Carrying a Large Revolver

[labnoti]

I've been carrying an L or N frame everyday, all day for about a year now. I'm currently using a Galco Combat Master on a heavy leather belt (Relentless). The barrel length doesn't matter because that isn't what prints. I carry long ones. I always carry concealed.

I'm not an officer, trainer, gunshop employee or self-employed. I never carry unlawfully (no Post Office, no courthouse, school, etc.) If I have to go to an employer or client site that restricts carry, I would not print. If its just a vendor, I don't care about printing, but I never show a gun. OC and CC are both legal where I live and I hope it stays that way. Still, I always conceal.

Before I carried a large revolver, I carried a J frame. I thought it would be impossible to conceal a large one. I also doubted that other people really carried large handguns on an everyday basis. It is intimidating until you just do it. For those who do it or have done it more than occasionally, I speculate the weight is the thing most people will try to unload. My theory is that carry weight is ultimately the reason polymer autos in 9mm prevail over everything else, but if a person is willing to carry the weight, there are better options and a large revolver is only one of several that understandably have their own trade-offs.

I'm looking for a pancake holster similar to the Galco Combat Master but for a 5" barrel, not 4 or 6. My CM works well for 3" and 4". For 5", the barrel protrudes though the ramp sight draws without snagging. I still use it for now. I'll look at Mernickle, El Paso, Simply Rugged. If it fits like the CM, I know it will conceal well. A regular OWB duty holster will not conceal well on me at all.

I'm also looking for a good way to carry moon clips on the belt. I have a Galco speedloader pouch, but it's too big and sticks out too far. I have the racks but those obviously don't conceal. I think I want something like the Dillon or Safariland holders or maybe the Bladetech which I do not see anymore.

If anyone can recommend a holster maker for a pancake for 5" or a good clip or pouch for L and N frame (7 and 8 shot) clips, thanks.

 

[Overkill870]

I've been carrying an L or N frame everyday, all day for about a year now. I'm currently using a Galco Combat Master on a heavy leather belt (Relentless). The barrel length doesn't matter because that isn't what prints. I carry long ones. I always carry concealed.

I'm not an officer, trainer, gunshop employee or self-employed. I never carry unlawfully (no Post Office, no courthouse, school, etc.) If I have to go to an employer or client site that restricts carry, I would not print. If its just a vendor, I don't care about printing, but I never show a gun. OC and CC are both legal where I live and I hope it stays that way. Still, I always conceal.

Before I carried a large revolver, I carried a J frame. I thought it would be impossible to conceal a large one. I also doubted that other people really carried large handguns on an everyday basis. It is intimidating until you just do it. For those who do it or have done it more than occasionally, I speculate the weight is the thing most people will try to unload. My theory is that carry weight is ultimately the reason polymer autos in 9mm prevail over everything else, but if a person is willing to carry the weight, there are better options and a large revolver is only one of several that understandably have their own trade-offs.

I'm looking for a pancake holster similar to the Galco Combat Master but for a 5" barrel, not 4 or 6. My CM works well for 3" and 4". For 5", the barrel protrudes though the ramp sight draws without snagging. I still use it for now. I'll look at Mernickle, El Paso, Simply Rugged. If it fits like the CM, I know it will conceal well. A regular OWB duty holster will not conceal well on me at all.

I'm also looking for a good way to carry moon clips on the belt. I have a Galco speedloader pouch, but it's too big and sticks out too far. I have the racks but those obviously don't conceal. I think I want something like the Dillon or Safariland holders or maybe the Bladetech which I do not see anymore.

If anyone can recommend a holster maker for a pancake for 5" or a good clip or pouch for L and N frame (7 and 8 shot) clips, thanks.

Simply rugged.

I carry my 4" GP100 in one OWB concealed with a large T shirt.

 

[JERRY]

I carried a 4" S&W 681 as my first duty gun and I was allowed to buy it back when the switch to semiautos was made. I have that and a 6" model 629 as my "big" revolvers. I've only used the el cheapo nylon rigs to carry them in the field while hunting with a rifle.... did take one deer with the 681 instead of the rifle because it was so close. if I was retired and spent more time in the woods I'd invest in some decent leather carry rigs for them.

 

[labnoti]

Simply rugged.

I carry my 4" GP100 in one OWB concealed with a large T shirt.

So I find the Sourdough Pancake appealing and they'd make it to my specification -- they have a lot more options than Galco. But the El Paso Crosshair has an adjustable tension unit and it's hand-boned.

 

[Benp]

I really really like the sourdough pancake. I was amazed at how well it keeps the pistol sucked into your side.

My 69 carries very very well in it.

Only downside of the holster is that the coloring bleeds/rubs off a little.

 

[stonebuster]

My only regret with my Sourdough pancake is I didn't buy it to fit my 5" GP100 instead of 4.2" Both fit but the 5" sticks out of the bottom a bit.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

Another vote for Simply Rugged - but I splurged for some fancy carving on mine, shown with a 4.2-inch GP100.

 

[.38 Special]

Years ago I put a 4" S&W 500 on my CCW as sort of a joke. One of the trainers then dared me to carry it for a week. After a bunch of experimentation I found that a "tuckable" IWB, a double layer belt with steel reinforcements (from "Beltman" IIRC) and non-stretchy leather suspenders allowed me to carry the thing with good concealment and, if not total comfort, then at least not crippling pain. I wouldn't do it again without a pretty good reason, but the lessons learned allow me to carry a 4" K frame every day without any trouble at all.

 

[Old Stumpy]

This is my carry rig for my Webley Mk.1. The home-made moon-clip holder rides right up against the front of the holster (unlike the picture, when the holster and belt were new.) I have carried this concealed under an open flannel shirt; I'm a big guy, and can get away with more than a lot of people-

This Mark I has a shaved cylinder for .45 ACP and half / full moon clips I see.
Since the Mark I is a black powder proofed gun, and not nitro-proofed, what kind of a load do you use?
Standard .45 ACP loads are a little high in pressure for these.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

This Mark I has a shaved cylinder for .45 ACP and half / full moon clips I see.
Since the Mark I is a black powder proofed gun, and not nitro-proofed, what kind of a load do you use?
Standard .45 ACP loads are a little high in pressure for these.

This gun actually is nitro-proofed; the British switched to smokeless 4 years after it was made. They proofed the guns that remained in service and marked them as such.. This particular gun was issued to the Royal Navy at the outset of WW1, and stayed in their possession until after that war at least. At some point it was surplussed, then eventually cut and exported to the US. Standard commercial loads are indeed to hot for these guns. The load I use is a 200gr. LRNFP over 5.0gr. of Unique with a federal #150 primer. This has worked great so far, and after hundreds of rounds is showing no signs of problems. YMMV. Probably gets 725-750 fps. out of this gun.

 

[Old Stumpy]

This gun actually is nitro-proofed; the British switched to smokeless 4 years after it was made. They proofed the guns that remained in service and marked them as such.. This particular gun was issued to the Royal Navy at the outset of WW1, and stayed in their possession until after that war at least. At some point it was surplussed, then eventually cut and exported to the US. Standard commercial loads are indeed to hot for these guns. The load I use is a 200gr. LRNFP over 5.0gr. of Unique with a federal #150 primer. This has worked great so far, and after hundreds of rounds is showing no signs of problems. YMMV. Probably gets 725-750 fps. out of this gun.

Interesting. I think that I recall that the Mark IV was nitro-proofed, and some revolvers were fitted with replacement cylinders.
That load is on the mild side and sounds very safe. In my younger days I owned a Mark IV and used a 230 grain RN lead bullet and 5.9 grains of Unique, with Dominion Mark I .455 Colt cases, since it was the same load that I used in my 1911A1.
In retrospect, that was probably a little more than I should have loaded, but no problems.
I recall that this revolver was very accurate and very easy to use in double action, compared to more modern revolvers, due to the banana grip.
Mine was marked "S.A.M.R. 96" on the rear of the grip frame and had about 3 other markings below that had been struck out with a chisel.
The old Webleys are great revolvers and a lot of fun to shoot.