Snubnosed revolver

A snubnosed revolver (colloquially known as a snubbie, belly gun, or bulldog revolver) is a small, medium, or large frame revolver with a short barrel, generally less than 3 inches in length. Smaller such revolvers are often made with "bobbed" or "shrouded" hammers and there are also "hammerless" models (where the hammer is entirely internal); the point is to allow the gun to be drawn with little risk of it snagging on clothing. Since the external movement of the mechanism is minimal or nil, shrouded and hammerless models may be fired from within clothing.^[1] The design of these revolvers compromises range and accuracy at a distance in favor of maneuverability and ease of carry and concealment.

Snubnosed revolvers were popular in the United States until the 1950s and 1960s when many states passed laws limiting or prohibiting the carrying of concealed weapons. The passage in many US states of "shall issue" firearms license laws from the mid-1980s to the 1990s created new markets for small, simple, reliable, concealed-carry firearms. This resulted in a resurgence in the popularity of snubnosed revolvers in the United States.

Demand for snubnosed revolvers has been met with the introduction of numerous new models from Smith & Wesson, Colt, Ruger, Taurus, and other manufacturers. While most are made of traditional carbon steel, stainless steel, and lightweight aluminum alloys that have been in use for decades, some models use high-strength, lightweight metal alloys such as titanium and scandium. Polymer frames have also been used.

Most firearms manufacturers now produce snubnosed revolvers in larger calibers than before, including .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .45 Colt. Some companies make .454 Casull, .460 S&W Magnum, .480 Ruger, .500 S&W Magnum, and .410 bore snubnosed revolvers. There are also snubnosed revolvers chambered for semi-automatic pistol cartridges such as 9×19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP (loaded with the aid of Moon clips).