K frame round butt question

[PeterCartwright]

I'll bet if you ever let your wife shoot that 36-1 round butt, you'll never get it back. I found one (but mine was blued) a few weeks ago. What a gem! Even shooting Remington's "FBI" load was a breeze (in terms of recoil) and it shoots nicely to POA. That heavy barrel apparently adds enough mass to tame the tiger. As a plus, I really liked the broad sight picture and broader front sight of the 36-1. The gun I found is slated as a birthday present for my wife later this year.

PC

 

[skyraider]

Thanks, again, for all the great input. I'm pursuing a sq butt J frame or a round butt K frame--maybe both. We don't have a round butt K frame, so I may buy one even if we get the sq butt J frame.

Paul

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

My wife is only 5 feet tall and has very small hands. We're looking for a medium frame round butt gun she can shoot and even carry some. J frame guns fit her hand well, but they're just not that much fun for her to shoot due to the small mass of the gun and the resulting recoil. I confess, the only J frame we've shot was a scandium frame S&W, but even a steel J frame snubbie is a tiny gun.

One of the pre 1980 K frame snubbies would be ideal (I think)--a M10 or a M64. We own several square butt K frames, I've never seen or held a round butt K frame. Are the round butts noticeably smaller than the square butts?

Yes. Don't forget that even for small hands, stock S&W grips are usually nonfunctional, but are easily corrected with a grip adapter. Another poster mentioned Pachmayr Compac Professionals ("Professional" is Pachmayr for "uncovered backstrap"), which are often an excellent choice. I wouldn't rule out a steel J-frame revolver, either, including possibly a square butt. A steel J frame is NOT a tiny gun in my hand, and it may not be in your wife's hand, either.

Best thing would be to try a gun in her hand with the right grips, either at the range, where she can actually shoot it, or at a local gun store, where there may be a larger selection of grips.

 

[vrichard]

A 4in.P&R model 12 rd.butt,i think are a tad slimmer.
Dick

 

[ikor]

Many years back, I used to recommend the 3in HB J frame .38's for female investigators. All save one preferred them and shot them well...that one preferred her M19 with full magnum (125gr Federal #357B) loads...and she never shot less than 95%. She did, however, carry a 3in J off duty.

 

[European]

I also have small hands. As others have already suggested, I would try a 3 inch steel J frame with Pachmayr Compac (available for both square and round butt) or a round butt K frame with Pachmayr Compac Professional. Those two combinations work great for me.

 

[M3Stuart]

ditto most of those comments...

I would tell you there's very little size difference between a square and round butt K frame. The grip will make all the difference. The SB seems to have better balance to me.

Ditto the comments about trying a steel J frame before moving to a snub version of a K. Also, try different loads. IMHO; The ammo and grip are going to affect the felt recoil - possibly more than the J vs. K issue.

Remember also; you can always put a SB conversion grip on a RB. I have these on a couple K's and an L.

 

[dscampbell]

I have a medium sized hand but short fingers. What worked the best for me is the factory grip on my 3" model 10-5 with a grip adapter, either a Tyler T grip or a BK grip. Anything that covers the back strap prevents my finger from reaching the trigger.

 

[Stu Honea]

My wife has been happier with the Mod.10 snub than with her nickeled Mod.37 SB,and shoots it much better.Says it fits her hand and feels more natural.
The K's are better for me than the J's tof course every individual has their own perceptions,and as they say,perception is reality.

 

[Black_Sheep]

My wife is 5'1" with a very petite build yet she has no problem shooting this 3" Model 10.

 

[mbliss57]

Trying on gun grips and sizes can be accomplished at a good gun show. There are almost always plenty of new guns to try plus look for used revolvers to pick up and "fondle".. But the bottom line is she will know what she likes. Your opinion is somewhat irrelevant...trust me I'm talking from experience

 

[riverrat38]

The 3- 1/8 in Ruger SP 101 is a little heaver than a 3 in S&W M60 and fits small hands well. I think that its just a matter of finding the right ammo for the shooter. I shoot 148 gr wad cutters with a minimum charge of WW231 in both guns and they are very mild.

rat

 

[skyraider]

More great comments. Thanks to all. The first couple of steps have been taken. I found a clean 36 no dash snubbie RB (diamond grips and all) with a Tyler T. Since the Tyler T is removable, we'll see which way fits her better.

Just to do some cheap practice with, I found a pristine 34-1 Sq Butt with a 4" barrel, all original paperwork, cleaning kit and box that should be here the end of this week. That will be a great gun for Joyce to practice with--small gun that should fit her hands fairly well and no recoil. She can compare the J frame RB and SB and see which one she likes the best!

We'll see what happens.

Paul