The best caliber for a pocket revolver?

J frame 38s are popular for a reason. They have a smaller cylinder and not as much recoil.

I will make a prediction here... Buy a 38 snub, and you will carry it or buy a 44 snub for pocket carry and you will continue to hunt for a "better" carry gun. Jmho take it for what it's worth

"I will make a prediction here... Buy a 38 snub, and you will carry it or buy a 44 snub for pocket carry and you will continue to hunt for a "better" carry gun."

This^^^

My grandfather once told me to never buy a .38special because you could always shoot .38 cartridges in a .357mag.

However, in a 2" snubbie, a 158 grain .357 will be more than a handful. That being said, I carry a .357 M&P340 loaded with 135grain Speer gold dot short barrel rounds. They spec out between .38+p and regular .357 and have the recoil of the .38+p. IMHO, I am pretty darn good at seven yards or less with this round (the intended use), but it is still not super comfortable to put 50 rounds down range. Then again, it's not meant to be a target gun.

So.... I carry this configuration EVERY TIME I leave the house. It is very comfortable to carry, and I usually pocket carry in a Desantis 'Super-Fly' holster. It doesn't print or pull down my pants. i also carry a Bianchi speed-strip loaded with .38+p in my other pocket.

Now, I know this particular gun is pricey, but there are lots of .357 options out there that are light and easily concealed. I think this would be a better option in terms of CCW than a .44 snubbie. Given the confines of your OP, I would go with the .38 and load it with +Ps. All of this is my opinion of course.

.38 special will do you just fine.

Keep in mind that carry-caliber is a tradeoff--how often do you anticipate needing the revolver, vs. how much time are you going to spend lugging the thing around?

For practice, carry around a bag of sand with the equivalent weight of the handgun you're considering (including the weight of the ammunition). You'll learn a lot.

A S&W Airweight isn't bad in a pocket holster, I've found. Quite easy to forget it's there. But a .357 snub is a chunk of metal, unless you go with a lightweight alloy, and then you're in punishing-recoil territory. Of course you can minimize that by shooting .38s...but then you're back to the Airweight.

Still, to each his own.

My scandium 340 .357 w/ c/t grips is my near constant pocket companion. When wearing slacks with large pockets, I will carry my G27, but I have lost a little weight recently and more and more that option is pulling my pants sideways.

I understand that a .357 has more utility than a stand-alone .38. However, for compactness and power, a good .38 snubbie stocked with good .38 ammo is a very comfortable and formidable friend to have at your side. I only like .357 out of full sized pistols or very heavy all steel snubbies. Nothing I would want to pocket carry.

I carry an LCR. I bought it in .38 special simply because I wanted a .38 special. I could have gotten the .357 version, but the .38 version was smaller and lighter. Plus, I simply don't want to ever shoot .357 out of a lightweight gun. The SP101 is fantastic for that.

With practice, you'll soon grow to love that little .38. It won't get in the way nearly as much as the .44, you'll be able to afford to practice more, and despite the internet rumors of PCP infused zombie grizzly bears roaming every street corner, the .38 special will get the job done if you do your part.

I consider .38 Special to be about the largest, and am totally comfortable with a pocket holster and my 642. I also think .380 Auto is a good caliber (firepower-wise), I have a pocket holster for that as well.

The .32 would be good as would a .25 Auto. Some think the .25 is no good at all. Put it this way -- it is better to have a .25 in your pocket than a larger pistol at home.

IMHO, Robert Mika makes the best pocket holsters!

I carry one or the other....like the Solo best because I can hit better.

44 is a bit big for pocket carry and a 5 shot version isn't so common. 5 shot 38s are very common.

Love my .38 J Frame revolver. I also regularly carry a couple of .380 pocket guns - Kel Tec P3AT AND S&W Bodyguard 380.

I love my 9mm Kel Tec, but this is the revolver forum and the question is .38 or .44. My money goes to the .38 in alloy frame form for the reasons already given.

"What would be better, a 38 or a 44 special?"

TdStout, I'm not sure what you mean by "better", but the .44 special is a ballistically superior round, but your choices of weapons in that caliber will be 1/10th of the .38. In my opinion Charter Arms makes a fine .44, but other than that the field is pretty small. J-frames are abundant in choices and options, and usually a little easier to carry in a pocket. Which ever one you choose to carry, buy at least 2 speed loaders or speed strips and practice tactical reloading!

LD45

I have 3 or 4 snub 38s. 44s tend to be Redhawk or Blackhawk variety around here.

an early charter arms 44 bulldog is good.

Current favorite is a 638 Smith&Wesson.

I won't take the position the .38 Special is the best pocket revolver cartridge, it wouldn't be fair to the .38 Special

The reason I chose my 38 (an S&W 642) was not because I don't see the value in a .357, but rather, because I do see the value and it wasn't enough. My no-lock 642 was under $400, and I don't believe you can get a .357 for that price. The .357 would be a little heavier, would kick a little less than an AirWeight .38 firing the same round, and has easier-to-change sights.

Wasn't worth it; I can very rarely drop $350 on a gun and almost never $500+. Which is why I have so few guns.

My 905 still hanging out as a new personal favorite.

I have not had it very long, but carry it everyday and am loving it!

Been shooting about 5-10 rounds through it every evening after work, I think it is awesome.

I did also buy the brother to it in .38 special.... Model 85 Ultralite.

One was going to be pocket gun and the other was going to be for HD (nightstand gun) for the misses. I had a Smith 625 in 45 acp a long time ago, so the clips are a non issue for me...no big deal anyway...perfect pocket rider! and 9mm to boot!

Comparing Federal Hyd-Shok:
9mm Hyd-Shok 124gr 345 Muzzle 1120 fps
.38 spl. Hyd-shk 110gr 235 Muzzle 980 fps

my daughter took my 642 but i am OK with that; i still have my 332 and pd451.
life is good and they can well keep it that way.
though i loathe firing through the pocket, half the time i get that man on fire look

The J frame is a fine gun, but I'd skip it and look for a Colt Agent or Cobra. You get six shots in about the same size package. They are aluminum framed and a joy to pocket carry compared to some of the steel framed models.

I like my little Mod. 36 with Pac. grips. At the distance I'd most likely have to use it, a .38 spec. would work just fine.

When you say "pocket revolver," you are saying "small and light weight." And that means you will experience some real pain if you try to shoot overly-powerful cartridges in such a gun. The .38 Special is ideal for a pocket gun -- going to .44 Special will be a disappointment when you get around to shooting it.

I would think .38 Special is the upper limit for a small, light revolver. If you are recoil shy or just want more capacity, you could also go with a smaller caliber:

5-shot .38 Special
6-shot .327 Magnum/.32 Magnum
7-shot .22 Magnum
8-shot .22 LR

I wanted something more powerful than a .38 and I don't like shooting .357 magnums for various reasons. So I went with a Ti S&W 296 .44 Special and I'm pretty happy with it. 18.7 ounces unloaded, 21.55 ounces with 5 200grain gold dots. The .44 fits my hand much better and shoots much better for me than a .357 load in a J frame. The J frame .38/.357's just don't fit my grip and trigger finger but the .44 fits like a glove and my finger grabs the trigger naturally without having to reposition my hand like with the J frames. If I'm going to carry a revolver instead of an auto I want the benefits of a revolver which includes "point and click" with no fumbling/repositioning on the draw. I started carrying the .44 IWB but have since moved it to right front pocket carry with a minimalist holster that keeps the trigger exposed. I bend and lean up against things constantly and the IWB constantly got in the way. Pocket carry is the best solution for me so far, much better than I expected.

If I went with a .38/.357 I'd probably get a 7 shot or at least a 6 shot - a bit bulkier than the 5 shot J frame but that doesn't bother me. Interestingly the model 296 also came in a 7 shot .38 version model 242. The 296's are hard to find, the 242's even more rare. The titanium cylinder and scandium frame makes my gun low maintenance and rust free here in hot hot hot Texas.

Speer Gold Dot 135gr. .38special +p Short Barrel Personal Protection - Velocity 860fps, Muzzle Energy 222 ft. lbs.
Speer Gold Dot 135gr. .357magnum Short Barrel Personal Protection - Velocity 990fps, Muzzle Energy 294 ft. lbs.

I can't feel the difference between these two out of my M&P340, and I have been experimenting a lot for the perfect round. I'll go with the ones with the better specs since they cost the same and have no difference in comfort. The test barrel length on all of those specs is two inches.

http://www.speer-ammo.com/ballistics/ammo.aspx

How big is the pocket? When I know that I can know how big pistol. When I know that I know how big bullet

what beeenbag said in the second post