Smallest snubbie?

[italianbreadman]

Hey guys,

I've been thinking about compact snubnose revolvers lately, and was curious to know what the smallest ones are. I'm talking primarily in SIZE, with weight being secondary. And hammerless or shrouded hammers are imperative. Can we go any smaller than Smith's J-Frames or the Ruger LCR? That's the best I'm coming up with.

Which specific models can you think of as the absolute smallest in.357?
And in .38?

If you're a wheelgun guy, what do you carry, how do you carry it, and how do you feel about it?

 

[lowercase]

The small revolvers by Charter Arms are the smallest .38s I've seen.

My "Undercover" models are a bit smaller than my S&W J-frames. The "Off Duty" hammerless (Centennial style) model at 12 ounces is the smallest and lightest .38 of which I am aware.

Taurus makes a very small .380 DAO revolver, but the reviews I've seen on it aren't good.

I'm a wheelgun guy, and like to carry either a S&W 642, or a Charter Bulldog .44spl. For Summer, I like the 642 as a pocket gun. In fact, I'm carrying it right now in an Uncle Mike's #3 pocket holster.

 

[demerp]

S&W 642 rides in a front pocket of pants or jeans comfortably, using a pocket holster. So much so, that you forget it is there. Makes for a good option for those who choose to home carry.

I think to get appreciably smaller, you have to go down to a .380 or .32 autoloader. Haven't much tried this option myself

 

[oneounceload]

You wouldn't want to be firing a lightweight 357 with full loads; besides the extra length of the chamber makes them larger than 38-only guns

 

[italianbreadman]

The small revolvers by Charter Arms are the smallest .38s I've seen.

My "Undercover" models are a bit smaller than my S&W J-frames. The "Off Duty" hammerless (Centennial style) model at 12 ounces is the smallest and lightest .38 of which I am aware.

Taurus makes a very small .380 DAO revolver, but the reviews I've seen on it aren't good.

I'm a wheelgun guy, and like to carry either a S&W 642, or a Charter Bulldog .44spl. For Summer, I like the 642 as a pocket gun. In fact, I'm carrying it right now in an Uncle Mike's #3 pocket holster. ]

Thanks for the tip. I did check out the Off Duty a little just now, and, like you, I'd have to opt for the Smith if it came down to a choice between the two. There doesn't seem to be nearly enough of a price gap between them to warrant NOT going with Smith if a .38 is something I want to get into. And the size difference seems negligible enough considering the quality of S&W compared to what I'm reading about Charter.

 

[critter]

I have a S&W 337. That is a J-frame .38 Spcl with an Al frame and a Ti cylinder. Regular J-frame (S&W 36) size but weighs just a smidgin under 12 oz unloaded. Small and light if that is what you are in to.

 

[italianbreadman]

S&W 642 rides in a front pocket of pants or jeans comfortably, using a pocket holster. So much so, that you forget it is there. Makes for a good option for those who choose to home carry.

I think to get appreciably smaller, you have to go down to a .380 or .32 autoloader. Haven't much tried this option myself

Yeah, there are only a couple of .380s I care for at all. And wouldn't you know it, they're Kahr and Sig. Much more expensive than their plasticy toy gun counterparts from Kel-Tec, Ruger, and Taurus. For now I'll pass on those, despite their flat, wallet-sized profiles.

.32 isn't even really a consideration.

 

[italianbreadman]

You wouldn't want to be firing a lightweight 357 with full loads; besides the extra length of the chamber makes them larger than 38-only guns

Yeah, I get the logic there. Light gun + heavy load = hand ouch.

If it saves my life, I don't care, though.

The thought that a .357 snub has to be bigger than a .38 is definitely more of a deterrent; carrying a gun because it's easy to do so beats not having one at all... every time.

Looking back at Smiths, though, is the 340 legitimately larger than the 442/642?

Where does the Bodyguard .38 stand. I see that it's listed as being longer, but it looks shorter from grip to top strap. How about cylinder diameter? Anyone have the details there?

 

[David E]

You can find the answers to your questions by going to the manufacturers web site(s) and comparing specs.

Cylinder width is virtually identical.

 

[italianbreadman]

You can find the answers to your questions by going to the manufacturers web site(s) and comparing specs.

Cylinder width is virtually identical.

Not really.

Listings are almost exclusively for overall length. No mention of height or how the shape of a gun fits on one's person for practical, everyday carry.

I also really like to get a sense of owners' experience with the different guns, especially as direct comparisons after having owned or carried multiple models.

Thanks for the input about the cylinder. I really didn't think there would be much difference, but since measurements aren't listed, it's hard to tell and I figured I'd ask people who might have had experience. The Ruger LOOKS like it takes steps to minimize the perceptible size of the cylinder, but that's just a guess.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

The old Charter Undercover are small. The smallest are some H&R 22 LR pistol.

 

[David E]

No mention of height or how the shape of a gun fits on one's person for practical, everyday carry.

Since everyone is different, that would be difficult to quantify.

I also really like to get a sense of owners' experience with the different guns, especially as direct comparisons after having owned or carried multiple models.

The standard J-frame's are much like the other J-frames until you add barrel length, which they've done now and then. Their recent 2.5" lugged barrel has better sights and full ejection, but for me, it starts getting outside the realm of where a snubby shines. But maybe it'd be perfect for you if you plan on belt carry.

The LCR is great, but it'd have to be a belt only gun, due to the large, tacky grips. (Which make it easier to shoot)

If you want a stellar snubby that'll never see a pocket, consider a S&W Model 12 or a Colt Detective Special/Cobra/Agent.

The point is, just about all the 5-shot snubbies are close enough in size that the slight differences don't matter.

 

[Hoppes Love Potion]

The older Smiths are a little smaller than the new ones. The J-magnum frame was issued in 1996 and all J-frames use the magnum frame now.

There are also older Smiths using the I-frame in .32 long and the LadySmith M-frame in .22 short.

 

[hentown]

I have a pristine Colt Cobra. It's small enough for me and lightweight. I also like the 6-shot capacity, compared to S&W's 5 rounds.

 

[jad0110]

Yeah, I get the logic there. Light gun + heavy load = hand ouch.

If it saves my life, I don't care, though.

Problem is flyweight snubs are challenging for most people to shoot well. Especially with the blast and kick of .357s. Though you could practice with .38s and carry .357s, controllability is such an issue with .357s (so I've heard, I've never been interested in finding out first hand as I'm not one to get excited by pain ) that one really needs to practice with .357s frequently to tame the kick and learn how to recover quickly between shots. Not many people have the pain tolerance to do that.

As for J Frames, .38s have 1 7/8" barrels, while .357s have 2 1/8" barrels, irregardless of whether it is a Chief's Special (hammer x37), Centenial (enclosed hammer x42) or bodygaurd (x40). The bodyguard will be a bit more bulky above the grip frame due to the hammer shrouding, but I hear it really isn't an issue for pocket carry. I went with the .38 J Frame (642) and its shorter barrel to use as a dedicated pocket gun. I find larger frame guns just about as easy to carry IWB with quality gear. Mostly it is carried as a BUG. I rarely carry just the 642 alone these days, except on rare days when I'm feeling ill, not wanting to deal with carrying a bulkier gun. Or when I'm tooling around the house and have quick access to an AR-15 or M-1 Carbine.

 

[italianbreadman]

The older Smiths are a little smaller than the new ones. The J-magnum frame was issued in 1996 and all J-frames use the magnum frame now.

Thanks! I definitely had no idea this was the case. Now I just need to look into which models were built on that pre-1996 frame.

 

[italianbreadman]

As for J Frames, .38s have 1 7/8" barrels, while .357s have 2 1/8" barrels, irregardless of whether it is a Chief's Special (hammer x37), Centenial (enclosed hammer x42) or bodygaurd (x40).

So is the M&P340 the only one to break that rule? That one has the shorter barrel but is still a .357 with internal hammer.

 

[oneounceload]

I carry the 642 in a pocket holster (DeSantis) as I wear cargo shorts 51/52 weeks a year. 38+P will work just fine. 357 from the 1-7/8" barrel does not develop its potential to warrant the added pain

 

[MedWheeler]

Deltaboy writes:

The old Charter Undercover are small.

I agree. I have two. The older one is from 1966, and it's tiny. The newer one is from 1987. It has an anodized-aluminum barrel/ejector shroud, and thicker, checkered stocks (the other gun's stocks are smooth.) Those make it a little bigger.

The older one rattles around in a holster made for a M60 J-frame.

 

[italianbreadman]

I carry the 642 in a pocket holster (DeSantis) as I wear cargo shorts 51/52 weeks a year. 38+P will work just fine. 357 from the 1-7/8" barrel does not develop its potential to warrant the added pain

Yeah, I've read that time and time again, too. But I always have to wonder if the .38 or .38+P reach THEIR full potential, either, as the barrel shrinks.

 

[Sam1911]

There's always the Taurus M380: http://mousegunaddict.blogspot.com/2012/03/taurus-m380-review-and-range-report.html

 

[jad0110]

So is the M&P340 the only one to break that rule? That one has the shorter barrel but is still a .357 with internal hammer.

Interesting, it does break the rule. Learned something new today.

 

[italianbreadman]

Interesting, it does break the rule. Learned something new today.

S&W's product nomenclature is so damn confusing.

 

[David E]

S&W's product nomenclature is so damn confusing.

Not really, but its a code one needs to learn.

 

[Life During Wartime]

The smallest revolver I can think of is the belgian "Puppy" 5-shot rimfire. But that is obviously NOT for modern day carry