Yep . . . if we put scopes on those snubbies we'd discover just how accurate they ARE!

Like all good guns, they are going to consistently launch the bullet to where the bullet is going to be going based upon where the barrel is pointing + the grip and technique of the shooter. The weak link . . . is the shooter.

With a scope I have no doubt that a J-frame snubbie could group all five rounds into an inch at 25 yards or better . . . and four times that large of a group at 100 . . . and MUCH better than that in the hands of a few!

The problem on the J-frames is the very short distance between sights, as well as the increased difficulty of seeing those fixed sights well enough for absolutely FER SHURE perfect sight alignment.


I picked up a nice, 1964 M36 a couple of years ago. Like most folks, I don't shoot it much but the next day after I got it I went to the range and shot it both at 10 yards AND 25 yards.

I use homemade black square targets to test accuracy, since the square is easier to align with the top of both the rear AND front sight, and thus get better results than with a round target. My black squares are 1" for 10 and 2 1/2" for 25 yards.

I only had two types of ammo, some Hornady 140 grain stuff and some 148 grain wadcutter. I shot one target at each range with each of the two types of bullets. Targets were shot standing, unsupported, single action.

Here's my FIRST target, at ten yards. The second picture shows the 140 Hornada @10 yards + both types at 25. Although each type bullet puts the POA to a different spot, the RATIO of the size of the groups are remarkably similar between 10 and 25 yards, with the wadcutters shooting a tighter group in both cases:





Yep, shooting five rounds into an inch on my very first target @ ten yards showed me this gun has "potential!"

I really felt sorry though for the Probation Officer practicing so hard in the next bay when I started shooting the snubbie. The officer had to shoot qualification in a couple of days and had horrid groups from the officer's Glock 23 (not the Glock's fault either). After I shot these four targets I stopped for the day, not wanting to discourage the officer any more, and just visited instead. That was much more important to me than anything else. I'd shoot the snubbie on another day!