Which 357 snubby?

[elmerkeithclone]

I posted a while back about buying a j frame S&W to be my carry gun. Well it isn't cutting it with 357 loads. My hand is just too wide to hold it comfortably. I put a death grip on it and it beats my middle finger to death. It's just to little to be a 357.

I fondled a Rossi 462 last night and liked the way it felt. Lifetime warranty.....which used to mean that it was very well made and if it ever broke they would fix it for free. Now-a-day I think they are banking on you not keeping it long enough to ever have to worry about making good on that warranty. That line of thinking could be blamed on me to a certain extent.

Any experience with the Rossi 462 357 mag? I can get one brand new for $250. Or should I forget that notion and plunk down three times as much for a 2.5 inch 686 S&W. What about the Ruger SP101, I like Ruger products very much. I can get one of them for middle of the road pricing between the Rossi and the 686.

I really want to carry a 357 and my GP100 National Match is just a little to long for what I am after. I have carried my 65 S&W but it too has a 4 inch barrel and is just a bit long to carry comfortably. Would the "L" frame 686 be bulkier than I want? I want something that I can carry when I go out to eat without it being uncomfortable.

My gut keeps telling me that I will be best able to get the job in a DA mode with the short 686 but then I have never shot a SP101 or Rossi 462 so don't know. Help me out here gents cuz I am perplexing myself over the matter.

 

[AGL4now]

The J-Frame is "NOT" intended to be comfortable to "HOLD" or shoot. It is intended to grant comfort and piece of mind, knowing that should the need ever arrive that must be utilized, that it perform it's duty, and to'hell with the slight pain inflicted on the users hand.

I run the middle grip, with several wraps of hockey stick tape till it fits, but the top one may work also..........http://www.pachmayr.com/home/revolver-grip-details.php

Smith & Wesson J Frame Round Butt 03249 SJ-G Gripper
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Smith & Wesson J Frame Round Butt 03252 SJ-C Compac
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Smith & Wesson J Frame Round Butt 03254 SJ-CP Compac Professional
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SJ-C Compac

I posted a while back about buying a j frame S&W to be my carry gun. Well it isn't cutting it with 357 loads. My hand is just too wide to hold it comfortably. I put a death grip on it and it beats my middle finger to death. It's just to little to be a 357.

 

[BrownBear]

No experience with the Rossi, so I can't help there. I've tuned actions on S&W (K-frame, J-frame, L-frame and N-frame) and Rugers (GP100, Redhawk and Security Six). For pure feel to my S&W-trained hands, I prefer the S&W over the Rugers, even when carefully tuned and smoothed.

My pick of the litter for carry would be the S&W M65-3. The 3" is snubby enough for my needs, and the grip just barely big enough for my wide hands. I've put bigger grips on it, but took them off again after deciding they were too bulky. With the stock grips I find the 65-3 plenty concealable, yet lots easier to shoot well that shorter, lighter, or smaller models even when they have larger grips. I'd sure cozy up to one for shooting trials if you can before buying anything. It's quite a step up from what you have, yet probably less bulky than L-frames.

 

[redale]

Keep what you have and shoot 38's. The gun is not meant to be a combat weapon. It is supposed to extricate you from a bad spot so you and yours can escape not fight. I have both l frame and gp101. The ruger is h$ll for stout and shoots well but the smith is the nicest. Just my nickels worth, inflation.

 

[hodgeman]

I inherited a Rossi from my Dad that was made in the 70's. Not a terribly bad revolver but it probably hasn't seen 250 rounds ever.

I agree with you, the little J frames pack so nice but with stout loads just beat your hand to death. I prefer the Smith over the Rossi or a Taurus for that matter for shooting and packing.

I love the SP101- stout, sort of an "in between" size and they handle .357s better than the J-Frames. If the S&W isn't being friendly, the SP101 might be your cup of tea.

 

[elmerkeithclone]

The J-Frame is "NOT" intended to be comfortable to "HOLD" or shoot. It is intended to grant comfort and piece of mind, knowing that should the need ever arrive that must be utilized, that it perform it's duty, and to'hell with the slight pain inflicted on the users hand.

I run the middle grip, with several wraps of hockey stick tape till it fits, but the top one may work also..........http://www.pachmayr.com/home/revolver-grip-details.php

Smith & Wesson J Frame Round Butt 03249 SJ-G Gripper
Buy Now

Smith & Wesson J Frame Round Butt 03252 SJ-C Compac
Buy Now

Smith & Wesson J Frame Round Butt 03254 SJ-CP Compac Professional
Buy Now

Lyman | Pachmayr | TacStar | Trius | Unidot | Butch's | A-Zoom | TargDots | Contact | Links | Site Map ©2015 Lyman Products Corporation

SJ-C Compac

"Grant comfort and peace of mind"? For me that comes from being able to practice a lot with my carry gun and be able to shoot it proficiently. I have almost always carried a semi-auto because I wasn't disciplined enough to learn to shoot a revolver well in the DA mode. I have been practicing a lot with both my 65 4 inch and my GP100 National Match and have improved to the point where I could shoot either one in a self defense situation without having to manually cock the hammer. There ain't no way in heck that I can rattle off 5 rounds out of the "J" frame and keep it on a pie plate at 10 yards. Believe me I have tried. I have shaken the screws loose even with Locktite on the threads. I have even loaded warm 110 grain hollow point loads(which make a mess out of a ferrel cat from any angle from my 65) but the little J doesn't shoot them to point of aim from a rest. It like 158s.
I have shot lots of rounds through 4 and 6 inch "L" frames but have never fired a round through the snubby "L" frame.

I went to the south of town gunshop last night and dry fired a Rossi 461. It had a horrible DA trigger pull. I'm guessing 8-10 pounds. There was heavy grease like junk coming out of the trigger hole in the frame. Might be that it's packed with grease in case it falls in the ocean on the way here....why else. I can't imagine that they expect everyone who buys one to take the side plate off and clean the plow grease out of the action. I'm going to pass on the Rossi. it's down to the 686 or SP101.

 

[Snyd]

Snubbie = BellyGun

 

[AGL4now]

For me the J-Frame is for problems with-in "Fixed'Bayonet" range.

 

[.338 mag.]

I have had a 3" K Frame Mod. 66 S&W for close to 30 years. It is as small as I want to go in a .357 mag. I have a nice little Mod. 640 S&W .38 Spl. that does ok for me with 158 grain lead hollow point +P loads.

I believe some times we are better off accepting the fact that small frame revolvers are not at their best with magnum "loads". Light and compact is great for carrying, they just don't win many range shooting matches as their are other platforms that are easier to shoot fast and accurately.

I would stuff it full of a good .38 Spl. self defense load and find a used 3" K Frame that Hillary will never know about.

But, some thing tells me you know all this friend.

 

[elmerkeithclone]

Keep what you have and shoot 38's. The gun is not meant to be a combat weapon. It is supposed to extricate you from a bad spot so you and yours can escape not fight. I have both l frame and gp101. The ruger is h$ll for stout and shoots well but the smith is the nicest. Just my nickels worth, inflation.

The best way to " extricate you and yours from a bad spot" is to neutralize the threat. If the threat quits being the threat then it's over. That will be entirely up to them. "escape not fight" that ball is in his court. I am not running from anyone in pursuit with a gun. I don't run so fast anymore and should that threat pursue me... my odds are better if I don't run and I won't.

 

[elmerkeithclone]

I have had a 3" K Frame Mod. 66 S&W for close to 30 years. It is as small as I want to go in a .357 mag. I have a nice little Mod. 640 S&W .38 Spl. that does ok for me with 158 grain lead hollow point +P loads.

I believe some times we are better off accepting the fact that small frame revolvers are not at their best with magnum "loads". Light and compact is great for carrying, they just don't win many range shooting matches as their are other platforms that are easier to shoot fast and accurately.

I would stuff it full of a good .38 Spl. self defense load and find a used 3" K Frame that Hillary will never know about.

But, some thing tells me you know all this friend.

I am going to look at some short barreled "K" frames this weekend. It will be a 357 as I have thousands of 357 brass. My daughters have carried off all of 38 special ammo(they bring em back empty for a refill). I think one of them will get this "J" frame to shoot some of those peep squeak loads that they like so well.

I haven't yet given up on Hillary being the odd man out!

 

[Amigo Will]

I really liked my sp-101 2" that I put hoque gripper grips on. At 15yards slow fire with 180gr buffalo bores I could shoot a good enough group.For five rounds in two seconds I have not a clue on how many sheets of plywood it would take to cover the spread. I was a two round a second at best gun and that's thumb cocking. I do think the sp-101 with the good sights and 4" barrel might be the cats behide

 

[BrownBear]

I am going to look at some short barreled "K" frames this weekend.

Kind of interesting to lay short K's alongside J's. By the time you put grips on a J big enough to be worth a poot for double action shooting, the J isn't really any smaller. I have a very early S&W 649 in 38 Special, and even with standard 38 special loads it's a handful to shoot DA. Add the bigger grips to it, and I might as well be shooting a K. Which I do.

 

[normK]

I am exceedingly fond of my S&W Performance Center 327. Scandium/Titanium and an eight round cylinder. I dressed mine up with Crimson Trace laser grips

 

[normK]

S&w 327 -
View attachment 91134

 

[akula682]

I am exceedingly fond of my S&W Performance Center 327. Scandium/Titanium and an eight round cylinder. I dressed mine up with Crimson Trace laser grips

how long have you had it and about how many shots have you put through it? I'm kinda skittish on the "Scandium/Titanium" part.

 

[hodgeman]

I am going to look at some short barreled "K" frames this weekend. It will be a 357 as I have thousands of 357 brass.

One of my favorite handguns ever was a 2.5" barreled M19. I carried it for years, I was and still am quite fond of the K frame for almost anything.

That said- a K-frame, even with a short barrel, is going to be harder to conceal than any J-frame...of course, the trade off is that it is far easier to shoot well.

I've got a very old M31 in .32S&W with a 2" barrel. It's on the diminutive and long gone 'I' frame. It's really hard to shoot accurately at any distance. Between the small grip, the heavy trigger and almost invisible sights it's just hard to DA accurately outside of spitting distance- despite the fact the .32 is only slightly more bump than a .22. The challenges to shooting a small revolver aren't limited recoil with stout loads- small guns are just hard to shoot for me. For what it's worth, my fire breathing 329 is far easier to shoot well than my M31.

 

[AKBEE]

I love wheelguns and to me nothing feels as smooth as a tuned 686 for shooting true magnum rounds, but the Ruger SP-101 2" is a very nice handling and tough gun- I think it is an excellent carry gun. I just had to hone it a bit and accept that it isn't a S&W. My Airlite 2" kicks like a bugger with hot loads.

 

[play2mefish]

For snubbies and a carry gun, have a look at the Taurus M605. It will do what you're asking it to do and will probably fit your hands better than some of the others. Anyway, my 2 cents worth.

 

[elmerkeithclone]

I really liked my sp-101 2" that I put hoque gripper grips on. At 15yards slow fire with 180gr buffalo bores I could shoot a good enough group.For five rounds in two seconds I have not a clue on how many sheets of plywood it would take to cover the spread. I was a two round a second at best gun and that's thumb cocking. I do think the sp-101 with the good sights and 4" barrel might be the cats behide

I was waiting for you to chime in...glad you did.

I took my bird dog for a romp last night and he pointed his first rooster.......then 10 minutes later we wandered up on a sick coon in a fence row. He was sick enough that he couldn't climb up the big cottonwood tree that was his home. I was caught with my pants down as I didn't grab a gun before I left the house. I put Roy on his lead rope and we left. A snubby that stays with me all day would have been a way good thing. I took Roy home and headed to Brownells to fondle short barreled revolvers. After handling the revolvers I went to the order desk and bought a set of Hogue gripper grips for my Gp100 national Match and a set for an SP101. I didn't buy a SP101 from them as I know that I can beat their price by quite a little but thats what I plan to do.

Thanks for all of the good input guys! They were all good answers from guys that know their stuff and no wrong answers. I very seldom get hung up on what gun to buy and used to just buy one of each and then weed em out as I went but my financial guy says that if I want to retire before I turn 100 then I need to knock that stuff off. He says I need to get rid of the guns that I don't use and set my self up with the guns that I see myself actually needing and using for the rest of my days on earth and then BUY NO MORE. If momma hadn't been with me I woulda busted him in the mouth. BUY NO MORE??? He just told EKC to BUY NO MORE guns ever. That ain't gonna happen but I do need to get more conservative and heed bits of his advice. I sold my Glock 22 that I hadn't shot in 2 years just yesterday and then stood there an whimpered as it drove off. My financial guy hasn't got a clue. The next time we meet I am telling him to get rid of 5 of his 6 sets of golf clubs....then watch the piss ant squirm! I spend no time at bars, don't belong to the country club, don't tailgate at football games or even pay the price to get in to football games, I don't buy booze or tobacco. I buy Coca_Cola when it's on sale only. I heat my house with firewood and drive a 2000 Dodge Dakota that runs like a top. On the other hand my financial dude just paid me $100 for a big load of red elm firewood so he can sit by his fireplace and sip on Crown RoyalXXX while watching a his idols play pasture pool. He hires the neighbor kid to mow his grass at $50 a pop and wash his BMW twice a week........and he wants to take control of my money so we can both make money off of it. He was a millionaire the day he graduated from highschool. What the sam hill does he know about making money.

The moral of the story.....don't ever tell EKC that he can't buy no more guns ever. I just emailed him a Dear John letter!

End of rant!