I have a real hankerin' for a Model 37 and have found a couple that are affordable to me. One is round butt and one is SB.
I have a M10-5 4inch barrel in SB that I really like. I also have a M10-5 snubby RB. My question regards carrying concealed:
For this particular gun, is the SB going to be harder to conceal and/or pocket carry than a RB?
All things being equal, the RB would be preferred for pocket carry but I found a really good deal on a SB, so....

Thanks!

I don't buY light ALLOY GUNS, BUT HAVE HAD A SQ. BUTT m-36-1. i PUT SMOOTH ROSEWOOD FACTORY maGNA STOCKS ON IT, WITH A tYLER ADAPTOR. iT FELT WONDERFUL IN THE HAND AND CONCEALED WELL IN AN INSIDE WAISTBAND HOLSTER. i ALSO USED A bIANCHI mODEL 5 BELT HOLSTER.

tHEORETICALLY, THE ROUND BUTT HIDES EASIER, AND IN SOME POCKETS, IT MIGHT BE A FACTOR. bUT FOR THE MOST PART, IT WON'T MATTER TOO MUCH.

Oh, dang! The Caps Lock came on. I type looking at the keyboard and just saw that. No time to re-type. Sorry.

Wear pants that you'll use to carry the gun and ask the clerk to let you try the gun in your pocket.

I'd buy whichever gun is in the best condition. Unless money is really tight, that's the way to go. But appearance matters more to me than it does to some. I don't have "beater" guns!

Thanks Texas Star. I'm a Texan, too! 5th generation.

I don't really want a beater gun, either, though this will be a for a CCW and so I don't mind a few cosmetic blemishes. I don't have the funds, or a wife, that will allow the collection of safe queens. I do have one that would qualify, though: A Model 10-5 4 inch, SB Nickel that is probably better than 99%. Until my wife used it to qualify for her CHL last week, it had had only one box of shells through it since I bought it almost 30 years ago. Now the count is TWO boxes.

I always felt that a J-frame square butt was kind of inappropriate but not if it's for belt carry - then it doesn't really matter. Pocket carry is different. If you're comfortable with the square butt in a pocket holster then by all means go for it. I carry a 642 in the front pocket of jeans every day and the butt kinda sorta peeks out sometimes in certain jeans. A square butt would certainly peak out. I have other J-frames with round butts, too; each of them is easy to conceal in a pocket holster. If they'll let you drop it into your pocket holster and try it that would be the way to be sure.

As for Model 10s, well, I have a few, and just discussing the snubbies, I love the round butt with Tyler T-grips but my oldest 2" Model 10 has larger, S&W wooden stocks and it's a dream to use. Bought it in 1981. it's one of the five I would never part with.

I bought a square butt M10 snubbie as a gift for my gunless brother (long story) but I told him the other day it's likely I'll give him a round butt, I have several of those and only the one square butt M10. He doesn't know a round butt from a square butt from a hole in the ground so I know it won't matter one iota to him.

***GRJ***.

With pocket carry, size is critical and varies with the pocket. I have found MANY pants pockets that would carry a 2" J SB, and plenty that were marginal even with a RB. Obviously a RB fits more pockets than a SB, but you are free to choose which pants you buy.

Using the gun, rather than carrying it, is a whole 'nother story. For my hand, a SB aluminum J with factory Magnas and a Tyler is a highly usable gun that fits my hand well. Go to RB with factory Magnas and a Tyler, and my middle finger knuckle gets rapped. In order to use the gun, I have to either get the Secret Service grips Brownell's used to sell, or take off the Tyler and grip the gun VERY tightly to avoid problems. In a nutshell, the SB is all around a much better gun, more comfortable and faster to shoot.

This is for my hand. YMMV.

I hear ya, Yoda. I just love the feel of a SB M10 but a RB makes more sense for a J Frame. I'm looking on-line so there is no way try them out.
My bride likes the SB Model 10 four incher. She'd probably like the Model 37 in Square butt. She not likely to ever carry anything more than her NAA Mini .22 Magnum but she doesn't mind having a larger gun in the car. I'm thinking the M37 with SB would be fine for that. I may bet a M37 RB for myself, possibly trading or selling my Mod 10 RB snub.

I have both, and like both. The round butt is probably a tad easier to conceal, but I pocket-carried a Model 36 for 20 years, and had no problems. I think you are going to see a need to bob the hammer if you pocket carry. I currently pocket-carry a Model 37 sb with a 3" barrel. I carry it usually without a holster in my right hip pocket. I wear semi-baggy khaki pants with a polo-type pullover shirt every day. No problems concealing.

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Georgia On My Mind

Great input, thanks! I have a 10-5 SB four incher that is great on the range though I've rarely fired it in the almost 30 years I've owned it. It sure feels great though. My 10-5 snub RB is just fine also. I've never shot a J Frame and the only Airweight I've shot is a friend's Model 12 snub that I was trying to buy but she decided to keep it. As long as I am going light, I decided to go with a J Airweight. I like the "classic" S&Ws! With some good Pachmayr Grippers or similar, range time should be easier on the hands.

My most frequently carried gun is a model 36 SB, in my right front pants pocket using a cheap nylon Uncle Mikes holster. Conceals just as easy as my RB Js, but fits my hand better. Buy the one that feels best to you.

Amen brother. I carried a 60 RB as a backup for years and it was great to carry; not so great to qualify with. I put a set of Uncle Mike's smaller sized rubber grips on it and although it increased the size it made it less painful to shoot a 30 to 50 round course.

Go with the round butt. You can always put larger grips on a round butt gun if you need them, but you can't put smaller grips on a square butt gun.
I have both and the round butt has always served me better

I pocket carry my 36 SB, daily.
Guess I didn't get the memo.
It conceals just fine.

If I'd found a round butt in the same condition, for the same price when I found mine, I might have bought the RB. It has more available grip options.

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What would Jim Cirillo do?

….you can put on a set of Pachmayr square butt to round butt conversion grips. They convert the SB to RB. Search the inter web, they are still around. I have always kept a pair over the year just in case.

I prefer the square butt over the round butt. The square is easier to shoot accurately for me.

There is precious little real estate on the grip frame of a J frame.
The RB has even less than the SB.

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What would Jim Cirillo do?

The gun I carry most often is a RB md 37. In some of my jeans the
grip is barely hidden and I also use a thin UM's nylon pocket holster.
For CC I would buy the RB gun.

The 'J-hounds' are really out on this thread! Get the one that feels best to you, or get them both so you won't have to agonize later about your decision.

There are far fewer grip options for the SB. Tyler-T Grip + factory Magnas is the standard answer. But what if that doesn't work for you? Yes, there is a SB to RB Pach Compac and also a larger finger-groove Gripper that is even large and heavier. Also a Laarge Presentation grip for range work. I gave up on Pachs years ago for Js due to their weight.

QUESTION: Some above posters seem to carry exposed hammer guns in their pocket. HOW? I can't pull a hammer gun out of a laundry bag without the spur catching on the edge!
HELP!

I don't need smaller grips on a SB J frame. And, while I can always put larger grips on a RB, none that I have seen are as compact as a SB with Magnas, except the abovementioned Secret Service grips, and they still aren't quite as good as a SB with Magnas and a Tyler, for me.

It would be best to buy what fits your hand best.

I like my round butt 37 with the original grips that are numbered to the gun. I've never tried a grip adaptor, they look like they would be nice, but they also look like they would put my knuckles a little closer to the trigger housing. On an alloy framed 37 the recoil might smart. I've tried several different types of grips but I always go back to the original magnas. Plus I really don't care for the looks or the way the rubber grips change my draw.
Get the round butt if you have a choice. Just my non-certified opinion.

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better have that checked

Simple, I cut the hammer spur off of my two 37s and my 60.

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Alwslate, how do you do that? Do you still have a bit of hammer stub so that you can go single action if desired?

Does bobbing the hammer hurt the value of the gun?

I don't like the looks of most hammerless (camelback) guns but I don't think I would mind having a J frame, or even my 10-5 snub with a stub for a hammer spur.

I have found that a RB j-frame fitsd my hand much better than a SB. Additionally, the SB points high for me. Different for everyone, best to handle one of each and see which you prefer.
A bobbed hammer lowers value for some, and enhances it for others. Unless the gun is a pristine collector, I think it's a moot point. I prefer a bobbed hammer on a concealed-carry gun, 4 of my 5 Chiefs are so modified.

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Do you leave a bit of stub so you can go single action if you want to?

Leaving a stub large enough to thumb cock would defeat the
purpose. Cutting the spur off is easy. Pad and protect the
gun, use a fine tooth hacksaw or dremel tool, smooth with a
dremel or small files. Perfection is not required. Firing single
action is easy. Hold the gun in both hands, start the hammer
back with the trigger then hook your thumb over the front
of the hammer to cock it. I'm not worried about the effect
on value because my Js are not for sale. If I ever decide
to sell one I assume the buyer would be someone who
prefers a bobbed hammer. Anyway having the gun that
suits my needs is worth more than any potential loss of
value.

I think Massad Ayoob recommends practicing the draw with the thumb over the hammer. I think this makes the hold a little less secure, and of course if you leave it there the hammer may hang up. Food for thought.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I'll buy that. Makes a lot of sense to me. Thanks.

Thanks much for your suggestions, but I've come up with my own conclusion: Don't carry a gun in a laundry bag.

I ended up buying a beautiful nickely M37 snub. Pics posted in another thread. It is a round butt. I like it. (haven't shot it yet.)

Doesn't mean that I would never buy a SB J Frame, though.

I agree, except I would remove the hammer from the gun for bobbing. IMHO it'd be too easy for the dremel to get away from you & scarf up the gun. Removing the hammer is so easy, there's no good reason to take that chance.

I have both - a couple of RBs and one SB. Given the choice I'll always choose the RB because you can easily buy grips to make a SB out of an RB but vice versa - not so much....