S&W Bodyguard Model 38.Great for personal defense and quite fun for plinking at cans and such.My thinking is if you can hit a can at 30 feet,a fullsize target should not pose much of a problem.:)

[coelacanth]

:scrutiny: ok - maybe this is THE place for .38 snubbie plinkers but in the spirit of the shooting fraternity you gotta' run whatcha brung so I have to admit an overweening fondness for a nickel plated S&W mod13 with DAO lockwork and a bobbed hammer spur. This thing will make you a double action shooter by design and when you get good enough to ignore the trigger pull and stay on target you are gonna get scary good with the right load. I also have what ought to be a junky old tackle box revolver that will shoot stupid small groups with the right fodder. It's a Charter Arms Pathfinder in .22LR with a 2 inch barrel and if I'm up to it that thing will roll beer cans at 50 yards. Go figure ( grin). Nice thread, y'all - keep it up!

[HammerBite]

If I'm shooting at the range I'll go double-action all the way for bragging purposes. Out plinking it's probably a 50/50 ratio DA/SA.

S&W Models 40 & 60.

[the lone gunman]

when I am out riding in the woods in my old beat up 4*4 ranger I love to have my Taurus model 85 ,38 special with me. fun for chipmunks .

[Hotdog386]

I shoot SA if the gun allows this mode of fire. Tin cans, metal plates, and balloons are the preferred targets but sometimes dirt clods and tree stumps are all that’s available. Most of my guns are stocked with rubber or smooth wood grips with no sharp edges or checkering. I like to alternate between a two-handed and a one-handed hold. Handloaded swaged 158gr LRN bullets with a little Bullseye, 700X, or Tightgroup work fine for me.

[hitman134]

For Now,My Unique Revolver Is A Colt Detective Special 3rd Issue,And I Want To Buy My Next A Taurus 617 (Ported).

[wcwhitey]

Sign me up! All S&W's; Model 10 2" my favorite but not authorized for carry so it is the house gun. A 3" 64 NY1 with bobbed hammer, great gun, also not authorized for carry but sits in locker just in case. An then the 640 Centenial that is carried 24/7 never leaves my body. 4.3 Grains of Unique over a 158 GR SWC any of the guns will shoot point of aim at 15 yds. Still fresh in my mind from a previous thread I took the 640 out to 50 yards a couple of weeks ago. Nothing close to a group emerged but if I was using a b27 target I would have made more than few hits. Gotta love the snub. I just wish I was able to carry an airweight.

[Nushif]

I shoot my little LCR with whatever ammo I can buy at the range regularly and, when I can, at an abandoned quarry up here on Mary's Peak.
Once my 3" Detective Special comes back from the smith I'll shoot that one as well.

One of my favorite things to shoot at, though is press board.
It gives the satisfaction of actually wrecking something when it hits, rather than just a little "plink" or somesuch. Other targets of choice are the various pieces of old equipment people tend to leave at the quarry.

[edit for more stuff]

Whew, you asked for a bunch more info.

Usually I shoot two handed, in isoceles or weaver stance, using the non laser gripped LCR (and a shortened grip on the Detective Special, made of rubber) since I don't really feel the need to hsver my pinkie on the grip.