Which carry pistol to get?

[peacemaker45]

The LCR is the lightest and most carry-able. The SP-101 is the most shootable. The forty or so different variations of J-frame are somewhere in the middle.

I actually just shot an SP the other day, and it was eminently shootable even with .357s, but it's big enough and heavy enough that it wouldn't really work for pocket carry, at least not with any pockets I own. In the hand, it seems like a lot of metal for a five-shooter.

If I were the one making the choice, I'd look at how I planned to carry. If the answer was in a pocket, I'd be comparing the LCR and 31 flavors of J-Frame to find which I liked. If on a belt, I'd be considering the SP-101, or possibly hunting up a short barreled K-Frame. The round butted Model 13, 3", .357 was excellent in that regard, and was a six shooter.

 

[Deer_Freak]

You are going to carry this gun and count on it to save your life. But you are going to solicit advice from people you have never seen. Who have never seen you. They know nothing about your body type. But they are supposed to select a gun for you?

 

[jdub3]

LCR!

 

[Hunter125]

You are going to carry this gun and count on it to save your life. But you are going to solicit advice from people you have never seen. Who have never seen you. They know nothing about your body type. But they are supposed to select a gun for you?

If that is how you feel, why do you frequent a gun forum?

I'll make my own decisions, I'm a big boy, but I try to gather as much info as I can from knowledgeable sources before I make my final decision. I've found the folks here to be more knowledgeable than most gun clerks. I ask those who know me and know guns as well, but that only gives me a handful of opinions, and they don't always have experience with the guns I'm looking at.
So in short, yes, I absolutely solicit advice from people here.

 

[tomrkba]

Grips. The whole point of the j-frame centennial is concealability. I never saw the point of putting bigger grips on a j frame; I'd rather just go with my 2" model 12 airweight K at that point. Everything comes with a cost; just depends if one can live with the price. The price of what is literally a carry-anywhere, NPE-level gun is tiny grips and more effort to get practiced up. The j will never be a Gov't 1911 in either hit potential, or carry ease on the other side of the equation.

The trick is to have grips that are not wider, but simply cover the back strap. This is so the length of pull is not too short and to redirect recoil down away from the web of the hand.

Have you looked into the 640-1 (all stainless in 357 Magnum)? Some of the new ones have three dot night sights. They're tempting despite having THE LOCK.

 

[gunownerz]

Sp-101

Do you own or have you shot this?

 

[MCMXI]

I own and shoot both an SP101 (3.16" barrel) and a KLCR. I've carried both in OWB holsters and have carried the KLCR in an ankle holster. There's no way I'd recommend an SP101 over a KLCR for concealed carry. The KLCR isn't a fine revolver like a S&W and most likely won't get passed down from father to son, but it's about as practical a tool as anyone could want.

 

[paravil]

I'll echo some of the other posts with regard to size, and suggest that you compare them all side-by-side. The SP 101 is substantially bigger than both the 642 and the LCR. While the LCR is a shade lighter than the 642, it is also a shade bulkier than the 642, due mostly to the "hammer hump" and bigger grips that cover the backstrap.

If concealment is the primary purpose, I just don't think you can beat the 642. It's my carry gun and can easily be concealed in any type of clothing. It pocket carries easily in cargo shorts and khakis, and even rides comfortably on the ankle (in those rare situations where I need to use an ankle holster). You may find the trigger heavy, but that is a plus in my eyes from a safety perspective. But then the trigger can be smoothed out. The stock grips leave the backstrap exposed, which some don't like, but new grips are easy to find and install. So while there's a lot to like about the LCR, I think the 642 still wins out.

 

[Elm Creek Smith]

I just saw a 2½ inch blued Rossi .44 Magnum five-shooter wearing a light pipe front sight at Academy. It was about the same size as a 2½ inch S&W Model 686. I guess it all depends on what you need to protect yourself from. Just stay away from water over your head.

ECS

 

[jrdolall]

You are going to carry this gun and count on it to save your life. But you are going to solicit advice from people you have never seen. Who have never seen you. They know nothing about your body type. But they are supposed to select a gun for you?

I'm pretty sure the OP asked for suggestions and I don't think suggestions on an internet forum are legally binding.

The whole idea here is to get ideas or answers to questions we have about weapons and situations