Snubnose revolvers โ affectionately known as โsnubbiesโ โ areย notย fun to shoot, but then again, they're not supposed to be. As plenty of myย fellow gun writersย point out, they're โmeant to be carried a lot and shot a little.โ They're certainly amazingly compact and concealable, reliable, and durable as well, as long as you do your part in properly caring for them. They're simpler and more maintenance-friendly than semiauto pistols in โpocket pistolโ calibers such asย 32 ACP and .380 ACP.
Ruger SP101 .38 Special/.357 Magnum
Those of you who've read my articles shouldn't be the least bit surprised that I put this particular gun at the top of the list.ย As I'veย previously statedย ad nauseam, Rugers are the Timex of wheelguns, i.e. theyย take a lickingย and keep on ticking. That's true of their large-frame, medium-frame, and snubnosed revolvers alike.ย
Now, as our ballistics-savvy readers already know, the .38 Special cartridge had a bad reputationย as being a โwidow makerโย for American cops when using the standard-pressure 158-grain roundnose lead (RNL) loading.
This led to the development of the so-called โFBI Loadโ AKA โChicago Loadโ AKA โMetro Load,โ the 158-grain +P lead semiwadcutter hollowpoint (LSWCHP), which expanded reliably at subsonic velocities even when fired from shorter barrels, and definitely improved stopping power โฆ but at the price of wear and tear on the guns.
Enter the Ruger SP101 with itsย solid steel sidewalls. Initially built around the .357 Magnum cartridge, the SP101 will have precisely zero problems standing up the operating pressures of +P .38 Spl loads. Better yet, the ergonomically friendly factory rubber grip helps take a lot off of the bite of the recoil experienced with the higher-pressure rounds.
I previously owned a .357 Ruger snubby and I put my fair share of Specials through it as well as full-house Maggie loads; and whilst I still don't consider it to be truly โfunโ or โpleasantโ to shoot, the SP-101 comes closer to meriting those descriptors than any other competitor โฆ including the remaining entries on this list.
Smith & Wesson J-Frame Series .38 Special
If snubbies, in general, aren't enjoyable to shoot, S&W J-frame snubbies are downright freakin' painful to shoot, especially theย old-school versionsย with the thin, stubby wood grips; Jeez-Louise, I actually find Smith'sย N-frame M57 .41 Magnumย andย Model 29 .44 Magnumย to be a more enjoyable shooting experience!
Aftermarket rubber grips help somewhat, but still not as well as on the Ruger SP-101, thanks to the Smiths' thinner construction.ย
But they've proven themselves effective in plenty of gunfights, in the hands of cops and armed private citizens alike. What's more, they come in a long veritableย laundry list of options, includingย the Ladysmithย and the Model 36ย Chief's Special.ย
In short (bad pun intended), there are plenty of desirable features that explain why the J-frame series has remained in production since 1950.
Smith & Wesson (S&W) Model 13
This gun goes to show that S&W's medium-sized โK-frames,โ though a step up in size from the J-frames, could still be viable snubnose revolvers, with the added advantage of being easier to shoot thanks to an extra bit of beef that helps tamp down recoil a bit.ย The Model 13ย in particular proved its effectiveness as the longtime standard issue of the FBI and the New York State Police.ย
Colt Detective Special .38 Special
Arguably every bit as famous a moniker and phrase in the handgun world as โColt .45,โ this is the gun that arguably planted the concept of the .38 snubby in the minds of the shooting public in the first place.ย First introduced in 1927, this wheelgun went through three separate initial production runs before being brainlessly discontinued in 1986.
But what a glorious 59-year run it was. As stated by the NRA'sย American Riflemanย staff, โThe Colt Detective Special became a favorite carry option for law enforcement as well as armed citizens.โ
Luckily for fans of modern classics, Colt's marketing wizards came to their collective senses and resurrected the Detective Special from 1993 to 1996, and today it's produced in a slightly tweaked version calledย the Colt Cobra.ย
Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Special
Big-bore revolver aficionados take heart: you don't have to settle for a โmediumโ caliber if you're gonna pack a snubnose, and theย Charter Arms Bulldogย is living proof of that.
It's chambered for the .44 Special cartridge, theย kinder, gentler ancestorย of the .44 Magnum that's still more than sufficiently powerful for self-defense work.ย
As the manufacturer's official info page states, โKnown for its rugged reliability and stopping power, Charter's .44 Special is a versatile revolver for personal or home protection. With a barrel length of 2.5โณ, the .44 Special is one of the larger revolvers to qualify for concealed carry. It has potent stopping power, while not being burdensome to carry โฆ This safe, reliable revolver is powerful enough for serious home protection, but has the size and functionality for effective concealed carry!โ
Read the original article in its entirety at 19Fortyfive.com.
3 Comments
These TV shows & movies had snubnoses: Madigan, Hawaii 5-0
Peter Gunn, Mannix, Mission Impossible, Streets of San Fran, Miami Vice ( Tubbs pistol)
I happen to have the first one mentioned BUT in .327Federal Magnum – almost .357 velocity but with 6 rounds instead of 5 and up from .38+P. BTW the Ruger LCR or LCRx in .327 also carry 6 vice 5 in the same size as the J-frame S&W. Somethings to consider for small revolver fans
Any list that has the Bulldog and not the Kimber K6S cannot be taken seriously.