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Snubby Tactics

7K views 33 replies 10 participants last post by  getgot 
#1 ·
A good piece of advice when one has limited rounds whether they are five or six in capacity. Normally I do not hold to the "stop and assess" school. If the attacker(s) is (are) still standing or approaching, you should still be shooting.

The comment at the bottom is from Steve Wenger and this piece came from his "Morning Mailer" newsletter.

This article and commentary reminded me that, after the huge switch from revolvers to high capacity automatic pistols by the nation's law enforcement community, the hits to shots fired ratio declined noticeably, I am not aware if this is still the case. This was also in the heyday of "sights only" training except that is not my point. My point is that, consciously or subconsciously, when there is abundance humans tend to become wasteful creatures. In close combat with firearms that equates to "spray-n-pray"….
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From John Farnam:

15 Oct 07

Snubby Tactics

Many of us carry five-shot, 38Spl, snubby revolvers, like S&W's excellent 340PD, particularly as a back-up pistol. However, when reverting to the snubby, we often routinely fire all five shots in a single burst. It is bad practice!

Bad practice, because, once all five shots are simultaneously expended, you are faced with the prospect of a agonizingly slow reload, even with the aid of a speed-loader. Accordingly, once all five shots have been fired, (whatever the result) options dry up quickly!

Instead, I recommend thinking in terms of "Three-and-Two." When deploying your snubby, fire three rounds. Then, stop, move laterally while accessing, keeping the last two rounds in reserve. This strategy will provide you with flexibility and preserve your options a while longer.

The snubby's advantage is ease and thoroughness of concealability, extreme retainability, and speed of deployment. On the other slide of the ledger, the snubby lacks power, range, and has an severely limited reserve of ammunition, combined with, as noted above, a slow reload.

The "Three-and-Two" strategy, when thoroughly practiced, will be helpful in dealing with the latter.

/John

(I carry two five-shot revolvers. When I decided to rely on revolvers, I made a conscious decision that I would have to shoot a bit slower and a bit more accurately than with a higher-capacity bottom-feeding pistol. My philosophy is to fire one round at a time, albeit as quickly as needed, rather than in any set pattern. I have found that speedloaders, at least the ones from HKS, do not work all that well with the small space available for them on a five-shot revolver. I carry my first reload in the second revolver. A DeSantis 2+2+2 pouch at the front of the belt allows for tactical reloads [replacing only the fired cases, once one is behind cover]. In the event that I am lying on my stomach, there is a Speed Strip with more rounds in each of my back pockets.)
 
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#29 ·
About like a .44 spl
Delta, do you find the extra two rounds of a 7-shooter worth the cost in additional weight and bulk over a J-frame 5-shot? Just curious about your opinion on that. To me, the primary reason to carry a snubbie is its small weight and size, thus its greater concealability. I tend to prefer more rounds too, but if that need is there, I am far more likely to carry a mini Glock.
 
#30 ·
I find the extra two rounds worth it because sh*t happens.

Weight...Mine is an 817 alloy, at 21 oz. My old Taurus 85 steel 5-shot was 21 oz too. Fully loaded the 817 is the same weight plus the weight of 2 .38 spl bullets...I can't feel any difference at all. Keep in mind my PPK/s, which I carry very often, weights 23 oz. And my 1911 I strap on when my gut says so is as heavy as both of those together.

I could of got the 617 Titanium, 7-shot .357, and lighter at 20 oz, for twice the price. I saw no advantage in that. And I'm not trying to even act like I want to shoot .357 out of a snubby. (A Ruger 101 2.25" is 26 0z for 5-shot .38 spl, 25 oz for .357)

Size...what is the hardest part of your handgun to conceal? The grip. A factory 617/817 grip is no larger than Hogue rubber grips. From topstrap to bottom of the grip, an 817 is 0.6" longer/higher than an 85.

Width...7-shot cylinder is 0.15 wider than a 5-shot model 85. Thats about the width of a pencil. Overall the dimensions look beefy/more bulky next to a little snubby, but in the holster there's little difference.

So weight is too little to notice. Size difference from a 5-shot is less than you get when you load a grip extension in your baby-Glock, IMHO.


Two HKS 7-shot speedloaders and a nylon double loader pouch from Midway is about $30.

With my 1911, my load is 25 rnds. (3x8+1)
PPK/s load is 22 rnds. (3x7+1)
817 load is 21 rnds (3x7)

I shoot the same drills, same amount of targets, with all 3 handguns...I couldn't do so with a 5-shot.


IWB carry, If I can see the grip of the 817 in my t-shirt any given day out, I pull it out, drop in my PPK/s, slide off the loader pouch, replace with mag pouch on belt, and that's that.

Hope I didn't over explain, man. But like I said if you could conceal a .44 spl snubby, you can a 617/817 too.

p.s. S&W 7-shot 386 Nightguard price turned me away, and although it is a lightweight little heater, it's a few ounces heavier than Taurus snubs. (Basically for every $100 you pay S&W over the Taurus, you get 1 oz more weight than the Taurus 817. The 686 stainless is 7-shot, but fully as heavy as you'd expect from a steel revolver.) I like S&W but when they get my money it'll be for the Model 22/update of classic 1917 .45 acp...that's one sexy 6-shooter:D:D:D
 
#31 · (Edited)
My answer to the 5-shot snubby was to go with a 7-shot snubby. My well worn Taurus. Rides in my jeans front pocket or my right hip IWB...the soft rubber grips plus an Uncle Mikes holster makes it very comfortable.

I use 110 grain Hydrashocks. To get velocity to expand from short barrel. Recoil and blast/flash are much less than hotter/heavier .38 ammo.
I agree 100% with you 7 is better than 5,and I have given this considerable thought and I feel that 2 guns are better than 1. So I purchased the S&W 686 PLUS 3" Brl for my go to weapon and relagate the 340PD as my backup. I still will keep my longgun near by just in case the natives get restless. JMO.
 
#32 ·
I agree 100% with you 7 is better than 5,and I have given this considerable thought and I feel that 2 guns are better than 1. So I purchased the S&W 686 PLUS 3" Brl for my go to weapon and relagate the 340PD as my backup. I still will keep my longgun near by just in case the natives get restless. JMO.
Yeah the 2 gun idea is absolutely true...it is the fastest reload. Loading a mag fed weapon is hard enough in a pinch, let alone reloading a revolver. It's complicated. Then factor in darkness, flash blindness from muzzle flash, loss of motor skills, and maybe fingers slippery with blood....just easier to grap another roscoe.

I practice reloading often and try to make conditions difficult. But I have no illusions about it...just might not get that reload done. On the other hand, I reckon once my sidearm is empty, there will be one or two other handguns laying nearby on the ground.
 
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