Читать книгу The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery онлайн

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For each such gun that finds its way into the field, there are several small-frame “super-lights” that are being carried in .22 Long Rifle, .32 Magnum, .38 Special, and even .357 Mag. The majority of these are .38s.

The reason the little super-lights are so much more popular than the big ones doesn’t have much to do with the fact that they’ve been around just a little bit longer. It’s a convenience thing. There is a huge market among civilians with CCWs and cops already overburdened with equipment. People want small, powerful handguns that don’t drag and sag when worn on the body. Let’s examine some of the weight standards we’re talking about.

A seven-shot L-frame snubby is a good “envelope” for the ultra-light .357 concept.

Smith & Wesson’s Centennial “hammerless” revolver is a case in point. I own them in all four of the different weight configurations. It’s interesting to see how they “weigh in,” in more ways than one.

Model 640 all-steel

This is one of the first of the re-issued Centennials, produced circa 1990 with the frame stamped +P+. I’ve always carried mine with the 158-grain +P FBI loads. It shoots exactly where the sight picture looks. It is very accurate, and head-shots at 25 yards are guaranteed if I do my part. Recoil with the +P is stiff; not fun, but not hard to handle either. Shooting a 50-round qualification course with it is no problem. It weighs 19.5 ounces unloaded.