Tell me about revolvers

[Norinco982lover]

I am completely new to the revolver world...in fact I've only ever fired a revolver once. I am interested in purchasing a small revolver to use as a pocket gun for summer carry.

What is a good brand of revolver?

What models?

What size?

I'm thinking a .38 would be good...I probably would not use .357 because I want my wife to be able to shoot it fairly comfortably.

Price?

Thanks for your advice!

~Norinco

 

[steveracer]

Ok, let me be the first to welcome you into the wonderful world of wheelguns.
Go find a 4" barrel model 10. Call it done

 

[Norinco982lover]

I think that might be a tad big for pocket carry. Is Smith and Wesson the only legitimate affordable revolver manufacturer? I see Rossi, Taurus, and Charter Arms here and there. Thanks!

 

[Malikovski]

Which brand is far, far less important than how much you practice with it. Buy anything decent, and go put a couple thousand rounds through it. Colt and Smith are pricey (and nice), but the others will serve.

Btw, a 357 will also shoot 38, so I would go ahead and get one chambered in 357. That way you have the option of shooting 38, 38+p, and 357.

 

[BullitHolz]

Ruger GP100 in 4 inch and SP101 in 2-3/4" will take care of any revolver needs you might have. These guns are built like tanks, reasonably priced and as accurate as any other manufacturers gun out of the box. Triggers tend to be a bit raspy when new but can be smoothed out with a change in springs and a bit of stone work by anyone with a bit of mechanical ability.

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

I'm a fan of "value" brands in a lot of things, including revolvers, and I've had good luck with Taurus and Rossi.

But when I wanted a small .38 for pocket carry, I got a Smith & Wesson Airweight. (It helped that I got a really good deal on it.)

I wouldn't hesitate to carry a Rossi in my pocket, but the Airweight is so much lighter...

 

[Feanaro]

First: I consider the snub-nosed revolver to be the hardest type of pistol to shoot, in general. Some might disagree but I'm hardly alone here. The sight range is short and the trigger pull is long. PRACTICE with whatever you choose.

That out of the way, a real popular choice is the S&W 642. 15 ounces, 38 special, about $400-500 street price. The hammer is inside the frame, which prevents snagging. You lose single-action capability but I don't think it's a great lose. With practice, DA is nearly as accurate and much faster. There's also the S&W model 40. Nearly the same thing but 21 ounces. It's heavier, which is worse for your pocket but better for shooting.

There's the Ruger SP101. 26 ounces, quite well built, perhaps overbuilt. I think it's too big for pocket carry. With my pants, anyways. If your pockets are bigger than mine, it's a thought. Usually see them for $400, dunno how the current market has affected that price though.

You might want to check out http://www.snubnose.info/guns.htm

 

[Clarence]

If you want a pocket gun there is none better than the S&W 642 or 442

 

[steveracer]

i missed your part about pocket carry. Very silly of me to NOT read your post.
Here's the thing: Pocket carry sucks.
I have tried all different kinds of pants/shorts for pocket carry of my Smith J-frames. I tried a 637, a 642, a 37-2, a 36, and even a very nice 12-2.
All of them were not only uncomfortable, but very hard to draw and fire fast enough to make me feel like it was a good choice. The only thing that ALMOST worked for me was back pocket carry of the 642 in a pocket holster. This was plenty fast, but I usually carry a wallet there, and that was a hard adjustment for me.
Sooooo, I say get the 4" model 10 with pencil barrel. (Nice ones are $250-$275) And get a decent IWB holster for it, and some speed loaders and speed strips. Then you can PM me later and thank me.
If you want to spend another $75, get a 12-2 with 4" pencil barrel, like this one:

 

[BlayGlock]

I pocket carry either a Taurus 650, which is a concealed hammer lightweight titanium snub or a Smith 637, which is an airweight. Both are great for pocket carry. The trigger on the Smith is better in these particular models, but the taurus is about $100 cheaper. Both function just fine. When I carry my Smith 325 Night Guards ( snub N Frame .45) I carry it in the right front pocket of carpenter jeans with no problems. The Charter Arms that I have handled are bigger than the Taurus or Smith, and may not be as comfortable. You cant go wrong with a either of the aforementioned brands. If you wanted something that you can still pocket carry and have a lot of fun plinking with, get a Ruger SP101. It is heavier than that Night Guard, but can still be pocket carried and it really tames the recoil. In addition, it is built like a tank. Welcome to the world of wheelguns, you will fall in love with them.

 

[bja5006]

Ruger sp101

grab a 2" barrel, 5-shot beauty.



it's small enough to fit in your pocket and disappears in an IWB holster.

wont pull your pants down yet has enough weight to soak up some recoil for your wife

get one in .357 magnum and you can fire .38 , .38+P , and .357mag

i own a Rossi 461 also (about the same size as the sp101) and it is falling apart. while it was a great gun for the first couple years, you get what you pay for. if you have to wait another pay period to afford the Ruger (or Smith & Wesson, etc.) it will be well worth it.

 

[PcolaDawg]

My first revolver was a Smith & Wesson 642 (with a Crimson Trace grip) and I purchased it for the express purpose of carrying it in my pocket.

I am still VERY pleased with the purchase. I have also practiced with it a lot. It helps that I can shoot all I want in my backyard.

Anyway, it's very small and light, but still a little bulky for thin fabric suit pants. So I pocket carry a Kel-Tec P32 in the Summer when I wear a suit.

All other times, and whenever I'm wearing jeans or khakis, I pocket carry the 642.

Have fun deciding what to get and good luck with it!

 

[doc540]

Summer carry = quality, weight, concealability

Take your pick:



Best advice anyone ever gave me:

SHOOT BEFORE YOU BUY

Lightweight .38 snubs sound like a wonderful idea and have sooo much eye appeal, but if you and/or your wife aren't comfortable torching off a .38 +P round their attraction quickly fades.

Yes, yes...you can shoot lower recoil loads in them, but availability and effectiveness become complicating factors.

(psssst....buy the Colt!)

And best of luck to ya'll.

 

[.357MagTaurus]

Might want to consider a Taurus model 605 with a short barrel. Chambered for .357 mag, can also shoot .38 spl or .38 spl +P. I have the large frame model 608 and 14 year old grandson had no problem with 38 spl . Easily picked up for well under $500.

 

[mnrivrat]

I pocket carry, and I will suggest you keep the weight to 20oz or less.

I think the most popular revolver for pocket carry is the S&W 642 , or variations of this type of gun. I personaly carry a Taurus titanium at 13oz . They make a number of light weight small frame revolvers as does S&W.


So - look at the light weight snub guns from S&W , Taurus, Charter arms, Rossi , etc. , .38 Spl is the most popular chambering for this type firearm.

Guns like the K-Frame S&W and the Ruger Sp101 ore great guns, but not for pocket carry in my opinion as they are two large/heavy.

 

[savit260]

doc540
Take your pick:

I'll take the Colt please.

About the same weight as the S&W Airweight.
Only a whisker bigger than the Airweight with compact grips.
Six vs. Five rounds.

The light weigt snubs take a fair amount of practice to get good with. Dedicate some quality range time to get familiar with whatever you choose.

The heavier guns like the Ruger SP 101 might not suit some for pocket carry. Kind of heavy. IMO a gun that weight is a belt gun. As a belt gun, a larger revolver like a S&W 19 or 66 makes a lot more sense. Much easier to shoot, and no harder to conceal or carry in a good belt holster.

Here's my Colt pocket carry. I picked this one up in the fall for about $265. Will be adding a Waller Hammer Shroud for a snag free pocket draw shortly.

 

[glassman]

Another vote for the 642 if you must pocket carry. I don't like pocket carry in general due to the fact that when you sit down, anything you carry will print and will become harder to get to. For that reason, I would rather carry IWB in any season.