"The definition of an optimist is a guy with a speed strip and a snubby."
-James Yeager
I got to thinking about this one. I don't disagree with it but would like to add a caveat. I would say that a person who carries a speed strip and a snubby is an optimist in a group full of people who carry guns. Then again a guy who carries a compact handgun is arguably more optimistic than one who carries a full service sized piece as most folks shoot bigger handguns better, packing 1 mag is more optimistic than 2, we could go deeper into this rabbit hole but why.
A handgun you will carry is more useful than one which will live in a safe, nightstand or glove box. Mr Snubby .38 is far more prepared for a violent encounter than somebody who keeps a bigger gun in a glove box, nightstand or safe.
-James Yeager
I got to thinking about this one. I don't disagree with it but would like to add a caveat. I would say that a person who carries a speed strip and a snubby is an optimist in a group full of people who carry guns. Then again a guy who carries a compact handgun is arguably more optimistic than one who carries a full service sized piece as most folks shoot bigger handguns better, packing 1 mag is more optimistic than 2, we could go deeper into this rabbit hole but why.
A handgun you will carry is more useful than one which will live in a safe, nightstand or glove box. Mr Snubby .38 is far more prepared for a violent encounter than somebody who keeps a bigger gun in a glove box, nightstand or safe.
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13 comments:
That's the second snubby snub in about as many weeks I think. I like 'em, in .38, with a concealed hammer. Don't even have to draw to shoot repeatedly from a pocket (or purse for the ladies), and no casings to slip on if I'm moving fast. What else that size launches 158 grains of lead per round? Just sayin... like the blog.
Funny you should mention....I was out and about today with my S&W 640 and a speedstrip.
4:59, IIRC the last discussion was on a 2 shot derringer. Casings to slip on? Never seen that happen.
Zero, My my, talk about a walk on the wild side.
I personally rock a Ruger SP-101 flush hammer model, and feed it Remington's version of the FBI load. I carry a speed strip reload (and sometimes a speedloader as well) and I've never felt undergunned. I've never quite understood the haterade that gets spewed around on the web re: 5-shot snubbies. I went with a revolver specifically for their ruggedness and reliability, and the fact that dud rounds don't stop you - pull the trigger and just send the next round downrange. As far as the various scenarios folks always bring up as to why snubbies are trash to them:
1) Single attacker: If they have a gun, okay, so do I. If i hit them, they'll probably go down. If they hit me, I'll probably go down. This one is a wash. Worry about being more accurate than how many rounds you can spray at them.
If they are unarmed, and 5 158-grain hollow points aren't enough to scare them off (let alone put them down), then I'm likely facing a product of Cyberdyne Systems and not a mugger, and have much bigger problems to deal with.
2) Multiple Opponents: If (God forbid) I'm facing multiple attackers with at least two or more guns between them, then it probably doesn't matter if I have 5-shot snubby or a 20-round Sig, I'm probably going down. I'm not Doc Holliday; I may take one out, but there will most likely be too much lead coming my way to avoid (I'm assuming a meeting on the street with no cover here). And if the attackers are unarmed but don't horribly outnumber me (6 to 1 or more), then I would (like to) think that they wouldn't be jumping at the chance to see who the honor of being the first one to take a round to the chest/gut/head will go to. If they're collectively nuts, then sure, but let's be realistic here.
Now don't get me wrong: if my region starts to look more like northern Mexico on a bad day, then yeah, I'll consider switching to more gun. But for now, a snubby works fine for me, and I suspect would be sufficient for most people as well.
OK, the slipping on spent casings was a stretch. Will still argue that the fastest draw is not needing to at all though. Haven't researched the statistics, but common sense tells me that whoever gets shot first is probably going to lose in a gunfight. For something like a typical robbery, the aggressor is probably only going to be a couple feet away - just where you'd want them if you had a belly-gun in your jacket pocket. Shoot 'em a couple times first, then draw.
This is foolishness. All firearms are a compromise--especially pistols! The .45 Yaeger probably prefers is just a pea shooter compared to a rifle, so whey doesn't he carry one of those?
A great many firearms experts have recognized the valuable characteristics of the snubby. They're not a "do all" gun, but they make a lot of sense in their niche.
It's interesting, but I think that Yeager is actually a 9 mil kind of guy. Hmmmmmmmmmm... I bet if we looked hard enough on the internet, we'd find some who think he's an optomist. As you said, everything is relative.
grasshoppa
Grasshoppa, Yes he is a 9mm guy. Look at stats of weapons using modern ammunition and you will see that caliber of the viable defensive weapons .38, .357 mag, 9mm, .40, .45acp doesn't really make a difference.
Alexander Wolfe, Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. Admittedly we all talk about guns too much but I don't think that questoning a weapons practical utility is a foolish exercise. I cannot recall many modern reputable instructors/ experts(particularly from more practical combat focused backgrounds and schools) who say the .38/.357 snubby is the way to go.
I recommend that you lay a .38 snubby on top of a Glock 19 (or the comparable XD, S&W MP, etc) and really compare the size/ weight. After that take them both to the range. I did that and choose the Glock hands down.
Again thanks for stopping by.
Ryan -
No problem, like to stop in from time to time.
Lots of "pros" train with the snub - maybe not as primary, but certainly as a backup or in a CCW/deep concealment context.
South 'Narc is one example - former narcotics officer and probably one of the top guys in up-close-and-personal fighting. Ties unarmed, blade and guns together. He runs classes with a heavy emphasis on force-on-force training, and they've found the snub does pretty well. It's got some good characteristics for the up-close-n'-personal fights--short barrel makes it difficult for an attacker to pry away, doesn't jam, etc.
Another example - Travis Haley of Magpul Dynamics and now Haley Strategic concealed carries a snub, at least some of the time.
If you can conceal a Glock 19 comfortably enough for routine, on-body carry, then I would certainly go with that. A 19 beats a snubbie every time, until the 19 gets left in the safe or the car.
And I'm all for questioning things--that's great--just not dismissing them off-hand, which is what I feel Yaeger is doing in that quote. It's all too common amongst many in the firearms community.
@ Alexander Wolfe, "If you can conceal a Glock 19 comfortably enough for routine, on-body carry, then I would certainly go with that. A 19 beats a snubbie every time, until the 19 gets left in the safe or the car."
YES!
One thing I say is to carry the biggest (up to a full sized handgun not necessarily a Ruger Super Redhawk or Desert Eagle;) handgun you WILL ACTUALLY CARRY. A concealed carry handgun that you don't carry is just not that useful. It is where the road of training and theory meet the rubber of real life.
Thanks for the good conversation!
Re: comparing size/weight of a .38 snub vs. Glock 19/whatever...
I must be looking at the wrong guns, because when I compare a snub-nose. 38 versus a Glock 26 (let alone a 19), there's no comparison. With the exception of the cylinder, a snub beats any double stack semi-auto hands down when it comes to width, length and weight. The bulk of the revolver is in the cylinder, whereas the semi-auto has its bulk in the grip - all those rounds have to go somewhere, right? Yes, a semi-auto gives you more on-tap firepower, but the typical snub with a flush or bobbed hammer (not the "hunchback" models) are much easier to conceal, and typically lighter - significantly so with polymer/J-frame types - and thua easier to carry. And it can't be stressed enough: revolvers are the gold standard for reliability.
For myself and others like me who don't work for Magpul or are high-speed/low drag, the good ol' revolver has a lot going for it.
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