recommended revolver for cc

[savit260]

That's a lot of good info. My concern that a 4" revolver would be to lagre to conceal is greatly diminised. So to nut shell what I'm hearing, rvolver w/4" barrel, good quality holster that rides high witha tilt, @4 o'clock. That should be a good start?

Don't forget a GOOD belt. This will make a BIG difference in how the gun carries.

Again, as others have said... Simply Rugged gets the job done really well for reasonable money.

I see no reason to hinder yourself with 5 shot a J frame (unless you have tiny tiny hands) or even a 5 shot SP 101 (great gun, but getting close to K frame size with 1 less round) when a 4" K frame is so easy to carry. Much better ergonimics in a mid frame gun for most people, six shots, and enough weight to shoot .357 with relative ease.

2" is great for in a pocket, but on a belt, there's just not any real difference between 2" and 4" IMO. I actually find the 4" revovlers EASIER to carry on a belt.

 

[Sam1911]

When I carry a wheel gun it's usually a 4" barreled 629, loaded with .44 Special +P+(+).

I can carry it IWB or OWB and it isn't much of a bother to me.

Here are some shots:







In the last pic, you can tell it's there if you're looking for it, but that's not bad for concealing a .44 Mag and 3 speed loaders.

I removed the rear belt loop, drilled a hole a bit lower down along the rear edge of the holster, and reinstalled the loop there. That spreads out the anchor points on the belt and gave it a slight forward cant. Easy 30 second modification.

 

[Jack19]

Don't discount snubbies. Civilian shootings occur close up, very quickly, and with very few shots fired; a snubbie can be just as effective as the latest greatest wonder 9/40/whatever.

That said, snubbies are professionals weapons; being good with them takes practice. Do your part, a snubbie will serve you very well.

http://www.snubnose.info/docs/Theory.htm

 

[Kleanbore]

Posted by Jack19: Civilian shootings occur close up, very quickly, and with very few shots fired;

It would be more accurate to say "Most civilian shootings occur close up, almost always very quickly, and often, with very few shots fired.

....a snubbie can be just as effective as the latest greatest wonder 9/40/whatever.

Unless one runs out of ammo.

When one considers that an attack might well involve more than one assailant and that more than one hit is very likely to be needed, one begins to understand the desirability of more capacity. This thread provides some food for thought on the subject.

There is one other consideration: the trigger pull of some of the smaller revolvers can prove problematical for many people.

If I were for some reason limited to snubbies, I would probably opt for two revolvers with better DA pulls than my J-frames.

Until the above linked analysis was posted by John, I often carried a five shot S&W. I no longer carry it as a primary weapon.

I can shoot a larger framed revolver much better than a J-frame, but for me, a commander-length semi auto with an Officer's frame is far more easily concealed.

 

[340PD]

586L comp. 7 rounds

 

[Deer_Freak]

I have an old Charter snub nose 357. It is a beast! I would go with the 2 inch barrel. You need a 6.5" barrel to get the most out of a 357. The only difference between a 4" and a 2" is you can't pocket carry the 4". Plenty of people thought their 4" 357 is just as accurate as my long barrel 357's. They shoot a good group at 25 yards. Then give me that smug top that look. I smile and top that at 40 yards. My Father in law was a navy pistol champ. I have seen him make unbelievable shots at 75 yards or more.

 

[tomrkba]

I am planning on buying a new pistol for cc. My plan a 357 but I don't want a snubby.due to loss of power and sight radius... How hard is it to conceal a 4" revolver? any suggestions on the best way? I prefer small of back iwb

1) Snubbies

Snubbies don't lose as much power as you think. Bullets will work within a range of velocities. Make sure the velocity is within that range out to 25 yards and all will be well. See Stephen A. Camp's website and various threads around here.

Now, you can look at a 2.5" or 3" barrel. The trade-off is the revolver is more difficult to shoot due to the shorter sight radius. A four inch barrel is manageable. I notice a very large improvement in my shooting with a 5" barrel over a 3" barrel. The four inch barrel is a reasonable compromise. Carrying a gun with a 6" barrel would be very difficult.

2) Concealment

The first trick is to figure out if the barrel is too long. If you carry IWB, a gun that is too long will print in the rear pocket area. A pancake holster means you'll need a longer covering garment. Sometimes, a long barrel or slide will cause the gun to dig into my side when I sit in a squishy chair.

Second, you'll likely want to carry in various positions. Generally, I carry in the pocket, appendix position IWB, strong side (either IWB or OWB), and off body in a Dillon "Plan B". I need a very short barreled revolver for comfortable carry in the appendix position. The S&W Model 442 or 642 works great for both the appendix position and the pocket. I carry a backup revolver anyway, so the J-Frame just moves around as necessary. You may be able to carry your revolver with 4" barrel in the appendix position comfortably if you are tall and thin.

You can increase your holster's ability to conceal by making sure the straps are split and not on the face. This makes for a thinner profile. Not all carry locations can benefit from this. There are a few holsters with offset loops for the appendix position.

Forward cant for strong side carry is very important and helps reducing printing by the stocks. Revolvers are "tall" overall (as measured from the top of the rear sight to the bottom of the grip). You will find many holster makers do not offer enough forward cant. Google for "compiled list of holster makers" (or similar) for a large list of sites to visit. Look at El Paso Saddlery's "Dual Duty" pancake holster for an example of lots of forward cant (unfortunately, they do not make this for revolvers).

Boot style grips are very important. Many makers offer such grips, including: Badger Grips, Herrett's Stocks, and others. Ahrend's do extend downward past the bottom of the frame, but you can order them unfinished and modify them.

3) Weight

Buy a Comp-Tac kydex reinforced belt. A holster with split loops will distribute the weight and make it feel slightly lighter. Weight in a revolver is an advantage when shooting and I think it's more important than convenience.

 

[Deer_Freak]

Another reason I like snub nose pistols I can pocket carry is I will carry them. If your 357 is at home in the safe it will not save your life. I bought my snubbie because I was not confident in a 9 oz 380. Yes, the 380 has about the same range as the snubbie but it is a peashooter. I prefer a cartridge that will penetrate a 400 lb man's chest when he has a coat on. The 357 will get it done.

 

[Nasty]

I often find comfort with a Charter Arms Bulldog Pug in .44 Special.

Fits in my front right pocket very comfortably and no one can argue with the caliber.

 

[tomrkba]

Nasty,

Have you had any problems with your Charter Arms Pug? I am thinking about getting one.

Is this the gun?

http://www.charterfirearms.com/products/Charter_Bulldog_14420.asp

 

[Nasty]

Mine is the stainless version, but yes. It has been totally free of any issues since I bought it new. Thousands of rounds downrange, but no hot loads...just cowboy type and Speer Gold Dots.

What's not to like except for the mishandled years when others owned the company. Mine is the current production model.

 

[mdauben]

586L comp. 7 rounds

That is a sweet looking little gun. I was wondering what its like shooting full-power .357 loads with a compensator, though?

 

[tomrkba]

Mine is the stainless version, but yes. It has been totally free of any issues since I bought it new. Thousands of rounds downrange, but no hot loads...just cowboy type and Speer Gold Dots.

What's not to like except for the mishandled years when others owned the company. Mine is the current production model.

This is very good news. One doesn't hear often about lower priced revolver options that work well.

 

[CajunBass]

I don't carry them everyday, but I've never had any trouble concealling a 4" revolver in an OWB holster, on a good belt, at the 3 O'clock position. The only reason I don't carry them is I've got a Smith & Wesson Model 12 with an aluminum frame that is so much lighter.

A light jacket, an untucked shirt, suit coat, slightly oversized sweat shirt. They'll all cover a 4" revolver with no problem. Shoot, with the proper grips a "N" frame Smith wouldn't be THAT hard to hide.

 

[Loc n Load]

4 inch carry

I carried a 4" M-65 smith with sq butt for over twenty years....spurless hammer, carried in a Smith & Wesson IWB holster.....I carried it strong side hip....as with any CC you should "dress for the gun"...but I carried this revolver in hot, humid climates daily, normally under a T shirt and was never "made". I still carry the 357, but have transitioned to the 3" RB M-65 - spurless, with a blade tech IWB strong side. Carry rds are 125 JHP's.

 

[Nasty]

Tom - The Charters are not so much low priced as some others (with huge marketing budgets) are so *over* priced. Charter firearms will serve you well.

 

[tomrkba]

The Charters are not so much low priced as some others (with huge marketing budgets) are so *over* priced.

I agree with that. I saw an S&W 640 Pro listed at $750 (complete with off center barrel). Yikes! Some of those N-Frames are priced at $1,049. All that MIM, a cruddy LOCK located in the ugliest place possible, and so forth is a real turn-off. I understand they want to lower manufacturing costs...but lower prices too!