Dad wants a snubby.

[ColeInOregon]

S&W 649

 

[American123]

Years ago I bought my 80 year old grandpa a Taurus Mode 85 with the hammer for many of the same reasons you listed for your dad.

On sale it was about $200. It fit the role perfectly as something that will generally never be shot after the initial practice firing and it goes bang reliably enough.

In my opinion it sucks to shoot airweights and I wouldn't bother with them at his age and deteriorating strength.

 

[HaveGun]

Which side?

Washington side, down by Pullman. Dad is in Idaho, by Potlatch.

No idea what his issues are, but he just said he needs a snubby. He considers 6-shot to be the minimum.

 

[No_Regerts]

The SP101 is heavy, which definitely helps with stout 357 loads. Never heard a bad thing about one either.

I haven't owned a SW but have been looking at them extensively lately. Been thinking about trying a 38 for carry. I don't know much about them, and everything I've read thus far says that they are great pistols.

I have a 642 that I really like. It's smooth and handles well.

 

[Member 34319]

I have a 642 that I really like. It's smooth and handles well.

That's the one I think I'll end up with.

 

[HaveGun]

I have a 642 that I really like. It's smooth and handles well.

I bought my wife one of those in 2007 and she loved it. I thought it was a great little pistol. She kept it in the divorce, though.

 

[ColeInOregon]

He considers 6-shot to be the minimum.

Disregard my 649 suggestion.

 

[Capin JRo]

My only experience with one was a few year ago when a buddy said he and his wife couldn't hit anything with her SP-101. So, me and my brother, a SWAT member and certified trainer, agreed to meet at the range to help our buddy and his wife.

We had the wife load the pistol and tried to hit a paper plate at 7 yards. She couldn't do it. We worked on her stance, sight acquisition, trigger pull, etc. She couldn't get on paper.

So, my brother took the pistol and squeezed off a few rounds and got 2 hits out of 6, on an 8" plated, slow-fire, at 7 yards. I tried and got 5 out of 6. We started laughing and told our buddy that his Ruger was possibly the most inaccurate pistol either of us had ever fired and to send it back to Ruger.

We then had the wife fire our conceal carry guns and once she started getting little groups, her confidence returned.

So, my only experience with a Ruger SP-101 was incredibly negative, hence my reluctance in ever wanting to subject anyone to that experience.

The sp101 is a five shot revolver, did you shoot five then load one extra round?

 

[HaveGun]

The sp101 is a five shot revolver, did you shoot five then load one extra round?

Been a few years. Subtract one round and there you go.

 

[Capin JRo]

Ruger dose a great revolver, it seems you could of hade one with the sights off.

 

[BAJ475]

I find this interesting. I am nearly Dad's age and this is not a gun I would carry. My son just bought a Taurus 5 shot revolver in .357 Mag w/ a 2" barrel . He got some 158gr 38 Spl. ammo that said it was loaded to 1000fps (a little fast for a .38 Spl.) IMO not a fun gun to shoot. However, easy to carry and he was hitting clay targets at 20 - 25 yds. A heaver gun would be easier to shoot. I just need a #6 Shell plate for my Hornady Lock-n-Load press to load more ammo.

 

[ronmart]

I'm 50 and I own a snub nose 38 Special (S&W Bodyguard w/ Crimson Trace laser) along with too many other firearms to count. I average shooting 65 rounds per day, so I have a reasonable amount of experience shooting. Of all of the guns I own, it is by far the absolute hardest on my hands both in terms of the tremendous heavy trigger (feels about 12 pounds) and the kick on that sucker is painful. Somewhere along the way society started this myth that a small revolver was great for women, but that's the most obscene statement I've ever heard. I'd can more easily shoot a 12 gauge with buckshot in one hand with no shoulder support (which I've done) than I can that freakin 38 special snub nose revolver. Put a 357 magnum in that and it's like stopping Ichiro's baseball bat with your hands when he's in full swing.

If he insists on a revolver, something like a .22 based revolver or a longer barrel (at least 4 but ideally 6 inches) is going to be a lot better, but then you start getting into the weight problem again.

A Ruger 57 gives you the stopping power of the 357 magnum in personal defense scenarios with very light weight and minimal recoil (and is balls on accurate out to 200 yards). Here's a good video to get him excited about it too -

plus it's very reliable. Finding the ammo is a bit tricky in this market, but it's out there.

Personally, I suffer from arthritis, tendonitis and carpal tunnel from decades in high tech as a software engineer, so I'm sensitive to this issue too. My Smith & Wesson SW22 Victory has been a joy to shoot and I can castrate a fly with that sucker, but up from there my Sig Sauer M17 & M18 are comfortable enough to shoot for hours at the range. The M18 still has some kick, but it can be mastered especially if you throw a Wilson Combat grip on it. A red dot helps a ton too for quick point and shoot accuracy as does a Olight Mini-Baldr with the laser (which I enjoy using at night on dueling trees in Texas).

For the love of God, don't let the man get a 357 snub nose revolver - you'll seriously regret it. If you do, get a used one for a great price because it will collect dust.

Lastly, despite the fact that I've become pretty decent at shooting (I can hit a center bullseye from 65 yards with my 9mm's), I've yet to hit a bullseye even at 7 yards with my stinking 38 special snubby. I've gotten close and I've accidentally shot other bullseyes I wasn't aiming for, but I wouldn't call that accurate. My friend, a revolver collector with about a dozen to his name, tells the story of his S&W 357 snub nose making his hand bleed every time he shot it.

 

[solv3nt]

Colt Detective Special.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

I'm partial to the S&W 686:

 

[L84Cabo]

Take your father to a range with a good rental counter and let him rent and shoot some snubbies in .357. If he's still cool with this idea after he's done shooting them, then proceed.

 

[ronmart]

I'm partial to the S&W 686:
View attachment 827617

Yeah, that's a great gun with a big barrel -

The snub is a beast that rips hands off.

 

[Ringo]

IMO 357 IN 2 INCH IS UNCONTROLLABLE WITH HAND STRENGTH PROBLEM AND POWDER IS BURNT... WITH THE HAND PROBLEM IF THE GUN DOESN'T FEEL GOOD IN YOUR DADS HAND HE WON'T BE CONFIDENT IN SHOOTING OR HAPPY WITH THE REVOLVER AND WANT TO LEARN THE GUN... IT'S LIKE WHEN I WANTED A MACH 1 MUSTANG AND DAD WOULD ONLY COSIGN ON A PINTO... SURE IT WAS A NEW CAR BUT I HATED IT EVERY TIME I GOT IN IT...

 

[No_Regerts]

That's the one I think I'll end up with.

The DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster hides this thing in the pocket of gym shorts! Its sneaky.

 

[Holepuncher]

I would find him an older Ruger Security Six. He could then try shooting 38 specials to start with. If he could tolerate the 38 spec., he could then move up to the 38 +P and then up to the .357. Last summer, a Security Six would cost under $600. Maybe you could give him a couple tennis balls to squeeze to build up his hand strength.

 

[LHancock]

Colt MKIII snub nose, heavy for the recoil and just a fine revolver. Made when a Colt was still a Colt, but won't break the bank. I think your Dad might appreciate the nostalgia of one. By reading some of your other posts, he has impeccable taste.

Copy the Colt. I can operate one with only one tendon in my trigger finger. (Occupational injury). Very smooth action and comfortable in the hand. Plus, it's a real Colt. .