2 inch vs 4 inch 38special

[222]

I have a Taurus 85 2" 38 spec. as a home defense and farm carry. But I am thinking a 4" would work just as well. I don't conceal carry some times I open carry (cost about $200 to get cwp) which I can't really afford. I have 4" 22 revolver that I shoot better than the 2" and 6" 44mag that is to long for just bumming on the farm and longer than like in house defense situation. Am I forgetting something 38 gains a lot in longer barrel too it appears in reloading manuals.

[Dale53]

The only reason to prefer a 2" .38 Special is for concealed carry. Most find the 4" will be MUCH easier to hit with. It's just as fast from the holster or target to target and the longer sight radius is very helpful whether shooting quickly or slow fire. As you have surmised, the 4" has somewhat better velocity, also and that can't hurt, either.

I have both in case someone may think that I am prejudiced. My daily carry is a 642 (2" snubbie) but I have no illusions about the limitations. When hunting I invariably carry a longer barrel than the snubbie. A four inch barrel is about ideal for open carry. Long enough sight radius to hit well and a bit extra power with out being overly burdensome.

FWIW
Dale53

[Jupiter7]

+p 38's in a 4" barrel can get right along with 9mm in similar weights. With 158gr SWC, +p is a great all round defense and plinking round.

[Kraschenbirn]

Just to toss a little mud into the pot...have you considered a 3" barrel? I've found my 3" SP-101 (.357 Mag but my carry load is +P .38s) to be a great compromise for a dual-purpose piece. A bit more barrel weight and longer sight radius for accuracy with only minimal additional bulk for comfortable carry.

Bill

[bobthenailer]

IMO a fixed sighted 2" is for CCW a 4" or longer for field carry, with any caliber handgun with iron sights
I do have a S&W 2 inch 38 with CT lazer grips thats considerable more accurate than when using the iron sights ! and a S&W 3 inch 44 mag with a Burris FF lll that will shoot right along with my other 44 mags with longer barrels & aimpoint sights

[222]

A three inch would be great but harder to find than tons of old police trade in 4" out on the market. I'm hoping maybe a little more ump too 357 or a 44. I can reload both so ammo cost aren't a issue for me and mold boolits too. So far just rumbling in my head out of trading funds right now.

[MtGun44]

4" is ideal for holster carry unconcealed, far easier to hit with than 2".

Bill

[km101]

4" is ideal for holster carry unconcealed, far easier to hit with than 2".

Bill

+1, And most of the 4" guns will have adjustable sights, which makes it more versatile with different loads!

[9.3X62AL]

Said this many times before.......no single handgun platform does more things as well as a 4" double-action 357 Magnum revolver.

[1Shirt]

I would go with the 4" every time if for no other reason than the fact that 2" bbls are sort of ugly looking critters.
1Shirt!

[Char-Gar]

I have 38 Special revolvers in 2", 3", 4", 5" and 6" and a 4" would be well suited to your use. One cylinderfull and you will see the big advantage over the 2".

[Animal]

I carry a 4in .357 mag in my vest pocket. It conceals easy, but not everyone wears a vest. I don't like feeling out-gunned. 4in is as small as I will go. Georgia is an open-carry state, so there have been seldom times that I've cowboyed up and open carried. State laws can make it difficult for a law abiding man to a carry full sized gun and keep it concealed. Too bad the criminals don't have those same headaches.

[GL49]

4" S&W 686 will be on my hip if I'm going to be hunting and probably using my .357. If I'm alone and don't have my rifle with me, then it's my S&W model 29 Mountain Gun. If I'm out with a group, when I don't think I'll have a reason to even take a revolver out of my pocket, then it's my Taurus 605 DAO .357 with a 2 1/4" barrel that's hiding in my back pocket. If I HAD to limit myself to one of the three, I'd keep the 686. I don't think you can go wrong choosing a 4" barrel, if you can only choose one.

[rintinglen]

A 4 inch M&P M10 carries well, in or outside the pants. A snubby is more concealable, but no revolver is easier to shoot well than a 4" K-Frame. That said, a 3 inch LadySmith K frame would warm the cockles of my heart no end.

[NSP64]

4" all the way.
2" is for CCW

[Murphy]

From what I am seeing in the above posts, I'm with the majority.

2" For pure concealment reasons (5 shot revolvers being the norm)
4" For all around (9.3X67AL called that one the best I've seen it said)
6" Or longer for hunting

Murphy

[GLL]

The 4" S&W .38/44 Heavy Duty Model (N-frame) is a great .38 Special for holster carry in the field ! This post-war long-action version is a perfect example. You can load up to near .357Magnum levels if wanted( 175grain SWC @ 1150ft/sec).

http://www.fototime.com/DC04DA3B65C43A0/orig.jpg

Jerry

[clownbear69]

A 4" Colt Trooper Mk. III is what I open carry with but my ideal one would be a 4" 686P mainly for the extra round.

A 2" with only 5 rounds is very limited and at extreme close ranges.

[Petrol & Powder]

I can't improve on what 9.3x62AL said concerning the all around strengths of a 4" revolver. I'll add to the support of the 3" barrel revolver - longer sight radius than a 2" plus a full length ejector rod. I think they are the ultimate carry/field gun, just a tad too big to conceal easily. In my opinion if you must compromise on a single gun, the 3" would be worth the effort to locate. And don't overlook something like a 2 1/2' barreled model 19, that's a powerful tool in the right hands.
I think the snubnose revolver an outstanding tool for self defense and I own several, but it lacks the versatility gained from a slightly longer barrel. And just for the record, not every snubnose is a J-framed S&W. :cool:

Beware of the man with one gun, he probably knows how to use it !

[Petrol & Powder]

Sorry for the double post, operator error by an old school idiot (Me)

But while I'm back,.....I'll continue my shameless promotion of 2.5" and 3" barreled 38 Special/.357 mag. revolvers..... The stainless S&W K-frames are outstanding carry guns. The S&W mdl. 66 is a stainless mdl. 19 and can be found with 2.5" barrels. The model 65 (with the 3" tube it's my favorite all around revolver) is the stainless model 13, basically a model 66 with fixed sights. The model 64 is a stainless 38 Spl. K-frame with fixed sights and a true workhorse. All outstanding options, IMHO.

[Char-Gar]

If you want a 3" for concealed carry here area couple that live at my house. There is a Colt Detective Special and a Smith Chief Special.

[Char-Gar]

The 4" medium frame is a little bulkier but still can be concealed. You have to choose between barrel weight and sight options. Here are three that live at my house also. I Model 64, a Model 15 and a pencil barrel Model 10. They are all good;

[Char-Gar]

Moving up the scale in frame size, there are still more 38s. Here is a Colt Trooper and a Smith and Wesson Heavy duty that live at my house. Great pistols, but not a good choice for concealed carry.

[Rio Grande]

Its been said that a 2" is much less likely to be grabbed and twisted out of your hand.

Now OP said he did not conceal carry. Fine then, trade the 2" for a 4".
But most folks have a need to conceal at times, I suspect OP might too.

A 2" barrel and 5 shot cylinder is also much easier to conceal.
A 2" .38 is a far easier to shoot accurately than a derringer or a mouse gun.
A .38 snub is for closeup defense - not for nothing they call them 'belly guns'.
Of course a 4" or 6" revolver is easier to shoot with. An 8" is even easier.
Lets just keep going, a carbine is better yet. And a Remington 700 with a 3x9 is much better.
Come on guys, get real. Sometimes a .38 snub is a real cool hand. At hand.

[Char-Gar]

I carry concealed every time I leave the house. I carry a Glock 19 and it is not difficult to conceal. I also carry a Ruger LCP in my pocket. If somebody grabs the Glock the LCP is in the week side pants pocket. I will just put it up against his guts and start pumping rounds. I suspect he will give up the grab for the Glock pretty darn quick.

My house is less than 3 miles from the Rio Grande River and I live hip and thigh with the Mexican drug thugs. If I thought all I could carry would be a 5 shot snubbie, I would never leave the house. To each their own of course, but the mouse gun is an awfully thin reed upon which to prop one's life.

[Petrol & Powder]

Its been said that a 2" is much less likely to be grabbed and twisted out of your hand.

Now OP said he did not conceal carry. Fine then, trade the 2" for a 4".
But most folks have a need to conceal at times, I suspect OP might too.

A 2" barrel and 5 shot cylinder is also much easier to conceal.
A 2" .38 is a far easier to shoot accurately than a derringer or a mouse gun.
A .38 snub is for closeup defense - not for nothing they call them 'belly guns'.
Of course a 4" or 6" revolver is easier to shoot with. An 8" is even easier.
Lets just keep going, a carbine is better yet. And a Remington 700 with a 3x9 is much better.
Come on guys, get real. Sometimes a .38 snub is a real cool hand. At hand.

Not to stray too far, but Yes - a snubnose is very easy to defend and retain.

[Crash_Corrigan]

I wound up with a S&W Model 10 .38 Special with a 2" bbl for my off duty gun way back in the 60's. It carried 6 rounds and with a round butt and the shorter barrel it was easier to conceal than the 4" bbl Smith Model 10 in .38 spcl. For some reason I got better accuracy with the 2 inch bbl than the longer brother. It may have been the balance or the grip. With a Tyler grip adapter it would deliver the good better than the bigger gun. Just my .02 cents worth.

However it was tough to find a decent holster for as it was unusual to say the least.

[MarkP]

I wound up with a S&W Model 10 .38 Special with a 2" bbl for my off duty gun way back in the 60's. It carried 6 rounds and with a round butt and the shorter barrel it was easier to conceal than the 4" bbl Smith Model 10 in .38 spcl. For some reason I got better accuracy with the 2 inch bbl than the longer brother. It may have been the balance or the grip. With a Tyler grip adapter it would deliver the good better than the bigger gun. Just my .02 cents worth.

However it was tough to find a decent holster for as it was unusual to say the least.

I can also shoot my 2" M-64 round butt as well or better than my SQ Butt 4" M-64's, but shoot I shoot the 4" M-64's better than my 2" M-12, 637, & 642 once past 50 or 60 ft. However the 637 or 642 are much nicer to carry than the 2" M-64 mainly due to wt not size of the K-frame. The 2" M-64 is my truck gun and my 4" 64's are my house guns. I bought the 4" 64's for a whisker over $200 a few years back, some holster wear and not shot much.

I have a 317 with a 3" bbl (air wt 22LR adj sights) and the extra inch of bbl and adj sights does make a difference in carry ability, and this is noticed while just plinking and not CC.

[9.3X62AL]

Crash--

I'm another one who carried a 2" Model 10, usually in a shoulder rig under the car coat. Since the primary iron was the issued Model 64 x 4", both revos could be fed with the same set of HKS loaders. The round butt on the M-10 felt very good with Pachmayr Compacs installed. I could hit about as well with the 2" as I could with the 4" to 25 yards. In contrast, I can't hit jack squat with a J-frame 38 Special.

I had the use of an FBI-issue Model 13 x 3" for several weeks. It also wore the Pachmayr Compacs, and that critter felt like an extension of my hand. This was one of FBI's better ideas.

[Petrol & Powder]

In Ed Lovette's book "The Snubby Revolver", he speaks about the advantages of a 2" K-frame over the 2" J-frame. He points out that many experienced shooters can shoot the 2" K-frames as well as the 4" models but the same doesn't hold true for the 2" J-frames. Lovette explains that the conventional wisdom held that the J-frame was suitable as a back-up gun but knowledgeable shooters wouldn't pick it as a primary handgun. The 2" K-frame doesn't suffer from that restriction and may serve as a primary weapon in same circumstances.
The main advantage of a 6 shot, two inch model 10, 12 or 64 over some 5 shot J-frame isn't that extra round (although it is welcomed). The advantage of the short K-frame is that it is just large enough to give the operator something to hold onto. The slightly larger frame/grip makes a huge difference in gun handling. When you say snubnose revolver people tend to conjure up the image of some 5 shot Chief's Special variant.
Not all snubnose 38's are J-frames !

And to affirm the comments by 9.3x62AL - The 3" model 13 was an excellent gun. I have a 3" model 65 RB which is basically the stainless version of a 13 and it is an outstanding blend of accurate firepower in a compact package.

[Ilwil]

I carried 2", 3", and 4" Smiths for duty. I endorse what everybody above says. There is a huge difference between the shootability of a two versus three inch barrel. Three ought to be a mimimum length. K frame revolvers are inherently tough to conceal because of the bulk of a six shot cylinder; barrel length has little to do with it, in my opinion. S&W used to make 3", five shot, J frame revolvers. I think that is the optimal shootable and concealable revolver.

[MarkP]

Some M-60's are 3" I saw a 5" M-60 in 357 on GB a while back. it had adj sights it looked like a M-63 (22 LR).

[Petrol & Powder]

A 2" (really 1 7/8") barreled J-frame is made to be concealed. That's what is was designed for and in that capacity it shines. The DAO models with concealed hammers are particularly good as back-up guns.
A J-frame with a 4" barrel chambered in .22 LR makes sense as a kit gun. Small, light , decent sights.
I've never understood what 5 shot, 38 Special, 3" barreled J-frame is for. It's just as difficult to conceal as a 3" K-frame, holds one less round and has tiny grips. What's it for? Someone that wants a gun that's difficult to conceal, difficult to shoot and holds one less round than a K-frame with real grips?

[9.3X62AL]

Some M-60's are 3" I saw a 5" M-60 in 357 on GB a while back. it had adj sights it looked like a M-63 (22 LR).

Tangible proof that S&W's marketing department smokes crack. As if a 357 Magnum on a J-frame wasn't the first clue.

ETA......it's either crack addiction, or some kind of bust-out scam. The M&P pistols and MIM revolver parts support the latter option with some strength.

[Petrol & Powder]

QUOTE=9.3X62AL;2356565]Tangible proof that S&W's marketing department smokes crack. As if a 357 Magnum on a J-frame wasn't the first clue.:drinks:[

[357mags]

A 4" revolver can be concealed as easy as a 2" revolver! Do yourself a favor and stick with the 4" bbl. Snubs are a solution to a problem that doesn't exist!

[warf73]

I've got a 2" sp101 with full size grips so I can shoot 357mag 158gr. bullets without the gun trying to rip itself out of my hand. It’s just as easy/hard to conceal as my 4" XD 40s&w. To me the hardest thing to hide on any handgun is the handle not the barrel. The handle always wants to print if not wearing the right shirt.

As for accuracy the 2" and 4" are almost exactly the same till the targets hit 15 yards then the 2" starts to open up compared to the 4", take the target out to 25 yards and the 4" really shines over the 2" that's the sight radius different showing its head.

Sorry for comparing wheels to slide gun but those are my experiences, hope this helps.

[Rio Grande]

A 4" revolver can be concealed as easy as a 2" revolver! Do yourself a favor and stick with the 4" bbl. Snubs are a solution to a problem that doesn't exist!

A 2" is better if you intend to pocket carry.

[Dan Cash]

2s and 4s both have their place. A 2" M10 Smith is definately harder to hide (larger griip) than the equivalent J frame pistol but with .38s they perform on par with one another save for the extra round in the M10. Add one inch to the barrel and the performance takes a significant upward spike with the same ammo. A 642 Smith with 158 gr .357 is a serious piece of work yet quite controllable. The same gun with an alloy frame is a painful handfull with standard .38s. Any of them will work well for the OPs mission though my suggestion would be toward the 4 inch K frame type revolver. FWIW, I live well out in the Bad Lands of North Dakota. My field gun is a 5 1/2 Colt .45 SAA which also goes to town with me. If I am going to Billings or Fargo, My 1911 is the choice with the 642 along side.
Dan

[Char-Gar]

A 2" (really 1 7/8") barreled J-frame is made to be concealed. That's what is was designed for and in that capacity it shines. The DAO models with concealed hammers are particularly good as back-up guns.
A J-frame with a 4" barrel chambered in .22 LR makes sense as a kit gun. Small, light , decent sights.
I've never understood what 5 shot, 38 Special, 3" barreled J-frame is for. It's just as difficult to conceal as a 3" K-frame, holds one less round and has tiny grips. What's it for? Someone that wants a gun that's difficult to conceal, difficult to shoot and holds one less round than a K-frame with real grips?

What the Smith 2" J frame was designed for is a question up for grabs. It was first shown to the convention of Police Chief's in the early 50's. It was thusly named "Chief's Special", for the primary market were the top cops in a department who carried a gun as emblem of office. It was light, small and easy to carry on a dress pants belt. In 1957 when Smith went to numbers to replace names, it was numbered the Model 36.

Colt had made a 2" Detective Special on the slightly larger D frame. It's intended us for Detectives who wore a suit coat and didn't need a full size service revolver or so they thought. These also were carried on the belt under the coat.

Now as to the question of utility. A 3" J frame is far from useless. The velocity of the bullet from a 3" barrel is far closer to a 4" than a 2". The extra velocity and longer sight radius take them handgun out of the "belly gun" category. They can be fired with great precision at 25 to 50 yards and make a serious fighting tool, if you can deal with the 5 shot capacity.

When the Chiefs Special came out it was offered in both a round butt and square butt configurations. After a time the SB was dropped. I fine the RBs J frame almost impossible to shoot with precision as there is not enough distance between the back of the butt and the trigger. The SB places the trigger at a greater distance is make the small handgun far more "shootable" for me. You will note, in the pic of my 3" Smith J frame above, it is a SB handgun.

I also have a 2" SB Chiefs Special, but I truly prefer the 3" Colt Detective Special because of the extra round in the cylinder (6) and it slightly larger and heavier frame. It truly shoot like a service pistol.

That said, I don't carry any revolver for self defense anymore. I carry a Glock 19.

[Char-Gar]

Al.....I have tried very hard to establish a cozy relationship with Smith 2" K frame, but they have rebuffed me every time. The first time was in 1965 when I bought a new RB version, thinking it should be just the thing to have. I never could shoot it near as well as a 4", so I sold it down river. In 1994 I found a mint 2" five screw post war M&P and snapped it up. One trip to the range was all it took to know the curse was still on me, so it was sold down river as well.

I also had one of the 13 X 3" FIB guns as well and that was another story. It did as well for me as any HN 4" I have ever had. I lost it in the Great D-Vorce of 94.

I also lost a 4" Colt Cobra in that same deal. Now there was a light small handgun that would perform like a show pony. I have never seen another.

I also got my first 2" Chiefs Special in 1965 and have learned their quirks over the years. The 3" SB Chief's Special in the above pic is the only one I can truly cotton to.

[onceabull]

I traded a decent 4 " Cobra to another member here,and have had no luck in finding either a 3 or 4 replacement priced realistically.. Did have a 3" Dick special barrel installed on Police Positive Spec.frame,but yet another high dollar farmer/rancher could not go back to his place without it a couple years ago. That is about the only economical way to get into a faux Dick Special...Onceabull

[onceabull]

I have the highest respect possible at my age for 9.36x2 Al's insights on pistolcraft...Many is the time I end up wishing he was beside me on those rare times nowadays when I'm walking the buy side at a gunshow... With that said, I must interject the fact that I am now owning my third S&W 60 in 357 Mag ,5" barrel.. and since I'm doing the sell side at only one GS before our big game season ,I may actually get to apply that revolver to its purpose(for me).. 5" barrel for helpful sight dimensions, +plus+ equiv.38 spec.loads in the magnum case, or 1936 style 38/44 equiv.loads(also in 357 cases) Light weight for belt holster...a mountain chicken dinner harvester par excellence.. Let the next owner should all the full house 357 loads he desires.. my first two of these didn't last long enough to make it to the range, first time shown ,gone for $ 750 and $ 765, Value priced ofourse,like all my things.....[smilie=1: Onceabull

[Petrol & Powder]

We haven’t quite beaten this dead horse into submission but we’re getting close.
Way back when this thread started the OP said he had a 2” mdl 85 Taurus (essentially a Brazilian J-Frame) and was considering a 4” barreled revolver. Several posters endorsed the concept of the 4” barreled 38/357 revolver. 9.3X62AL even wrote, “Said this many times before.......no single handgun platform does more things as well as a 4" double-action 357 Magnum revolver.” I totally agree with those views concerning the virtues of a 4” barreled 38spl. revolver. The 4” medium frame, 38 special revolver is a great all around platform.
Then a few of us (including me) muddied the waters by expanding the possible candidates to encompass 3” barreled revolvers such as the excellent S&W Model 13 with a 3” barrel. In my opinion, a 3” barreled K-frame makes an outstanding carry gun. The original poster said he didn’t carry concealed, so my thinking was that for a revolver carried open in a holster, the 3” barrel doesn’t give up much compared to a 4” gun. All you lose is a little bit of slight radius and a tiny bit of velocity. What you gain is a very “packable” gun that is very close to the performance of a 4” revolver, with a real grip frame and decent trigger pull length.
Then I drew some comparisons between 2” J-frames and 2” K-frames. That’s when I started making people mad.

While it is true that a 4” revolver is far easier to shoot than a 2” gun, the differences between a 4” K-frame and a 2" K-frame aren’t nearly as severe as the differences between a 4” K-frame and a 2” J-frame. Since I can’t put a 3” barrel revolver in my pocket (and the original poster said he doesn’t need to) why would I want to carry a 3” barreled revolver in a holster that holds 5 rounds and has a small grip when for the same size I can get a 3” gun that holds 6 rounds and has better grips?
A 2” J-frame is very concealable; in fact I carry one in my pocket daily. A 3” J-frame will clearly shoot as well as a 3” K-frame, I’m just not going to carry either one in my pocket. So if I'm going to carry a 3" revolver I’d rather have the K-frame on my belt with its 6 rounds.
I’m familiar with how the “Chief’s Special” was named but marketing strategies are a topic for another thread.
Sorry if I annoyed anyone. There’s a lot of wisdom from many sources condensed in these few posts.

[9.3X62AL]

I have the highest respect possible at my age for 9.36x2 Al's insights on pistolcraft...Many is the time I end up wishing he was beside me on those rare times nowadays when I'm walking the buy side at a gunshow... With that said, I must interject the fact that I am now owning my third S&W 60 in 357 Mag ,5" barrel.. and since I'm doing the sell side at only one GS before our big game season ,I may actually get to apply that revolver to its purpose(for me).. 5" barrel for helpful sight dimensions, +plus+ equiv.38 spec.loads in the magnum case, or 1936 style 38/44 equiv.loads(also in 357 cases) Light weight for belt holster...a mountain chicken dinner harvester par excellence.. Let the next owner should all the full house 357 loads he desires.. my first two of these didn't last long enough to make it to the range, first time shown ,gone for $ 750 and $ 765, Value priced ofourse,like all my things.....[smilie=1: Onceabull

Surprising to read, but I'm no oracle (obviously)--just an opinionated old anachronism whose big paws can't do JACK with J-frame S&Ws. Many thanks for the kind words, though, Onceabull. Aftermarket grips only partially compensate for the diminutive grip frame and trigger reach/clearance that Char-Gar spoke of. I've tried a couple 4" Kit Guns, and at 25 yards about the best I can manage is minute-of-soccer-ball. My Model 617 x 6"....different story! Look out, varmints!

[BruceB]

Well, first of all, I share Onceabull's high regard for Al's opinions/coaching/etc.

I also have big hands, and have problems with J-frame Smiths. Once upon a time, I had a 4" .22 Kit Gun. and could not hit with it worth beans. On treeing a grouse one day in the Northwest Territories, WITH a pretty solid rest across the branch of a neighboring tree, I proceeded to fire TWELVE rounds at his head.... from about twenty feet away.

So... I wished him a long and happy life, and slunk away, thoroughly embarrassed (but with no witnesses except myself). That Smith went bye-bye shortly after that episode. My grouse-killing was mostly accomplished with .38/.357 Smiths after that.

Always did like the idea of the M18, a K-frame .22, but never ran across one that was available.

[Cosmiceyes]

My regards to all! I find nothing to disagree with as each has his own experience. I practice with this,and in my move abouts it is near. I expect nothing of it outside it practiced 25 yards. I know it well enough to be able to depend on it if forced. I have a 40 S&W for travel away from home. As from the picture you can see it is pretty new,but I addressed the issue of extra boolits. I practice in the dark reloading it. I wish it were 3 inches,but we can't always find what we want. The mold is a Hensley 150 grain semi-wadcutter. It will be the start point for the little fellow in cast lead! :)'s

Well evidently someone has turned off my ability to post pictures on the web-site ??????????????????????????

[birch]

I have owned many of the finest pistols and revolvers in my day. The most accurate gun by far is a Smith 52-2, but since we are talking revolvers, here is my 2 pennies.

I don't see why anyone would carry a revolver with a barrel over 2". There is simply no need for the extra barrel length. You will gain a little more velocity and boolit/bullet twist with a barrel over 2", but the vast majority of personal defense situations involve shooting at 7 yards or less. A nicely loaded self defense round of basicaly any modern manufacturer will transfer energy well and with plus P loads in a .38, velocity will be adequate. A 357 in a 2 inch j-frame type gun is the cats meow as far as I'm concerned.

I once had a Taurus 85 ultralight that would make neat little cloverleafs at 10 yards consistantly. After that, they opened up a little bit because of bullet spin/stabilization issues. However, I don't think 90% of shooters would really notice a difference in the accuracy of a 2 inch or 8 inch barrel. I consider myself to be an excellent shot and I am still horrible compared to fellers who can knock the x out of a NRA target at 50 yards. Those guys have a different view of accuracy than me, or most of the people on the planet.

I can promise that a guy with any shooting skills will be able to shoot a 12x12 plate at 100 yards at least 6 out of 10 times with a 2"-.38 or .357 single/double action revolver without much trouble.

*Caveat: I have a friend with a 2" scandium fram .357 J frame. I think it only weighs eleven ounces. It is not fun to shoot, and I don't think I would want to shoot that girl 10 times in a row. OUCH!!!!!

[Char-Gar]

Kit Guns? Did somebody say Kit Guns? I like mine allot and can shoot it well. The crux of the issue is that sixguns choices are quite personal and everybody has to find out what works for them. But, that does give us a very good justification (excuse) to buy and sell lots of sixguns trying to find out what scratches our personal itch.

Here is my Kit Gun:

[Wally]

I have 38 Special revolvers in 2", 3", 4", 5" and 6" and a 4" would be well suited to your use. One cylinderfull and you will see the big advantage over the 2".

I have two Taurus .38 Specials revolvers...one in the 4" the other in the 6"... if you could have one, which would it be...just curious.

[FergusonTO35]

I think this is a good conversation to have. For open carry and home defense nothing beats a six shot gun with 4" or longer barrel. For concealed carry the 2" is tough to beat. The main disadvantages of the J frame type revolver are lower velocity, one less round, and more difficult to shoot. This is counterbalanced by the much greater ease of carry and concealment. Which one to choose is, and rightfully should be, completely up to the user.

Across my chronograph the 2" barrel consistently loses 90-110 fps compared to the 4", even when faster powders are used in an effort to boost the performance of the snub nose. This doesn't make the snub weak or ineffective but it does mean that you are giving up some on target performance. As mentioned previously today's compact 9mm pistols can resolve much of the dilemma over firepower versus concealability. My Kel-Tec PF9 and Ruger SR9c are exemplary of the breed and work great for that purpose.

If you hand load you can make some very potent defensive loads with cast boolits. I have a hard time trusting most of the pricey JHP defensive loads being peddled today for the .38. I think most are still developed using a 4" barrel and lose alot of their effectiveness in a snub nose. A light weight hollow point bullet at modest velocity is not a good choice for either hunting or self defense. One of the few exceptions is the Remington UMC +P 125 grain jacketed hollow point load with a large exposed lead nose and deep cavity. Back when I had my Ruger SP-101 I fired quite a few of them into a variety of materials and was impressed with their expansion and penetration. My choice defensive load for my S&W 10-5 4" and Charter Arms Police Bulldog 2.2" is 5.7 grains Accurate #5 under a 158 grain lead flat point with a Federal Gold Medal primer. It clocks 870 fps in the Smith and 780 in the Charter and is very accurate.

[9.3X62AL]

Ah.....Ruger SP-101. Just right size. OEM grips that fit my hands, right outta the box. 2-3/4" or 3-1/16" barrel. GOOD carry gun. And with 4" barrel, a very nice Kit Gun as well.

I cobbled up a "Kit Gun" of sorts a couple years back, this a 1920 Colt Police Positive x 4" in 38 S&W. Again, the grip frame and I didn't get along, but a few minutes' time with an X-Acto Knife on a set of Pachmayr Presentation grips for the '56-'71 D-frames produced a very usable and practical side iron. Lyman or NOE #358477 atop 3.0 grains of Unique gives about 725 FPS, sized to match throats @ .359". This load shoots right to the fixed sights at 25-40 yards. Trigger reach on these D-frames seems longer than that of the J-frame S&Ws.

[Petrol & Powder]

I had an SP-101 and I'm looking for another. They're tough guns and they shoot well. A bit heavy for pocket carry but extremely well made. Another good choice for the OP.

[Poohgyrr]

I have a Taurus 85 2" 38 spec. as a home defense and farm carry. But I am thinking a 4" would work just as well..

A 2" J frame is pretty easy to conceal; this is its' strong point. But for most of us, the 4"ers are much easier to hit with.

If whatever needs shooting is cooperating with you and close enough, then it should be easy to hit and use whatever you want.

Otherwise, the 4"er is my first choice.

Gotta love that 4" 38/44 Jerry posted.

Unless there is a medical issue, or money is tight (yup), or something similar, a 4"er is not that hard to carry or conceal and is usually much easier to hit with. Generations of people have proven that.

Here is a pair of 2"ers (M10 on top and M642 on bottom):

http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/yy329/Poohgyrr/Guns/b2eb30af.jpg (http://s804.photobucket.com/user/Poohgyrr/media/Guns/b2eb30af.jpg.html)


And here is another pair (2 1/2" M66 and 4" M19):

http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/yy329/Poohgyrr/Guns/d23cae02.jpg (http://s804.photobucket.com/user/Poohgyrr/media/Guns/d23cae02.jpg.html)

[Boogieman]

I had a 3" S&W model 36 that would stay on a man sized target at 100 yds. 2hands standing It liked 158 gr. lyman swc over 5.1 gr. of Unique. Not much power left out there but it won a few bets. A good Colt or S&W snub will shoot better than you can hold it.

[9.3X62AL]

No doubt about it, Boog. "Hold it" is the operative question. I could hit very well with the 2" Model 10 and 3" Model 13. I briefly had a 3" Model 31 (32 S&W Long), and with Pachmayr Compacs I could prevent embarrassment--much the same as the Kit Guns or the few Chief's Specials I've fired. The post-71 Colt Det Special ran pretty well for me, and with the OEM stocks in place. Given its 6-shot wheel, +P certification, and my competence with it......it gets my vote as single-best 38 snubby for concealment stuff. The Model 10 shot better, but at the expense of greater weight and size.

Rest assured, it isn't me blaming the J-frame Smiths for their recalcitrance in my hands. The guns should be cussing ME.

[ruger-p94]

Since I just gave my 2 inch revolver to the daughter I will have to say go with the 3 in. I have a Smith 13-3 that has the bull barrel and is very accurate for home defense and I can carry it concealed with a jacket. If it was good enough for the FBI it is good enough for me. Also stated before in one of the posts that there are lots of police trade ins ....check Bud's ...he usually has one every month or so.
http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq99/sailinisfree/101_0061.jpg (http://s437.photobucket.com/user/sailinisfree/media/101_0061.jpg.html)

[Petrol & Powder]

I'm a big fan of 3" revolvers and the 3" version of the model 13 (or its stainless brother the mdl. 65) was an outstanding fighting gun concept. Great balance between portability, good sight radius, decent velocity and K-frame grip. Speaking of grips, are those Eagle grips on that nickel model 13? Those are nice.

[dnotarianni]

Open carry = shoot me first. 2" 38+p CCW is all you need as a civilian. If you can't afford the CCW permit you sure can''t afford the lawyer after a shoot!

Dave

[Petrol & Powder]

80790From the top down: 4" Mdl. 64 - 3" mdl. 65 - 2" mdl 64 & 2" mdl. 442

The 4" K-frame SB is an outstanding all-around revolver, easy to shoot and well suited for open carry.

The 3" K-frame with a round butt, heavy barrel and fixed sights is an outstanding concept and a little easier to carry

The 2" K-frame has the same K-frame grip, 6 rounds and easier to conceal but a tad large for pocket carry

The 2" lightweight, DAO, J-frame is by far the easiest to carry & conceal but has a small grip frame and 5 round capacity.

Not pictured but mentioned by pervious posters is the 2" barreled, 6 round D-frame Colt Detective Special or Airweight models Cobra/Agent. In size they fall between the 2" S&W J-frame and the 2" S&W K-frame.

Also not shown is the Ruger SP-101. In terms of size/weight the 2 1/2" SP-101 is a little closer to the 2" K-frame S&W with a 5 round cylinder. They're a bit heavy for their size but extremely strong.

I can't tell you what's best for you, you must pick the right tool for your needs.:drinks:

[9.3X62AL]

One other nicety offered by the 3"-barrelled revolvers--a full length extractor/ejector rod. This slipped my mind previously.

[Petrol & Powder]

:bigsmyl2: Yep, It's very difficult for me to acknowledge it..... but...... the FBI did have a good idea with the 3" model 13
One other nicety offered by the 3"-barrelled revolvers--a full length extractor/ejector rod. This slipped my mind previously.