Recommend a snubbie

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DRMMR02

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I'm considering buying a snubbie as a backup/"can't carry my full size auto" gun. I carry the Walther P99 right now and am planning on getting a Ruger P345 as well. Those are both pretty easily conceable. But I still think a small revolver would be nice for situations where it would be wierd or difficult to have an autoloader, like at the beach or something. Anyways, I really don't know much about revolvers and such, so any info on what to look for would be great too. I'm not really looking to spend a bunch of $$ but I also don't want to get a $100 POS. I really don't plan on shooting it that much, but enough so that I know what I'm doing. Is there anything in the $250-$300 range? Or is that too cheap for quality?

So what are your ideas on an all-around not-too-expensive-but-pretty-quality backup revolver?
 
Smith & Wesson 642

Many persons on this and other forums own at least one of these
concealed hammer S&W's. With its 15 oz weight, you hardly even
know you have it with you. On days that I don't feel "up to snuff"
by carrying any of my 1911 .45 ACP's; I opt for this fine little gem.
I carry it in a 30 year old ($6.00 at the time), Bianchi leather IWB
holster. It makes for a great companion, when the .45 can't be
toted~!:cool: :D
 
You can get a Taurus 85 for about $250. My 85UL2 (aluminum) did not hold up well to a year of daily ankle carry, but for ocassional carry it is a good deal. The steel frame version would probably be a bit more durable.

If you can spend about $350 you can find plenty of new S&W snubbies to choose from.
 
I have a S&W m36 and a Taurus m85 ss , Very pleased both. I shoot these guns mostly in DA having one of these with a concealed hammer would be nice.
 
I think you're gonna get a lot of recommendations for the S&W 442/642. I don't think you can find a better lightweight CCW revolver for the money. If you want quality and reliability, stick with S&W. They seem to range from $300-$400 retail.
 
I would suggest a Taurus 85. In 38 Special. They are cheaper then the S&W. But it is always nice to have a 357 so you can shot 38 out of it for practice and use the 357 for self defense. More power.
 
I was in the same boat in January, and I stretched my budget to get a S&W 642. I would have gone with a Taurus 851UL, but couldn't find one in a store, and I really wanted a hammerless or shrouded hammer model. I believe S&W has better quality and customer service than Taurus (from what I have read), but the model 85s I looked at seemed to be just fine, and I even liked the rubber grips better than the Uncle Mike's S&W uses.

If you must keep it under $300, I'd get a model 85 (ultralight if at all possible, shrouded hammer if you can find one), and I wouldn't worry about it.
 
I bought a Taurus M85 on impulse

about 3 months ago. That little solid steel gun has gone with me everywhere I go ever since. I shoot 'bout 200 rounds a week through it so I've probably shot 2500 rounds so far. Accurate and reliable.

I'd recommend this revolver to anyone looking for a snubbie. Don't know about the light/airweight ones though. I like the extra heft of the solid steel model.
 
Looks like Marshall beat me to it.
Good used J frame.
Exposed hammer, bobbed hammer, shrouded hammer (Bodyguards), concealed hammer (Cenntenials), Steel, Alloy/Steel, Alloy/Scandium. .38, .357They all work good. Just personal preference.
 
In no particular order. Taurus 85, used Ruger SP101, or used S&W 60 or 600 series revolvers. I have or have used two of the above named and have ahd great service from them. Smiths are also an excellent pick from the above. Rossi makes a 351,352, and 461,462 series. There have been satisfied users of the Rossis on other Rossi threads. Do not get the ultra lightweight revolvers if shooting .357 magnum loads. Vicious recoil,muzzle blast, and possible nerve damage from firing to many rounds have to be considered. There are those who carry the super light weights,but how often do people practice to a high degree of competence needed with these revolvers? Weight is a factor. Don't let the "shoot very little,carry a lot crowd" cloud your judgement. I have fired the titanium and scandi revolvers. My hands,wrist,and arm hurt like heck after a few rounds. Muzzle blast from full power maggies left me disoriented for a short time. True, it was an indoor range. There are plenty of picks and much good advice has been given so far here by the posters.Good luck and let us know what you narrow choices down to or what you pick. Like the Inquirer, we just have to know.:cool:
 
360and475.jpg

S&W 360 PD, .357 Magnum, now has a bobbed hammer.

Find used. MANY people can't handle the recoil, but, the gun carries very well, and very light.

S
 
My always carry gun is a S&W mdl 642. My oldest son has an SP-101 with a 3 inch barrell. I enjoy shooting the 642 with full power ammo and don't mind the recoil, although 50 rounds will make the hand a little sore the next day. My son shoots .357 from his SP without issue. They are both fine weapons. I have no experience with Taurus so I do not feel qualified to expound upon it. The SP is a bit heavy for me for daily carry bc I carry front pocket. My son carries IWB and is fine with it.

Good Luck on your future purchase.
 
Ruger sp101 .357mag 2.25 inch barrel
tough, reliable and fairly inexpensive
Click to expand...

When I carry a snubby, it's a Colt Detective Special. When I bought one for my daughter, it was an SP 101. The Ruger is a .357 snubbie you can actually shoot .357s out of.
 
642. But I'm not sure if I would ever carry it in swim trunks. :scrutiny:

For beach duty I'd go with a P3AT or the like - only thing that really fits the size requirement. My P3AT was a bit too finicky for my tastes, so I sold it, though.
 
Another vote for the 442/642

For me, the hammerless airweight is the perfect pocket carry gun. It also carries nicely IWB as well. The airweight is a perfect compromise between the nice, comfortable shootability of the all steel model and the super light, but hard kicking airlite models. I find the 642 to be surprisingly comfortable to shoot with standard .38, and its not too bad with +p. My hand is always sore the next day though.

Note that the 442 is a blue/black finish and the 642 is a matte/stainless. Unlike most guns, the blue/black finished 442 often costs more than the stainless 642.

Load yours with Speer Gold Dot 125 or 135 grn +Ps and be happy :)!
 
With a S&W 642, Desantis pocket holster, Bianchi Speed Strips, a box of Speer Gold Dot SB 135gr jhp, and about 500rds of WWB to begin learning the heavy DA trigger with, you'll be well equiped.

Since you are new to revolvers, extensive dry-fire practice and range time are a must. The heavy trigger takes a while to master, but once learned it becomes quite easy.

I'm one of those folks who prefers to always be armed. I couldn't always accomplish this before I aquired the 642.

My very first handgun was a Ruger SP 101. It was smooth and very pleasant to shoot, much more so than the 642, but the thing was just too heavy for a decent hideaway piece.
JH
 
I had a colt detective special for a while. This snubby brings 6 rounds of 38 special to a party where most others bring 5 rounds with them. Mine was a very nice blued version and I wound up trading it off since I knew my intended use would damage the finish and I felt it would be a shame to do that to the detective special.

I owned two ruger sp101s in 357 magnum. One was 2.25 inch barrel with dao setup and the other was a 3 inch barrel with the normal double/single action option. Very nice and the right size, but too heavy for pocket carry. If I wanted to fire real 357 magnum ammo in something this size I would have stuck with these because they at least weigh enough I can avoid getting a flinch.

I rented a 642 last week and ran 50 rounds of nothing special 38 special through it. I will have to work to make sure I don't get a flinch but overall this is a very light revolver and I plan to get one for pocket carry.

I always figured I would get one of the 357 mag super duper light whatevers but shooting 50 rounds of normal 38 special through the 642 taught me that I don't want to go lighter in firearm weight and I don't want to go with more powerful ammo anytime soon.

I figure once I get used to this revolver I could run a hundred rounds of just normal 38 special through it with no problem.

Anyway, depending on what you plan to shoot and how you want to carry it the above are all good revolvers, but only one fits my need for actual pocket carry and being something I can handle firing on a regular basis without feeling like I am beating myself up.
 
I like revolvers with hammers. I like a low maintenance corrosion resiistant revolver too. So I prefer a model 60.
 
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