Author Topic: Anyone shoot a Smith Wesson 396 ? (Read 1104 times)

cabezaverde · « **on:** August 18, 2005, 12:11:22 PM »

I have been watching one at the store that has been calling my name. How is that thing to shoot, from a recoil standpoint ? Just seems so darn light.

I do handload.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #1 on:** August 28, 2005, 02:02:34 PM »

had one it was a nice packin gun. But with keith level loads it was brutal! My top end load was 17 grains of 2400 and a 250 and it would remove skin from your hand. I actually believe my .500 linebaugh is more comfortable to shoot with top loads. But with 6-7 grians of unique and a 250 it wasnt bad at all.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #2 on:** August 28, 2005, 02:06:03 PM »

ps traded it for a 696 and it is one sweat gun. A little more weight and its one of the most accurate handguns i have.

SPW · « **Reply #3 on:** August 29, 2005, 01:07:12 PM »

I wish I could afford one. :cry: Smiths are just so unreasonably high priced. Wanted one for quite a while. Maybe in a year or so though. The 396 is just about the only reasonably strong small 44 special with adjustable sights. If the chater 2000 quality control wasn't so spotty I would just get the bulldog even if it isn't as strong and has no adjustable sights. I was planning to buy a charter 2000 bulldog at a gunshow after the good reviews on gunblast.com and other places on the net but when i started looking at them uggg... terrible quality. Looked at about 5 different ones at different dealers and they were all the same... terrible. No... beyond terrible... some of the worst looking new guns I have ever seen. Actually a step down from those 22 heritage rough riders in both fit and finish. I was ready to buy a stainless one but not ones like that. I didn't know it was possible to make a stainless finish look so bad. Nothing like the pictures on gunblast. The funny thing was their little 2 in. barrel 22 pathfinders didn't look that bad. Older stock maybe? And yes these all were charter 2000 guns not charcos or some other re-creation of charter arms. This was about january this year which was not to long before they declared bankruptcy so in all fairness that could have had something to do with the totally miserable quality. I am still keeping an eye open at the shows in case I see a good one.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #4 on:** September 04, 2005, 02:14:20 AM »

find yourself a rossi 770 its a copy of the 696 smith a litte cruder looking but a great little gun. I wish i could help you find one but i just sold the one i had. They can be picked up for about $250 used if you can find one.

Shane in WI · « **Reply #5 on:** September 05, 2005, 02:53:50 PM »

I looked at the light weight smith, but bought the Taurus 444 Multi for almost $300 less. 6 shot titanium 44 mag, 4 inch barrel w/o Porting very similar to the Smith accept the price. My taurus has a raging bull rubber grip which helps I am told. It's not to bad with lite loads, but with the hunting 240 or 300 grain loads it's a handfull. Just what I want for a pack gun on my elk/deer bowhunt in CO next week. Weighs only 28 oz which is 1/2 of my 6 1/2" Taurus made of steel. I'm happy with it.

Bob C · « **Reply #6 on:** February 05, 2006, 09:41:51 AM »

I've had one for a couple of months. I like it. With this size and weight it does very well for CCW. The Speer Gold Dot's, the Silvertips, and the Pro Load 200 hp's all do fine, and are very controllable.

I didn't like the bantam grips, and have replaced them on my gun with larger wood grips.

I tried 270 SWC's with 6.8 gr. Unique and had no pressure problems, nor did the bullets jump their crimp. Recoil was significant.

With 180 grain bullets and 7.0 to 7.5 Unique, it's much more manageable to shoot, with recoil about like the factory loads.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #7 on:** February 05, 2006, 11:19:32 AM »

I shot keith level 2400 loads in mine and they were brutal but the gun took it without a wimper and bullets never jumped crimp. Got tired of hoseing the blood off it though. That backstrap tore the ++++ out of the web of my hand.

paul105 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 06, 2006, 04:06:40 PM »

I replaced the Hoque Bantams on my 396 with a set of the Hoque 500s that Smith & Wesson sells. The 500s have a wide, cushioned, covered backstrap. I did this before messing with any heavy loads because the bantams on my 340 cost me 2 stitches in the web of my hand. I have two holsters for the 396 -- useage of which depends on what I'm doing. The first, is a Haugen three slot thumb break that I carry cross draw during archery elk season. The Haugen is a very compact, lightweight holster. The other is a Milt Sparks Versa Max II (Inside Waste Band) used when out in the woods with the dog (5 days a week 7 months of the year), and don't want to carry extra weight, and don't want to appear armed. I don't use mine for typical concealed carry so the bigger grips don't cause me any problems -- actually they are reasonably concealable with the Versa Max II. My load is a 250gr Leadhead (actually weighs 258gr) at a chronographed 1,030 fps from the 3 1/4" bbl. As Loyd mentioned above, these loads are more than "SNAPPY". This gun is my "last resort', "stick it in their ear" gun all though it is quite capable of excellent accuracy at longer distances. It's just very hard to shoot well at longer ranges because of the light weight ant short barrel.

Hope some of this rambling helps.

Paul

paul105 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 06, 2006, 04:15:00 PM »

I replaced the Hoque Bantams on my 396 with a set of the Hoque 500s that Smith & Wesson sells. The 500s have a wide, cushioned, covered backstrap. I did this before messing with any heavy loads because the bantams on my 340 cost me 2 stitches in the web of my hand. I have two holsters for the 396 -- useage of which depends on what I'm doing. The first, is a Haugen three slot thumb break that I carry cross draw during archery elk season. The Haugen is a very compact, lightweight holster. The other is a Milt Sparks Versa Max II (Inside Waste Band) used when out in the woods with the dog (5 days a week 7 months of the year), and don't want to carry extra weight, and don't want to appear armed. I don't use mine for typical concealed carry so the bigger grips don't cause me any problems -- actually they are reasonably concealable with the Versa Max II. My load is a 250gr Leadhead (actually weighs 258gr) at a chronographed 1,030 fps from the 3 1/4" bbl. As Lloyd mentioned above, these loads are more than "SNAPPY". This gun is my "last resort', "stick it in their ear" gun all though it is quite capable of excellent accuracy at longer distances. It's just very hard to shoot well at longer ranges because of the light weight ant short barrel.

Hope some of this rambling helps.

Paul