Lightweight 3" revolver recommendation

Your recommendation is requested. I do a lot of extreme hiking in wilderness areas, often above 10,000 feet, so every ounce I carry is important. I've been open carrying a Keltec P32 semi auto because it only weighs 6.6 oz, but while it shoots ok while clean, just a little dust or dirt makes it unreliable. Plus accuracy isn't great because of its small size. I always try to avoid trouble but worst case I would need defense against a very rare mountain lion, black bears, rabid coyotes or two-legged predators.

I'd like to move to a lightweight revolver for reliability and a 3" or so barrel for accuracy. I looked at the S&W 317 at about 12oz, but even its 8 rounds of .22 lr may not be enough. The .38 Spec +P j-frames are nice but those 1.875" barrels aren't great for accuracy.

Any recommendations for a revolver with a 3" barrel, preferably 18oz or less?

NIGHT GUARD SERIES

Roberto:

They haven't been made for a while, but look for a Model 396 Night Guard "L" Frame chambered in .44 Special. Weighs 24 oz. unloaded. I can carry it around all day & not feel the weight, although not at 10,000'. Very accurate with a 2 1/8" barrel.

Smith did make a NG in 44 Mag. & I think in 45 Colt (?maybe 45 ACP), but they are "N" Frames & no doubt slightly heavier/larger.

Best Of Luck, Hank M.

Might I suggest the S&W Model 60 (J frame) 3", it's a .38/.357 mag

It weighs 23.2 oz

I really like the one I have and think it might be what you are looking for.

I hate to go here on this forum, but how about a Ruger LCRx with a three inch barrel. They're very light weight, and shoot pretty dang good.......

325 PD with Hogue grips.

Check out the new M66 & M69 2.75" from S&W It might be worth waiting a month or two.

rwt1405 said:

Might I suggest the S&W Model 60 (J frame) 3", it's a .38/.357 mag

It weighs 23.2 oz

I really like the one I have and think it might be what you are looking for.

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I 2nd this suggestion. With the right grips, it can be pretty manageable with the hot stuff. Or you can go with some mild .38s. The shotshells are pretty effective, too.

Maybe a 4" model 12?

If you are going into bear country then why would consider anything but a big bore? One person said the model 69 2.75" is worth the wait. I believe he is right. Carry it in a good shoulder holster and it shouldn't be a problem. It's my next purchase and I already have 5 big bore snubbies. The lightest you might want is a Smith lightweight 44 sp. I have a Charter Arms 44 sp 2.5" that I would carry, but that might be the smallest I would risk with bear.

A second on the 19 ounce Charter Bulldog in .44 Special, or a slightly heavier current Pug in .45 ACP. But borrow or rent one prior to buying; if you are used to a .32 ACP pistol and considering a .22 revolver, the recoil of one of these would be...vigorous.

S&W 396 Mountain Lite 44sp.

You can sometimes find one of the special orders (from a distributor) M-60's with a three-inch barrel. I'd sure stay with a stainless gun, although the M-36-1 is otherwise the same gun.


I'd probably use my M-60-4. I think the .357 is too much cartridge for a J-frame. The Ruger SP-101 in a barrel a hair over three inches is my smallest .357, and I wouldn't want lighter. I don't have the specs in front of me, but the Ruger site will give weight. Maybe 27 oz.?


I think 9mm is a good backpackers cartridge, low ammo weight for power. But a good 9mm will weigh more than you want. I'd take a CZ-75B in that role and just live with the weight. But CZ has some alloy frame compacts that I haven't tried. And there are are Ruger and S&W 9mm revolvers.


I doubt if it's worth the effort to locate and use a 9mm revolver, especially if it has a weird extractor.


Overall, I think your answer is a J-frame .38 with three-inch barrel, preferably in stainless steel. You could buy a Model 37, but those light alloy frames often crack and the recoil will be grim.


S&W made some .32 Magnum guns that otherwise look like .22 Magnum Model 63's with four-inch barrels. I think they take .32 S&W Long as a light load, for small game, too. But I'd want at least a .38 Special.


How much water do you pack, and how? That's a heavy necessity.


Any .44 ammo is too heavy in any quantity and a short-barreled .44 is hard to shoot well. Some people who answer questions like this don't think well, or don't read the question well.


Study bear and cougar anatomy well before you may need to shoot one. Your most likely need to shoot will be a feral dog, a raccoon or skunk that may be rabid, a snake or a human.


I think .38 Plus P will do those jobs, but learn to shoot well. And even .38 Plus P is a recoil problem in very light guns.


Overall, if you can locate a M-60-4 full lug gun, I think the weight and target sights will amaze you with the potential accuracy. Mine have both thought they were target revolvers!


I use older Pachmayr two-piece Presentation Compac grips. But Uncle Mike's grips came with these guns and are also good. The rubber grips don't scratch or abrade from contact with brush and cut recoil effect.

The 15.7-oz 3" Ruger LCRx, 5-shot SA/DA small frame revolver in .38 Special.

I "worked" high country, and was issued a Smith& Wesson model 19,4"bbl,
.357 caliber, 158 grain ammo.
Shoulder holster rig keeps the weight off the belt,makes climbing easier.
I found this comfortable.

mrchuck said:

I "worked" high country, and was issued a Smith& Wesson model 19,4"bbl,
.357 caliber, 158 grain ammo.
Shoulder holster rig keeps the weight off the belt,makes climbing easier.
I found this comfortable.

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Makes a lot of sense, and I love my M-66-3 four-inch. But this guy specifically wants a small, light .38, & he is walking, carrying a heavy load, and wants minimum weight.

I think Lobster Picnic is giving you some good advice, particularly with the LCRx in 38.

If you want to option of placing a shot with the utmost accuracy look at conventional double action revolvers. Quite a few of the small revolvers with 2 inch barrels are double action only which is great for up close self defense in a city. But if you need to take a shot a longer ranges being able to cock the hammer before pulling the trigger helps a lot. Guns with a 3 inch barrel are usually not DAO but be sure to check. The LCRx and S&W 60 both give you the option of single action shooting.

If it was me I would look at single stack 9mms too.

60-10... 3" J-frame .357.......... micro 686

RobertoDeNuevoMexico said:

.... Any recommendations for a revolver with a 3" barrel, preferably 18oz or less?

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You should consider a M337-1 AirLite TI. Aluminum frame, Titanium cylinder, 13 oz. unloaded. Product code 103055, adjustable sights, 3 1/8 inch barrel, made in the late '90's early 2000's, 5-shot .38 Spl, +P rated. Would carry like a feather, and hit like a hammer.

My 3" 31-1 was reamed from 32 Long to take 32 H&R Magnum. Buffalo Bore offers a +P load that puts a 100g JHP bullet out the 3" barrel at over 1200fps, for about 330 ft lbs of energy. This is beyond the power of a 158g 38 Special +P, in a small, 6 shot, dead nuts reliable package. Buffalo Bore has advised that this +P load is safe for unlimited use in the reamed chambers.

As far as accuracy is concerned, if you haven't tried a green Crimson Trace laser grip in daylight you're in for a real experience. That green dot is visible, even in bright sunlight, beyond any distance you'd take a shot with a handgun. And of course you can adjust it to match precisely the ammunition you're carrying.

If protection from bears or mountain lions is a real need, I'm with others who suggest something a bit bigger might be in order. Although I understand not wanting to haul 3 pounds of gun around the wilderness all the time. (Don't forget that 6 rounds plus reloads, all with 200+g bullets, start to add up.) FWIW, Buffalo Bore does offer another +P load in 32 H&R, with a 130g hard cast lead bullet designed expressly for deep penetration. I've never shot that load, but its specs look like it would have about the same energy as the 100g load.

I have spent over 35+ years hiking, backpacking, exploring etc. in what is probably a lot of bear and mountain lion country and other than a few orientation shots by 'babes in the woods' and TWO draw downs on dogs (both called back by the owners) I have never had to use my gun for defense. It bothers me how many reference the need for 'bear and mountain lion' defense when these creatures are more afraid of humans than WE should be of them . If fear of these animals is an issue then maybe it's best those afraid of them stay out of the woods because they are not not the most dangerous things out there.