i wouldn't turn down an FO or BD on my snubby, but it's a 642 w/fixed blade and i see no need to pay a smith to convert it. lotta dependencies about ccw that could fill a page if not a booklet. not everyone is a LEO or needs to prepare daily to expect to embrace a firefight. if you do, that's your bidness.Originally Posted by Dagga Boy
Do you find that the notch rear is ok with a XS style front sight, or do you prefer some other rear sight configuration?
I've got two hangups about switching to an LCR from my Smith J-Frame. One is I'm wondering if I need a different rear sight configuration than is available on the LCR, the second is that my stash of Safariland speedloaders apparently won't work with the LCR.
I was into 10mm Auto before it sold out and went mainstream, but these days I'm here for the revolver and epidemiology information.
You've mentioned having a GP100 in your tool kit for working patrol before. When I started seriously wringing out my GP100 at longer ranges, I thought of you and understood how much sense that made on a visceral level. I'm still a revolver neophyte, but I've drilled stuff at 50 and 75 yards with relative ease that would have been more difficult with a service auto.
I don't think either one of us are proposing that a revolver is a complete substitute for a proper carbine or rifle, but it definitely can get you into carbine territory farther than a Glock 22 can.
I also think a 4" Gp100 with a MRDS would be really interesting in that role...
I was into 10mm Auto before it sold out and went mainstream, but these days I'm here for the revolver and epidemiology information.
From time to time, in the 1985 to 1989 time period, my squad would deviate from the usual proactive patrol in marked units, to do some plainclothes assignments. Most plainclothes assignments were surveillance, rather than that would be roughly similar to NYPD’s anti-crime units, but surveillance sometimes resulted in “on-viewing” some interesting things. (Houston PD was a bit squeamish about non-uniformed personnel making a regular practice of initiating arrests of armed felons.)
My usual practice was to conceal my 4” S&W Model 58 .41 Mag ex-SAPD duty revolver, with my usual secondary 2” Model 60, but if the particular assignment seemed better-suited to a smaller “primary” weapon, I had a limited-run, non-tapered 3-inch-barrel, square-butt Model 60. Both John Jovino and Lew Horton used to commission limited-run revolvers, usually in batches of 5000 units, IIRC. I do not remember which entity commissioned my 3” 60. I do know that I wish I had kept it! Hindsight is always 20/20. In actual practice, I truly replaced the 3” square-butt 60 about 2006, or so, with a 3” SP101, restoring order to the universe.
I did very nearly shoot an armed car burglar with the 3” 60, when he rounded the corner of a building, right before I reached that corner, where I had planned to remain out-of-sight, before his movement changed the equation. My intention had been to wait at the corner, for more officers to arrive, preferably in uniforms, but the burglar had spooked, and decided to move toward that same corner. He ran past me, and as I traversed, he instantly perceived me to be a threat, but he fumbled his draw, and dumped a 5” Ruger Redhawk onto the pavement, then took off running. My partner very nearly whacked him, with the car, as my partner had seen that the burglar was trying to draw. We caught him hiding in tall grass, in a vacant lot, mere yards from what had almost been a shooting scene.
Well, anyway, this being an equipment part of the forum, would I advocate doing plainclothes police work with two 5-shot snub-guns? Well, no, not really, though an untapered 3” barrel, nicely visible fixed sights, a squared-off grip frame, and Pachmayr grips made that particular Model 60 punch above its weight, especially as my hands, while long, are not wide, and my fingers are mostly medium-length, with relatively small pinkies and thumbs, so, all of my fingers have something important to do while shooting J-snubs. Having said that, a 2” to 3” Model 10 or 64, or Ruger Speed Six, with compact grips, would be a more dynamic-handling weapon, without being substantially larger, overall. A 3” SP101 would be somewhere in-between.
I see five-shot snub-guns as having one significant problem at reloading time, that being less clearance to get quick, smooth access to the chambers, for reloading, by whatever means. K-Frames, and larger, sixguns have better access for loading the cylinder. (It has been a while since I handled a Colt Detective-Special-sized weapon, so I am uncertain about them.) I see reloading an J-Snub or SP101 as an administrative task, rather than something wisely attempted during a fight. Getting ammo into a K-Frame, or larger, is worlds easier, by comparison, if in a hurry.
Notably, this suspect had been observed, by two officers posted as lookouts, to have a large revolver under his T-shirt, tucked into his waist band. They had relayed this information via radio, so I knew. I did not feel outgunned, with my two J-snubs, though was wishing I had, instead, worn my Model 58, .41 Mag duty revolver, as “primary.” (My shotgun would not have been practicable, as my role was roving, on foot, lightly-clothed, near a night club.)
Were I still employed as a police officer, and given the same assignment tonight, I would have no problem facing a similarly-armed car burglar, with my revolvers, again, though “primary” would probably be a GP100.
Retar’d LE. Kinesthetic dufus.
Don’t tread on volcanos!
I probably did not really understand a proper two-handed hold, when using Glocks from 2002-2005. Groups always seemed well-centered, just larger when shooting Glocks. Even so, my hands do best work, more consistently, with a long-stroke DA trigger as close as possible to a K/L S&W or Ruger GP100/DA Six. The original-style GP100 grip is perfection, for my hands, so is the default favorite in factory configuration.
The “more consistently” part becomes important when outlying factors enter the equation. Caffeine. Adrenaline. Stress. Weakness/illness, of any type. I shoot fewer flyers with long-stroke DA. I never worried about longer split times, and felt vindicated when DB and Wayne Dobbs wrote/spoke about the need to avoid outrunning one’s ability to assess.
When I am trained-up, I can shoot a 1911 as well as the above-mentioned DA revolvers, but my 1911 shooting is subject to the above-mentioned stress factors, more so than long-stroke DA revolvers. I started handgunning with a 1911, but soon afterward, joined a PD that required me to use DA revolvers during the academy, and for the first year on the street. With the then-prevalent myth being that most officer fatalities are rookies, I was very conscientious in learning DA sixgunning. (Actually, most LOD deaths among officers are those who are post-rookie-period, during a typical period of complacency after several years of service.)
Long-stroke DA sixgunning, for me, is a less-perishable skill than shooting any other weapon. Training with DA sixguns makes me a better DA sixgunner. Training with DA/SA autos makes me a better DA sixgunner. Training with Glocks makes me a better DA sixgunner. Training with 1911 pistols makes me a better DA sixgunner. Skipping rope probably makes me a better DA sixgunner. The other systems are doomed to second place, forever. To be clear, I am not anywhere close to being among the world’s best sixgunners, and am no expert of any kind. Good DA sixguns allow me to aspire to become a better defender of good folks.
I recently took delivery of a mount, for a Docter MRDS, to try on a 6” Security Six, which I bought some time ago, in very good condition, except for dented/bent sights. I have yet to decide wether to use a Docter, or another optic with an adapter shim.
Retar’d LE. Kinesthetic dufus.
Don’t tread on volcanos!
Funny you mention being able to shoot a revolver better than a semi-auto. After months of neglecting handguns in general and years of neglecting my Model 29-2 in particular, I took it to the range last week. I'd normally expect 4-ish" 25-yard groups with a G19, but with the Model 29-2, groups hovered just over 3” using three different hand loads that I put together a good 10 years ago. At 50 yards, I would have been lucky to get six in 10" with the Glock but with the Smith, I got an 8” group with five shots in 4.5” using the same ammo.
Clearly I need more dry fire.
Okie John
“The reliability of the 30-06 on most of the world’s non-dangerous game is so well established as to be beyond intelligent dispute.” Finn Aagaard
"Don't fuck with it" seems to prevent the vast majority of reported issues." BehindBlueI's
I went back to FO front and rear sights on this one because I was having a very hard time picking up the dot quickly from low ready. I think the problem is equal parts the small size of the Burris and me needing more practice/training.
Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits - Mark Twain
Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy / Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
What has been mentioned in the last few posts reflects my feelings. Ive always been able to shoot revolvers better, with less effort, and less practice required to maintain, less fliers, and more consistent overall results, regardless of how much Ive been shooting an auto, in my case that was primarily a 1911.
With the physical problems Ive had the past few years, shooting hasnt been been particularly fun, often painful, yet i can still shoot revolvers pretty well.
The small guns arent as easy to shoot well as the medium frame guns. id like to get another 2 1/2" 19 or perhaps try a 2" 10.
Last edited by Malamute; 06-24-2019 at 08:32 PM.
How much shooting have you done with a J frame with decent sights? Have you put some numbers down on various drills to determine what level of performance you are gaining and losing to truly make a cost to performance analysis. I am getting the vibe that you don’t have a J frame with good sights....therefore they aren’t worth it. I try not to get overly married to drills to show how awesome I am by practicing a single skill over and over, I use drills as a means to really evaluate either where I need to work, or to assign some actual numbers rather than theory to equipment.
Several years ago I had to switch to a sub compact pistol because of a switch to a very much non permissive working environment where I would be immediately terminated if a firearm was ever detected on my person. I knew exactly how much the switch from a service size gun to a sub compact was going to cost me in performance and capability. Sights on a J frame are very similar in that they will limit your capabilities and it is part of the process to make those assessments. The role of that gun is also huge. For someone who only carries a lightweight snub likely would be very well served by having both good sights and a good action. That gun could be forced into a role by circumstance in which a precise shot may be needed or a distance outside of contact distance.
Last edited by Dagga Boy; 06-25-2019 at 10:29 AM.
Just a Hairy Special Snowflake supply clerk with no field experience, shooting an Asymetric carbine as a Try Hard. Snarky and easily butt hurt. Favorite animal is the Cape Buffalo....likely indicative of a personality disorder.
"If I had a grandpa, he would look like Delbert Belton".
General comment: ^^^^^ Don't do that. Let your wife/daughter, etc. pick out her own gun. Unless you really want the gun that you/ve picked out and you're hoping that it'll become yours someday. "Oh, honey, I know you didn't like the gun, but we'll lose a lot of money trading it in, so whyn't I just keep it and get you another?"
If we have to march off into the next world, let us walk there on the bodies of our enemies.
Reply With Quote
