The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery. Massad Ayoob

that hurts like hell, I should go to Mistress Fifi’s House of Pain and at least get an orgasm out of the deal.

       The Model 340 Sc 12-ounce “baby Magnum” was among the first S&Ws to receive integral lock treatment; note keyway above cylinder latch.

       A warning on the barrel shroud of AirLite Sc: it reads, 357 S&W MAG/NO LESS THAN 120 GR BULLET.

      This is why, for my own small backup revolver needs, I tend toward either the Model 442 or the Ruger SP-101. While the latter gun is even heavier than the Model 640, it fires the .357 Magnum round with very controllable recoil. A qualification with the SP-101 using full power 125-grain Magnum ammo could be called “exhilarating.” The same qualification with the same ammo in the baby Scandium .357 qualifies absolutely as torture, at least in my hands.

      Different people have different abilities and needs. My fellow gunwriter Wiley Clapp admits that the 342 Sc kicks like hell, but it’s his favorite pocket gun nonetheless, even when stoked with Elmer Keith Memorial Magnum ammo. As you look at our differing preferences, note two things. First, Wiley is a big, strong guy. I, on the other hand, resemble the “before” picture in the Charles Atlas ads. Second, Wiley is retired from law enforcement and no longer required to qualify at regular intervals with backup guns and their carry ammo. Those repeated qualifications are something I’m still stuck with.

       The Scandium J-frame gave 100 percent reliability with Golden Saber medium-velocity .357 Magnum, but uninspiring accuracy.

       The grimace on the face of this shooter after firing his first full Magnum round from the Scandium J-frame says it all.

      For me, the balance of the super-light versus the Airweight comes out in favor of the Airweight for two reasons. At least in .38 Special, I can use my favorite load, that +P lead hollow-point that would pull loose in the chambers of the lighter guns. Moreover, in my career as an instructor I’ve seen a whole lot of people conditioned to flinch and jerk their shots because their gun hurt their hand when it went off. I don’t want that situation to develop with me especially when I’m into the last layer of my safety net, the backup gun in my pocket. That’s why, since I have to shoot a lot with any gun I carry, I want to carry a gun I’m comfortable shooting a lot.

      We have more choices than ever, choices that fit some of us better than others. That’s a good thing.

      There are a great many people who can benefit from the super-light small-frame revolvers. Before you choose, check out the Taurus line. Some are equipped with integral recoil compensators that make them distinctly easier to shoot than a Smith & Wesson of equivalent weight with the same ammo. In fact, the comps take enough oomph out of the kick that the lead bullet +P rounds don’t start to disassemble themselves in the chambers of Taurus guns so outfitted.

      Another option is caliber change. My colleague Charlie Petty recommends the .32 Magnum in these guns. The recoil is much more controllable and the power level will still be more debilitating to an opponent than a mouse-gun. And, speaking of mouse-guns, a considerable number of the AirLite Ti revolvers have been sold as the Model 317, an eight-shot .22 that weighs only 9.9 ounces unloaded.

      Let’s think about that last concept. No, I’m not recommending a .22 for self-defense. But if the person is only going to carry a 10-ounce .25 auto anyway, they’re far better served with a top quality eight-shot, 10-ounce .22 revolver. The Model 317 will go off every time you pull the trigger, which is more than you can say for most .25 autos. Unlike most small auto pistols in .22 Long Rifle, this revolver will work 100 percent with the hot, hypervelocity .22 rimfire ammo typified by CCI's Stinger, the cartridge that began that concept long ago. Perhaps because the .22 doesn’t generate enough heat to affect the thin steel barrel sleeve, the AirLite .22 will generally group better than the .38 and .357 versions. It will outshoot most any .25 auto going.

       Here’s what happens when you use full-power lead bullets in a Ti or Sc S&W. Inertia from the violent recoil pulled the bullet nose of the 158-grain Magnum forward, “prairie-dogging” out of the chamber and preventing rotation.

       The Model 340 Sc jammed after the third shot. Note how the bullets of Remington 158-grain SWC .357 cartridges have pulled forward from recoil inertia. At right is a properly sized round from same box for comparison.

       More Wattage for the Lite

      The super-light revolver comes into a different perspective when you look at the larger models. In the Taurus line, I’ve found all the Ultra-Lites and Total Titanium models I’ve fired to be good shooters. The larger frame models come with the company’s unique Ribber grips, for which I give great thanks. They soak up recoil better than anything S&W currently offers. Add to that the option of the integral recoil compensator, and you have a much more shootable gun.

      Alas, as with the Smiths, all is not perfect with these guns, either. I’ve run across several Taurus revolvers of this genre whose cylinders were simply too tight and were rubbing against the forcing cone of the barrel, mucking up the trigger pull and binding the action. A quick trip back to the plant to widen the barrel cylinder gap fixes this, however. I’ve also seen several that didn’t shoot to point of aim.

      Groups, however, were consistently good. I recall one snubby .41 Magnum Taurus that put five shots into 2-5/16 inches at 25 yards. The ammo was PMC 41A, a full power 170-grain .41 Magnum hollow-point. If the late, great Elmer Keith, the father of the .44 Magnum and co-parent of the .41 Mag, still walked among us, I suspect this little Taurus is what he’d carry for backup.

      Both S&W and Taurus have produced L-frame .357 Magnum super-lights. They weigh in the range of 18 ounces, which is about the heft of the old six-shot K-frame Model 12 Airweight .38 snubby. But instead of six .38s, these sleek shooters give you seven rounds of .357 Magnum. Recoil can be snappy, but nothing you can’t handle. Use the Ribber grips on the Taurus, and get a pair of K-frame round-butt Pachmayr Decelerator Compac grips for the S&W to take the sting out. These are comfortable holster guns and conceal well under a light jacket, or in a good inside-the-waistband holster under a “tails-out” shirt.

      S&W has also sold a number of their Model 396 revolvers, hump-backed L-frames that hold five rounds of .44 Special. The shape of the grip-frame forces you to have your hand low on the gun, and this puts the bore at such a high axis that the gun has a nasty upward muzzle whip. Personally, I can’t warm up to this gun. Accuracy is mediocre, in a world where even short-barreled Smith & Wesson .44 Specials have historically shot with noble precision. I tested one next to a Glock 27 on one occasion. The auto pistol was smaller, roughly the same weight, and held 10 rounds compared to the wheelgun’s five, in roughly the same power range. The Glock shot tighter groups faster and was actually easier to conceal.

      All these guns have a place. The light .357s and the little Taurus .41 make good sense when you’re in dangerous animal country and want something very powerful for up-close-and-personal defense, but want to keep the backpack as light as you can.

      The big contribution of the super-lights to combat