I've said it before, my Rohrbaugh is the ultimate pocket carry (IMO)
Smaller than a Jframe with higher capacity and in 9mm.
Smaller than a Jframe with higher capacity and in 9mm.
I'd go with the .357.
I don't have one in front of me, but the velocity of a snubbie in .38 even with modern loads, is way lower than a .38 in a longer barrel.
I'd be more than happy to test it over a chrony which is the truth teller but I don't have anything related to .38 anymore.
When I saw it just dent a drum, that was enough for me. For a comparison, a .45ACP will go through two of them completely and dent the back side of a third.
.40 will go through three of them and dent the fourth. Winchester WB factory for both tests.
I know its redneck ballistics testing, but it does show the .38 is way lacking.
I don't have one in front of me, but the velocity of a snubbie in .38 even with modern loads, is way lower than a .38 in a longer barrel.
I'd be more than happy to test it over a chrony which is the truth teller but I don't have anything related to .38 anymore.
When I saw it just dent a drum, that was enough for me. For a comparison, a .45ACP will go through two of them completely and dent the back side of a third.
.40 will go through three of them and dent the fourth. Winchester WB factory for both tests.
I know its redneck ballistics testing, but it does show the .38 is way lacking.
Simplicity sake maybe, ability to have extra rounds in moon clips and be quick changing them out would help.
How do you keep it from jamming? Shadowrider had one with issues, and my buddy just bought one that isn't reliable. He has tried 4 or five premium ammo samples that still don't work.
What ammo are you using?
I have to agree, .38 out of a snub is weak.
Getting up to a .357 gives it some serious man juice but I wouldn't want to discharge a .357 snub indoors - it'll deafen you!
I've owned 3 and use Gold Dot 124grain in all of them. Never an issue with any of them...ever.
I've had multiple friends see mine and buy them after seeing/shooting mine and 1 guy had issues with his (don't know what ammo he was using) mentioned the GD 124s and he said that fixed it.
With a 9mm that small, the OAL of the round really matters.
Whats funny is that my buddy took his into an OKC gunshop to get a holster. The guy at the gunsmith counter said he had the mag loaded backwards.
Not a lot of them out there, so I'm sure the mechanics of the gun were not familiar to him.
Not a lot of them out there, so I'm sure the mechanics of the gun were not familiar to him.
The Rohrbaugh is an interesting option. It does have a history of being relatively unreliable, especially with frequent shooting...and the price alone rules it out for the average concealed carrier. Oddly enough, I'm much more accurate at 25 yards with a j-frame than I am with the Rohrbaugh.
It's very flat in profile. With the 7rd mag and cargo shorts, you could get away with pocket carry. The weight is low enough anyway. It will do very well in an ankle rig or any IWB you could fit it in. 8-9 rounds of 9mm definitely beats five .38's out of a 2" barrel.
When I still carried a revolver, I did so with a 3" Model 66 with boot grips. I could definitely shoot it better than my 442, it was easier to get a good grip with and I carried and shot full house magnums no less. I didn't care for shooting magnums in a j frame, even with the all steel Model 60. Still, with 20% more firepower, it's only one extra round and reloads are definitely slower than an auto.
I won an IDPA national championship with a S&W Model 19-4, so I'm no stranger to running a revo hard & fast. That said, I can't see any advantages to carrying a revolver today. They are fun to shoot though!
This is coming from a revo fan that shoots revolver division in USPSA. If we're talking about the .38 Special it is actually a touch lighter in weight. But to me it is more controllable than an airweight J frame allowing faster follow up shots. I'm also drastically more accurate with the LCR. 10 yard head shots with my LCR are actually pretty easy and I just can't say that about the J, at least with me shooting it I get much better groups shooting it at speed. You mentioned the superior trigger and it is. I even had a Apex duty carry kit in my 442 and it still wasn't as good on the trigger as my LCR. That's just about all the design will tolerate without losing reliability. I also agree that with Speer GD +P short barrel loads that is about as good as it gets ballistically in that caliber and if that load weren't available I'd likely not carry a .38 snub at all. I think it's a better overall design with more modern construction but the bottom line is it just shoots better.
Lately I've been considering trying to trade it for a 9mm Shield. I'm with GTG, it is just a tactically superior weapon to have for CCW. But the lightweight snubbies are just so damned easy to slip into a pocket holster and go.
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