Perfect CCW
I carry what I believe to be the best all around concealed carry revolver for personal protection made today: A Smith & Wesson model 340PD with HIVIZ sights and Crimson Trace model LG-205 laser grips. Here's why in my opinion this is an excellent choice for carry:
It's a revolver. A revolver never "stovepipes". Reliable, reliable, reliable. I know I'll probably never hear the end of it from the "Auto" crowd, but even after sitting loaded in a bedside drawer for decades, a revolver is going to work when you need it. Honestly, I'd love to carry a really pretty stainless steel Colt .45 Auto or similar piece with a skeleton trigger, rosewood grips, and all the other bells and whistles. But "flashy" stainless handguns draw attention to themselves. Were talking about CONCEALED carry here, so get the 340 with the "PD" designation. It's dark, so it's more easily concealed.
I believe the LIGHTER the revolver, the more likely it is to be CARRIED...which means it's there when you need it. The S&W-340 has a Scandium alloy frame with a Titanium cylinder and weighs in at only 12 ounces. Hunters say they never feel kick when shooting at actual game. I'll bet you won't feel any kick when you're shooting to protect your life, either. Use Federal .357 Magnum 125 grain jacketed hollowpoint loads for carry & for practice. Use .38 +P's for when over-penetration is a concern (like in apartment buildings). Never use ball ammo. This firearm is made for one thing, and plinking is not it. The 340 will have serious recoil, but deliver serious knock-down power out of a light package when it counts the most. Learn to deal with the recoil. Practice enough to keep yourself proficient...no plinking unless you enjoy hand pain.
The 340 series is a "pocket friendly" double-action-only (DAO) revolver: It has no exposed hammer spur to catch on clothing when retrieval time is important. All of the potentially sharp edges have been rounded off for the same reason. The particular model of Crimson Trace laser grips (LG-205) is important, too. These are the shorter, hard polymer grips which have less "printing" than their larger counterpart and will slide easily out of the lining of your pocket. The "stickier" wrap-around model of grips will do just that...stick to the inside of your pocket while it wraps your pocket liner around itself.
Finally, bullet placement beats capacity every time! The 340 is a five-shot snubby. That's why the laser grips are installed. Some folks call laser grips "cheating". Normally, I would call laser grips at the very least "training wheels", or "crutches" which do nothing to develop, and perhaps even diminish a shooter's marksmanship. But, once again, this firearm is made for one thing, and developing marksmanship is not it. I say take every advantage at your disposal to make sure bullet placement is accurate when it counts the most. Laser grips do just that. I think it's well worth the extra couple of hundred dollars investment to have that kind of built-in, innate, what-you-see-is-what-you-get accuracy. In bright sunlight seeing the red laser can be a problem, which is when the contrasting green HIVIZ front sight really "shines". Practice enough in daylight to be very familiar with the HIVIZ sight picture. Regarding capacity -- if you find yourself in a situation where you legitimately need 15+ rounds of ammunition, I think you need to reconsider the places you visit and the company you keep. This is not to say that high capacity is of no legitimate concern, but your needs are well beyond the scope of the "personal protection" realm.
Happy Carrying!
