good revolver for ccw

[Marvin KNox]

It's pretty hard to beat a J frame for carry either on the belt or in a belly band or in the pocket of a coat.

I carry a 340M&P.357 most times.

I do find that the J frame is a little big for consistent pocket carry however. Others will disagree- but to me it looks a little like a lemon with a handle on it in most of my pants. Even with my MIKA holster, it's a little bulky for most of my pants.

I back it up, for that reason, with a Ruger LCP. At least it's with me all the time when the J frame might be left at home. I much prefer the J frame, however. Either .357 or .38+p is superior to any .380ACP hands down.

Only thing I have against the J frames is the trigger. The springs that are used in the J frame are different than the other S&W guns. Not much can be done with the J frame trigger except smooth it up some. (I just about as easy to dry fire a few thousand times as to have a smith do anything.

If I knew that I'd carry it on the belt mostly and use the LCP for pocket carry, I might have looked around for a good K frame snub (19, 65, or 66). The triggers can be much nicer and that translates to accuracy.

J frame is OK out to around 7 yards. but beyond that it gets difficult. Of course, one can "stage" the trigger of a J frame (and I would if the circumstance allowed). But that's a bad idea, day in and day out. Much better to pull through the trigger travel in one fell swoop. That's a lot more difficult to do without pulling off target with a J frame than a K frame with a good trigger IMO.

My advice is, however, to get a gun that will actually be carred and not left home or in the car. Big guns shoot better generally - but they get left home a lot also. It doesn't take a new carrier long to find that out. Go the best way for your true circumstance from the get-go. It's cheaper in the long run.

 

[Gardien]

Good CCW Revolver

I suggest a J frame as well, hammerless and no ILS. I just put on the new CT LG405 laser grips. They are very nice and even a bit narrower than the standard 642 grips it came with. Very enlightening to see where you're actually aiming when not in an ideal shooting stance with the standard sights lined up. I agree that it still a bit bulky in the front pocket of my jeans. Still, its a small, reliable and simple point and shoot CCW.

 

[goon]

Ruger SP-101 .357. Try one and you'll probably like it.

 

[jc77]

thanks for all the help.

 

[jc650]

Dont be afraid of the lite j frames. I have an MP340 and its really no trouble to shoot with 38+ps. If you can shoot one I think you'll see that the recoil isnt that bad. I dont have anything against the heavy j frames but if im carrying 20 some ounces around Id rather have a Glock 26 with 11 rds ready to go.

 

[FireInCairo]

The Ruger SP-101 is a fine gun, but in my opinion it's a tad heavy for concealed carry in the pocket. I ended up getting the S&W 642, and I don't regret it at all. I bought the larger Pachmayer grips with the extra finger and even with Gold Dots the recoil wasn't bad at all.

The Pachmayer grips do make it a bit more bulky, but they make it a very comfortable gun to hold, point, and shoot.

 

[pogo2]

K or J frame S&W snubbies

I would agree with all the previous posters who favor the smaller S&W snubbies for concealed carry. I personally like K frames like the model 66 when I'm wearing heavier clothing, and a J frame model 642 in lighter wear. I like the stainless better than blue for this because it seems to resist corrosion better.

 

[DawgFvr]

The 642 makes for a nice defensive revolver...

and the 3 inch .357 mag GP100 makes for a great offensive revolver.

 

[sohcgt2]

Ruger sp101 in my case .357 mag, although I have recently felt that perhaps the Federal .327 six shot magnum may be a better way to go for ccw.

 

[trayzor]

Another vote for the J-Frame 642 NL w/Laser Grip. This is my BUG. I carry a semi-auto as my primary gun, but since this is the Revolver Thread Section I can't mention it here.

 

[S&Wfan]

J frame is OK out to around 7 yards. but beyond that it gets difficult

The shorter the distance between sights, the more of a challenge to keep both sights perfectly aligned with each other. Other than that, shorter barrels are like longer barrels . . . they are gonna put the bullet at basically the same spot each time (in a machine rest) The rest is up to the shooter and his/her level of acquired skill.

I know one guy who used to put on exibitions shooting his snubbies at two hundred yards. Again . . . the gun is gonna shoot to the same spot, it is up to the operator to make sure the gun is aimed and shot in such a way to put that bullet at the intended spot.

I'm not at that level, but this is targets from the same day shooting a "new" (to me) 1964 Model 36 J-frame S&W snubbie. The little squares (1") were shot at TEN yards, standing/unsupported and the 2 1/2 squares were shot at 25 yards in the same manner.

Yes Virginia, J-frames CAN shoot well indeed!

And the best 10 yard group of the day . . . all five rounds break the 1" square . . . at ten yards!

My advice is, however, to get a gun that will actually be carried and not left home or in the car. Big guns shoot better generally - but they get left home a lot also. It doesn't take a new carrier long to find that out. Go the best way for your true circumstance from the get-go. It's cheaper in the long run.

I agree with this statement though, completely. The big guns are so much easier to master and shoot well! However, they DO get left behind a lot and are rarely handy if trouble ever arises.

My recommendation for a CCW gun?

A J-frame "Airweight" (aluminum frame, steel barrel and cylinder), such as this Model 37 or a comparable Airweight in the humpback "bodyguard" style or the hammerless "Centennial type.

I surely cannot dispute either, the WONDERFUL K-framed Model 65 (or blued 13) with a 3" barrel. These guns are easy to shoot . . . but weigh much more, as well as being much bigger.

They are GREAT . . . then again . . . right now it's the little M37 (15oz.) that's in my pocket right now, and if the door busted open that's what's in my hand. If it won't do the job, I'll be heading in whatever direction is free . . . and that means towards a more powerful weapon . . . a pair of .45 autos, a couple of .357s, a .45ACP revolver . . . the 12 gauge pump and/or the AR-15. In the meantime, the dog will be busy making the BG feel unwelcome and preoccupied.

HOWEVER, I train with my .38 snubbies to where I'm totally confident in my abilities to use these fine weapons well, and don't worry about carrying them as a front line of defense for this civilian handgunner.

YOUR FIRST HANDGUN . . .
Just keep in mind the the little J frames are harder to master, and are thus usually not the best "first" handgun to purchase. For THAT, I'd recommend a good .22LR pistol or revolver. Cheap to shoot with negligible recoil helps the shooter from picking up bad technique, bad habits and a nasty flinch.

I also recommend lessons to learn the art of the stance, technique, mindset, legal issues, etc., from a qualified instructor. Your results will improve drastically better!

Good luck!

 

[propex]

I guess I am the odd man out, Model 24 3" barrel on an N frame. Carry concealed

 

[propex]

Please delete

 

[SwampWolf]

I recommend the revolver I carry much of the time: the Colt Cobra-20% more bullets on board than a Smith Airweight, yet weighs the same.

 

[jjohnson]

+1 with Doc

Right on all accounts.

You asked about "proven" solutions. Son of Sam proved that the Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 Special fills the bill.

And no, this isn't a "flip answer." I've had one for many years, and while it's not pretty as a Colt, it DOES go Bang! every time. And I would not want to stand in front of it. Five rounds of .44 Special hollowpoints is a fairly good deal of firepower out of something that size. It's NOT comfortable to shoot all day at the range with one. I added Pachmayr grips to mine, which is really the only sensible modification I considered.

The CA brand has had its ups and downs over the years with different owners. Some specimens are very good - and some weren't so good. I believe all of them are pretty functional, though - it's a good, solid "utility grade" handgun that will do the job.

My little Colt Agent packs six rounds of .38, and with a 2-inch barrel, is a bit more concealable, but I usually opt for the Bulldog since I have a lot more faith in .44 Special slugs than the .38s.