38spl Snubbies

I have owned others, including a particularly nice old Taurus Model 85 that was stolen.


The airweight J-frame is my back-pocket revolver, for walking when I know I won't be sitting down.

This old LE trade-in has a smooth trigger and is a joy to shoot.

This old Japanese police revolver feels and shoots about like the Model 10,

I put these slightly larger LCRx grips on my LCR. It's my most commonly-carried handgun. The DAO trigger is excellent.

Over the years, I have owned about a dozen .38 snub nose revolvers, now I am down to 4. I keep one, a S&W model 12, simply because it is unusual (it is a S&W K-frame size gun, with an aluminum frame instead of steel) and I like it.
The other 3 are a S&W model 36 and two CHARTER ARMS Undercover's. I carry the CHARTER ARMS on occasion, when I do not have my GLOCK 42 handy.
I do not see much use for a bigger .38 Special snub nose revolver. The 5 shot models can easily be pocket or ankle carried. Beyond that, I would not be carrying a snub nose. If I did, it would be my RUGER Speed Six loaded with .357 magnum ammo.

I had a COLT Cobra (the original aluminum framed gun), a COLT Detective Special and a DS VI with a three inch barrel and sold them all. The Cobra was just miserable to shoot with anything but wadcutters and the others weighed too much and were too bulky for pocket carry. The DS VI was a really nice gun, but for the same weight, I could get a RUGER SP-101 in .357 magnum or carry my Speed Six.

Jim

Tallball said:

I have owned others, including a particularly nice old Taurus Model 85 that was stolen.


The airweight J-frame is my back-pocket revolver, for walking when I know I won't be sitting down.

Smith And Wesson Model 642-2

• Tallball
• Jul 12, 2020
• 4

This old LE trade-in has a smooth trigger and is a joy to shoot.

Smith And Wesson Model 10 Snub

• Tallball
• Apr 20, 2020

This old Japanese police revolver feels and shoots about like the Model 10,

Miroku 38 special

• Tallball
• Oct 4, 2018

I put these slightly larger LCRx grips on my LCR. It's my most commonly-carried handgun. The DAO trigger is excellent.

Ruger LCR in 38 special

• Tallball
• Jul 23, 2018

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Whoops, your post reminded me that I had a Rossi snub .38 for couple of months 20-odd years ago. The cylinder wasn’t cut straight, so it would rub on the forcing cone and drag after a few shots were fired. I sent it packing so fast I forgot all about it.

Stay safe.

Riomouse911 said:

Whoops, your post reminded me that I had a Rossi snub .38 for couple of months 20-odd years ago. The cylinder wasn’t cut straight, so it would rub on the forcing cone and drag after a few shots were fired. I sent it packing so fast I forgot all about it.

Stay safe.

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That is a shame about the Rossi. Some of them were real nice handguns.

WisBorn said:

What qualifies a handgun to be a snubby?
A barrel length of 3" or less or a barrel less than 3"?

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I think the typical description of a Snub Nose revolver is a revolver with a barrel of 3” or less.

I had a nice Rossi Model 971 357 with a 6". It was a good gun. It would have been a hoot with a 3" barrel.

So besides S&Ws, I do have two of these...

I like my Charter
38 Undercover DAO

Buckeye63 said:

S&W Model 12 6 shot

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One of my favorite edc revolvers.

Pat Riot said:

I think the typical description of a Snub Nose revolver is a revolver with a barrel of 3” or less.

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That's interesting. When I dubbed the new Colt Cobra having a 3" barrel a "snub-nose" on another gun site, a moderator there declared that, in all of his life and experience, he had "never, ever" heard of a revolver having a 3" barrel called a snub-nose. To which I didn't dare reply, "What's a silly half inch mean between friends?"

I have a 2-1/4" SP101 DAO, a LCR and a 3" LCRx all in .357... it's hard to pick a favorite. I've carried the LCR the most with 77 grain ARX ammo in a AIWB Kydex holster...a nice discreet little gun.

S&W 2nd Model .38 S&W


My snubbiest snubby, a custom Taurus Model 85 .38 Special. Yes, I can hang onto it and it is controllable even with the tiny grip. There a couple more kicking around, but these might be the most interesting.

SwampWolf said:

That's interesting. When I dubbed the new Colt Cobra having a 3" barrel a "snub-nose" on another gun site, a moderator there declared that, in all of his life and experience, he had "never, ever" heard of a revolver having a 3" barrel called a snub-nose. To which I didn't dare reply, "What's a silly half inch mean between friends?"

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Well, it is on Wikipedia so it must be true.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snubnosed_revolver

I've had a few over the years, and always end up trading them off. I'm honestly not sure of their usefulness to me. A couple of extra inches of barrel make no practical difference when carrying (one advantage of being over six feet, I suppose) and I find a 4" gun much easier to shoot.

The only snub I've held onto is this Taurus 85 CH that I've had for decades.



It's the bottom one, obviously, and sorry for the lousy pic, but you all know what they look like. The two reasons I've kept it are 1) this old ad, which has always grabbed me



and 2) the trigger was utterly horrible, so I installed a Wolff kit, after which the thing stopped working entirely. Getting it back to proper function would really be no great trick, but it's not like I actually want to shoot it, so...

I consider all my 5-shooters snubbies. Couple 9MMs in there with the 38s though

stonebuster said:

View attachment 984580 My only 38 spl snub is a Ruger Speed Six NYCPD mfg date June 1988.

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This is so purty.

S&W 60 has been hanging around for many years. More fun to shoot with rubber grips that fill my hand fully.

25-5 said:

Just drop it in my pocket.
Baby Chief.View attachment 984642

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Can’t beat an old school pre model flat latch. Don’t carry mine but do carry a ‘74 vintage nickel Model 36.

Since 3" barrel revolvers are now officially considered to be a snub nose, here are some I've posted before. The top 4 are all 357 magnum.

Those in the bottom picture are from top to bottom:
S&W model 36 in 38 spcl.
S&W model 31-1 in 32 long
Charter Arms Professional in 32 H&R magnum
Ruger LCRx in 22LR
Ruger SP101 in 327 Federal Magnum

Okay fine...Since we’re going with 3” barrels as “Snubbies” or Snub Nose Revolvers here’s my S&W model 63 with updated sights and a Hogue Monogrip.
I am not real accurate with this gun but it’s just plain fun to shoot. It really likes CCI Stingers.

BLACKHAWKNJ said:

The Colt Detective Special is THE snubby IMHO, I have a nickeled one made in 1966, a nice blue DS 72.

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Colt Dick Specials are nice little desk guns. I keep an older 2" DS in my desk drawer at home loaded with handloads: 5gr. Unique under a Speer 135gr. GDHP-SB. I train for point-shooting so I'm not worried about how "accurate" it is. Besides, it's not like I can actually see the sights. I'm not really worried about over-penetration, either but the Gold Dots tend to bounce around less than hard lead. I've tried shooting both into drywall-backed by cinder block and the Gold Dots mashed up a bunch and stopped but hard cast lead bounce around and out. I'd hate to get hit by own miss. That would just be embarrassing.

My edc S&W 642 on Grandma's quilt....

Pat Riot said:

Okay fine...Since we’re going with 3” barrels as “Snubbies” or Snub Nose Revolvers here’s my S&W model 63 with updated sights and a Hogue Monogrip.
I am not real accurate with this gun but it’s just plain fun to shoot. It really likes CCI Stingers.
View attachment 984840

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Bore that sucker out for some .38s.

chicharrones said:

Bore that sucker out for some .38s.

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True, I forgot this was a “.38 Snubbie” thread.