Stainz
Member
The 296 is not that much larger than a 642 5-shot .38 - see below.
Housed in a Robert Mika pocket holster, the 296 fits ~75% of my pants' front pockets, while the 642 in a similar holster fits all of them.
I quit carrying Blazer Al-cased rounds when a 200gr GD split it's case in my 696 years ago. Besides, Georgia Arms loads the same 200gr GD to similar ballistics, ~800 fps from the 2.5" 296, in new Starline brass for less than the Blazers - and you get to re-use the brass!
Recoil of the 200gr GD's in a 696 or 4" 629 - 35.5oz and 41.5 oz - isn't bad at all. Put them in the 19.7 oz AirLite Ti 296, and they are quite brisk. The 24.2 oz 396 NG, with it's SS cylinder in place of the 296's Ti cylinder, shouldn't be as brisk, especially with it's larger and backstrap enclosing grips. The 296 in it's boot grips is a great CCW, however.
Having bought both a 296 & 696 new over seven years ago, I have had some use of both over the years. The 696 is fun - but a 4" 629 isn't that much larger - 6 oz heavier - but it is a lot more revolver! I had the 296 for years and couldn't carry it, except in an OWB holster. When the 642 arrived, it had a Mika holster awaiting it. It's all I need most days. Gotta admit, however, the 296 often goes hiking - with two 240gr LSWCs before three 200gr Gold Dots, not always the 200gr max loading here.
I had a friend years ago with a five shot .45 ACP Taurus. That - in a lite weight snubby variant - with it's five slot 'Stellar clips' - might just be a decent CCW. As has been said, you certainly have a good choice of bullets, too. My friend's Taurus was certainly a decent firearm - oddly enough. He never had much trouble with it - sold it due to it's recoil. They dropped it and the .44 Special and .45 Colt variants, too, some years back.
Stain
Housed in a Robert Mika pocket holster, the 296 fits ~75% of my pants' front pockets, while the 642 in a similar holster fits all of them.
I quit carrying Blazer Al-cased rounds when a 200gr GD split it's case in my 696 years ago. Besides, Georgia Arms loads the same 200gr GD to similar ballistics, ~800 fps from the 2.5" 296, in new Starline brass for less than the Blazers - and you get to re-use the brass!
Recoil of the 200gr GD's in a 696 or 4" 629 - 35.5oz and 41.5 oz - isn't bad at all. Put them in the 19.7 oz AirLite Ti 296, and they are quite brisk. The 24.2 oz 396 NG, with it's SS cylinder in place of the 296's Ti cylinder, shouldn't be as brisk, especially with it's larger and backstrap enclosing grips. The 296 in it's boot grips is a great CCW, however.
Having bought both a 296 & 696 new over seven years ago, I have had some use of both over the years. The 696 is fun - but a 4" 629 isn't that much larger - 6 oz heavier - but it is a lot more revolver! I had the 296 for years and couldn't carry it, except in an OWB holster. When the 642 arrived, it had a Mika holster awaiting it. It's all I need most days. Gotta admit, however, the 296 often goes hiking - with two 240gr LSWCs before three 200gr Gold Dots, not always the 200gr max loading here.
I had a friend years ago with a five shot .45 ACP Taurus. That - in a lite weight snubby variant - with it's five slot 'Stellar clips' - might just be a decent CCW. As has been said, you certainly have a good choice of bullets, too. My friend's Taurus was certainly a decent firearm - oddly enough. He never had much trouble with it - sold it due to it's recoil. They dropped it and the .44 Special and .45 Colt variants, too, some years back.
Stain
