CC for a 6" S&W?

[SA Town]

I'm tired of searching all over the net for a concrete answer to this question. I was wondering if any of you folks here could advise me on a practical way to conceal carry a 6 inch S&W 686 .357 mag. Or is the thought of concealing a 6 inch revolver an incredibly dumb one? Maybe someone here actually does this.

If it helps, I'm 6'0" and 180 lbs.

Thanks in advance to all replies posted in this thread.

 

[jfh]

IMO:

1. Save for a special coat--sports coat, whatever--there is no practical way to carry concealed a 6" 686. At least, not and have it be reasonably useful.

2. I dunno if this thought is incredibly dumb--but I wouldn't put any time into sorting it out....

Jim H.

 

[General Geoff]

Trench coat or shoulder holster w/overcoat. Those are your best options.

 

[David E]

You can conceal anything you want to conceal.

So the question is.......how bad do you want to ?

 

[Sam1911]

Here's a company that specializes in IWB holsters for larger guns, especially revolvers. http://caboholster.com/

They've got you covered. It would be a special order item, but no problem.

I CCW a 4" 629 in a kydex IWB holster from Hoffners fairly regularly. No big deal, and it conceals well enough under an untucked shirt. With a wool vest I sometimes wear in fall/winter that has some stiffness to it, it's pretty undetectable.

The biggest issue for you will be the barrel length. But with an IWB rig, it's all down your pant leg, so you don't need any long coat or overcoat. And you certainly don't need a shoulder holster (which present a considerable number of unfortunate compromises). I wouldn't recommend the Hoffner's IWB for you only because the last 2" of your barrel would be uncovered in your pant leg and that might feel uncomfortable. The CABO holsters cover the whole barrel in leather and eliminate that problem.

-Sam

 

[jad0110]

I've CC'd a 6" K-frame model 14 from time-to-time. It is certainly doable, but I'd rather carry either of my model 15s, a 2" or a 4". I would think you would need a holster a step or two above the FIST #20 I use for my K Frames though.

 

[jfh]

Sam1911: Well, I've learned something, maybe--i.e., how to carry a 6" revolver w/o an underarm / coat setup. But--

1. Were you able to drive / sit comfortably in a car with this setup--i.e., the IWB down the pantsleg?

2. How about access time? It seems to me that such a setup would be so slow as to almost negate the possibility of a critical response.

(That implied problem--critical response time--is the reason I haven't really considered concealed carry for such a firearm.) Is this the way to go for the forthcoming National Parks carry?

Jim H.

 

[Sam1911]

Were you able to drive / sit comfortably in a car with this setup--i.e., the IWB down the pantsleg?

Remember, my 629 has a 4" barrel. Between that and the fact that the Hoffner's holster holds the gun quite high (cylinder sits on top of my belt), my 1911 holsters ride a lot farther down my pant leg than does the revolver. So, no, I've had no trouble at all driving or doing anything else. The CABO holsters appear to sit a little lower, but not much. And, the OP is asking about concealing a gun with a 2" longer barrel. That will make some difference. How much, I can't say. I would be willing to try it, myself, even though a 6" revolver is larger than I'd prefer for concealed carry.

How about access time? It seems to me that such a setup would be so slow as to almost negate the possibility of a critical response.

I used the Hoffner's IWB as my primary IDPA competition holster for that gun for about 6 months! Not exactly slow. A strong-side IWB holster is a pretty quick draw (compared to cross-draw, shoulder holsters, SOB, etc.) and the fact that it's a revolver not an auto doesn't affect that much. Again, a 6" barrel will be a little bit more unwieldy, but I don't think that would be much of a concern.

That implied problem--critical response time--is the reason I haven't really considered concealed carry for such a firearm.

Is drawing an IWB-carried revolver slower than drawing an auto carried the same way? Maybe, but not by more than a fraction of a second. The bigger issue is that revolvers are not flat-sided and slim like most autos. Finding a comfortable set-up is very important. And, you'll just have to try it before you'll know if it works for you.

Is this the way to go for the forthcoming National Parks carry?

It's what I often carry hiking in our State Parks here. Comforting to have decent .44 Mags on hand just in case.

-Sam

 

[Guillermo]

It is certainly doable. A nice "duster" would do the job and give you an excuse to wear a Stetson and some Tony Lamas.

The effect might not be complete if you drive a Prius.

 

[Marvin KNox]

The fairly wide cylinder and the 6" long barrel will undoubtedly make things more difficult than for another set up.

Still - I think that a well made verticle shoulder rig would work nicely. That is, if you will be wearing a suit or sport jacket.

 

[Black Knight]

Way back in the 1980s I used to regularly carry a 6" Colt Python. I used a Bianchi X-15 Shoulder holster and an appropriate length jacket or coat. Belt holsters for revolvers with barrels that long usually fit 2 1/4" belts and are clumsy on the normal 1 1/2 to 1 3/4" belts. Other than a good shoulder holster the concealment options are fairly limited but they are out there. Good luck in your search.

 

[Oyeboten]

If front IWB...you just have to evolve a sort of 'Side Saddle' way of sitting...

 

[420Stainless]

I like the shoulder holster idea better, but you could possibly go off the body with a briefcase or a customized version of a large format day planner. Most of the training types don't like this option (too easy to forget, missplace, or have snatched). One construction worker I met modified a cooler that looks like the one he takes with him almost everywhere with a compartment.

 

[RoostRider]

I carried a 686 with 6" bar. in a shoulder holster with a typical button down shirt loosely over (t-shirt under) for years.... I never got made with it... it is, however a pain to carry around....

 

[C-grunt]

I had a friend in the Army that CC'd a .480 Ruger Super Redhawk for awhile in a shoulder holster under his t-shirt. Not practical but he did it.

 

[Guillermo]

Some people claim that they can conceal a Desert Eagle while wearing a sequined thong and a feathered boa. They can't.

It is easy to hide a gun when you are in one place, but when you move a full size gun becomes obvious. Unless you dress like Bee Author as Maude you are going to print. The way to combat that is to use a holster that hides the outline of the gun. As long as they don't know what it is you are legal.

Inside the waistband holsters were designed my the Inquisition, shoulder holster do not allow your arm to rest at your side, ankle holsters chafe and are slow.

Basically carrying a gun is a pain unless you can do one of two things. Pocket carry, which prints when you move unless your job is rodeo clown. Or wear your shirt out and carry on a good strong reinforced belt.

(I still like my "duster" idea)

Good luck

 

[Sam1911]

Here is a shot off the CABO site that shows what appears to be a K-frame. Can't tell how long the barrel is because...IT'S CONCEALED!


And here's a couple of shots of my Hoffner's rig with an N-frame.


And from the front:


This was before I moved one of the straps. It carries better now.

Does this look a tad more reasonable than a shoulder holster? Yeah? I thought so.

Oh, and do note my strong, reinforced belt. That is definately a good idea.

And, SATown and Guillermo, I'm sorry that TX might still hassle you over "printing" -- though there is a thread about this right now that seems to indicate you need to do a little more than allow the butt of the gun to bulge under your shirt to get into legal hot water -- but I wouldn't have the slightest worry about carrying my 629 anywhere I legally could with this rig. It's just about as well concealed as my 1911 would be and no-one seems to have any trouble CCW-ing those!

But everyone's mileage may vary.

-Sam