Is a 3 inch barrel considered a Snubby?

[duppie]

Gentlemen.
I defer to your vast knowledge and expertise in all things S&W.
Simply.... is a revolver with a 3 inch barrel generally excepted as a snubby?. and if not, where is the cut off? 2..2 1/2 inches?

 

[VM]

Gentlemen.
I defer to your vast knowledge and expertise in all things S&W.
Simply.... is a revolver with a 3 inch barrel generally excepted as a snubby?. and if not, where is the cut off? 2..2 1/2 inches?

I vote yes!!!

 

[DCWilson]

I usually think of two inches as the basic snubnose barrel length, but on large N-frame revolvers I am willing to extend that to three.

 

[RussellD]

if it fits in my pocket with a proper holster..YES

 

[jtcarm]

It's bordering on medium length, but I'd call it a snub. Maybe a "mub?"

 

[carpriver]

Glad to know that my 3" 686 is mub. What would you call a M 60 3"

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

Glad to know that my 3" 686 is mub. What would you call a M 60 3"

One inch too long! Jest funnin' ya'! I own a few myself.

My personal rule of thumb, you predictably will have your own.

1. J S&W or Colt D Frames 2 Inch

2. S&W K Frames or Colt .41 (Medium) Frames 2 to 2 1/2 Inch

3. S&W N Frames or Colt New Service Frames 2 1/2 Inch

This would include Ruger, Charter Arms, Taurus and similar makers who produce the same frame sizes and caliber chamberings. Of course, this is entirely subjective.

Cheers;
Lefty

 

[Oyeboteb]

3 Inch Barrel is only a 'Snub' if the Revolver is .50 Calibre or more.

.44 and .45 Calibre - 2-1/2 Inch qualifies as a 'Snub'.

.41 Calibre and .38 and below, 2 inch qualifies.

Otherwise, it is merely 'short'...but, not a 'Snubby'.

 

[duppie]

3 Inch Barrel is only a 'Snub' if the Revolver is .50 Calibre or more.

.44 and .45 Calibre - 2-1/2 Inch qualifies as a 'Snub'.

.41 Calibre and .38 and below, 2 inch qualifies.

Otherwise, it is merely 'short'...but, not a 'Snubby'.

Thank you for a concise and encompassing reply, but if you will, where did your spec come from? I am looking for perhaps a historical document,technical specs or something more than personal opinion.

 

[snubbyfan]

3" and under qualifies as a snubby.

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

Thank you for a concise and encompassing reply, but if you will, where did your spec come from? I am looking for perhaps a historical document,technical specs or something more than personal opinion.

I am certain, you may find company catalogs and brochures well from the past and perhaps less of current manufacturers, who may have utilized the term "snub" to describe a short barrel revolver. This is a term popularized in the 1920's and 30's to describe a short barrel revolver. I imagine from the latin "sub", meaning "below" or less than. I cannot imagine any of these being less than subjective. A short barrel is....a short barrel and was meant to be appealing to the plainclothes and uniformed big city policeman of the day and other people who needed to be armed and undiscovered as such. Shopkeepers, buisnessmen, postal clerks..... the list of potential users is endless.

Generally speaking, it's intent was/is to provide increased concealment and comfort for the user. In the larger frame revolvers it affords the user significant advances in both of these arenas. Easier to hide, faster to draw, larger caliber in the bigger frame sizes. Most effective in close tactical encounters, less so at greater distances. All the obvious tradeoffs for FPS and muzzle velocity depending on barrel length. You makes' yer' choices and lays yer' money down, son.

Cheers;
Lefty

 

[Oyeboteb]

Thank you for a concise and encompassing reply, but if you will, where did your spec come from? I am looking for perhaps a historical document,technical specs or something more than personal opinion.

I did not mean for my little missive to seem so 'serious'!

Lol...

I just pulled it out of my...uhhh, out of my own arrived-at of opinion.


I do not believe there is any Historical data to support any specifications for what is or is not a Snub Nose, or, how that may defer to Calibre and scale/proportion.

I have gone by what looks 'right' to me.

There were some .50 Calibre Snubbys, too...English usually, though some Belgian. Usually made on or along the pattern of the Webley 'Bull Dog'.

 

[Texas Star]

Glad to know that my 3" 686 is mub. What would you call a M 60 3"

I call it a superb small revolver, very desirable.

I do distinguish in some posts between three-inch barrels and true snubs, which I define as two-inch .38's.

But a 2.5-inch K-frame is a snub, in my book.

I guess those huge N-frame snubs with three-inch barrels are snubs. Much depends on the overall style of the gun.

 

[suckersrus]

No. So I looked it up.

Wikipedia backs me up. "A snubnosed revolver has a barrel length of fewer than three (3) inches."

It does not say "3 inches or less."

Snubnosed revolver - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Sooooo, if you have a 3-incher and want a snub you have to take a file to it.

 

[Texas Star]

Thank you for a concise and encompassing reply, but if you will, where did your spec come from? I am looking for perhaps a historical document,technical specs or something more than personal opinion.[/QUOTE]


You ain't gonna get it, Duppie. The word is a slang term, subject to personal interpretation.

Another such term is "belly gun", derived from the liklihood that the bearer would hope to cram the short-barrelled piece into his opponent's tummy as he fired.

But the public understands that a snubnose is a short-barrelled revolver.

 

[chief38]

To me a true snubbie has a 2" barrel. I'll accept that a 2 1/2 will slide into that category as well, but I'll draw the line at anything over 2 1/2 inches. My opinion is a 3" inch is NOT a snubbie.

Chief38

 

[Oyeboteb]

To me a true snubbie has a 2" barrel. I'll accept that a 2 1/2 will slide into that category as well, but I'll draw the line at anything over 2 1/2 inches. My opinion is a 3" inch is NOT a snubbie.

Chief38

Egg-Zactlee...

And, a 2-1/2 Inch only really works if it is a .44 or .45, for it to be a ("True") Snubby.

Othersise...2 Inch for .38s and anything smaller.

When the pre-detective Special was being introduced by Colt, I think it was simply called a 2 Inch Police Positive Special. The Colt 'Bankers Special' was a 2 inch Police Positive, and, was called, the 'Bankers Special'.

When the 2 Inch 'Military & Police' was being introduced by Smith & Wesson, far as I recall, it was simply called a 2 inch 'Military & Police'.

'Snub Nose' was popular slang, as was 'Belly Gun' ( as Texas Star reminds )...these terms were not used by Revolver Manufacturers or Dealers, far as I ever heard of.

Did Smith & Wesson even have a name for the 2 inch New Departure/Safety Hammerless?

Iver Johson ( and I expect, H & R and others ) had called their .32 and .22 Calibre 2 inch Break Tops 'Bicycle Guns', and, this may have also included their .38 S&W Chambering ones, but, I am not sure.

I think S & W did call their 2 Inch Safety Hammerless .32s 'Bicycle Guns' for a very short time, in the 1890s, but, again, I am not sure on that.

If anyone knows, please do tell?

P

 

[duppie]

No. So I looked it up.

Wikipedia backs me up. "A snubnosed revolver has a barrel length of fewer than three (3) inches."

It does not say "3 inches or less."

Snubnosed revolver - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Sooooo, if you have a 3-incher and want a snub you have to take a file to it.

You are aware that Wikipedia is largely reader generated and not considered a unimpeachable information source by most, so I for one would not count on it as my main source of reference or facts.

 

[Broker50]

IMHO, no a 3" barrel is not a snub. The cut off for me is 2 1/2". And I know 3" barrels are highly regarded on this forum, but I find them neither fish nor fowl, and don't care for them at all. I can carry a 4" just as easily as a 3", & have better ballistics, balance, sight radius, etc.

 

[chud333]

3" and under qualifies as a snubby.

This, ^^^^^^^^
I agree !!!!

Chuck