Shot a snubbie for the first time today

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

DeadMoneyDrew

Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2013
Messages
265
Hey folks! Today while on a visit to my local gun range I decided on a whim to rent a snubbie and give it a try. This was the first time that I ever fired a handgun smaller than my brother's compact Glock (and I've only fired that one on a couple of occasions). I rented the Ruger LCR .357 model and shot some .38 through it.

I fully expected to hate the experience since I'm a big guy with big hands, but boy was I pleasantly surprised! That little bugger was a handful but I had an absolute blast popping away with it. The only thing that stopped me from taking one home with me was the fact that I live in Delaware and this gun shop is in Pennsylvania. Booooo stupid firearm transfer laws.

Since this was an impromptu rental, I had no clue how to grip the thing properly, and there was no one around that I could ask for help since it was the middle of the day and I practically had the whole place to myself. After getting home I looked up a couple of instructional videos on YouTube, and of course I found out that when I was shooting I had my thumbs placed totally incorrectly. I was shooting two handed, and I had both of my thumbs on the left side of the frame just below the cylinder. From the YouTube videos I see that I should have had my left thumb crossed along the back side of my right hand. (I'm a rightie.)

Twice when I was shooting I experienced a failure to fire. I'm virtually certain that this was shooter error as opposed to some other problem. Both times it felt and sounded like the cylinder didn't fully rotate. Also it felt like my trigger squeeze was hesitant/sloppy/etc. I'd compare it to a baseball player attempting to check his swing but then hitting a pop up by mistake.

What could have caused that? The bad thumb position? A jerky trigger squeeze? Some other shooter error?
 
Last edited:
From the YouTube videos I see that I should have had my left thumb crossed along the back side of my right hand. (I'm a rightie.)
Click to expand...
Nope.

Some folks do adopt that crossed-thumbs grip, but I'd say most good wheelgun shooters do not, preferring the thumbs-forward-and-down grip.

As far as the failure to fire, that really shouldn't have happened (no your thumbs didn't have anything to do with it) but a really bad, jerky, pull might have helped it to miss its proper rotation, carry-up, and bolt/stop. Again, it SHOULD have worked correctly, but a good revolver shot is a strong, smooth, continual motion rolling through the shot while holding the sights on target. Don't slow down, stop, or change speeds while stroking the trigger.
 
I rented the Ruger LCP .357 model and shot some .38 through it.
Click to expand...

I think you mean LCR.
Although an LCP in .357mag would be a pretty darn cool gun.
 
What could have caused that?
Click to expand...
You failed to fully release the trigger so it could snap forward and re-set for the next shot.

In other words, you 'Short-Stroked' the trigger.

An auto like the Glock you shot has such a short trigger re-set you hardly have to relax your finger between pulls.

A revolver trigger has to go all the way foreword between shots to get everything sorted out and come back the other way again with everything hooked up right.

It's really not a big deal, or a revolver design shortcoming.
You just need more experience to use a revolver correctly.

BTW: Some auto's like the 1911 Colt and Glock designs are noted for VERY short trigger re-sets.
Other auto's, like some of the small striker fired pistols such as the Ruger LCP & others based on the Kel-Tec design require a full trigger release to re-set just like a revolver.

rc
 
Last edited:
rcmodel hit the nail on the head. The LCR will allow you to "short stroke" the trigger, my police cadet buddy ran into that with my LCR a few weeks ago at the range and swore the gun was light striking the primer. Strange quirk to the LCR but still love it, if you are thinking about a snub nose purchase in the future now and are concerned about the reset on the LCR not all snub nose revolvers have that mechanical design.
 
RC the Ruger LCP and Keltec P3AT are not striker fired guns they are a DA only hammer fired auto. However the S&W Shield is striker fired OE no external hammer. No offence intended just sayin.
 
Revolvers were designed to SHOOT under any circumstances. Light trigger oulls or not. The hammer spring should've fired the shell!
Get the gun checked out by a good gunsmith,
Chiefs are my favorites.
Have a pet, bobbed-hammered, No Dash 36 and love it!
Please get the gun checked out friend.
BPDave
 
If you do not allow for full trigger reset it won't fire. That is That. It is the way of things.
 
That was my guess, too. Haven't been there in nearly 20 years, but the DE/PA proximity suggests it. :)
 
Warning Warning Danger Will Robinson!!! Snubbies are great fun and extremely addictive. Don't ask me how I know. I, uh, I can quit anytime I want to.................I just don't want to! I've owned and fired snubbies from all the major manufacturers, which got me started down the road to snub addiction. I gradually got rid of most of my long barreled guns and replaced most of them with guns having barrels of 2 and 3 inches.
 
Short stroking the trigger has been well explained, but I will point out that trying to lighten the trigger pull by leaving the hammer spring as it is but reducing the trigger spring is a first class way to invite short stroking when you start to pull the trigger too soon for a subsequent shot.
 
LOL!

Do they still chain the muzzle down to the bench if you rent a submachine gun? I thought that was a nice touch! :rolleyes:
 
Ha ha really? I have no idea if they still do that . I've never rented a submachine gun from them. They are pretty strict with their gun rental rules, which I don't think is a bad thing necessarily.
 
My 38 and .357 are both snubbies, the .357 is the LCR, love the gun. I do start feeling it with some factory loads after about 20 rounds. That's why I bought my own brass and made a bunch of lighter loads, fire off 50 rounds of those, then 20-25 rounds of the higher end factory. The Blazer factory had the nice boom, was easy to shoot, the RMAG's are the ones I can feel after 20 rounds or so. The Blazer had aluminum cases though :(.

Question to Dframe, I've been thinking of trying some longer barrel's, why did you get rid of all of yours?
 
I didn't have a fire sale on my longer guns. In fact I still own a couple (6 inches MAX) and one of those is a Python. It was a gradual thing as I realised how cumbersome those long barrels were. The more I carried and handled them the less I liked the long barrels. I also discovered (Big DUH here) that shorter barrels are just as accurate, even though they require a LOT more attention, and practice by the shooter. Gee I have to shoot more! Dang the bad luck! :D:D
 
That's an interesting thought Dframe, I appreciate the comments. I've been considering a longer barrel revolver, another 357, a 44mag or 45. But I do like the snub nose. My other thought was getting the Ruger LCR 38, that was a really fun gun to shoot. Though I already have a Charter Arms 38spl. I'm concerned about the recoil on the 44mag, I had to qualify with a 45 when I was in the Air Force, but that was 30 years ago. I know I want another revolver, just don't know what :). I'll let my wife have the semi-automatics.
 
If you have a rental facility anywhere near you, I'd encourage you to rent guns and try them out before you buy. Everyone is a bit different and what works for me, might not be to your taste. I didn't like the looks (still hate it) of the plastic Ruger revolver. But beauty is in the shooting, and the ruger shoots just great. I also own a 3 inch 44 Magnum. While it's recoil is substantial, I don't find it punishing. Meanwhile, shooting a double action revolver in 454 Casull was just brutal. As usual your mileage may vary.
Try several, and buy the one YOU like best. In the end no one elses opinion matters but yours.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

DMK
  • Locked
How do you reload your single action?
Replies
23
Views
1K
theNoid
T
ErictheRed
  • Locked
Taurus snub locked up
2
Replies
33
Views
9K
Carl N. Brown
Carl N. Brown
3
  • Locked
S&W 642-how do you hold it?
Replies
9
Views
2K
FunYet
F
T
  • Locked
How "Not" to hold a revolver
2 3 4
Replies
77
Views
10K
Squidward
S
C
  • Locked
How do you keep from ripping skin off with +p ammo and a 442?
2
Replies
31
Views
1K
stanmo
S
Back
Top