Snubbies and handgun accessories are hot commodities in gun shops around the country.
This recent winter, Roger Howe, owner of L&R Arms Exchange, has been selling a large number of handguns for concealed carry customers. But whereas the in-demand handguns in 2014 were .380 semi-autos, now his customers are much more interested in buying “snubbies,” or snub-nosed revolvers. Leading the pack here are Taurus Model 85’s in .38 Special and various Rossi revolvers in .38 Special, as well as .357 Mag.
“Each of those revolvers sells in the mid-$300 to the upper-$300 range,” Howe noted. “That’s $100 to $150 less than most of the Rugers and the Smith & Wessons, and that lower price point seems to be driving sales towards these models.”
Handgun Accessories Moving Briskly
With a customer base extremely interested in self-defense and concealed carry, it is no wonder that Center Target Sports in Post Falls, Idaho, sells a steady stream of handgun accessories. Owner Edward Santos says mini red-dot optics for pistols are increasingly popular with his customers, especially the Trijicon RMR at $349.99 and the Burris Fast Fire priced a little less at $269.99.
His top aftermarket handgun sights are models made by AmeriGlo and TruGlo. For laser sights, “Crimson Trace models are still number one in this store,” Santos said. “We do carry other makes. But they are no competition to Crimson Trace.”
Center Target could not keep the 9mm Beretta Nano in stock when the small carry pistol first came out.
“But those sales have dropped way off,” Santos said. “They pretty much had that market at first, but today I think there’s just too much competition in this style and size of gun for the Nano to dominate.”
Now, the demand in this segment of the concealed carry market has shifted to the Glock 42 and Sig P238, while Smith & Wesson J-Frame revolvers are doing very well here, too.
This article appeared in the May 2015 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine. Click here to download the issue.
Recommended Revolver Resources
Gun Digest Book of the Revolver
Gunsmithing Pistols & Revolvers
Massad Ayoob’s Greatest Handguns of the World, Vol. 2
