Two questions were asked – and I will try to answer them here . . .
Do frame materials make that much difference in weight? – And how much weight difference are there with different grips?
First a 637-2 aluminum alloy frame/stainless steel cylinder with Ergo Grips . . .
And the same 637-2 naked . . .
It comes in at 12.8oz naked – the grips add 2oz of weight to the mix . . .
Second is a 642-2 with OEM “Boot” Grips – aluminum alloy frame/stainless cylinder . . .
The “Boot Grips add about 1.6oz to a naked 642’s 12.6oz naked weight . . .
Third is a 642-2 with Ergo Grips . . .
And the 642-2 naked . . .
It comes in at 12.9oz naked . . .
Fourth is a 3″ 36-1 steel frame/steel cylinder with Pachmayr Grips . . .
And the 36-1 naked . . .
It comes 1lb 4.5oz naked – The grips add 4.4oz to the mix . . .
Fifth is the 360-1 scandium frame/titanium cylinder with OEM “Uncle Mike’s” Boot Grips – now that was a great marketing ploy to get S&W to put your grips on their “stuff”! . . .
And the 360-1 naked . . .
It comes in at 11.6oz naked . . .
S&W snubbies come in many flavors – and they can be in a bunch of different calibers depending on YOUR specific needs and purposes. S&W is even making one in .32 H&R Magnum – OH BOY! – These five are all .38 Special except the 360-1 which will also chamber .357 Magnum – which I haven’t gotten time to shoot it yet and still not sure about full power Magnums in something that light. Summertime carry in my .38 Special snubbie world is Remington 125 grain jacketed hollow point +P – even with the short barrel velocity loss you may actually get enough for expansion – maybe. Wintertime carry is 148 grain wad cutters – they cut a nice hole through cloth and keep right on chugging along.
Actually got all the S&W J frames together for a group picture – from the top going clockwise – 637-2 with Ergo Grips / what I usually carry OWB for a revolver ( or a government model 1911 in .45acp ) – 642-2 with OEM “Boot” Grips / just vanishes in an ankle holster – 36-1 with a 3″ barrel with Pachmayr / it gets carried in lieu of the 637-2 when it starts getting whiny about never getting any “love” – and seriously folks – if you ever run across a 36-1 with a 3″ barrel? – grab it – with the Pachmayr Grips it is the best pointing – best balanced revolver I have ever owned or handled – it’s simply sweet – 360-1 with “Uncle Mike’s Boot Grips” – gonna have to shoot it some to see where it lands in the mix – 642-1 with Ergo Grips – had a hard time getting it out of my pocket for the group picture – it’s like I don’t want to be outside – I’m supposed to stay in your pocket until I get to come out and go bang – bang – bang – bang – bang – the only way it would get in the group for the picture was I had to promise it a trip to the range this week – LOL!
And one last pic of the 637-2 with “summer” ammo – 5 rounds of 125grain Remington semi jacketed hollow point +p – it actually breaks 1 pound . . .
I am going to order a set of Ergo Grips for the 360-1 – even with a 3″ barrel / the really sweet front sight – the adjustable rear sight – and the added weight of the Ergo Grips it only comes in at about 13.6oz – which is not really enough weight to soak up recoil shooting .38 Special let alone full power 158 grain .357 Magnum loads . . .
To put this in a little different perspective, what you see below is a Taurus 605 ( First Series ) – all steel 5 shot .357 Magnum – plus or minus Taurus’s take on a S&W J frame – sweet little revolver – good smooth trigger in double action – a little heavy but shootable – clean crisp single action trigger break – their version of “Boot Grips” – at 23.3oz .38 Special wad cutters – and even 125 grain +p rounds are doable – not a lot of fun – but it works – PPU 158 grain semi jacketed .357 Magnum – simply put – No!! – PPU loads to full SAAMI secs on their .357 – about the average you will find out here is around 1400 fps – PPU is at 1608 fps with their 158 grain .357 – real old timey loading – they REALLY come out screaming . . .
The issue with really light weight revolvers is not the first shot – it’s the subsequent shots – I took one of the 642’s with OEM grips and one with Ergo Grips – 158 grain lead semi wad cutter +p hollow points – us old farts remember them as the fbi load -and off to the range I went – 5 shots rapid fire / reload / five shots rapid fire – using HKS speedloaders – shot the Ergo Grips first and really had no issues – the last three shots of the second string were skidding around a little but were still hits . . . the two 5 shot rapid fire strings with the OEM “Boot Grips”? It was all I could do to fuck fumble through the reload and those 10 rounds total? The first shot was right there – the remaining 9? – they were all on the paper – but all OVER the paper – it was a 2 foot x 4 foot silhouette at 10 yards – I had to use my left hand to get my truck in gear and drive home – it really sucked – hand hurt for 3-4 days afterwards – BUT – that made a true believer in Ergo Grips out of me . . .
Really tiny and light weight revolvers are a hoot – but only hits where they need to be count! I figure 125 grain +p will be where I end up with in the 360 – but of course I have to know so I will crank off some PPU loads out of it – LOL!
Have Fun! – Run the Gun! – and remember – Fish Heads are Cheap!!
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