Which Snubbie would you buy??

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.357 LCR - light enough to pocket carry, heavy enough to practice with, a little extra horsepower from a medium magnum load, great trigger, inexpensive, no infernal lock. It is my most frequently carried gun.
 
642 or LCR. The 642 will be easier to carry and the LCR easier to shoot.

The Taurus 85's these days are solid too, but heavy relative to the the above. Not sure about parts and service on them either.
 
I don't know of another revolver that fits in a front pocket as well as my Ruger LCR. The caliber is .38 +P and that what I carry loaded but shoot handloads for practice. The +P's are a hand stinger in that light revolver and I can't imagine someone wanting the LCR in .357 Mag, I for one would hate to shoot it but if you can handle it that's impressive to me. The only criticism I have of my LCR is that you can lock it up by fast firing it. I don't know if there's a solution for that but if there is I'd like to know about it.
 
Armored farmer said:
View attachment 804631 this is the snub i bought, and carried some. It is a great gun, but heavy.

I hear great things about the LCR. If i wanted a snub, i would look for a used one to try. Many caliber choices too.
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I really like your SP101, agree they're kind of heavy but they need to be for .357. One of my friends brings his to the range often and I'm always thrilled to shoot it. I like your collection of Baby Bens, I loved taking them apart when I was a kid.
 
Well, if you're considering the cost of a S&W, why not a Kimber K6? I really like mine.
If you really must budget, there's Rugers for half as much.
 
I shot my friend's LCR and decided I wanted one of my own. His is a 357, which I believe weighs 17.1 ounces.

My friend at the LGS had a barely used 38 special. I gave him $300 or so for it. It weighs 13.5 ounces, IIRC.

The extra weight makes a difference. I can shoot my friend's LCR (with stock grips) with 38 special easily, and even 357 isn't too bad. I had to put a slightly longer grip on mine to be able to shoot it well. Part of that is probably due to my XXL hands. With the LCRx grips, though, I can shoot mine just fine. Since I carry it in a cargo pocket, the slightly longer grips don't matter. The light weight is very nice. The weight of a steel snubby makes it obvious that something is weighing down the pocket. The LCR isn't noticeable.
 
Many, many thanks to all who commented. The 642 was the "winner" in terms of people recommending it.

We to my LGS and tried on a couple: a 642, LCR in a couple of flavors (what's the copper cylinder thing, just for looks?); and a few humpbacks. The 642 was it and I put it aside so I can go back on Tues and do a bit of trading.

This particular one was a Performance Center model, with fancy rubber/wood grips that felt good in hand. Price seems fair ($469) although final price depends on what we trade. I looked online and with the $25 FFL fee, $25 shipping, and WA state's "tax" on out-of-state purchases...I'd have to buy for less than $380 to save any money. So it's about a wash. Here's a picture from the interwebs of a similar gun.
 

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Redcoat3340 said:
Many, many thanks to all who commented. The 642 was the "winner" in terms of people recommending it.

We to my LGS and tried on a couple: a 642, LCR in a couple of flavors (what's the copper cylinder thing, just for looks?); and a few humpbacks. The 642 was it and I put it aside so I can go back on Tues and do a bit of trading.

This particular one was a Performance Center model, with fancy rubber/wood grips that felt good in hand. Price seems fair ($469) although final price depends on what we trade. I looked online and with the $25 FFL fee, $25 shipping, and WA state's "tax" on out-of-state purchases...I'd have to buy for less than $380 to save any money. So it's about a wash. Here's a picture from the interwebs of a similar gun.
Click to expand...

Congratulations, sounds like a wonderful revolver. Just curious, what is the difference between the standard model and the Performance model? I noticed you did not mention which trigger you felt was better, or smoother. Could you give a description of both in comparison? Thanks and congrats.
 
Redcoat3340 said:
Many, many thanks to all who commented. The 642 was the "winner" in terms of people recommending it.

We to my LGS and tried on a couple: a 642, LCR in a couple of flavors (what's the copper cylinder thing, just for looks?); and a few humpbacks. The 642 was it and I put it aside so I can go back on Tues and do a bit of trading.

This particular one was a Performance Center model, with fancy rubber/wood grips that felt good in hand. Price seems fair ($469) although final price depends on what we trade. I looked online and with the $25 FFL fee, $25 shipping, and WA state's "tax" on out-of-state purchases...I'd have to buy for less than $380 to save any money. So it's about a wash. Here's a picture from the interwebs of a similar gun.
Click to expand...

Quite a solid choice. If recoil is too frisky, remember target wadcutters penetrate well and crush a caliber-sized hole through tissue.

https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/revolver-ballistics-test/#38spl
 
mcb said:
IMHO for pocket carry it almost has to be a aluminum alloy or polymer frame revolver. The idea of putting a 20+ oz gun in my pants pocket sounds uncomfortable. My pocket revolver is a S&W 442 though the 642 is basically the same gun. I am a big fan of moonclips so I picked up the 442 Moonclip from the performance center for only a few more bucks than a regular 442/642.

View attachment 804639
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Are those rounds in BACKWARDS in the speedloader?
 
The biggest issue with your request is everyone has a gun that fits them the best; be it lightweight, great trigger, a.357 option, hammer VS no exposed hammer, etc. We are all different sizes, experiences etc. so what fits me best may be awful for you.. and vice versa.

Because it’s your money and comfort involved, I always suggest you go to a range and rent a few, or offer to buy a box or two of ammo and ask a friend who has a couple of snubs to go to the range with you to shoot. This way you can get a feel for the different types of snubs available, the way they’ll fit in your pocket or on your belt,, how they draw from concealment, the various recoil levels associated with lightweight VS steel frames, etc.

I have small-frame snub .38s in steel (49, SP101, New Cobra) alloy (642), hammerless/shrouded 642,49) hammer spur (SP101, Cobra) etc. I have found each one has its own challenges and techniques for carry and drawing and no one fits all situations every time.

Hopefully you can try a variety of guns before you buy one, especially if the one you ultimately buy will be for every day carry/protection. Every suggested gun the guys have sent you so far has been a good one, so you do have a variety of options to check out before you decide.

Good luck and stay safe!
 
Good to hear you got one you liked. I carry a Charter Arms 44 special Bulldog but it is not for everyone.
 
That’s a sweet looking GP100, I like how they put the adjustable sights on it. Wish they did that with the 3” too.
 
Snake Plisskin said:
Thanks, That is the one of the reasons I bought it because of the adjustable sights , I can't bring myself to have any revolver without them.
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I guess we are all different. I wish fixed sights would come on more revolvers, especially larger frame guns. I love my Model 10 heavy barrel for the super low profile and very robust fixed sights.
 
I"d always wanted a J-frame and when (years ago) I found a 640 no dash at a good price I couldn't pass it up. I'd always favored the shrouded or no hammer versions so it was a no brainer.
 
Well, I picked up my 642 today. We struck a fair deal and I can't wait to get to the range tomorrow. The gun has been shot, but maybe only at the factory or just 5 or 10 rounds. It looks pristine and I forgot the moon clips came with it. Gotta give them a try. It fits neatly into my jeans pocket and the Sticky holster is just the thing. Range report in a day or three.
 
I will ask again, what is the Performance center 642. Yes, moon clips would be a bonus, but does it also come with a trigger job? Or is it the same standard trigger? If not, what does a trigger job typically go for.

Thanks
 
Milt1 said:
The only criticism I have of my LCR is that you can lock it up by fast firing it. I don't know if there's a solution for that but if there is I'd like to know about it.
Click to expand...

This was my experience with the LCR as well. It takes letting the trigger reset all the way forward to that last final "click". I needed to adjust my mindset when I used my LCR in a class. Letting the trigger come all the way forward became the follow-through to firing a shot. (Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, Reload!)
 
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