Concealed carry gun

[Ruger GP100 fan]

Been so long since I've logged on I almost used up the 5 tries allowed to log in. Anyway,I'm in Illinois and I'm keeping my eye out for the best carry gun to fit my needs.....that is,in the unlikely event they pass a carry law. I've looked at the Ruger revolvers and also had a chance to shoot an LCR in magnum,both using 38SP and full-out magnums. Yesterday I was able to spend some time with a niece that has a S&W Bodyguard. She is absolutely crazy about it. Her favorite gun even though she has 2 other revolvers,a 22 and a Ruger 44mag. The S&W seemed to have a bigger handgrip,which I liked,and a laser sight. We were not near anyplace to give me a chance to fire hers but I was shocked when I got online and saw that the S&W was cheaper than the Ruger. I'm looking for advice from those who have one or the other...or both,as to which one would be the better choice. I'm fairly new to guns,having purchased my first gun,a 6"SS GP100 about 2 years ago. It's deffinately not a CC gun! Also,the S&W has a removable front sight which I'd probably remove to make it even less likely to snag when being pulled. Any comments are welcome,even negative,since I know next to nothing about carry guns.

 

[Ruger GP100 fan]

Wanted to add that my GP has a much smoother trigger pull than the S&W,but it's been through 2,000 plus rounds and I also dry fire it a lot. Her gun had just 500 rounds through it. I'd heard so many great things about S&Ws that I was a bit surprised that the action was not smoother.

 

[newbuckeye]

Sometimes I carry my sp101 in .357 mag. but it is kinda heavy. I also have a SW 36 that I am waiting on a holster for. It's much lighter (.38) but still takes the +p loads.

 

[Ruger GP100 fan]

Thanks for your input,newbuckeye. I've heard great things about the sp101, but I think I'd prefer a revolver with no external hammer for concealed carry. Less chance of it hanging up when pulled under pressure?

 

[Ruger GP100 fan]

...almost a $300 difference between the two if you buy the Ruger with a laser!!! What am I not seeing?

 

[msnden]

You can get a sp101 with an internal hammer, but to me it is still a bit much to carry everyday.

 

[Ruger GP100 fan]

Well,not many opinions,I guess. But at the present I think I'll go with the S&W and have almost enough left over to buy another gun

 

[surjimmy]

The original S&W Model 38 Airweight Bodyguard.

 

[Twiki357]

What sirjimmy just said. The S&W 637 (Exposed hammer) or 638 (Shrouded hammer). I personally prefer the exposed hammer because I don't like being limited to DAO only.

 

[PabloJ]

Been so long since I've logged on I almost used up the 5 tries allowed to log in. Anyway,I'm in Illinois and I'm keeping my eye out for the best carry gun to fit my needs.....that is,in the unlikely event they pass a carry law. I've looked at the Ruger revolvers and also had a chance to shoot an LCR in magnum,both using 38SP and full-out magnums. Yesterday I was able to spend some time with a niece that has a S&W Bodyguard. She is absolutely crazy about it. Her favorite gun even though she has 2 other revolvers,a 22 and a Ruger 44mag. The S&W seemed to have a bigger handgrip,which I liked,and a laser sight. We were not near anyplace to give me a chance to fire hers but I was shocked when I got online and saw that the S&W was cheaper than the Ruger. I'm looking for advice from those who have one or the other...or both,as to which one would be the better choice. I'm fairly new to guns,having purchased my first gun,a 6"SS GP100 about 2 years ago. It's deffinately not a CC gun! Also,the S&W has a removable front sight which I'd probably remove to make it even less likely to snag when being pulled. Any comments are welcome,even negative,since I know next to nothing about carry guns.

I HAD two of the very best CCW revolvers S&W Model 12 2" round butt and S&W Model 37 DAO. I'm back to S&W Model 457s .45Auto. Do not get revolver for CCW especially five shot one.

 

[jon86]

Do not get revolver for CCW especially five shot one

What. A lot of people are going to want to know why not.

 

[PcolaDawg]

Since this is in the Revolver thread, my favorite CCW revolver, hands down, is my Smith & Wesson J Frame 642. Love this gun. I've got a Crimson Trace grip on it, which extends the grip some and makes it a bit harder to conceal if you're going to pocket carry it. But the grip fits my hand very well, the laser sight works perfectly, and it can handle plus P ammo which makes it that much more powerful.

It's extremely light, completely reliable and, with the laser sight, very easy to point and shoot accurately.

 

[Tcruse]

I personally would not consider a revolver, just have never shot one that I liked enough to shoot on more than one occasion. It has none of the advantages of a semi-auto. Even the smallest pistol, say Keltec p11, has 10 or more rounds and is easy to carry extra mag.

The big issue that I had when first starting out on the CCW route was that the small guns that I bought were not easy/fun to shoot. So, to get the practice necessary to feel safe and accuracy needed to expect to make good shots was not easy. So, for me it was that I needed a medium sized dependable CCW gun (Glock 26) and a full sized range gun (Glock 17). Since both of these share much of the same feel and accessories, it worked out really good. There are smaller guns than the 26, but the 26 is small enough. Added a laser sight on the 26 to deal with poor eyesight and low light issues. Also, with the Glock there are no worries about using higher powered SD ammo for both practice and carry.

 

[m3mh0g]

While revolvers do not have 16+1 rounds, they do have their own advantages. A revolver will NEVER jam period. If you pull the trigger and it goes click simply pull the trigger again. A DAO or DA/SA revolver has no need for manual safeties to learn to manipulate while drawing. To me these reason trump the more argument because if I haven't accomplished what I need to in 5,6, or 7 (686p) shots I don't think 8, 9, or 10 would've helped. That being said I do swap between a colt 1911 govt, sig p229, S&W 686p, and a S&W 60 for CCW.

 

[machinecraig]

I really like the S&W 642, it seems like a good compromise between weight and shootability.

One thing about about the S&W J-frame models (such as the 642) that I appreciate, is there is a ridiculous amount of grips (including very large target grips and very small concealment grips), accessories, and support material on them. It's a design that has stood the test of time, and then some.

 

[Hondo 60]

My Sp101 is too heavy to carry, and it only has a 2.25" barrel.

I have a S&W Model 38 with an internal hammer.
Makes me think of a humpback whale.
But won't snag on anything.

Partially because I dislike the internal hammer & partially just cuz I'm old school,
I don't really care for the new S&Ws.
I have a Model 10 from 1967 & my M38 from about 1969.
But those are two of my favorite guns.

 

[lloveless]

Hammers don't snag if you draw them correctly-sheesh. I carry an sp-101 with a 3 inch barrel. Get a better belt or suspenders. Acorrding to FBI statistics the average civiliain gun fight is at 3 yards with less than 3 rounds fired. a five shot gun is just fine. I carry reloads don't you? I quit carrying pistols cause they jam (limp wristing under stress?, springs break at inopportune times, are finicky about ammo), throw casings everywhere, less appealing in plastic IMHO.
ll

 

[JerryC]

I carry the Ruger LCR 38special+P. It's small and very comfortable to carry and shoot. Before that I carried a Diamondback 380, very comfortable to carry but not to shoot.

 

[Iggy]

Big'n the winter and on the ranch, and little one in the summer if and when my exhausting social calender demands something more discrete.

Model 19 and 640-1

 

[royal barnes]

I would stay away from the Smith Bodyguard if you're talking about the new model. The design is a total departure from what is tried and true for Smith or any other revolver manufacturer for that matter. The cylinder latch is clunky and the laser is awkward to activate. My gunsmith opened one up to do an action job and accomplished it but vowed he will not do another because of the internal changes to allow for the laser. If you must have a laser then buy a 442, 642, 438, 638, etc. and install a Crimson Trace. Snubby front sights are snag free so there is no reason to remove one.

 

[Ruger GP100 fan]

I have a GP100,also,and purchased a Safariland speed loader. With a little practice I was able to eject,reload and fire in close to 5 seconds. Not bad (but probably an eternity when someone is shooting back with a 10-rounder) and much faster than the first speed loader I bought that was awkward to handle and required me to twist the (too small)knob to release the rounds. With the Safariland all I have to do is line up the rounds with the cylinder and press the knob on the end with the palm of my hand. Found out about that technic watching this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXUwI_d8JlA&feature=related

No,I do not work for,sell nor own stock in Safariland. Just something I saw and decided to try out.

 

[Jim NE]

Just bought an SP101 today, and while it's heftier, I don't think it'll keep me from effectively carrying it.

The snubbie I was ORIGINALLY looking for was a used model 64 with a 2" barrel. That's what I'd suggest you look for. 6 shots rather than 5.

I opted for a 5 screw pre-model two inch k frame instead because I'm a sucker for vintage, and I wasn't finding an affordable 2" 64. Problem is, I dote over my vintage stuff a bit too much to carry it all the time, so I bought the SP101 as well. Now I have a CC gun for my every mood (...sigh).

The only thing about my pre-model k frame is the square grip. A bit less concealable. Look around for a 2" model 64 with a round grip. Might be a good option.

 

[DocRx]

Bought a Ruger LCR .357 last week, best deal I've done in a long time. Conceals great, either IWB or OWB, reliable 5 shots, construction excellent, and with more than adequate stopping power, and according to Ayoob, the best caliber to carry. Accuracy is above par, even at longer distances. With the Hogue Tamer Grips, recoil is more than manageable. I would try to test fire at a range close by, and I think you will walk out the place with one in hand. Good luck.

 

[WvHiker]

I'm waiting on a holster for my 3" SP101 to show up in my mailbox. I'm looking forward to carrying it, though I foresee going back to a Glock when summer rolls back around. It's fun to have a revolver of my own after shooting them a lot when I was younger. Trigger is stiff, but I only have about three hundred rounds through it so far...and just maybe the plastic trigger on my G19 has let my hand muscles atrophy over the last few years. Fun to dry fire, too.

 

[Ruger GP100 fan]

At over 2500 rounds and much dry-firing,my GP 100 is really smoothing out. The little S&W Bodyguard had a very poor feel and a harder pull than my stock GP.