Don't like airweight snubs.

[788Ham]

SP 101, 3.06" barrel, about as light of a revolver I want to shoot with +P 38's and .357's. A tad heavy on the barrel end, but thats what I wanted when I bought it. I had an Airweight, too punishing.

 

[ColeK]

Personally, I like my J-Frames and have used them for years about 30+.
I have found that I shoot the newer M637-1's better than I shoot the older M36's.
I think it because of the newer grips.

 

[Pict]

I've put a couple thousand rounds through my 642 so far. I like it enough that I got a 438 to keep it company. No problems with three-inch circles at thirty feet, and that's good enough for me.

 

[foghornl]

I fired one of those "Ultra-Light-Taniums" loaded with full-house 357 Mag...ONCE.

My wrist hurt for a week...

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Just today my dad revealed a new S&W Airweight he had just bought and hadn't shot. He had never fired one and doesn't really ever shoot handguns. Within about 2 cylinders full, he was putting all of his shots in a 10" circle at 15 yards...He seemed pleased with it....Like I said he never shoots handguns. I brought a 4" Anaconda and started shooting a washtub sized rock at about 75 yards. He wanted to give it a try. It took him just a few shots to get the hang of it and start banging the rock...A little basic practice goes a long way.

 

[SFCRandall]

I've had a Taurus Ultralight Titanium .38 snub for years and absolutely love it. However, I just upgraded to a S&W 340PD in 357. My experience with the Taurus convinced me these lightwieght carry pieces are a good choice for convenient carry and effective power.

 

[Guillermo]

I just upgraded to a S&W 340PD in 357

a- not sure it is an upgrade...but as long as you are happy...
b- can you put six rounds in a pie plate at 10 feet in 4 seconds or less?
(if so you are a better shot than me...congratulations)

 

[19-3Ben]

Really?

My 642 is painful with Buffalo Bore's +P 158 grain lead bullets, this was the only ammunition I have run throw my 642 that I consider painful, I still choose to carry it. I have shot a number of different manufacturers +P ammo and find it is reasonably easy to shoot let alone "mild .38s".

I like the Airweight revolvers for carry and even for the range. It does take practice but we all like to shoot so why not practice. There are other choices and I won't fault anyone for choosing a heavier and therefore easier gun to shoot.

For every hand there's a glove.

Recoil and "fit" of a gun are very subjective. It's just the way I happened to experience that particular gun. Some find the LCP snappy. Personally, I like it.

To each his own.

 

[oldfool]

all CCW involves some compromises, but when the weight of revolver loaded vs. unloaded is dramatically noticeable, that's just going too far, no matter how comfortable the carry

7 shot 380 derringers already push that pretty hard
I don't want anything 'air' weight in a 38+P or 357
guess I will just have to wait on a recoiless Star Trek phasor pistola... beam me up Scotty !

 

[pintler]

While that PM9 is a good little gun, (I owned one) it will jam (and so will any other auto) if fired from inside a coat pocket

FWIW, a local shooting school had a pocket pistol class. I went to Goodwill and bought a couple of cheap jackets and fired a P9 from the pockets with good results. Without a high speed camera I'm guessing a little here, but I think that the muzzle blast inflates the pocket and keeps the fabric from interfering. In any event, I didn't have any problems until maybe the 25th round. By that time there was a big ragged hole in the pocket, and I tended to push the muzzle thru the hole, letting the ragged hole edges finally get into the action. I only had two jackets, so it's not like I have a huge sample, but I think autos in jacket pockets might work better than you'd think.

Get some $3 jackets and give it a try.

 

[Onward Allusion]

amd6547
If you find the Airweight "painful", you most likely are not holding it correctly.
"...25 yards with a snub in a self-defense situation? Not so do-able and will probably land you in prison if you did...."--What nonsense. I can see it now..."oh, that bad guy 25yds away is shooting at me...I better run and hope he is as bad a shot as me..I read on the Internet I can't shoot that far..."

Yup, absolute nonsense!

Let me re-word a little... A lot of people can't hit crap with at snub at 25 yards at the range. Add to that stress and adrenalin, well snubs are pretty useless to most people at that distance. As for landing in prison...Not many states have stand-your-ground laws outside of the home. One probably has a pretty good chance getting away at 25 yards. Why get into a firefight...with a snub no less? BTW, if you can manage to hit POA at 25 yards with your heart going at 120 bpm using a snub, more power to you. I'm a little more realistic with my own skills.

 

[bgr2014]

My wife has arthuritis in her hands and she shoots her 642 with no problem, however I shoot the +p's in mine and have no problem. The guy that said something about the hammer getting caught, the 642 is DOA and hammerless. Both our's have 2# triggers and shoot very well and easy to conceal.

 

[Victor69]

I could be wrong don't qoute me but I think most gun fights are relatively close like between 7 to 12 feet. When somebody is going to rob you they get close to tell you their intentions, their not going to shout from 25 yards and risk drawing attention to themselves.

 

[USAF_Vet]

Not a fan of snubbies in general. I think I'd dislike a super light weight snubby even more.

 

[Guillermo]

as the inappropriately named OldFool mentioned...concealed carry weapons are a compromise.

(are not all weapons?)

That is why we have a drawer full.

Sometimes the flatness and smallness of a PM9 is great. (mine is in my pocket because I was installing a new toy on the car and was going to be on my side. The flat gun was more comfy)

But the compromise should NEVER go to the point that the gun cannot be shot fast an accurately.

Old Fuff says 5 shots in a pie plate at 5 feet in 5 seconds is a good start.

Can you do that with a .357 snub made of styrofoam?

I can't.

 

[wheelgunslinger]

It would serve just as well if it wouldn't keep five shots on a pie-plate at 15 yards from a machine rest.

Yep. It's for bad breath range, not range plinking.

 

[amd6547]

It is not unusual for an assailant to have an associate at some distance away...maybe a lookout, maybe the getaway driver...Once you have put down the close range threat, you may have to deal with the secondary...Either hitting him directly, or giving him reason not to approach...he may be shooting at you.
I have been shooting hand guns at distances out to 100yds (NOT snubs) for 30+ years. Partly because it is just fun, partly because I carried various handguns backpacking, and always felt the ability to reach out would be useful.
With the snub, hitting a 10" steel plate at 40yds is childs play for me. Were the skill needed, it is much better to have the practice. The snub is capable of the needed accuracy, all it needs is a shooter who can utilize it. Utilizing cover and field positions is all that you need to add to shooting skill.
25yds is nothing...a man can cover that in seconds. A bullet can cover it even faster.

 

[Lucky Derby]

A revolver can be prevented from firing if you get a finger between the hammer and frame, or grip the cylinder tightly enough.

The issues you presented are unlikely to come up, and even more unlikely if you remember that those situations cause a problem and take steps to avoid those situations.
Autos have a longer sight radius and better trigger than revolvers. they can be reloaded faster, carry more rounds, and they're smaller. Those benefit you every time you use the gun.

I am well aware of those limitations. I was pointing out that autos are not perfect either. Also revolvers have a simpler manual of arms, and are probably a better choice for for people who do not, will not spend a lot of time learning how the gun works and practicing with it.

 

[Lucky Derby]

While that PM9 is a good little gun, (I owned one) it will jam (and so will any other auto) if fired from inside a coat pocket

FWIW, a local shooting school had a pocket pistol class. I went to Goodwill and bought a couple of cheap jackets and fired a P9 from the pockets with good results. Without a high speed camera I'm guessing a little here, but I think that the muzzle blast inflates the pocket and keeps the fabric from interfering. In any event, I didn't have any problems until maybe the 25th round. By that time there was a big ragged hole in the pocket, and I tended to push the muzzle thru the hole, letting the ragged hole edges finally get into the action. I only had two jackets, so it's not like I have a huge sample, but I think autos in jacket pockets might work better than you'd think.

Get some $3 jackets and give it a try.

I have tried it. With very different results. 5 jackets from yardsales. Albeit the gun was smaller, so it had less muzzle blast. Tomcat .32. I also think that the design of the jacket might come into play.

 

[Shienhausser]

"Also revolvers have ........................................and are probably a better choice for for people who do not, will not spend a lot of time learning how the gun works and practicing with it."


I would disagree with the not spending a lot of time practicing. IMO revolvers for the most part take more dedication to practice for that DA trigger pull, reloading etc etc. We were looking for a CCW for my mother and considered a revolver but decided not to b/c my family and herself felt that she wouldn't spend the time practicing with it needed to be good.

Simpler yes, easier to get good at, probably not. Again, this is just my opinion.

I choose to carry and shoot revolvers b/c I have a desire to use one platform and get very good at it. Before spending a lot of time with them at the range and on the couch I was a rotten shot with a revolver.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

Also revolvers have a simpler manual of arms, and are probably a better choice for for people who do not, will not spend a lot of time learning how the gun works and practicing with it.

That has not been my experience. It's simpler and easier to teach people to hit things with a Glock 17 or 19 than it is with a model 10, and its certainly easier to teach someone to hit with a glock or other auto, than a model 36 or 37.

 

[Maximumbob54]

I loved my 637 until this:



S&W fixed it at no cost to me though. But then I found out that with the new barrel rifling they use is the reason my shooting skills with it weren't so hot. If I shoot jacketed ammo it's more accurate than I am. But all my lead bullet ammo just won't work very well in it. I always figured that if I ever needed it then the range I'm shooting it in won't be very far. But it's the leading that was killing accuracy. I would clean it out and just figured it must have something to do with the short barrel that caused it. Now it sets in the safe and the SP101 sits in the nightstand. The extra mass makes shooting most .357's feel like shooting most .38's in the 637. I might go back to her again, but not for a while.

 

[heeler]

I own an older Airweight M37 and like it but I cant shoot this thing for crap.
I can shoot my new little no sights LCP far better.
And my PM9 better by far.
The thing that keeps me from carrying the M37 is I really dont care for IWB carry and they are too long many times,depending on the pants or shorts I use,to pocket carry as the butt handle is constantly peaking out and I live in a state where concealed truely means concealed.
But under the type of scenario 1911Tuner talked about in post 17 all of the lightweight micro guns and revolvers pretty much fit the bill.

 

[Guillermo]

It's simpler and easier to teach people to hit things with a Glock 17 or 19 than it is with a model 10, and its certainly easier to teach someone to hit with a glock or other auto, than a model 36 or 37

could not agree more

 

[harmon rabb]

Am I the only one who really doesn't care for the new airweight smith and wesson snub nose revolvers. I've always thought they were just too light. I have a smith and wesson model. 60 made in the late 70s and it has some weight to it but its not like its pulling your pants down when you carry it. Its heavy enough to obsorb some recoil and light enough to carry comfortably. I just never got the practical use of having something thats as light as the airweights are, does anyone else agree

I hate them because smith puts an embarrassingly bad trigger in them. I love the concept, hate the execution.