Ken
BBI: ...”you better not forget the safe word because shit's about to get weird”...
revchuck38: ...”mo' ammo is mo' betta' unless you're swimming or on fire.”
I have both barrel types in 4" versions and they each have pluses and minuses.
Standard barrels are a bit lighter to carry if weight is a concern. I have successfully carried that revolver in an old Bianchi #6 spring clip IWB holster wearing a tux with no belt. Not sure that a 4" heavy barrel K would work but might try next time the occasion demands it.
The front sight on the standard is a little more pronounced and slightly easier to pick up visually.
Heavies have a little less muzzle jump and come back on target a little quicker. Some folks prefer the look as well.
My two 3" HB M64/65 sixguns are the best looking and best handling revolvers I own and are in a class all to themselves. I didn't truly understand all the fuss about them until I finally managed to get two in the last 18 months.
The fuss is well deserved.
Last edited by deputyG23; 03-27-2020 at 07:37 AM.
Ken
BBI: ...”you better not forget the safe word because shit's about to get weird”...
revchuck38: ...”mo' ammo is mo' betta' unless you're swimming or on fire.”
Not Sidhe, but my very last outing before we went into self-isolation was with a friend to shoot our revolvers. Between us we had: a 638 Airweight, a pair of 2" LCRs in .357 Magnum, a 3" SP101, a 4" SP101, and a 4" GP100.
We shot the following loads: FGMM 148 Wadcutters, .38 +P Gold Dot Short Barrel, 125 Grain Golden Sabers, and 158 Grain Federal JSP .357.
My Airweight is 2oz heavier than your LCR, and the .357 LCR is 3.5oz heavier.
The FGMM is quite pleasant as you know. I find the .38 +P Gold Dot Short Barrel to be "tolerable" out of revolvers that size. I can make it through a 50 round practice session without flinching with rounds of that power level, and I don't think the recoil would be a detriment in an actual shooting.
I'm a big dude with large sized hands, so that is a factor.
I was into 10mm Auto before it sold out and went mainstream, but these days I'm here for the revolver and epidemiology information.
This need is a good example of why I’d like to see S&W make the Model 12 again.
I won’t begin to try to explain it, but many soon-to-be shooters (not just women) often seem to be surprised by what a gun weighs. It’s not always a matter of strength; I think they just didn’t expect it and it comes almost as a shock. As a result, some otherwise good choices often get dismissed out of hand as soon as they are picked up. A 4” K frame should be a good choice, but to simply point one out and ask them to give it a look will usually result in wide eyes and the gun going right back down on the table. Even if it was intended to go in a dresser drawer and never carried, it is now officially off the list.
I’ve never tried building it up as being heavy beforehand to make them think it’s heavier than it is, and therefore make them pleasantly surprised. Maybe that will help.
My choice in unicorn guns would be a S&W Model 12 with round butt and a 3” barrel and Novak sights. It should be light enough to meet their expectations, and what extra weight there is would be out front where it would help. The round butt frame would allow stock choices to fit anyone.
A regular (out of) production Model 12 with 4” barrel would come close. I’d rather see better sights for a new shooter, but the main killer here is that they aren’t on most dealer shelves or able to be ordered by them with a phone call.
As far as I know, a steel framed J Frame or maybe SP101 with a 3” barrel is about as good as we have right now. (The SP101 may still be on the hefty side of what some people are expecting.). Again, there are nearly infinite grip options, especially for J Frames. I haven’t actually handled a Wiley Clapp SP101, but it sounds good here.
If I can go back to dreaming again, a new Colt Cobra with an alloy frame might be nice. Anyone remember the Colt Viper?