fbpx

Ah, Snubbies

Smith & Wesson model 637It has gotten so friggin hot that shorts and a t-shirt are about the only thing I can stand to wear. My preference is for a pair of cargo shorts with nice, deep pockets. In this mode of dress, the Airweight Model 637 is the perfect gun for concealed carry. My darling wife insisted on a set of Crimson Trace LaserGrips for it am I a lucky man or what? Her concealed carry permit is on the way, so I know Im going to have to buy another light snubby soon doesnt bother me a bit. I dont kick down doors for a living, and a five-shot snubby loaded with +p does the job just fine. The gun shop commandoes can rave about their 18-round magazines, but the fact of the Airweight Model 637 matter is that the five in the snubby is usually five more than I actually need. With a couple of speed-loaders in the little pocket in the front of the main pocket, loaded with Remington 129 grain +p, I am adequately armed. I dont worry a bit. I know I can shoot this little gun and ruin any bad guys day with it in a heartbeat.

I stopped by my favorite gun shop, Shooters Supply in Lyndon, Kentucky. My favorite salesperson there is Albert Lui. We always visit a long time whenever I stop by. Hes a member of the Kentucky Practical Defense League like I am and we have shot a lot of matches together. Like me, he loves the tricked-out 1911s for the match, but when I stopped by the shop to pick up a set of Hogue Monogrips for the Model 60, we got to talking about snubbies. I was packing the Model 637 in a pocket holster. Albert showed me the gun he was packing. With all of the cool guns that Shooters has to offer, (and they have a bunch) he was packing the Smith & Wesson Model 649 accessorized with a Barami Hip-Grip. This is an all-steel .357 Bodyguard. He had a local gunsmith slick-up the trigger and it was really nice. Quoting Albert, “It’s enough gun for me. I just don’t put myself in situations where I’m going to need more than five rounds.” Conceptual connections.

Smith & Wesson model 637With the Crimson Trace LaserGrips, the snubby becomes a formidable weapons system. I took my darling bride and my eldest son to the range this week. She had the CT grips on the Model 60 and he was shooting the XD-9 Tactical equipped with an Insight X2 laser sight/tactical light combo. They both shot much tighter patterns using the lasers than they did with iron sights. I like them too.

A lot of folks like to say that the five-shot j-frames are obsolete. These are usually folks who are packing baby Glocks or Kahrs. Theyre wrong. The little j-frames are still the most easily concealed and comfortable to carry handguns of anything available today. The little Kahr’s and Kel-Tec’s are attractive in many ways. The Kel-Tec’s in particular are very concealable but they are a tad underpowered. Personally, I remain distrustful of the Kahr’s. Quite a few people simply prefer the simplicity and reliability of the revolver, and it can launch a really powerful round if you so choose.

One thing I notice is that you almost never find deals on these guns used. The people who have them hang onto them. They work. They do the job.


Comments, suggestions, contributions? Contact me here