Five Reasons Line45 Says the Snub-Nose Revolver Still Works for Carry
In this video, Line45 argues that the five-shot snub-nose revolver still has a place in concealed carry despite the capacity edge of modern micro 9mm pistols, giving five reasons while acknowledging its weaknesses.
Snapshot
Line45 weighs the snub-nose revolver's easier concealment, simple double-action operation and ability to fire pressed against a surface against its heavy trigger, slow reloads, sharp recoil and lower capacity than a P365, and recommends specific short-barrel defensive loads. The channel's bottom line is that every carry gun is a compromise and that a snub carried every day beats a bigger gun left at home.
Key points
- Concealment: Line45 says the rounded shape of guns like the Smith & Wesson 642 and Ruger LCR hides more easily than a boxy slide and magazine grip such as the Sig P365's.
- Simplicity: each double-action pull rotates the cylinder and fires, so a round that fails to go off is handled by pulling again, though triggers often run 8 to 15 pounds and reloads are slower.
- Contact distance: some semi-autos can be pushed out of battery when pressed against a surface, while a revolver still fires; Line45 warns that gas from the barrel-cylinder gap can injure a support hand.
- Capacity in context: the channel concedes a P365 holds 10+1 and that snubs under 15 ounces kick hard with +P .38 Special, but argues a gun carried every day beats a bigger one left at home.
- Ammunition: Line45 favors short-barrel loads such as Speer's 135-grain Gold Dot Short Barrel +P, rated around 860 fps from a 2-inch barrel, and Federal's 130-grain HST Micro.
Quick take
Line45 concludes that every carry gun is a compromise, and that for many people a snub-nose with a well-chosen short-barrel load is still the gun that actually gets carried.
Watch the full video: Line45