Whew! Where to begin! So much to say, so little time . . .
Let me begin by clarifying what I'm talking about. I'd classify a 'snubby' in the classic sense as having
both a short barrel (less than 2½")
and a small frame (i.e. S&W I- or J-frame, Colt Detective Special/Agent/Cobra, or the various equivalents from other manufacturers). I own and love K-frame S&W's in short-barreled versions, but I wouldn't consider a 2½"-barreled Model 66 a "snubby" in the same sense that I'd consider a Model 642! The larger short-barreled revolvers certainly have their place (I'd consider the 'top of the heap' in .357 Magnum carry revolvers to be a 3" barreled Model 13 or Model 65, with second place going to a 2½" barreled Model 19 or Model 66), but due to their larger size and increased weight, they can't really be considered for pocket or ankle carry.
So, given my definition of the 'snubby', I'd say it has a whole lot of advantages.
1. Weight. You can get a snubby in a weight that suits you, from all-steel, through Airweight (aluminum frame), to titanium or scandium alloys. You'll find the lighter weights great for carry, but their recoil is harsher than the steel-frame guns. I know some folks who like to carry full-house .357 Magnum loads, but want the convenient size of a snubby, and don't want to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. For them, the steel-frame snubbies are just about perfect - enough weight to soak up the worst of the recoil, but still small enough for the pocket or ankle. For folks like me, who want light weight for pocket carry and are prepared to accept the higher recoil, an Airweight 442 or 642 is a great choice. (As a personal aside, I injured my back very badly in February 2004. I had to undergo two surgeries, including spinal fusion, and I've been left with some permanent limitations and nerve damage. During my recovery, I couldn't carry on the belt - it hurt too much! On the other hand, twin Airweight J-frames in a shoulder holster combo worked just fine . . . light enough to carry, a gun easily available to either hand, and no reloads to worry about if five rounds weren't enough. Love my Airweights!
)
2. Size. A snubby drops into almost any pocket. (If the pockets of your trousers are too short, cut the bottoms open, add an inch or two of material - anything will do, no-one sees inside your pants when you're wearing 'em! - and sew them up again.) It also fits into ankle or shoulder holsters with ease and minimum 'printing'. (If you want to carry on the hip, I'd suggest a larger gun. Since you'll deal with printing and other problems in that location anyway, there's not too much difference between a J-frame and a K-frame, provided a good holster is used.)
3. Convenience. You're likely to leave a larger gun behind if you have to dress up to wear it. A quick run to the convenience store for a gallon of milk for the kids? Is it worth the hassle of putting on a cover garment, attaching the holster, etc.? Many won't bother . . . and that's dangerous, because you never know when you'll need your gun. A J-frame in a pocket holster drops out of sight, and is always available when you need it.
4. Reliability. I've owned Kahr and Kel-Tec small pistols (eight at last count), and never, repeat,
never got any one of them to pass the two-hundred-round test for reliability (i.e. two hundred rounds of your chosen carry load, through
that gun, using
those magazines, with
zero failures or problems of any kind. One problem, and the test begins again from Round 1.) I insist on a gun passing this test before I'll trust my life to it. Any quality snubby in good condition can pass this test, any day of the week. (To be fair, so can the 'baby Glocks', the 26 and 27, which are almost snubby-size. I carry the latter, too.)
5. Ease of use. I train disabled and handicapped shooters. Many of them don't have the hand or arm or upper-body strength to shoot a pistol without 'limp-wristing' it, causing feed and extraction problems. One doesn't have this problem with a revolver. (The heavier double-action trigger pull can be a problem for some of them, but an action job can fix this easily - besides, most small semi-auto's also have heavy double-action pulls, and most gunsmiths won't do action jobs on them.) Also, if someone isn't going to train often with their gun, a revolver is dead stone simple. No magazines to fiddle with, one can see in an instant whether the gun's loaded or not (no 'loaded chamber indicators' to worry about), operation is a cinch, etc.
6. Power of loads. This won't affect most people, but it's nice to know you can get some genuinely effective anti-personnel loads in a snubby. .38 Special +P, .357 Magnum, even .44 Special if you're willing to go to a big snubby like the S&W 296 or 396 - all are effective, much more so than the typical loads in pocket pistols (.22, .25, .32 or .380 ACP). Sure, a pocket pistol in 9mm. or larger caliber will do just as well, if not better . . . but most of the pocket pistols I see are in the smaller calibers. I'd rate the .32 H&R Magnum as ballistically superior to most .32 ACP and .380 ACP loads, and that's the
smallest centerfire round you'll find in a snubby!
7. Aids to shooting well. Most small firearms have lousy sights. Snubbies are no exception. However, there's one accessory that changes all this . . . the Crimson Trace laser grip. They're made for S&W and Taurus snubbies, and IMHO, they're a must-have accessory for these small guns. They make sighting much, much easier, so much so that if you tune the laser, you can take a head-shot with confidence at 25 to 50 yards, if that's what you want to do. I regard them as essential, and have them on my daily-carry snubbies. They're the best thing since sliced bread for these small, deep-concealment firearms . . . and there's nothing, repeat,
nothing like them available for small pistols (again, with the exception of the Glock 26 and 27, for which Crimson Trace makes a model of their laser).
That's my $0.02 worth, anyway. YMMV, as always.
