Lightweight .38 or .357 Revolver

Savage .250-3000 said:

I'm looking for a used small lightweight revolver in .38 (+P preferred) or .357 Mag.

It is for carrying while backpacking long distances - so weight is at a premium. I think a snubby J-Frame may be best.

The pistol is needed for possibly small Black Bears, or for two legged threats in remote and not so remote sites.

I'd prefer an S&W but don't know what they made in airweight/alloy revolvers through the years.

Double action is not a problem, but something like the S&W 649 - with the ability to cock and fire single action would be preferred.

Common sense keeps me out of problems so I'm looking for a lightweight last resort sort of option here.

Any recommendations?

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Sure.
Sounds like you need a Charter Arms Mag Pug or a Ruger SP101. Trouble is that both are tough to come by right now thanks to all the panic buying going on. Those of us doing planned purchases are screwed to the waiting lists...

I left the Ruger LCR & LCRx off because although they are lightweight, if one is needed for defense against a possible bear one would want a little more weight to tame recoil and shorten times on potential follow up shots.

Lightweight? S&W 642 Airweight is 38+P but DAO. A Taurus M85 Ultralite in 38SP is my 18 hour per day companion. It's not rated +P but that's what it's loaded with. I practice with regular standard pressure loads though.
Any of the Charter offerings are serviceable.
Taurus does make a J frame size 357 too but not sure it's an Ultralite.

S&W 637 is what my wife carries.
38+P rated airweight, with the ability to shoot single or double action.
A S&W 360 is very similar but chambered in 357

My .38 Spl. 642 Smith is +P rated, but I don't think I would feel happy with it for bear country. However, I think you'll probably be more likely to be threatened by a two legged creep so the +P .38 will do nicely in that role.



The magnum version has much more pop, but it's a real grizzly itself when firing magnum loads.

My 317 makes a great 9-shot backpack "kit gun" for pot meat that allows you to carry 50 rounds of ammo anywhere, but it's pretty lightweight for self defense against anything more than aggressive raccoons or maybe a marauding dog/coyote. The SA/DA trigger pull is also a bit stiff, as the triggers on most small-frame rimfire revolvers are.



Since backpacking really is an art of using as little space and weight as humanly possible I won't suggest a 3" or 4" K frame .357, but a steel-frame 3" J frame .357 may be a bit more in your wheelhouse. It'll certainly be better to shoot with anything close to "bear loads". It'll be about the same weight as my .38 SP-101:


or 6-shot .38 Colt Cobra:


and with better sights than the nickel Model 49 .38:




Good luck with your search... and stay safe.

I second the notion of the 317 shown above. If you're determined to save weight, you'll want to consider the ammo also. As little passion as I have for aluminum revolvers or rimfire cartridges, .22LR can hardly be beat for usefulness per ounce. Backpacking, you're much more likely to need a firearm for wilderness survival purposes than for predator defense or protection from criminal attacks. The .22LR is not useless for any of those purposes. The alternative to the 317 I can think of would be a Ruger single-action. If you're going to add ammo or gun weight above and beyond .22LR, you're making a concession for some purpose. We can agree that .22LR doesn't make the best fighting gun. If you want a good fighting gun, concede the remaining few ounces and get a good one.

First, determine what weight fits your definition of lightweight. That will determine if you're looking only at aluminum/scandium frames or will include steel frames.

Savage .250-3000, my advise would be "lightweight" in non +P 38 Spl. only, because 38spl +P or 357 mag is going to be a painful and some what inaccurate proposition in a lightweight revolver, your best bet would be a slightly heavier revolver made for 38Spl. +P or 357 mag.

A J frame snubby would not be my first choice in backwoods protection but since you asked I would go with one of my two favorites: a S&W Model 638 for a lightweight back-up or the slightly heavier Model 649 for having a little less felt recoil with stouter loads.

I carried a Ruger LCR 9mm through "bear country" a few years ago. By that I mean that I was down in the Carolinas for a wedding. My wife and I took an impromptu hike at one of the waterfall trails that had had blear bears wander through. I felt fine as it was in the middle of the day with about 40 tourists climbing up and down the 15' wide gravel trail.

Anyway, I van understand the need for a lightweight hiking gun. When I hiked a bit less traveled trails in black bear country, I opted with a Shield in .45 over a 1911 because a 22-ish oz gun is way easier to carry over a 40 oz one. When I carry a wheelgun and I am looking to save a lot of weight, I carry my Charter Arms Undercover .38 +p.

Stainless frame, +p rated, 16 oz, compact, and only ran around $300 so I dont mind if it gets a few dings. Mine sports the super compact boot grips. I would feel better just lugging around my 686 + over the UC since it holds 2 more rounds and is an L frame .357, but if you are OK with .38 +p, I really like my UC.

I am a revolver guy. My favorite lightweight CC revolver is my Ruger LCR. It barely weighs anything and has a great trigger.

My aluminum-framed S&W 642 is another one that's easy to carry and has a good trigger.

Charter Arms also makes lightweight dependable revolvers, though I don't happen to have one of their 38/357's.

I prefer hammerless/DAO CC revolvers, but that's just me.

The thing to consider is fo you want serious light weight and conceal ability or heavier holster style. Most if not all your air weights are only 5 shots. That leaves you only 4 in the case of Yogi as it’s almost always better easier to use 1 to scare him. I know from experience with dump bears they are terrified even at the sight of guns. They seem to know exactly what it is. I can’t say about the serious forrest dwellers though. that’s why if the ultimate hideout isn’t do paramount I’d opt for a slightly larger 6 shooter.
You can beat all this with a modern plastic Framed auto in .40 even 9MM. Something like a Glock 23 or SW Shield. Far more firepower for the weight.

The thing to consider is fo you want serious light weight and conceal ability or heavier holster style. Most if not all your air weights are only 5 shots. That leaves you only 4 in the case of Yogi as it’s almost always better easier to use 1 to scare him. I know from experience with dump bears they are terrified even at the sight of guns. They seem to know exactly what it is. I can’t say about the serious forrest dwellers though. that’s why if the ultimate hideout isn’t do paramount I’d opt for a slightly larger 6 shooter

If I was worried about bears I'd bring a 454 Casull, but at 44oz it's not lightweight, the LCR 38+p is the most lightweight at 13.5 oz that might work that I could think about. The LCR 357 could be a good compromise at 17.1 oz.

Savage .250-3000 said:

Double action is not a problem, but something like the S&W 649 - with the ability to cock and fire single action would be preferred.

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S&W lists the 649 at 22.2 oz being all-steel with a 2 1/8" barrel. A similar weight (21.3 oz) Ruger LCRx 357 but with 3" barrel and adjustable rear sight, would be where I would go for your application.

https://ruger.com/products/lcrx/specSheets/5444.html

Subjectively my plain jane LCR 357 DAO snub kicks maybe a little less than my SP101, but with lighter weight (17.1 vs 26).

The long distance backpackers I know are obsessed with weight, to the point of cutting down the handles on toothbrushes. Years ago I actually put together a spreadsheet of some of the various snub revolver weights, but the "absolute" lightest revolver is a .38 special S&W "Airlite". It'll have an aluminum frame and a titanium cylinder. The 337 is the model with an external hammer, long ago I had one and it was a pretty sweet little gun. I also added the LCP for comparison, as it's likely the best option with weight (and price) as the top consideration. The .38 Airlite's are no longer in production and can be pricey, I sold mine for $600 and it had a little character from carrying it.

I have a lady friend who carries a Ruger LCRX. She is small-boned. Has no problem with shooting heavy loads. I would not want to be down range of her muzzle. If there is a nearby range that has rentals, give some a try.

I have multi-day backpacked in great black bear territory with my concealed pre-lock 638 loaded with the Buffalo Bore 158 gr hard cast LSWC "Outdoorsman" and a speed strip of the same. Sometimes discrete carry is mandatory, even in the boonies. People who say they won't carry anything less than a .500 S&W in bear country probably are not multi-day backpackers- weight does matter.

FWIW: When I bought a revolver for that purpose I got the 329. 25 oz 4" .44 mag/spl. Here it is next to my 29:



Here is the current offering:



https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/model-329pd

If you are thinking of last resort against a bear,,,
You're probably going to want .357 Magnum over .38 Special.

When you fire a .357 Magnum round out of a lightweight revolver,,,
You might wish the bear had bitten your hand instead.

Just sayin',,,

Aarond

.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Kimber K6S. 23 oz. empty and 6 shots.

If weight and capacity matter and 357 is the choice, here's 22.6 oz and 8 shots

https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/performance-center-model-327

S&W 637 or SP101 would be my choice if forced to adhere to your given parameters.

fxvr5 said:

If weight and capacity matter and 357 is the choice, here's 22.6 oz and 8 shots

https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/performance-center-model-327

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@rhweb32 had one of these up for sale last year. I don't think he sold it (I was tracking it and had to sit on my hands):

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/wts-s-w-327-performance-center-montana.854126/