A Snubnosed revolver has a barrel length of less than three (3) inches. It was a popular type of firearm with undercover police officers due to its compact size and easy handling. Its popularity was temporarily overshadowed with the wide-scale availability of compact, large-capacity semi-automatic pistols in the 1980s and their gradual adoption by police in the 1990s. The first snubnosed revolver was the Colt Detective Special, which appeared in 1927.[1] Colt, Smith and Wesson, Taurus, and Ruger all make various types of snubnosed revolvers. Two developments resulted in a resurgence in popularity of these revolvers in the United States starting in the mid-1990s. First, the passage of Right to Carry laws in various states created new markets for reliable, concealed carry firearms. Second, the passage of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban limited the availability of pistol magazines holding more than 10 rounds, thus reducing the advantages of the "Wonder Nine" pistols normally capable of holding 15 or more rounds. The increased demand for snubbie revolvers was met with the introduction of numerous new models from Smith & Wesson, Taurus and others. While some were made of traditional carbon steel, stainless steel, and lightweight aluminum alloys that had been in use for decades, many of the new models used high-strength, lightweight metal alloys such as titanium and scandium
rugersp101
.357magnum
revolver
smith&wessonmodel36
.38Special
Mr
45
Bullitt
