View Full Version : Why are snubbies so hot right now?
Speed Racer 01-13-2008, 15:51 Wow, the timing of this new club is amazing. It seems the Snubby is hotter than ever as we start '08. There are multiple articles out on the Snubs; Personal Defense TV is showing a revolver-focused episode; and then Shooting Gallery is replaying a snub feature with Walt Rauch.
Plus, S&W just released their classic line with the model 40, and they've perfected (IMHO) the snub with the M&P 340. I like it so much, I just bought one to compliment my 442, 337PD, and 340PD.
It just seems the snub is hotter than ever right now.
After you watch the gun industry for, say, a year, you'll understand that it's all repeats itself. Over and over again.
Why? Because there is a whole new crop of kids/gun owners coming to market about every six to 12 months.
Ever watch these forums for a month and count the repeat questions?
The top two are "What is best?" And "What are you__________ now.":yawn:
MCPreacher 01-13-2008, 16:44 I think a lot of it is the proliferation of Shall Issue statutes across the US. Folks are finding that the target gun they swore by for years is not as comfortable to carry as they thought it would be.
Sure, that 12" Buntline is as accurate as a handgun can get, but when you have to walk with a limp, that snub-nosed revolver looks mighty tempting.
Then you get the new shooters who, seeing the rise in crime and finding that it is easier to get a concealed permit, have decided that arming themselves is not such a bad thing after all. Not as familiar as we are with various auto-loading firearms and preferring the simplicity of a revolver, the snub-nosed revolver is an attractive package, especially those that can be easily carried in a pocket or purse.
Last, and certainly not least, you have the die-hard snubbie guys who never gave up their beloved short barreled pocket guns and who are celebrating the resurgence of interest.
Why?
Because the snubby- the JFrame in specific is truly the most powerful, practical, small "Carry" gun.
I have quite a few and always have a J Frame on my person somewhere.....
ChuteTheMall 01-13-2008, 16:57 Blame the gun rags.
The ancient old 1911 is obsolete, yet it's the main source of income for pistolsmiths, who pad their wallets by going beyond needed reliability and accuracy efforts to make purty photogenic cover-gals with ivory or stag grips and shiny chrome or tactical nickle steel. Doing this 12 months per year gets old, however.:yawn:
The Glock 30 is the finest fighting pistol ever created, but all Glocks look alike and black plastic ain't very purdy. You seen one Glock, you seen them all. They don't need pistolsmiths, just night sights and holsters.
So to catch the eye of newstand gawkers with bling-bling, they keep re-inventing the wheel(gun).
:cool:
Because they work better than the typical auto pistol of the same sizes and weights.... and esp in the same price ranges. They are the perfect drop-in -pocket gun, and lots of people seek that simplicity, including me, as I often wear pocketed sweats or Cargo shorts.
IMO the Glock 26 is the next logical step, but many don't like it for a pocket gun, too heavy and blocky.
Guns like the Rohrbaugh, KT's and others have a place too, but IMO they don't serve as well as the snubby and are far more critical of grip, ammo and carry style. They also don't really offer any ballistic advantage with 9mm, given some of the better .38sp loads now available.
The snubby is the best choice at what people buy them for.
ChuteTheMall 01-13-2008, 18:08 Revos are Hot!
:tempted:
Run a quick four or five 33 round mags of 9mm thru a G26 or better still a G18 and grab the barrel, and you'll see what's hot!
:steamed:
It would sure take a lot longer to waste that much ammo thru a snubbie!
:yawn:
FastJuice 01-13-2008, 18:15 After you watch the gun industry for, say, a year, you'll understand that it's all repeats itself. Over and over again.
Why? Because there is a whole new crop of kids/gun owners coming to market about every six to 12 months.
Ever watch these forums for a month and count the repeat questions?
The top two are "What is best?" And "What are you__________ now.":yawn:
Exactly. It has never really changed. It just keeps getting repeated. The chase to unseat the J frame as king has always been there. For pocket street carry, nothing comes close.
FastJuice 01-13-2008, 18:18 Run a quick four or five 33 round mags of 9mm thru a G26 or better still a G18 and grab the barrel, and you'll see what's hot!
:steamed:
It would sure take a lot longer to waste that much ammo thru a snubbie!
:yawn:
Better yet, try a reality check. Push the crown of a .38 snubby against a melon (choose your favorite melon here) and pull the trigger. Now imagine that huge wet gaping hole in the chest of the average BG. Its all over except the paper work.
MCPreacher 01-13-2008, 18:33 Better yet, try a reality check. Push the crown of a .38 snubby against a melon (choose your favorite melon here) and pull the trigger. Now imagine that huge wet gaping hole in the chest of the average BG. Its all over except the paper work.
Now, jam the muzzle of an auto-loader into anything and pull the trigger. Chances are good that you will not even get a bang. :whistling:
Had to...
It would sure take a lot longer to waste that much ammo thru a snubbie!
True, snubbies aren't good for wasting ammo.
Glockanatorrrrr 01-13-2008, 19:43 Better yet, try a reality check. Push the crown of a .38 snubby against a melon (choose your favorite melon here) and pull the trigger. Now imagine that huge wet gaping hole in the chest of the average BG. Its all over except the paper work.
No! Absolutely not. I will not shoot my wife in her chest! What is wrong with you?? :tongueout:
GlockFish 01-13-2008, 19:45 Because more and more people are getting CCW's and they're finding carrying Dirty Harry 44 Magnums really isn't a very comfortable gun to carry.
Glockanatorrrrr 01-13-2008, 19:48 No! Absolutely not. I will not shoot my wife in her chest! What is wrong with you?? :tongueout:
Fastjuice and melons do you work at Jamba Juice? :rofl:
ChuteTheMall 01-13-2008, 20:10 Now, jam the muzzle of an auto-loader into anything and pull the trigger. Chances are good that you will not even get a bang. :whistling:
Had to...
What would prevent the first bang?
Speed Racer 01-13-2008, 20:13 Out of battery.
Try stuffing a Glock (unloaded, please) into a couch (to replicate the soft tissue of a "bad guy") and pull the trigger.
"Click"
You can smash a snub into your "bad guy" and still get five off.
Don't glocks fire out of battery?
(semi rhetorical question)
:supergrin:
No! Absolutely not. I will not shoot my wife in her chest! What is wrong with you?? :tongueout:That is funny...did you tell your wife about it? :tongueout:
:cool:
ChuteTheMall 01-13-2008, 22:05 Out of battery.
Try stuffing a Glock (unloaded, please) into a couch (to replicate the soft tissue of a "bad guy") and pull the trigger.
"Click"
You can smash a snub into your "bad guy" and still get five off.
Ah, but you said jam the muzzle, not the slide.:supergrin:
I'm confident the melon would be blown apart if the muzzle of my Glock was in contact when fired. The slide is another matter.
And with recoil, subsequent shots would/should break contact.
I could induce a failure in a semiauto by forcing the slide out of battery, just like I could force a failure in a revolver by immobilizing either the hammer or the cylinder. But I wouldn't want to have to try.
Glockanatorrrrr 01-14-2008, 07:34 That is funny...did you tell your wife about it? :tongueout:
:cool:
Absolutely she laughed! :rofl:
mini14jac 01-16-2008, 07:09 My brother has a P32 that he carries all the time.
(I used to carry one, and still have it.)
With mine, I'd shoot it once a month, or more, then clean it, lube it, and stick it back in my pocket.
I've never had a malfunction with mine, unless I was trying out new ammo, or some modification.
The last 2 times we've stepped out in the back yard for an informal "empty-your-carry-gun" shoot, his Kel Tec has had multiple jams.
He never shoots it, cleans it, or lubes it anymore.
I've chewed him out about this, but apparently, he's happy with the gun the way it is. :wow:
There have been reports of revolvers that were purchased, loaded, and then placed in a drawer, or under a rug for 30 years.
A thug breaks in, the gun is pulled out, and the thug is dispatched. :cool:
When it comes to a simple, reliable, dependable weapon for self defense, the revolver is hard to beat.
With the J frame, the revolver has evolved into the perfect CCW weapon, in my opinion.:supergrin:
As more and more people realize that the police won't actually arrive at most crime scenes until after the shooting is over, they are looking for ways to protect themselves.
While a J frame isn't as easy to shoot as a larger gun, I don't think there's an easier system to learn than a revolver.
G27Chief 01-16-2008, 22:55 Allow this overweight cop with a quarter century of service tell you something, the snubs have always been hot! There is not many time I can recall of the people I have known in my life that someone in their immediate family did not own a 2" 38 of some fashion. I have introduced the short little defenders into the hands of the novice firearms guys, as well as to the ladies who "have never held one of thses before". [keep you minds clean] For arguments sake, yes there was a good bit of safety instruction and range time before turning them loose with a weapon. My Dad still swears by his 2" nickel plated 36 which sports what he calls "them new talon grips (Eagle boot grips) that fits my hand."
The sock drawer of at least three of the Dad's of the young ladies I so eagerly pusued in my teens contained a snubbie, as a matter of memory I think all 3 were Smiths, and one a Model 12. [I always got them home on time]
At a time in Georgia history when the most horrific crimes occurred {circa 1973} the Alday slayings caused many to flock to the local Hardware store, and pick up a pistol or two for home and truck. The times changed after that April day, and the realization that someone could break out of prison 400 miles away and come to Georgia and slay a family come to pass. As the story made it's rounds around the farming communties of my area, and how a few of the family came home unsuspectiong that anything was wrong inside guns were being carried in and out of homes with growing regularity.
The pistol has forever been a good choice for close up protection and convience of carry. Of the gentleman of the generation that were around during that time, many of them have showed me thier pistols they bought for protection. Some boasted that they had one, and dug it out of the skivvies drawer and loaded it up.
Most of course are .38 spcl, in 2" or 4" barrel. Colt seemed to innundate the market around here in the 70's. The fact that I am a cop, or just that I like guns, has caused many a chatting session on a porch or under a shade tree while pondering over the classic snubbies, and the tales of hits and misses oil filters and feed sacks slung in a gulley. The coffee table conversation turns to what they should clean it with, and "reckin the bullets in it are molded by now" This causes my public service side to come to light, and I go clean and "reload" them with a good quality 158gr semi wadcutter or a non +P equivilent tossing in a few spares and maybe a speedstrip from my stockpile of Chief's goodies.
You know, there is something about a little blue steel snubbie in a brown basket stamped or acorn stamped holster made during the Johnson Adminstration that is so attractive your eyes are jumping with joy. One such little gun was accompanied by a yellow box of W-W luballoy with 5 missing, and they were found in the gun. The Lawrence acorn stamped holster was well oiled and clean. I was awe stuck and speechless as I sat my coffee down on the table and gingerly took it from it's owner. I pulled it slowly from the holster fully expecting the tarnish and wear to jump out at me, and what I saw was a bright blue finish as these guns came with in the 60's. This model 49 sported daimond stocks, and was well cared for. I knew he would never sell it, but I was tempted to run and drain my savings and keep peeling off bills till he said whoa.
During the wonder-nine craze, many snubbies still found their way home, if even just for the wives or the daughter that was heading off on her on to her first job. Let's not rule out the rookies that slipped one of the airweight versions in a vest holster or strapped it on his ankle. The snub has come in many makes and models, even one I saw made in Japan.
My choice, is and has been the square butt J frame that I "Skeeterized". The late gun writer Charles A. Skeeter Skelton, favored a bobbed hammer on the little S & W. He coined a phrase "Snubitius" in one of his writings, a disease I am proud to say I have suffered from for many years. The definition is simple an attachment to little belly guns, and the practice of carrying and promoting them to those requiring a self defense pistol.
I have the same set up, due to oversized paws and the fact this version fits my needs. I personally perfer the slimmer J frame to the thicker Colt, and own a collection of 36's in both flat latch and later versions. I have a 60, (the first brand new handgun I ever bought) and a "hump-back" as well as the "ski sloped centennial" Like Skeeter said, these little guns are always loaded and on call. They are found tucked away in various nooks and crannies for my wife and I to reach in a time of need. We also have a brace of the lot we carry daily. I have had a J frame of one sort or another with me on miles and miles of patrol.
To say that they are hot right now, well I say they have always have been and will be hot for years to come.
Good shooting,
JS
Moonfish 01-17-2008, 05:57 To say that they are hot right now, well I say they have always have been and will be hot for years to come.
+1 They have stood the test of time. Good post!
mini14jac 01-17-2008, 08:29 I was working in a steel mill outside of Chicago in the early '80s.
Was on a call to repair some equipment in one of the control rooms.
This was one noisy, dirty place to work, and a lot of the men that worked there lived in Gary, Indiana, which was a high crime area.
Somehow the subject of guns came up, and one of the workers said "Like this one?" and pulled a blued J frame from his pocket. :wow:
That was an eye-opener to me.
This was many years before Shall Issue laws, and I doubt seriously that this man had a permit.
Even if he did, I'm pretty sure it was against the rules to carry it on the job.
I think the J frame has always been popular in areas where you weren't actually supposed to be armed.
cowboywannabe 01-17-2008, 09:58 i like many guns, but the true "J" frame are the guns i have the most of....
Hot!
:steamed::supergrin:
The Goose 01-17-2008, 20:16 I love snubbies. It is my carry gun of choice and on most days it is my primary. Below is an excerpt of something I posted on another forum.
"I pocket carry every day and have for several years. I have experimented with different pistols and revolvers, but I always come back to my S&W j frame. It is the second handgun I ever bought and probably the one I will never part with. It is a 342 Titanium frame .38 and it is my constant companion. Sometimes I pocket carry a S&W 60 all steel .357, but it is a bit too heavy for some trousers.
I wear Dockers every day with a tucked in white work shirt. I do sales and estimating. I go into homes and businesses of all types. I might go from a boardroom in downtown Boston to an attic or crawlspace in the suburbs. I may have to climb, crawl, lift, reach and contort in a variety of ways at any given time. When the ladder is too short I might have to chin up into an attic hatch. My j frame sits securely and discreetly in my pocket. I have toyed with vests and cover garments over an IWB, but have never felt 100% secure. I have had an IWB get hung up trying to sueeze my considerable girth through a tight area.
Bottom line is that pocket carry works for me every day in every situation and when I am off work and can carry my .45 more confidently the j frame becomes a BUG.
In cooler weather when I wear a jacket a whole world of other carrying opportunities presents itself. I wear a Cabelas barn coat with vertical chest level pockets with velcro closures. Before I get into the car I can move the j frame and holster into the chest pocket which I believe is the MOST accessible form of carry in a car with a seat belt on. It is very fast. Late at night while walking back to a deserted parking garage in the wee hours I can move the j frame into a side jacket pocket and discreetly walk with my hand on my gun. Likewise if I am waiting for a client in front of a building in a really bad area I can do the same thing. In a jam I can even shoot through the pocket and have practiced this in training classes. In my opinion the j frame is truly a close quarters fighting gun with a host of tactical advantages.
In terms of accessories I use either a Desantis Nemesis or a Mika pocket holster. I have also used a cheap Uncle Mikes with great satisfaction. In jacket weather I carry 2 speedloaders in my jacket or coat pocket. In the summer I carry a speed strip in a pants pocket. Add my Spyderco folder and OC and I feel well armed. Also Surefire flashlight which I use constantly for work purposes.
It has never ever had a single malfundtion of any type. It goes bang every time. I have put thousands of rounds through it and it is as tight as the day I bought it. I have taken a few different snubby specific classes and have put hundreds of rounds through it in one day. At 30' I can put all 5 shots well within a 5.5" shoot N C target with confidence. Certainly adequate for close range self defense. Most significantly it is with me always.
In my experience the very small semi autos are spotty in terms of reliabilty, difficult to shoot well, under powered and with only a minimal advantage in terms of increased firepower and perhaps (??) faster reloads. My little semi autos mostly sit in the safe because I have yet to find a time when I can't conceal my j frame just as easily.
Everything stated above is my opinion based upon my personal experience. Your results may differ. I would love to hear other thoughts."
So those are my thoughts on why snubbies are "hot" these days. They simply make sense for the regular guy.
__________________
Moonfish 01-18-2008, 05:01 It has never ever had a single malfundtion of any type. It goes bang every time.
It's something you never have to worry about... good post!
Glockanatorrrrr 01-18-2008, 20:01 Great post! That was fun to read! I love my snubbie too. Pocket carry it every day too.:wavey:
kmrcstintn 02-10-2008, 10:12 been thru the gambit of 1911's, wondernines, Glockblocks, keltecs, revo round-a-round, and so on...3 repeating beliefs emerged...
1) an airweight j-frame in the roost at all times*
2) revos are my perpetual favorite
3) wondernine = Beretta 92 to me
* used to sell these off in times of financial crisis, but I always bought a new one...one day I said to myself...hhhmmm, seems I can't live without one...:cool:
I could induce a failure in a semiauto by forcing the slide out of battery, just like I could force a failure in a revolver by immobilizing either the hammer or the cylinder. But I wouldn't want to have to try.
True, but a bad guy needs a free hand to immobilize a revolver, assuming here that it is the good guy holding the firearm in question. Of course, either type of handgun can be disentangled from the bad guy's action, and we should be prepared to do this if we carry a handgun. That is one good thing about blade training, as checks and disarms are an integral part, making one keep such things in mind. The same is true of some firearms training, but most shooting instructors don't get into contact-distance training.
Wow, the timing of this new club is amazing. It seems the Snubby is hotter than ever as we start '08. There are multiple articles out on the Snubs; Personal Defense TV is showing a revolver-focused episode; and then Shooting Gallery is replaying a snub feature with Walt Rauch.
Plus, S&W just released their classic line with the model 40, and they've perfected (IMHO) the snub with the M&P 340. I like it so much, I just bought one to compliment my 442, 337PD, and 340PD.
It just seems the snub is hotter than ever right now.
I think there are two factors here. One is the nostalgia factor, which is taking hold across the board, not just with firearms. Another is that the current crop of gunwriters is aging, and learning to appreciate compactness and lighter weight.
Another possibility, IMHO, is a simple collective backlash against the larger service-type weapons that were all the rage when legal CCW reform swept across the USA in the 1990's and early 2000's. People tried the larger weapons, and quickly learned snubbies just worked better for daily carry. Many instructors belittled snubbies, and so it was almost like snubby owners had to stay in the closet to avoid ridicule. Finally, snubby owners learned their collective strength, and revolted.
BTW, Mas Ayoob, while he recommends the carry of larger weapons, has always supported snubby owners in his writings. He has always seemed, from I have read, to recommend the .38 snubby over the .380 pocket pistol, for use in pocket and ankle carry. He played a part in the Snubby Summit that convened in Titusville, Florida, in December 2005, which I was blessed with being able to attend. Ed Lovette, Walt Rauch, Ralph Mroz, Claude Werner, Paul Gomez, Andy Stanford, Southnarc, and other writers/instructors I may have forgotten were there to support the snubby. I will give Michael DeBethancourt his own sentence here, because he has always been a snubby-oriented intructor; if you can train with him, DO IT!. And, of course, the late Jim Cirillo was there, one of the the greatest non-military gunfighters of any era, and certainly greater in his actual deeds than Will Bill Hickok or Wyatt Earp.
Gunboat1 02-10-2008, 13:59 Why? Because a whole lot of shooters are too lazy to train as much as needed for them to confidently and safely carry better weapons systems.
Why? Because a whole lot of shooters are too lazy to train as much as needed for them to confidently and safely carry better weapons systems.
:upeyes:
<--------Trains with better 'weapon systems', also trains with snubby.
Why? Because a whole lot of shooters are too lazy to train as much as needed for them to confidently and safely carry better weapons systems.
Better for what? In its niche, the snubby revolver rules. It doesn't matter how much I train with my SIG P229, 1911, and bigger sixguns, the snubby revolver plays its role better than anything else out there. An SP101 is the one firearm I have with me, regardless of what else I may be carrying. A snubby will clear leather or pocket quicker, and gives an opponent less barrel to grab, when compared to larger handguns. As for laziness, I actually see the snubby as more of an experienced pistolero's weapon, ideally, to be used after one has mastered the larger weapons. If it is revolvers as a whole seen as inferior, well, I don't see it that way. I am not trying to convert anyone to snubbies, or revolvers. I like pistols, both autoloading and revolving, but when choosing what to actually carry, my pocket autos tend to stay in the safe, while the snubby revolvers and service-sized autos and sixguns go with me.
cowboywannabe 02-11-2008, 19:50 some folks dislike snubbys because of thier inability to shoot them well (this is the main reason).
others dislike them based on keyboard commando talk and have not tried them on thier own.
mitchshrader 02-11-2008, 20:13 i like the 3" barrel j frames MUCH better than the 2", and the .38 FBI load better'n .357s..
i'd sure like to stumble over a mate to the one i have. i'd have two. :)
Deaf Smith 02-11-2008, 20:30 Snubbies are experts guns. Yes experts. Not ladies guns. Hard to shoot fast with one hand, hard to reload, and kicks quite a bit.
But if you go the distance and practice alot, the snubbie is one of the best, if not the best, 'always' guns you can have on you.
Deaf
cowboywannabe 02-11-2008, 22:25 good point, they are not for the novice gun toter who is not well rounded in the handgun arena...
Gunboat1 02-12-2008, 00:24 Yes, WE all know these things - but a lot of people don't, and simply like the simplicity of a revolver. "Training? Bah!" They just pocket a snub and think they are prepared for anything. No training required.
Yes, I know they are harder to shoot well, and recoil more, and are extremely capacity limited, with a very slow reload. Hence my comment that there are better weapons systems out there. There are. Better in stopping power, better in capacity, better in practical accuracy, better in reload speed and ease, better in every way except one - simplicity and perhaps concealment in a pocket. But if simplicity is your nee plus ultra, the snub is just peachy.
You may not like it, but a lot of snubs ride in the pockets, purses and nightstands of the amateurs - thereby leading to popularity.
Yes, WE all know these things - but a lot of people don't, and simply like the simplicity of a revolver. "Training? Bah!" They just pocket a snub and think they are prepared for anything. No training required.
Yes, I know they are harder to shoot well, and recoil more, and are extremely capacity limited, with a very slow reload. Hence my comment that there are better weapons systems out there. There are. Better in stopping power, better in capacity, better in practical accuracy, better in reload speed and ease, better in every way except one - simplicity and perhaps concealment in a pocket. But if simplicity is your nee plus ultra, the snub is just peachy.
You may not like it, but a lot of snubs ride in the pockets, purses and nightstands of the amateurs - thereby leading to popularity.
You could apply that to anything. Lots of people pack g26's on their hip or ankle and suck too.
Great guns attract all sorts. Nothing new here.
This factor is not just true with firearms. I believe Ford Mustangs are best used only by experienced experts, but it is young, inexperienced guys usually seen in them, and the barbequed corpses I have seen inside Mustangs have all turned out to be young guys.
I believe people that know, always have looked at snubbies as serious business. Many a man has met his end from a little 5 shot snubbie.
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