Small revolvers you can actually use.......

[wheelyfun]

All steel 640 Pro with night sights.
I can shoot .38+P for about 50 rounds before tiring.
.357 magnum......3 or 5 cylinders full, and I'm done!

 

[lee n. field]

That's an awfully shallow dovetail that rear sight is mounted in.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Small revolvers you can actually use.......

Any all steel S&W J frame.

Especially the 640 and 640-1 J's of mine you see in the picture above.

With regular .38s they are easy to shoot and carry very well in a IWB appendix holster.

In fact.. any of these below!

Deaf

 

[Doc TH]

S&W 640. Can shoot it all day with 38 spcl or 38 +P rounds. 357 mag maybe 30 rounds are fun, after that a little annoying.

 

[hAkron]

I put at least 50 rounds through my 642 every range trip. I'm not entering any bullseye competitions with it any time soon, but inside of 7 yards, anybody who's looking to do me harm is going to have a bad day.

 

[Waspinator]

I just put 150 rounds of 158gr 38 special through my SP101 2.25" yesterday at the range. I could have shot more, but ran out of ammo.

I could shoot .357 out of it, but I do not find it pleasant. I think the most .357 I shot in one range trip was a box of 50, so 10 cylinders full. While I didn't find it painful that day, my hand hurt the next day and for three week afterwards ! I had switched from the stock grip to the Hogue monogrip and I think that attributed to the damaging of my hand. I never had a problem with the stock grips with .357 in the past, so I switched back (got rid of that Hogue grip, didn't like it). I was afraid I permanently damaged my hand, and I had to lay off shooting for over a month. My hand is back to normal now, but I do not even bother with .357 any more in my SP101... to loud, to much flash, to much recoil. I stick to 38 and 38 +p and I can shoot it all day without discomfort.

 

[Poindexter]

I used to EDC (every day carry ) a SW 642-2, .38Spec+P.

I had worked up a load for it that shot to the sights, at the top end of .38Spec that wasn't quite a +P load.

First trip to the range with my new .45 Colt Redhawk shooting factory loaded ammunition I ordered up a pancake holster from simply rugged and put the 642 in the safe ASAP.

I now EDC a .45 Colt Ruger New Vaquero with birdshead grip. Light, small, definitive, not punishing; in a Mernickle PSA-6. Beautiful.

 

[aarondhgraham]

I tamed the Model 36 with Pachmayer Compac grips,,,

I tamed the Model 36 with Pachmayer Compac grips,,,
Since I like things to match I put them on my square-butt model 34 as well.

Not that the .38 Special rounds created bad recoil,,,
The little round-butt wood grips seemed to focus the recoil in my hand.

The Compac grips tamed the recoil perfectly,,,
There was an added benefit I wasn't aware of when I bought them,,,
The external dimensions and shape are the same for the square or round butt grips,,,
Now both of my j-frames feel exactly the same in my hands so practice with rimfire is just like as with .38 special.

Aarond

.

 

[Obambulate]

I like a steel J-frame for .38 Special, but they are heavy for pocket carry. A lightweight J-frame rimfire carries well and offers 7 shots of .22 Magnum. The recoil is very manageable. I use small smooth wood grips that keep the size and weight down. The S&W 351c is less than 12-oz fully loaded. It's not ideal, but all handguns are a compromise.

 

[Polglock]

I carry a lady smith 642 in a kydex holster everywhere I go. I also shoot it pretty regularly. I wouldn't complain at all about recoil. Very nice shooter. Also a model 36 no dash I shoot often is very light in recoil to me. I think it's mostly due to the shooter as far as felt recoil. Some handle it fine, some like it and some are recoil sensitive. Those two are my smallest and there pleasurable to shoot

 

[aarondhgraham]

I hafta hold one of those ERGO grips,,,

I hafta hold one of those ERGO grips,,,
The durn thing looks like a tooth of some kind,,,
But the more I see them in pictures the more I wanna try one.

Aarond

.

 

[Grant D]

For snub nose revolvers....
I would have to say my 357 Model 60 of my J frames gets shot the most. My K frames, the model 66 gets shot the most, then model 64, but my model 12 (that I'm carrying now) gets carried the most, and shot on a regular basis also.

 

[Microgunner]

Aarond,
I've installed one of those Ergo Delta Grips on my 340PD and as ugly as it is, and it is ugly, it's a huge improvement over the boot grip this revolver was shipped with.

 

[aarondhgraham]

Hello Microgunner,,,

...as ugly as it is, and it is ugly, it's a huge improvement over the boot grip this revolver was shipped with.

I went to their website,,,
The Delta grip is listed for a mere $19.95,,,
I think I'll order one of them for Libby, my 3" S&W Model 36.

Heck, at that price it won't hurt too bad,,,
Even if I end up not liking it.

Aarond

.

 

[SWIll]

I find the 36-1 3" bull barrel to be very pleasant to shoot, but it's too long to fit in my pocket. Blued steel, approx 23 oz, longer sight radius. The airweight 638 goes in the pocket in hot weather, though. The Pach. grips help.

 

[aarondhgraham]

Well, so much for the ERGO Delta grip,,,

Well, so much for the ERGO Delta grip,,,
I just tried to order one for my square-butt Model 36.

I e-mailed ERGO and got a very quick response,,,
The danged delta grip only fits round-butt J-frames.

Bummer!

Aarond

.

 

[huskybiker]

I shoot both of my Taurus revolvers (650 & 85CHUL) every time I go to the range.

 

[shafter]

A j frame isn't all that hard to shoot well. Get a good high grip on the gun, hold it tightly with your arm from wrist to elbow locked rigid, and do lots of dry fire.

 

[DannyB1954]

Another vote for the Ruger SP101 in 357 2.25 barrel. I own a S&W 36 in 3", and a S&W 38 Bodyguard, but the Ruger is my fun gun. BTW, I only shoot 38's in it.

 

[mavracer]

I really don't have too much of a problem shooting my 442 or my LCR 50 or 100 rounds in a session. I seem to be doing OK, this was 5 rounds at 10 yards in under 2 sec from a low ready.