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Snubbie suggestion

MSant

MSant

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Ok NES, I have a bit of a quandry. I have been carrying an older model 36 snub in .38 spl and I think I want to shave a few ounces and go up to +p at the very least. Thinking of a Ruger lcr, but I live in NH so I can get anything that is available. I would like to stay under $4-500 used if possible. I don't care about finish colors and recoil is not an issue. Any suggestions? Southern NH shops are good suggestions too.
 
I've been wanting an LCR in 38+p since i fondled one at Shawsheen. I'd say it's a winner.
 
How do you plan on carrying this gun? These are popular as pocket carry guns and in this case right away there is a disadvantage to your model 36 - exposed hammer that can easily snag on clothing and foul your draw. The popular newer guns alleviate this problem: the LCR and the 442/642 have fully concealed hammers, while the 649 has a shrouded hammer that won't snag but can still be cocked to fire single-action (it is ugly as sin, imho, but strangely lovable).

Personally I went with the Ruger. The LCR is extremely light and some j-frames can match it but they are significantly more expensive. The LCR has a fantastic DAO trigger. Ruger customer service is one of the best, while S&W has some horror stories; ditto for overall quality. Honestly, the j-frames are really great guns but I think the LCR is better for an everyday carry gun.

By the way, the .38spl LCR is the lightest version; the .357mag one is a bit heavier, which might help with recoil; 9mm requires moon clips; .22LR has right rounds; .22mag and .327mag have six, if I'm not mistaken. You definitely have a lot of choices with either the Smiths or the Rugers.

Anyways, try them both and go from there. If you want to come down to Harvard some time, you're welcome to try my LCR .38


edit: I picked up my LCR for $350 barely used from FS. I carry it daily in dress slacks in the financial district in Boston and no one's ever noticed. Great little gun.
 
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I've always been happy carrying a S&W Model 36, it's definitely a rugged little .38 even though they're not rated for +P rounds.

As you've already mentioned, the Ruger LCR is definitely an excellent option for your needs. They come in .38 Special (+P rated), 9mm, .357 Magnum, and even .22LR and .22 WMR. I'd personally recommend it in .357 Magnum myself especially using Gold Dot's for short barrel use. I'd also look into the S&W 442.

Are you looking for exposed or non-exposed hammer?
 
I had a S&W 340 PD for a number of years.. Great, really light gun, that carries well in the pocket. Absolutely no fun to shoot, but a great carry gun that packs a punch. I carried it for a a couple years, but sold it to fund a rifle for my son.

I'm not sure of the street value of a used one, but it might be just a bit north of your budget.
 
Whatever you do, stay away from the 340PD, like stated it might be a good carry gun but I took 5 shots of my brothers recently and **** that thing. I thing my hand still hurts. Was absolutely the worst gun Ive ever shot. Hell I put 50 rounds of .44 MAG after with no effort from my own gun. Ill never shoot one of those again.
 
I have an LCR in .38 which I quite like. I know some people go for the .357 version, but I honestly have no desire to fire full house .357 out of a gun this light, but that's just me. The Smith airweights and airlites are also very popular, but I much prefer the trigger on the LCR. Good luck, there are some good ones to choose from.
 
As much as a few people are saying get the .357, I'd stick with the .38+p for the weight difference. I think you lose some of the attractiveness with the beefier, heavier model.
 
kalash said:
How do you plan on carrying this gun? These are popular as pocket carry guns and in this case right away there is a disadvantage to your model 36 - exposed hammer that can easily snag on clothing and foul your draw. The popular newer guns alleviate this problem: the LCR and the 442/642 have fully concealed hammers, while the 649 has a shrouded hammer that won't snag but can still be cocked to fire single-action (it is ugly as sin, imho, but strangely lovable).

Personally I went with the Ruger. The LCR is extremely light and some j-frames can match it but they are significantly more expensive. The LCR has a fantastic DAO trigger. Ruger customer service is one of the best, while S&W has some horror stories; ditto for overall quality. Honestly, the j-frames are really great guns but I think the LCR is better for an everyday carry gun.

By the way, the .38spl LCR is the lightest version; the .357mag one is a bit heavier, which might help with recoil; 9mm requires moon clips; .22LR has right rounds; .22mag and .327mag have six, if I'm not mistaken. You definitely have a lot of choices with either the Smiths or the Rugers.

Anyways, try them both and go from there. If you want to come down to Harvard some time, you're welcome to try my LCR .38


edit: I picked up my LCR for $350 barely used from FS. I carry it daily in dress slacks in the financial district in Boston and no one's ever noticed. Great little gun.
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i second the 642 with +p. most used are in good shape because they are not range guns.
 
I recently bought a lcr in 9mm and will say its been a beast to get any accuracy out of it, the recoil rocks me pretty good but it doesnt hurt. If you dont mind a little bit of weight, I would go with a sp101. The sp101 shoots like a dream and is not much bigger than a LCR.

Sent from my 5054N using Tapatalk
 
Another vote for Smith & Wesson 642/442. Great gun and it will feel similar to your model 36 only lighter.
 
642 rosewood three finger grips,hydroshock 38 +p, appendix carry in Blackhawk size 0 holster. I carry it all day everyday and I'm a plumber. Great gun, shoots well point and shoot at 25 feet and its in the black. Love it, price anywhere from 3-400 look for it used, nobody shoots a boatload of rounds through them....
 
MSant said:
Ok NES, I have a bit of a quandry. I have been carrying an older model 36 snub in .38 spl and I think I want to shave a few ounces and go up to +p at the very least. Thinking of a Ruger lcr, but I live in NH so I can get anything that is available. I would like to stay under $4-500 used if possible. I don't care about finish colors and recoil is not an issue. Any suggestions? Southern NH shops are good suggestions too.
Click to expand...
Any S&W .38 with a model number stamped in the frame is good to go with +P ammo. Your old Model 36 won't explode. A steady diet of it will loosen up a J-frame, but at $1/pop you'll go broke first.
 
I've owned both 642 and LCR-38. did several range sessions comparing them side-by-side. while the 642 is a fine revolver, I ended up selling it and keeping the LCR.

Don't get me wrong...the 442 or 642 isn't junk. They are fine revolvers. But they feel like an old design whereas the LCR feels much more modern. If I were a revolver purist, I would probably lean towards the 642. But for me the snubby is strictly a defensive tool, and in this capacity the LCR exhibits a more advanced design.

In my hands I noted the following advantages to the LCR:

1. Better out-of-box trigger. it needs no work. very smooth. in contrast the stock 642 trigger is awful. it needs (at minimum) an apex kit. unfortunately the apex kit I ran in the 642 led to light strikes. yes I'm sure a gunsmith could fix all these issues, but I didn't feel like dropping more $ into a budget snub revolver.

2. Shootability. I was and am still able to shoot the LCR at 25 yard targets. for a tiny snub revolver this is unusual. I think most of this "accuracy" is coming from the smooth trigger.

3. Comfort. The stock LCR grip makes the gun very comfortable to shoot. the grip tang is covered with soft rubber as opposed to the exposed metal tang on the 642 which dug into my hand. for 10-20 rounds it's not noticeable. When I started shooting 50+, the LCR became much easier to continue shooting.

4. Weight. The LCR is approx 1.5 oz lighter. While it's only 1.5 oz, that is ~10% lighter than the 642. It is slightly noticeable.

5. Grip options. The LCR has stock rubber and ruger boot grip for better concealibility. also the crimson trace grips for the LCR fit great. In contrast I found fewer functional options for the 642. Seemed like most options for the S&W were asthetically different, but all pretty much the same.

6. Balance
The 642 felt nose heavy. the LCR is evenly balanced and points more naturally for me.

7. Front sight options. My LCR came w a fiberoptic front sight. However the LCR front sight is pinned so can be swapped over to something like a XS big dot which works fantastic on a snubby. In contrast my 642 had an integral ramped front sight, so only option would be to paint it. no tritium options w the 642.

8. Cylinder release. I prefer the ruger push button over the S&W push forward tab. This is strictly matter of taste.

9. Ease of cleaning. The ruger cylinder is very easy to remove from the frame and provide thorough cleaning. Not so much w the 642.
 
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Had the 442 for years and loved it til I went to G43.. The limitations of the 442 outweighed (pun intended) the advantages of it. I loved the lightweight carry, you could carry it in a cocksock if you had to, but.... 5 rounds....Having said that, if I did want to go back to a snub it'd be the 442 not the 642. The black "invisble" 442 was the deciding factor versus the "shiny" 642... humans beings are visual, and people will notice the "flash" of a "metallic object" in a hand/gym bag/front seat/etc before they notice the matted black object that you could probably balance atop your head walking into a Stop & Shop and make it to aisle 3 or 4 before some texting zombie or self-absorbed soccer housewife even noticed it..
The quick pop-the-mag and insert another quick six on the G43 versus ejecting five shell casings and messing with inserting a speedloader etc... Oh, and ejecting the shells and inserting the aforementioned speedloader can be a bit tricky under duress, the tiny cylinder doesn't lend itself well to "lightning fast" reload of a semi...and while having the 43 in my pocket is heavier than the 442 I got used to it VERY quickly and it's now second nature to have the "heavier feel" (it dissipates over a few days. Carry a rucksack through the woods or desert for a month and it "feels" lighter after a few days.
Summary: for me the G43 with extra mag..... or a 442 if you insist on a spinner.
 
my EDC summer carry is a 442. I've installed the Wolff spring kit, so the trigger pull is smooth and put on CT grips, which help with recoil. I forget it's in my pocket.
 
MSant said:
Any reason why anyone has input on a rossi, taurus, or any others? Also, not a glock fan.
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Poor quality, subpar reliability. Acceptable for a range gun but I wouldn't carry one just to save a few bucks.
 
I have had an LCR 38+p since they came out and I would not trade it for any other snubbie. Very light, excellent trigger and between the plastic frame and the well designed grip I find it to be enjoyable to shoot. Price is also good.
 
I bought my wife an LCR in 9mm. I got a 442 for myself- just fits my hand better. I carry it appendix in a sticky holster and have no issues.
 

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