Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns question about snubby revolver recoil

The factory rubber grips on the 3” Model 60 are the same Uncle Mike’s Combat grip I mentioned. IIRC S&W puts them on all their .357 j frames.

I like them so much I put them on my .38 Airweight too. My hands aren’t particularly large but this fatter longer grip is easier to grab in a pocket and indexes more securely in my hand when grabbed in haste than even the shorter boot grip mentioned here (which does leave your pinky hanging in space).

With regards to the OP’s question, recoil isn’t an issue with those combat grips in a 16oz (??) Airweight when using .38 or .38 plusP ammo.

.357 ammo a different story, I too have a stainless 3” Model 60 j frame. Even in that 25oz gun muzzle blast and recoil with .357 loads could be stout. For home defense duty I used to load it with .38 plusP’s, about as effective out of a short barrel
with far less muzzle blast.

I have never fired a scandium or titanium Airlite j frame, I thought it was crazy they actually came in .357 Magnum. I imagine even .38’s in those 10oz guns could be a handful. IIRC they do come with the larger Combat Grip.

I didn't know there was such a thing as a scandium frame J-frame until I fingered a M340 at a gun show. I didn't need to do much reading on the Internet to realize that a .357 Magnum in this light a revolver was way too much of a good thing. I didn't even like that cartridge out of my 4" M66. I had a 22 ounce early stainless M60 .38 Special only, but thought that was even heavy for a pocket piece. S&W did make a scandium frame .38 Special only version for four years about 20 years back called the M337PD and I bought a nice one out of Georgia a few years back. At 12 ounces loaded with Special +P it is all that I want to hang on to, but it sure does fit nicely in a pocket. I would put longer rubber grips on it if I shot it more often, but at the cost of better concealability.

With respect to the Uncle Mike’s Combat grip, they are longer and fatter than the various boot grips, but I find this longer grip takes up more room in the pocket, meaning the gun and holster don’t have as much free play to move around.

What this translates to is when you do hastily reach in to grab it, the grip is right at hand where it usually is. With the smaller boot grip, depending upon the pants I’m wearing, not only is the grip less secure but the position of the gun in my hand varies also.

Other’s MMV

The OPs question got me curious.

Loaded up some Zero brand 130gr FMJFP over 5.0gr of WST in .357 Mag cases. Guessing these run between 800 and 850 in the 1 7/8" S&W M360 (7.0gr of BE85 under 125gr Gold Dot clock 910 fps and felt just a touch sharper recoil wise). Loads were comfortable in both guns.

Shot two cylinders full from the 1 7/8" Ruger LCR and the S&W M360 Ti/Sc at 8 to 10 yds as fast as I could holding center mass on a full size popper. Had no trouble keeping all rounds on the popper and it seemed to me that the M360 was a touch faster.

Don't have a Shield, but do have a Kahr CW9 which is pretty comparable in size and weight. Unfortunately the lightest load I had was the Win +P+ 127gr HP (these chrono right at 1,200 fps from the CW9). This is a significant increase in power vs the above "38" loads and It showed, as I was noticibly slower with follow up shots and actually missed the popper once.

Certainly not scientific and most likely only applies to me.

Here are the guns:


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FWIW,

Paul

You can bring .38 Special to 9x19 level by using Underwood 125gr +P loads with bonded JHPs at 1250fps. That velocity is probably from service length (usually 4" barrel), but you will still get good performance out of something like S&W Magnum J frame with 2" barrel. Selway Armory in Beautiful Missoula Montana is good source for this ammunition. Unlike most places in USA they usually have some .38 JHPs in stock.

It's interesting that we have this thread in the Handgun forum about taming recoil in a lightweight J frame, yet, up in the Campfire forum, many people are saying it's a perfect gun for new female shooters.

Because they are simple to use are reliable with appropriate ammunition and do not produce famous "Glock legs". One can not simply drop Glock into a purse and go about their day, because a bang can result. One can install some king of NY-type trigger, but who wants to invest extra money, time and effort into a tool like a Glock? One can buy lighter recoiling .38 Special ammo like target wadcutter, cowboy action loads or certain JHP ammo from Hornady.

It's really about hand fit. You can change grips and really mess around with the way a J-frame fits your hand; eventually you'll find a grip that points well and puts your trigger finger in the right spot.

Also, with snubbies, you can find low recoil cowboy loads to practice with that don't beat you up, then load the +P stuff to carry with. It sort of takes a little experimentation to figure out that stuff for each gun.

In the end, as long as a snubby has smooth wood grips, I've found I can conceal it much more easily than any of the autos. With the autos you either need to carry them with a clear chamber or you need a holster. With a j-frame I just use one of those pocket clips that mounts to the frame. It can be carried in gym shorts or under a t-shirt, won't show at all.

Fit is really important, as stated above. I shot an airweight J-frame with boot grips versus one with a much larger Hogue grip that nearly filled my hand - it was night and day.

A wheel gun has a simplicity off operation for folks who have no interest in knowing much about guns.
Load a revolver and shoot.
Load an auto, twice:
Load the the CLIP into the gun, then
Load a bullet into the chamber

Clip?

...you mean magazine?

There is the MIC holster for Glocks and some other versions.

I have no idea about the recoil in Airweight S&W's or Ruger LCR's but I have fired medium velocity Remington 357 Magnum Golden Saber loads form a 2" Colt Magnum Carry and a 3" Ruger SP101 and they are very controllable. The factory rubber grips on both revolvers cushion the hand nicely. The recoil is about the same as 9mm 124gr +P loads in my Beretta Nano. I imagine that a steel frame S&W model 60 with factory rubber grips would do just as well.

We had a 2" SP-101 here for a long time Once you clean up the sharp edges on the trigger, trigger guard and plastic grip inserts they are comfortable to shoot with any 357 load. My wife figured this out and would burn up my Federal 125 JHP mags if I didn't watch her. I shot everything up to 200 grain bear loads from that little gun. At one time you could get a MeproLight front sight, which I added to that one. Mine, a very early specimen, shot like a good 4" service revolver.

Several years later I read of QC problems with the SP-101, so it would pay to look one over hard before accepting it. Ruger can screw the pooch with the best of them but, generally, stands behind their product.

Well, sorta, but mostly just wondered if it would get the bullfrogs gruntin'.

Try the Taurus poly protector. I was skeptical when I bought it, but it has held up fine. I keep 125 gr. hollow points in it. $100.00 less than s&w in a similar model.

An Airweight 38 aluminum frame firing Buffalo Bore 158 +P made my hand feel sick. 357 magnum out of an all steel Rossi snubnose was a big joyous blast and a good, healthy kick.

Recoil is highly subjective.

I've never shot a 9mm, even the small polymer Kahr guns, that were as painful and violent as a S&W Airweight with small grips.
Unless I put giant rubber grips on the 15 ounce guns, I can't stand them.
That's why, after trying to carry and shoot Airweights for years, I finally sold my last one and got rid of my ammo.

Steel .38 revolvers are much more pleasant to shoot, but no fun carry.

That said, it's all in what you train with and get used to.
I sold my last 638 Airweight with a Scandium cylinder to a guy who told me he immediately took it to the range and put 500 rounds through it.
I wouldn't have been able to feel my hand for a week!

I carry a 2" LCR 357 almost daily. A couple of extra ounces over the 38 version. I keep it loaded with warm 38 loads and 158gr SWC.

The wife's J frame is loaded with midrange wadcutters.

As already stated, adding weight or lightening loads are the best way to mitigate recoil

Getting grips on a j frame, that work for you, makes a world of difference. I wanted a grip that was small enough to pocket, but big enough to shoot well quick, with 38 loads doing an honest 850 from a 1 7/8" barrel.

The first set I ordered was the Hogue Bantam and they beat my old favorite--Michaels Boot Grip--by a substantial margin. They also make the little gun easier to fish out of your pocket. YMMV of course, but I'm done looking for j frame grips.