Maynard muses briefly about small defensive revolvers
You may have noticed that Tammy has posted a rare picture of her reclusive bodyguard Snuffy. You’ll find it somewhere in the right column.
Snuffy looks to be a Smith and Wesson Model 642 revolver. This model has an unusual enclosed hammer. The advantage is that the hammer can’t catch on anything (for example, if the gun is pulled quickly from a pocket or purse). The disadvantage is this model cannot be cocked, and thus can be fired only in double-action mode.
Examples of other similar guns in the Smith and Wesson line of J-frame revolvers are the S&W Model 649 (on which the hammer is shrouded but accessible) and the S&W Model 60LS (LadySmith®) (with a more typical hammer). Smith and Wesson is marketing the latter as a woman’s weapon, although I’m not sure what the basis for this orientation is.
The guns listed above are all small 5-shot revolvers that fire .38 special ammunition. The bullets aren’t as large or potent as the .44 Magnum or .44 Special, but the gun is more manageable. For those who want a minimal revolver that fires .44 ammunition, there’s the Charter Arms Bulldog.
Then there are even smaller revolvers that shoot variants of .22 ammunition. It’s debatable whether a .22 is an adequate defensive weapon, but the .22 Magnum cartridges are relatively powerful. A favorite manufacturer of 5-shot .22 Magnum revolvers is North American Arms, with its Black Widow and Mini-Revolver lines.
Alternatively, there are automatic pistols. These are smaller than revolvers, and hold more ammunition. They are favored by some professionals, but they’re not the weapon of choice unless you’ve practiced a lot. If an automatic ever jams or misfires, you need to manually cycle it to resume firing. It’s a motion you might fumble under pressure if you hadn’t developed the reflex. If a revolver fails to fire, you just pull the trigger again and move on to the next cartridge.
The connoisseurs and cognoscenti endlessly debate the merits and demerits of the various defensive handguns. This was not meant to present a complete discussion or guide, but merely a few notes.
I somehow would up with a 1911 45 that I got fighting the *real* JFK’s war 40 years ago. I like it a lot. When I hit someone with it they go down – no matter where I hit them. If thay are still kicking I can move in for a killer round!
an old exJarhead
Actually the double action is not a disadvantage, single action can be dangerous and shouldn’t be used except in rare circumstances while aiming at longer distances. Your five shoot revolver is not the best line of defense. I would go to a smaller Glock 40 cal. Yes it would require a little more training than a revolver but not much. Jams are rare and easily dealt with. And the 40 cal. bullet with a hollow point is just as effective as a 45 cal. pistol.
I just purchased an S&W 642 that is identical to snuffy. This is an excellent defensive weapon. the DAO (double action only) trigger is the weapon’s safety. The trigger pull is quite heavy (nobody shooting competitive uses a DAO). This not only allows the weapon to be pulled smoothly from a pocket or purse without snags, one needn’t worry so much about touching the trigger…the thing is never cocked. Obviously, a key rule to firearms safety is never touch the trigger until you intend to fire and that rule applies to DAO firearms no less. However, if in a jam, and one needs to deploy the revolver quickly, unless that trigger is pulled all the way, the weapon will not fire period.
A note on ammunition. Speer Gold Dot 38 special ammo is made specifically for 2″ revolvers like the 642. It is very expensive and not plinking ammo but it is the best ammo for such a weapon.
The S&W 642 points well, is safe, and powerful. An excellent choice for its intended purpose.
My Dad wanted a small, American made revolver – something easy to conceal and to handle, without a lot of recoil, and something reliable, meaning it wouldn’t jam. He was delighted to open the box containing his own personal ‘snuffy’ this past Christmas! My Mom, who’s 70 and never held a gun in her life, admired its beauty and decided she wanted to learn how to shoot it herself!
Smith & Wesson……oh yeah
I think I’m in lurve.
I have to join QB in endorsing DAO handguns for self-defense. In the case of revolvers like Snuffy, the enclosed hammer allows firing in situations when almost no other handgun can, such as from INSIDE a jacket pocket if conditions do not allow a draw. I also like the Speer Gold Dot load that QB cited for snubbies like Snuffy. A Smith 642 is on my personal list of desired carry pieces, along with the spurless versions of both the Ruger SP-101 and the Charter .44 Special Bulldog.
Although there is a weight increase that may alter carry options, I also like larger-frame snubbies like the Smith 686 .357 with a 2 1/2-inch barrel, or its discontinued predecessor models 19 or 66 with the same length barrel. Ruger, sadly, discontinued its earlier .357 Security-, Service-, and Speed-Six series, and they had dandy versions of them with 2 3/4-inch barrels; the Service-and Speed-Sixes had simple (and foolproof!) groove-and-blade sights like Snuffy, and the Speed-Sixes had rounded butts. I managed a while ago to acquire a stainless-steel Speed-Six with a 4-inch barrel, and I’m thinking about having it rebarreled with the shorter barrel. However, that would deprive me of the future pleasure of seeking out and purchasing another example of these fine revolvers, so I’m not set in stone about the rebarreling.