Hello! I'm looking into the options for a lightweight 38 special with a 3 inch barrel. The only options that I see are the Ruger LCRx and the Taurus Ultralite 856 Defender. Am I overlooking another option? the Taurus is nearly half the price of the Ruger and offers 6 rounds to the Ruger 5.
I already have a steel SP101 and a K-frame in 3", and I have a lightweight snub in 642. I'm interested in the "middle ground"
thanks
Ruger LCR's are nice.
a local shop has a3" LCRx listed for $540 that they cannot seem to sell. I have piddled with it a lot. They won't take less for it. It's been there for about six months...
I believe one of the Scandium J-frames was produced with a 3" barrel.
Also, the S&W 386. A little outside your parameters but super interesting as a middle ground carry gun: scandium L-frame with a 2.5" barrel. Maybe there were 3" barrel 386s as well, I'm not sure.
Lastly, the Kimber K6s. 357, not 38, but I figure that's a distinction that probably doesn't matter.
"Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll."- Last words of Todd Beamer
Taking a quick look on gundeals.com a Ruger 5431 is $500 and up, that’s before shipping and transfer. $540 doesn’t sound horrid, and if it supports a local store…Originally Posted by onehalfmvsquared
Ken
BBI: ...”you better not forget the safe word because shit's about to get weird”...
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I know I've seen a few S&W Model 37's with 3" Barrels over the years and I believe I've seen one or two early Model 642's with 3" Barrels--If I was dead-set on a J-Frame-size Airweight with a 3" Barrel that's what I'd look for--If you think you could go just a little bit bigger, I've seen two or three older Colt Cobras with 3" Barrels in the recent past--IIRC, one was listed on Guns International recently...
Last edited by mikey357; 01-30-2024 at 10:09 AM.
The two mentioned are the only choices for a new gun.
...Not sure I saw the word "New'' anywhere in the OP's post...
What's your weight limit?
On the ragged edge of the world I'll roam,
And the home of the wolf shall be my home - Robert Service
I don't know. Something other than all steel. I see that the Ruger is about 15 oz and the Taurus is 17, but the Ruger only holds 5...
I can wear my 642 around the house with a clipdraw and tucked in the waistband of my gym shorts. I've become very comfortable with it. But it's stumpy, and the sights suck. I'm thinking about the same "classification" as the 642 airweight, just with a 3" barrel and room on the grip for my pinky.
I was afraid that the LCRx and the 856 were the only ones on the market. I've thought about a S&W model 12, but their reputation is somewhat spotty from what I've read, and they demand a premium, plus they're rather large for what I'm thinking of.
I'm leaning towards the 856 just to get something in my hand to try. The price on the Ruger and the round count is pushing me away.
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