Lightweight 3" 38 Special?

[SeriousStudent]

Jetfire,

We talked about how this would be damn near perfect if it was DAO with a bobbed hammer. That's for folks who know what these revolvers are for. The unwashed will wail and moan about "muh single action" being gone.

Definitely agree. It would make a great carry gun, and I could use my 856 Executive Grade as a sweet all-steel trainer.

[Norville]

And there were 4" skinny barrel M12s. That actually might be a neat configuration.

I have to confess I’ve wanted to find a skinny barreled 4” 12-3 and cut it to 3”, for quite some time now.

Oh yes it is. I picked this up years ago, towards the end of the heyday of revolver trade-ins for under a hundred bucks. Rick Devoid did some clean up and it has been an occasional shooter ever since. I used it in Greg E’s close quarter revolver class at the Revolver Roundup in 2022.

[onehalfmvsquared]

That looks almost exactly like what's in my desk drawer.

38 K frame, speed loader, G2

[Rex G]

I have never had the colt style rip the skin off the side of my thumb either. The smith style, many times.

Ah, yes, the J-Frame Thumb Bite-‘n’-Rip Syndrome. I remember that.

[revchuck38]

Ah, yes, the J-Frame Thumb Bite-‘n’-Rip Syndrome. I remember that.

I preemptively wrap my thumb knuckle with a bandaid when shooting my 642. The M49 doesn't do that, even with my +P handloads. I've replaced the original latch on the 49 with the new style so they have the same one.

[mikey357]

Ah, yes, the J-Frame Thumb Bite-‘n’-Rip Syndrome. I remember that.

I've never had a J, K or L-Frame tear open my Thumb, but my first Model 29--An 8 & 3/8" 29-2--Was a "Thumb Slasher" Extraordinaire!

[Rex G]

I preemptively wrap my thumb knuckle with a bandaid when shooting my 642. The M49 doesn't do that, even with my +P handloads. I've replaced the original latch on the 49 with the new style so they have the same one.

I bought an Ed Brown Products extended thumb latch, back when S&W had yet to start marking their present-style thumb latch. This product was not made to fit J-Frames, but I eyeballed the difference, and carefully used a file to make it fit a J-Frame.

[Rex G]

I've never had a J, K or L-Frame tear open my Thumb, but my first Model 29--An 8 & 3/8" 29-2--Was a "Thumb Slasher" Extraordinaire!

No N-Frame’s thumb latch ever made me bleed, but N-Frame Target Hammers, with their huge, wide spurs, lacerated various parts of my anatomy, several times, in places from my elbow, while the weapon was holstered, to my thumb, during rushed draws. My most-carried N-Frame, a Model 58 .41 Magnum, had an M&P-style spur, which was never a problem, but the Target Hammers on Models 629, 25-2, and 657 did bite me. I unceremoniously sawed the spur from the 657’s hammer. Eventually, I realized that my index fingers were simply not long enough to do best DA trigger work with N-Frames, so, I stopped carrying them, which eliminated the problem.

Edited to add: I would like to buy an 8-3/8” Model 27, or pre-27, just “because.” Because Texas. Maybe 6” or 6.5”. I’ll shoot it single action, which brings the trigger within reach of my index finger, while I maintain an ergonomically-proper grip.

[toxophilus]

I kinda went the other way... just a little bit heavier.

[Borderland]

Oh yes it is. I picked this up years ago, towards the end of the heyday of revolver trade-ins for under a hundred bucks. Rick Devoid did some clean up and it has been an occasional shooter ever since. I used it in Greg E’s close quarter revolver class at the Revolver Roundup in 2022.

S&W 66-8 would fill the bill here. Yeah, a little pricey but if you don't spend it your children will, with abandon, buying cars and houses with bank loans.

Can you tell I don't like bank loans? Totally not in the current economy with debt.