CCW revolver difficulty

With a Simply Rugged Sourdough Pancake w/IWB loops it should carry just fine ... plenty of folk pack 4" S&W model 29s with such a rig (and that's a bit bigger than your Ruger).

I carry a Dan Wesson 14-2 with a 2.5" barrel in one and it carries very nicely (other than the shorter barrel, my DW is probably about the size/weight of your Ruger).

say a 4" gp-100 to carry?

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A 40+ oz GP-100?
Not as easy as a 26+ oz SP-101, or a 14+ oz LCR I betcha!

Most folks find when they get over 25 - 30 oz loaded weight, it gets mighty tiring after a long day.

rc

With a good belt and good, fitted holster you'd be surprised how heavy a gun you can pack all day and it not be a bother.

My Dan Wesson or full size CZ75 .40 are both big, heavy guns that carry better with proper equipment than a Glock 26 would in an Uncle Mike's one-size-fits-all nylon IWB holster and a JC Penney belt.

But taking that logic to its conclusion, that same G26 in a Crossbreed Supertuck hanging off a Beltman belt would be super comfy.

At six-two in height and 220 pounds, oklahoma caveman, you ought to be able to carry and conceal a shotgun with ease.

Basically just curious how hard a revolver with 4" barrel would be to conceal and what yall have found is the best method of carry to conceal said revolver.

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Seriously: unless it's drawn tight, any piece of cloth denser than gauze ought to conceal a four-inch revolver. A plain white cotton T shirt, as long as its lose, will keep a gun from being readily identifiable.

Hard to believe?

If someone is actively looking for a gun, he can spot it, but a.) very, very few people look for guns on other people, and b.) even if a revolver's cylinder is an inch and a half thick, that doesn't result in much of a lump.

I don't recommend just a T shirt, but any ordinary shirt will do the trick unless the fabric is pulled tight over the gun. When I carry concealed, I normally wear a jacket, but that's primarily because a.) I carry outside rather than inside my belt and trousers, and b.) I need pockets, anyway. Since you live in Oklahoma, where concealment is required for whatever stupid reason, you may find an inside the waist band holster results in a thinner lump.

The main event isn't how we carry, but whether we do. May you always have a gun near to hand, and may you never need it!

I will be taking CCw course this weekend, and will be using an semi auto for the course but but really prefer revolvers, with that being said, how difficult is say a 4" gp-100 to carry? I am 6'3" 220 pounds.

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You don't need to carry a gun -- anything big enough to hurt you is extinct.

A GP 100 is not hard to carry concealed. I mostly carry an M1911 -- about the same weight, and occasionally a Colt M357. I like a tuckable holster (I make my own) and a good, stiff gun belt.

Now the idea is first a good holster and belt, then get your pants a size larger than normal and maybe the same with shirts. Start fully clothed. Unbuckle your belt and stuff the holstered gun between pants and shirt and fasten the snaps or clips to the belt.

Now pull your shirt out from behind the holster and drape it over gun and holster and tuck it between pants and holster. Reach down inside your pants and be sure your shirt is pulled smoothly down in front of and behind the holster.

Tighten your belt, be sure your "gig line" (shirt buttons, belt buckle and fly) is straight and "blouse" your shirt -- pull out two or three inches of slack and let it sag naturally down around your belt all the way around your waist.

With a good belt and good, fitted holster you'd be surprised how heavy a gun you can pack all day and it not be a bother.

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Agreed. I carry a 4" S&W Model 28 (larger than a GP) pretty frequently with a 1.5" bullhide belt from thebeltman and a Lobo Gunleather IWB holster. I don't carry it everyday (i've got a 4" Ruger Service Six and a 2.5" S&W 66 for that), but it is doable.

Pay attention to the other half of the equation, several people mentioned it-THE BELT! The best holster in the world won't work without a top quality belt that fits well.

I believe OK is the same as TX--if you qualify with a revolver, you may only carry a revolver. That limits your choices dramatically.

Qualify with a semi-auto pistol and you can carry either a revolver or a semi auto pistol. That makes your carry choices nearly unlimited.

If you want a 4" Ruger, I happen to like the Security 6 better than the GP100 ... if you want a snubbie, the SP101 is nice.

If you can find a Dan Wesson 14-2 or 15-2 they can usually be had at bargain prices too.

Of course S&W L frames are nice too.

I can easily carry a 4" M686. The above recommended Simply Rugged holster will do it well as will the DeSantis Scabbard holster I use.

Here is a photo of the holster, and yes, I did change the grips for carry... lol

Caveman, as many have already mentioned a good belt and holster are key to comfortable concealment. I would also consider the size of the grip on what ever your getting. I have a 4" GP100 that came with the Hogue rubber grip, and while I love this grip for the ranger I don't think it's great for IWB concealed carry. I also have a 4" speed six with a smaller wooden grip and if i have to pick between the two for IWB carry the speed six always wins. It is easy to change grips on either of these revolvers but grips aren't cheap just something to consider.

A S&W Model 60 3 inch barrel .357 weights in at about 26 oz. It's about as light a .357 that I will shoot. To me the weight is the main issue in all day CCW. I sometime opt for the 15 oz S&W model 638 in 38 spl.

In that picture I'm carrying a 4" S&W 629 on my right hip, IWB, and three speedloaders of .44 ammo.

Does it show?

(FWIW, you're a little taller than me, and about the same weight.)

The 3" SP101 is pretty hard to beat as a combination of power and concealability. It is the smallest .357 that can take the hottest loads without crimp jump, or just wrecking your hands. I have cc'ed mine plenty of times. If you shoot the heavy loads, just get a Pachamyr grip, and you are set.

Don't forget the 3" GP100. You got 6 shots and the smaller grip option like the SP101. I don't know if they still make it, but I'm sure you can find it used.

If I were going to carry a 4 inch gun, I would get one with a tapered barrel. That would give less bulk down your pants (if you are doing IWB)

Used to carry this all the time in this Galco Miami Classic. Very comfortable and easy to conceal.

3"? 4?" Tapered barrel? Not bad suggestions, but remember that -- just like with the 5" 1911s I normally carry -- the barrel is not your problem. The cylinder and butt are the hard parts to conceal. The barrel just rests next to your waist/hip and until you get up to ~5" or so, you won't even be able to tell from the feel which length barrel you're carrying.

(Well, sitting down may make your barrel hit the seat if it's over about 5" long, but even so, how "high-ride" or "deep" your holster is will have more to say about that.)

3" guns are really cool, but often command a premium price because they're pretty rare. At your size, I can't see any value in tracking one down unless you just want that 3" cachet.

As for a tapered barrel, it will be a hair lighter, but not a LOT lighter, and again, you won't be able to tell the difference in bulk. So the barrel is a bit less than 1/8" narrower at the muzzle? No biggie, except sometimes in price.

This article may be helpful.

Hiding the Heavyweights.
http://www.gunblast.com/Cumpston_HidingHeavyweights.htm

Like sam1911 said, for me the hardest part to hide is the butt of the gun. On a side note, I see that you are from SE Oklahoma. You anywhere around Talihina?