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It's amazing just how much difference the weight of a pistol can have on felt recoil. I've got a 327PD. Think service sized version of an air weight. Scadmium frame. Titanium cylinder. Amazingly light for a full size 8 shot .357.

Recoil with .38's is more than my 9mm blocks. Recoil with .357's is on par with (most people say worse than) my steel framed 7 1/2" 44 Mag.

The snubbies have always struck me as "experts guns". Small grips, vestigial sights, light weight, often pocket or ankle carried, 5 shots, slow reload even with a speed loader (and most don't carry one) mean you've turned the difficulty know all the way to 11.

That said, someone with a .38 snubby is much better off than the person that left their gun at home. There are folks with the dedication and time that are willing to really learn how to run a snubbie. Those folks are going to be way better off than the average Joe who puts 50 rounds a year (if that) through their gun and the rest of the time it sits in a fewer or console.