A discussion came up on another forum that I am on about snub nose revolver accuracy.

I have always been told that a snub nose will be less accurate than a 4 or 6 inch gun. Is this true or is it just harder to shoot a snub nose accurately?

The correct answer is harder to shoot accurately, but theoretically potentially more accurate.

If the barrel is long enough to stabilize the projectile the shorter barrel is theoretically more accurate because it is stiffer and has less vibration.

Emory

Based on my experience, a little bit of both. It is more difficult to shoot accurately because of the very short sight radius. Accuracy also suffers from the short barrel. That said, you must consider the use you will put it to. I carry a Model 36 (no dash) occasionally and all I really want is to be able to hit the "vitals" at short range. I was at the range today and tested some Hornady defense loads built on their 125 gr XTP HP. I fired 5 shots at 7 yards using a two handed hold and put them into the lower half of a 4-1/2 inch bull. That's not going to get any accuracy awards but it will do fine for my needs.

I hope that helps,

Frank

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sona si latine loqueris .

Barrel length has nothing to do with mechanical accuracy of a firearm. A 2" barrel is capable of the same level of accuracy as a longer barrel.

For a given load the longer barrel will give higher velocity. The longer sight radius also allows more precise sight alignment as with the longer barrel it is easier to identify slight mis-alignment of the sights.

In short, they are more difficult to shoot well but they are just as accurate.

It will be slightly less accurate, but most of the real world accuracy will be lost in sight radius and difficulty firing a tiny gun with big hands. Years back I bought a 2" model 10 with fixed sights (square butt). I could'nt believe how accurate that thing was at 25 yards! I doubt if I could fire my newly purchased model 37 that good, but its not meant to be a target pistol. So I'd say the second part of your question is more correct.
I'm sure people that practice with snub's have the advantage of knowing their equipment and its limitations.

Picture is worth a thousand words. This is a 642. Distance etc. is in the pic. Top pic is 1.25" ctc spread at 21'. Bottom is 1.75" spread at 30'.

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John

I am far from being an expert on this, but doesn't the type and caliber of ammo used play a part in this also (low recoil, standard pressure, +p, +p+, .38 vs 357, etc)?

Any gun is only as accurate as the person pulling the trigger, no matter what the barrel length is.

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Misty

I shoot my snubnoses at 50 yards occasionally.
Most will group on a silhouette target at that range using a neck hold. Sometimes the group is five inches, sometimes 10.

My son managed to hit a bullseye target at 100 yards with my snub M15 last time we were at the range. He's a Bullseye match shooter with good trigger control and reflexes. The M15 has better sights, more weight, and a better feel in the hand than many snubs too.

I've noticed that, when I'm doing right by it, my 649-2 will put two and three shots out of five touching at 50 feet. This is shot from standing using a two hand hold. It will sometimes do nearly as well at 25 yards. I once shot a better five-shot group double action at 50 yards than I did single action at the same distance. Reloads with 158 grain SWCs and Unique powder used in all instances.

A good snubby can be very accurate.

I find that I personally am more accurate when I have a handgun with a longer barrel, no matter if it is a revolver or a semi-auto... But, that may have to do with sight alignment as well.

Some snubs shoot astonishingly well...if the shooter can.

Although not a true snub, my M-60-4 thinks it's a target gun. And a M-60-7 snub is nearly as good.

Both really love Speer/CCI's 125 grain Gold Dot Plus P load. I haven't found any of the Short Barrel type yet, but am not sure that I need it, as that load is hot and very accurate, with a large hollow point.

Both guns also like Federal's discontinued lead HP load.

T-Star

My .02 is that they are harder to shoot accurately. Based on my experiences with 36s, 37s, and bodyguards, plus 2" kitguns, I think all are every bit as accurate as any 4" barrel gun is, it just takes more skills to produce with them. Hey, even my Keltec P3AT is a surprise in the accuracy dept.

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Geoff. Since 1960.

I can bust clay pigeons up against a backstop at 100 yards with my 649.

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'Merica!

i took a friend that didn't know much about guns out to shoot the other day. We set up cans at about 15 yards shooting mostly .22 rifles. Then i pulled out my model 36 with 1 7/8" barrel. I proceeded to explain that snubs are less accurate and then shot a can on every shot. Then i pulled out my 6" Security Six and managed to miss every shot. Go figure.

YouTube - Bob Munden -- Impossible 200 Yard Shot

They are harder to shoot; smaller grips, lighter weight, shorter sight distance, and "rounded" sights. With target sights and some type of rest they will group with anything else.

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"Give me Liberty..."

amen brother !!!!!!

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gunnut2u
(Tim)

They are inherently just as accurate as a hog leg with a 10" tube . . . it is just much harder to make sure the sights are perfectly aligned with each other before setting off a round.

Also, the rounds will "rainbow" to a greater extent downrange so it takes some notes and "head knowledge" to know how much to "hold over" at the various distances.

Here's my M36 snubbie, shot standing/unsupported at ten yards . . . into a 1" black square target. Not only did it group roughly an inch at ten yards, it also shot perfectly at Point Of Aim at that distance too:



Same gun and round, shot standing/unsupported at 25 yards the same day, at a 2 1/2" black square target. Same group size ratio when you multiply it by the 2 1/2 times distance too! BTW, I was aiming at the TOP square . . . and the bullet drop rainbow made the rounds hit in the lower target!

From the bench the groups would have been even tighter, of course.



And the gun on top of the 10 yard target. This was the very first day I took this new (to me) revolver to the range too.



When I contrast that ten yard 1" targets with these 1" targets shot the same way with a 5" barrel Para Ordinance P14.45 Limited in .45 Auto, the groups are about the same size from the center of the bullets.



The MAIN difference is being able to shoot the guns FAST with the sights. It takes much more time and concentration to get the sights perfect on the J-frame snubbies.

T.

Short guns are very accurate. I usually end any shooting session with them by shooting at a steel IPSC target at 50 yds double action only. Last time out with a 431 .32 mag, using .32 long reloads, all 6 were on the steel. Nice group but way low and I was even aiming at the neck of the target. That is usually the way it goes.

BR

What's the vintage on that beautiful piece of steel and wood? I'm assuming it's fairly old from the flat latch.

I guess this post mostly concerns target shooting. My model 60 no dash is very accurate at 25 yds when target shooting. In a SHTF situation you're gonna be all over the place. Practice,practice,practice.

Comfortable grips play a big part. I have a DS OM with factory grips and a DS 72 with Pachmayrs-I can shoot the latter a lot better and when Colt
introduced the DS 72 one of the changes were more handfilling grips.

I'm a snub fanatic. At 40 to 50 yards, shooting Hyrdo-Shocks, I can make a 32oz. Coke bottle dance 8 out of 10 shots; maybe better. I've got a 642 and a 7 shot .357 by another maker and I love 'um all.
I even like the sub-compact semi-autos better than I do the long barrels.

Just my most humble opinion.

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Ted Nugent in 2013!

Everything else being equal, it all boils down to sight radius, sight radius, sight radius. Everything else is BS. Short sight radius means more difficult to aim...short barrel means (here again, everything else being equal) stiffer, there for more accurate barrel. Now length of barrel could adversely effect stabilization, however, that is highly unlikely.

Personally, I like snubbies. If I want to shoot something further away...I use a rifle!

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G.P. Charlie