Anyone Packing 6 Inchers?

[JCooperfan1911]

Anyone using a 6” barreled revolver for general purpose woods use or home defense? I’d be glad to hear some advice as I just bought a Ruger GP100 half lug with 6” barrel and plan to use it for home defense and carrying in the woods.

Thoughts?

 

[ECVMatt]

That is probably my favorite .357.

I use a Bianchi Cyclone holster and usually carry it strong side. If I am riding, I will sometime use the crossdraw feature. I use mine for camping, hunting, and just shooting for fun. It handles the heavy loads with ease.

Mine is extremely accurate, if not my most accurate .357.

Congrats on finding a great gun!

 

[dannyd]

I like the ones I have

 

[Old Dog]

I have packed this 6" Python on occasion, stoked with Buffalo Bore 180-grain hardcast, when hiking in cougar (and don't laugh) and mountain goat territory. Strongside, six o'clock. Holster picture is a MASC (Turkey), basically a Galco clone, but 40 dollars or more cheaper for comparable quality. Will admit that I may also have a 9mm SIG pistol in a shoulder holster under a BDU-type shirt or M65 field jacket.

 

[JCooperfan1911]

That is probably my favorite .357.

I use a Bianchi Cyclone holster and usually carry it strong side. If I am riding, I will sometime use the crossdraw feature. I use mine for camping, hunting, and just shooting for fun. It handles the heavy loads with ease.

Mine is extremely accurate, if not my most accurate .357.

Congrats on finding a great gun!

View attachment 1132265

Very nice. The Bianchi cyclone is a good holster?

 

[ECVMatt]

Very nice. The Bianchi cyclone is a good holster?

Mine is an older one from the late 90's and has held up well. It is more of a field holster, but is still pretty quick.

I think most of the recent Bianchi holsters are coming out of Mexico now.

The general design seems well thought out and a good compromise between protection and speed.

It is definitely worth a look.

 

[Big_Al]

I think 6" is ok for home defense but I don't think I would want to carry one. Little too big & bulky for me

 

[Barbaroja]

I have a few six inch revolvers I run around with. If your getting in and out of a vehicle it can be a bit annoying but carrying around isn’t an issue IF (HUGE IF!) you have a QUALITY holster and gun belt.
I’m a fan of the offerings from simply rugged. I use their sourdough pancake holster to carry my Blackhawks and my gp100 and have zero complaints.
Matter of fact first time I wore the holster with my 44spl blackhawk in it I was doing some work around the farm and about a half hour into it I had a little panic that I lost my gun somehow. I was just being foolish. The gun was still on my hip safe and sound, it was just so comfortable that I didn’t notice it. I was used to cheap holsters that left your gun wagging around off your belt. That day I swore off cheap holsters.
The sourdough pancake is around $80 for the basic model and it is custom made to order for your gun. Their “real mans” gun belt is $50. I wear it everyday, best belt I’ve ever used for guns or pants retention. I’m planning on buying another one that’s even thicker for gun specific use.

 

[JDeere]

Not a 6 inch but I have the GP100 5inch that handles and shoots really well. One thing about the Ruger's is spring changes are a breeze...

 

[chicharrones]

When my first and only handgun was my 6" full lugged barrel GP100, I did carry it in a belt holster for hunting. It was also my home defense gun.

It is a relatively heavy gun, but back then the lighter offerings were a bit more rare than today.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

a 6" Ruger Security Six Stainless and a 6" S&W M-28 are my bedside guns, the longer barrels add velocity, ;longer sight radius and in home defense has an intimidating quality. Flipping through Ed McGivern's book, I see more 6" than 4" barrels. For woods use I'd look at a shoulder holster.
Bullseye shooters always preferred 6" or longer barrels.

 

[shoebox1.1]

I carried my 5 inch gp100 to get pizza the other night! Lol why? American exceptionalism!

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Before I had to sell it, my bedside gun was a S&W 686 with a 6" barrel. I had rubber grips on it and kept it in an Uncle Mikes padded holster just to protect it when it inevitably got knocked off the bedstand.

Open carry in the People's Republic isn't a thing, and 3" SP101/J-frames are my concealed revolvers of choice.

 

[Ru4real]

I’m packin closer to 9”.

357 revolver. 6” for a semi in 10mm.

View attachment 1132338

 

[dannyd]

I made this so the person could carry their GP 100 without the weather affecting it to much.

 

[.38 Special]

I can't handle anything more than 5" inside the waistband.

 

[dannyd]

If I had to walk long distance I would carry 3 inch fixed sights GP100. I love my GP's shoot them every week, but carrying one inside the belt would like having a boat anchor in your pants.

 

[stonebuster]

Anyone using a 6” barreled revolver for general purpose woods use or home defense? I’d be glad to hear some advice as I just bought a Ruger GP100 half lug with 6” barrel and plan to use it for home defense and carrying in the woods.

Thoughts?

I hike with a 5" full lug GP100 in a IWB Simply Rugged sourdough pancake holster at 3 o'clock. It carries and conceals well. My only experience with a 6" GP half lug is regretting not buying the one I saw for sale a couple years ago. It was in perfect condition and $475. Thought about it too long & it was gone.

 

[tubeshooter]

If I had to walk long distance I would carry 3 inch fixed sights GP100. I love my GP's shoot them every week, but carrying one inside the belt would like having a boat anchor in your pants.

View attachment 1132378

Consider the Altamont compact grip for the 3" GP100.
Much better for carry.

Makes it just a tad chunkier than a 3" SP101.
Still more than I want to carry generally, but quite doable.

 

[dannyd]

Consider the Altamont compact grip for the 3" GP100.
Much better for carry.

Makes it just a tad chunkier than a 3" SP101.
Still more than I want to carry generally, but quite doable.

I have two SP101's the one I carry is hammerless 2.5 the other on is a hammer 3 inch.

 

[tubeshooter]

I'd say you are well-covered then.

 

[Frulk]

X2 on the Simply Rugged Pancake. I carry .327FM and .357 full lug 4 inchers in one and it holds up well to weight of the guns.

Congrats on finding a half lug. Whenever I was in a mood to buy a GP100 I could never find one. Hence the full lugs.

ECVMatt…. That’s a seriously good looking…dare I say sexy GP100. Love ‘em in blue.

 

[Dain Bramage]

I have carried a 6" Dan Wesson Model 15-2 while hunting, in a Galco OWB. Carried it once in downtown Seattle for the anti I-594 rally. Fun times, having my kids with me, open carrying the Dan Wesson, and Japanese tourists ogling us on the monorail. Of course, the initiative passed.

Others have mentioned Simply Rugged. I carry all my single actions in their pancake holsters. Never had a retention problem, comfort is great. I have carried my Ruger Lipsey's SBH 3.75" barrel on a motorcycle, with no issues.

 

[ECVMatt]

ECVMatt…. That’s a seriously good looking…dare I say sexy GP100. Love ‘em in blue.

Thanks, Frulk. I bought it from a guy with the warning that it would not hit anything. Looking at the rear sight, it was cranked all the way down and all the way to the left. I took it home, I cleaned it up, centered the sight and held my breath when I pulled the trigger for the first time. The round hit pretty close to the POA and I was greatly relieved! A few more small adjustments and I had a phenomenally accurate handgun. Here in CA used guns are hard to get. I am always looking for other 1/2 lugs.

I think JCF1911 scored and will love his new gun.

 

[Thomasss]

I shoot a 6 inch S&W 586 Nickel, .357 mag. and am just getting use to it after buying it a year ago. So far, I have shot 148 HBWC, 158 SWC and 158 JHP. For now I'm staying with the 158 JHP, but have recently read an interesting article on using solid lead WC for self defense.