I carry my 638 with the white box 125gr +P. Haven't had any issues with the couple thousand rounds I've put through of them. Accurate, reliable, and inexpensive enough to where I can practice with them plenty at the range. Those Airweights do take some getting used to. It took me a couple hundred rounds to get comfortable enough with it it to carry. I also pulled the trigger a couple hundred times with some snap caps as well. Getting used to the small grip and heavy trigger thoroughly helped me.
I pair mine with a G-code IWB holster and it disappears under a t-shirt and shorts. Only problem I've ever had was when I first picked it up and one of the tritium tubes on the rear sight was broken. S&W shipped me a new rear sight at no cost with no questions asked and I had it fixed in just a couple days. I've ben carrying it nearly every day for the past year.
SP-101's are robust little snubs. Here's mine, that I bought in the mid-80's. Chambered in 9mm NATO, of course!
Oh Man I am just waiting to find one exactly like that one for a while now! I have the same in 357/38 and love it!
I agree. I tried one. I liked it in theory, but not so much in reality. No offense to those who like them, but I think a 357/38 has a lot more flexibility, and no moonclips. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
To be fair, I acknowledge the utility of full moon clips as cheap speedloaders. Ballistically, though, the 38 Special/357 Magnum combo is superior to 9mm.
.357, yes, but not .38 Special. Military Arms Channel did a neat video comparing 9mm vs .38/.357 out of a revolver and 9mm did surprisingly well. Ballistically better than a .38 or .38+P, and easier to control than a .357. The last part is subjective of course, as some people have little or no trouble shooting magnums out of a snubbie. That doesn’t make me feel under gunned running .38+P out of my LCR, but it’s food for thought. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Bullet performance can be critical out of any gun, but particularly at handgun velocities. The bullet shapes and designs of 38/357 are typically more efficient than 9mm, since they do not have to sacrifice effectiveness for feeding capability (which is the auto's Achilles heel). Ballistics alone do not tell the tale for a defensive weapon...terminal performance is the key.
I've always wanted to love snubbies, really any revolver, but just find that (a) I shoot semi autos better, (b) semi autos work better for lefties when it comes to reloads, (c) i would rather have 7 rounds of 9mm in the same real estate as 5 38 or 357 rounds. Now, with the Sig p365, it is really 10 rounds in the same footprint. Old school revolvers are gorgeous with wood grips and polished steel, but my appreciation of them is aesthetic
