I saw this post in a forum and thought it might make for an interesting read. Here’s the original post:
“Assuming you’re not LE or have a gang bounty on your head (i.e. You’re an everyday Joe/Jane) I’ve compiled a list of strong Pros for carrying a revolver.
I’ll list the Con right now: low capacity and fine motor skills required to reload; both bad in a protracted fire fight.
But assuming you’re a relatively normal person just living the daily grind…
1) Snubby revolvers hide well almost anywhere. Drop in your pocket, IWB, OWB, ankle rig, what have you. It’s the quintessential carry gun. And one you’re very likely to never leave home without.
2) It’s reliable. 5 (or 6) “for-sures” compared to a semi auto’s “lots of maybes”.
3) It’s so simple: just point and shoot.
4) If you learn to shoot a snubby well, you can shoot any other type of handgun equally as well or better. The revolver’s long heavy DAO trigger has to be mastered. With a capital “M”.
5) Snubby training and range sessions are fun and challenging. I never tire of trying to tame my 642.
6) If you go to trial over a shooting, the prosecutor has literally nothing to rake you over the coals with. It’s a five shot revolver, for Pete’s sake. It’s a 150 year old design. It’s the most defendable SD firearm in existence today.
7) Even after 150 years, the revolver is still effective and still saves lives. Feel free to chime in.”
My opinion:
I like snubby revolvers for CCW, but they do have their drawbacks:
#1: 5 shot limit – If you look at data compiled for officer related shootings (which is about the closest data we can use in comparison to civilian self defense shootings), the average number of shots fired is between 2-4 and the distances average less than 20 feet. Given those numbers, a snubby makes sense for CCW, but I’m not a fan of having only 5 shots. If I miss 3 times at close range, I’ve only got 2 more rounds to defend myself with. Most pistols I carry for CCW have at least 7 to 10 rounds. Keep in mind, that’s just my personal preference.
#2 – Snubbies are notorious for having long, heavy DOA trigger pulls that run several lbs. These take some getting use too and some people never really “master” it. I started my wife out with a snubby for most of the reasons mentioned above. She absolutely hated it as the trigger pull put her all over the target. Switched her to a smaller .380, and she’s back center mass. I don’t dispute the idea that mastering a snubby makes you a better shooter, but I prefer to carry a pistol I can shoot well without investing hours and hours at the range learning how to pull the 12 lb trigger and get on target.
#3 – I won’t disagree with the effectiveness of a snubbie, especially since they are are millions of them in existence today with more being purchased every day. You can’t argue that the S&W J frame 2″ revolver isn’t a success. However, it’s not a great fit for everyone. I wouldn’t recommend one for a new shooter or a female as the trigger pull is simply a beast.
At the end of the day, I just don’t feel that it’s the “best” choice for CCW for everyone in every scenario. Just my .02 on the topic.
Some other resources on the topic:
Myth of the .38 Sub Nose Revolver as Good First Gun
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