There is one basic fact that explains why more than six decades after its introduction, the modern five-shot snub-nosed revolver still flies off the shelf: It’s simple, effective and it works. Sometimes the hardest part of carrying a concealed defensive handgun is deciding on the one that will work best for you. Gun store shelves are full of used handguns that ended up as trade-ins for other types or styles that the owners felt worked better for them.

 

While I’ve carried many different types of guns through the years and test handguns on an almost weekly basis for articles, my gun of choice for the majority of my off-duty time is a snub-nosed revolver (specifically the Smith & Wesson Model 642 Airweight .38 Special Revolver).

Positives of Snub-Nosed Revolvers:

The snub-nosed revolver has a lot to offer, and its positive attributes can often be overlooked these days as semi-automatics are so popular. Let’s take a look at what a snub-nosed revolver has to offer:

  • Nearly any quality revolver is as reliable as any machine made by man can be. I have never had one fail when fed proper ammo in the correct caliber.
  • On all but very few exceptions, there is no manually operated safety to overcome before the trigger can be pulled. It is always ready to go as long as there is ammo available in the cylinder.
  • I have never had any snub-nosed revolver accidentally lose access to its ammo source. The cylinder latch release is nearly impossible to activate inadvertently. I can’t say the same for semi-automatics.
  • Snub-nosed revolvers are available in some very solid, proven defensive calibers such as the .38 Special, .44 Special and .357 Magnum, all of which provide significant power in a small package.
  • Any revolver — snub or otherwise — will be inherently more accurate than nearly any semi-automatic pistol of comparable size due to the fact that a revolver barrel is fixed to the frame. The barrels of most semi-autos move as part of the firing sequence.
  • A concealed hammer revolver, like my S&W 642, is the only repeating firearm that one can fire from inside a coat pocket without it snagging or jamming.
  • The variety of bullet styles for any revolver caliber is almost limitless in comparison to a semi-auto. From wadcutters to semi-wadcutters, hollow-points, round nose to shot cartridges, they all work.

Negatives of Snub-Nosed Firearms:

Since there is no perfect machine, there are some potentially negative snubby traits:

  • Ammunition capacity is lacking. Most centerfire snubs are five-shooters. However, even in the law enforcement world, the average number of rounds exchanged is low. In New York City, the average number of rounds fired per officer was only 5.2 per incident as of the year 2000, so a five-shot capacity might not be as huge a disadvantage as it appears at first glance.
  • The snub-nosed revolver is slower to reload unless you practice extensively using proper technique.
  • The short sight radius might make precision sighting difficult.
  • The 12-pound double-action trigger pull might be too much for people with hand strength issues. However, if the snub has an exposed hammer, rapid single-action fire (which lowers trigger pull weight down to about 4 pounds) can be achieved.
The snubnosed revolver is the oldest surviving concealed carry handgun ever designed.

The snub-nosed revolver is the oldest surviving concealed carry handgun ever designed.

The Guns

I contacted Charter Arms and Sturm Ruger for some extra examples of American-made snubbies to supplement my 642. These should give you an idea of the different types of five-shot snubs that are available. There truly is something here for everyone.

Charter Arms

Charter Arms manufactures an extensive line of defensive revolvers, cataloging 57 variants. Their revolvers are innovative, sturdy and reliable. I requested a sample of what I consider the penultimate model: the Standard Blue .44 Special Bulldog. If you select a five-round firearm, it might as well chamber big rounds.

The .44 Bulldog weighs in at 21 ounces in the Blue Standard version and has a 2.5-inch barrel. Construction is stainless-steel-finished in matte blue. The sights are fixed; the rear sight is a groove in the topstrap and the hammer is exposed. Charter equips their revolvers with recoil-absorbing rubber grips. When I carried an original Bulldog in the 1980s, Charter’s triggers left a lot to be desired. The pull was heavy with hitches in it, taking a lot of concentration to shoot it with precision. The trigger pull on the current .44 is greatly improved. The pull weight is still around 12 pounds but smooth throughout.

I took the Bulldog to the range with two different loads. The two .44 Special loads tested were the aluminum-cased Blazer 200-grain Gold Dot hollow-points — rated at 920 feet per second and 376 foot-pounds of energy from a 5.15-inch barrel. I tested the 240-grain lead flat-point Winchester Cowboy Load as a more sedate-yet-effective option. It is rated at 750 feet per second and 300 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle.

The Charter Bulldog performed flawlessly with both, loading and ejecting smoothly. Both rounds were more than accurate enough for any reasonable purpose. Recoil with Blazer ammo was significant but not punishing. The Cowboy loads were pleasant to shoot and easier to control in rapid-fire.

The .44 Special Bulldog served comfortably as a defensive gun on the trail and for carry in town — an excellent defensive choice.

Related: Gun Review: Charter Arms Pathfinder Snub-Nosed Revolver

Ruger Snubby: SP101

From Ruger, I requested two samples that are basically opposites in terms of design and concept — a stainless .357 Magnum SP101 with a 2-inch barrel and an LCR chambered for .38 Special +P.

The five-shot SP101, introduced in 1989 in .38 Special caliber, was one of the first small-frame revolvers to chamber .357 Magnum ammo. The 2.25-inch-barreled version I tested had fixed sights. The front sight is blued steel and stands out in the rear sight groove in the topstrap. Unloaded weight is a solid 26 ounces.

I tested the SP101 over a chronograph with two .357 Magnum loads (the 125-grain Defender and the 158-grain hunting load) from Ted Nugent ammunition and a Speer Gold Dot .38 Special load.

Testing revealed two pleasant surprises. First, the loads maintained a high velocity from the short barrel. Average velocity for the 125-grain Defender was 1,263 feet per second, while the velocity for the 158-grain load was 1,220 feet per second. Both of these rounds readily exceeded the velocity of the 125-grain +P Speer Gold Dot .38 Special at 919 feet per second. Kinetic energy at the muzzle for all three rounds worked out to be 443, 522 and 234 foot-pounds of energy, respectively. In short, the .357 Magnum has a definite ballistic advantage over the .38 Special when fired from short-barreled revolvers.

Loaded with .357 Magnum rounds, the SP101 would also make a great trail companion. (MSRP $659)

Ruger Snubby: LCR

The LCR represents a 25-year technological leap ahead of the SP101. I received a sample with an exposed hammer spur, which allows this version to be fired single-action. The standard LCR configuration is hammerless.

Important features of the LCR are the polymer fire control housing, monolithic aluminum upper frame, blackened stainless steel cylinder and interchangeable front sights. The .38 +P version weighs 13.5 ounces.

Firing the same .38 Special +P Gold Dot loads I used in the SP101 proved the LCR a competent defensive snubnosed revolver. Recoil was more than the SP101 loaded with the same rounds but still controllable. The trigger of the LCR is nothing short of superb. The length of travel is shorter than most snubs but smooth as glass. (MSRP $529)

Smith & Wesson

The S&W 642 in .38 Special is a classic airweight revolver (aluminum frame instead of steel, stainless steel, Scandium or polymer). It affords a good balance of light weight and durability. At 15 ounces, the 642 can handle any .38 Special round on the market — standard, +P or +P+ loads. But I would take it easy on the +P+ stuff.

What makes the 642 unique in the test group is that it follows the old “Centennial” Smith & Wesson pattern of enclosing the hammer in the frame. So it is about as ideal a deep concealed carry firearm as anything on the market. The 642 is one of the few handguns that can be fired until empty from within a coat pocket.

The 642 has been a constant companion of mine while off-duty for at least 10 years. It features a standard-weight barrel and comes with rubber grips. I have run a wide variety of .38 Special loads through it over the years. Most often, the preferred load was the Winchester 158-grain lead semi-wadcutter hollow-point +P load. Today I prefer the 200-grain “Super Police” rounds that I had custom loaded due to their light recoil and tendency to yaw in target. I switched my grips out for a set from Crimson Trace because there is one thing lacking with the sights: the front is matte stainless while the rear groove is natural aluminum. They don’t pick up as nicely as the LCR.

Recoil for the 642 is about the same as the Ruger LCR. (MSRP $469)

Snub-Nosed Revolvers Are Still Strong

The snub-nosed revolver is the oldest surviving concealed carry handgun ever designed. It’s one of the best types, and I carried it as an off-duty handgun the most in my career. Other designs come and go, but the snubnosed revolver will be riding with me in some form for a while.

Related: Don’t make these concealed carry mistakes: Learn your rights to defend and keep yourself out of jail…

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