I live in a warm state at the moment but will be moving to one with a real winter. I carry a 357 loaded with 38+p rounds. How will I need to adapt for bulky clothing and extreme cold? Will a 357 round penetrate sufficiently (those Korean War stories spring to mind)? Any problems with revolvers in extreme cold? Any advice from those who've been there is welcomed!
Winter Carry?
- Thread starter chorlton
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.357 should have no problem with penetration. the biggest problem i have with it is being able to access the trigger while wering gloves. i usually wear a pair of thinly lined leather gloves to solve this problem. they are not the warmest but if you need your gun NOW and you are wearing mittens you are pretty much SOL. my usual method for combating the bulky clothes issue is to carry my glock 22 IWB and my glock 27 in my coat pocket. sometimes i go with out the G22 but the G27 stays with me all the time. i will on occasion swap the G27 with a .357. my pockets are pretty huge so the 3" sp101 is still no problem. i have practiced with my sp101 in -10 degree weather and have encountered no problems.
Zeke/PA
Member
My winter carry??
Same as Summer as my 638 rides well in the front pocket of my jeans!
Same as Summer as my 638 rides well in the front pocket of my jeans!
moooose102
Member
moving to a place that has a REAL winter? STOP, DONT DO IT, STAY WHERE YOU ARE!!!!!
it is COLD up here! you WON'T like it!
it is COLD up here! you WON'T like it!
The Lone Haranguer
Member
Being concealed, the gun will not be exposed to the extreme cold, ice, snow, rain, etc., as it would be in a LEO's duty holster. Even if its lubrication thickened and gummed up, you can still pull the trigger and rotate the cylinder, albeit stiffly.
The Bushmaster
Member
.45 ACP spring, summer, fall and winter.
I carry a Stainless steel snubbie IWB appendix style. In the winter under a shirt and coat the gun tends to stay real warm. I have to wipe sweat off of the side by the grip due to body heat. I still carry .38+p rounds in it over .357 during the winter. This is because I'm quicker and more accurate with the .38's due to less recoil and flash. I believe that at self defense ranges the .38 would be able to adequately penetrate winter clothing. Their are people carrying .32's and .380's during the winter and those rounds have even less muzzle energy. Still enough power to at least ward off a threat.
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Cosmoline
Member
My big problem is the extra clothing and gear. It gets more difficult to dig the firearm out from under all that stuff. I've just ordered a Fatboy from Maxpedition's line and I'm going to try it as an alternative for winter carry. Ideally it will allow me to access the revolver without having to move through layers of poly fleece garments.
Also to add to the op's mention of the korean war winter stories. "Box of truth" website tested the claim about the .30 caliber carbines inability to penetrate frozen or really cold uniforms. THey froze a thick coat and uniform. Shot it with the original m1 carbine. The .30 carbine round had NO problems blasting thru it and then some.
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Very interesting, Pezo. I'll have to take a look at the Box of Truth site.
Thanks for the replies. Maybe I will switch to pocket carry with a big enough jacket, as Jeb suggested. It s good to hear that my 357 will continue to serve me well.
Thanks for the replies. Maybe I will switch to pocket carry with a big enough jacket, as Jeb suggested. It s good to hear that my 357 will continue to serve me well.
MCgunner
Member
Lately, I've been toting a 3" Taurus M66 .357 magnum, full house Speer 140 JHPs. It's not so much for penetration of clothing as the fact that I got this new belt slide and as cold as it is, I have no problem with concealment. The OWB belt slide is VERY comfy and I've kinda been getting off to carrying it lately with such ease. Summer comes around, it's back to the subcompact pocket 9, I reckon.
I also live in the South, which is really cold right now . . . colder than ever for the location I've been in for the past 20 years.
My carry HAS changed due to the cold weather allowing a jacket here in Central Georgia.
Yes, my M37 Airweight still rides in my front pocket's holster, as always . . . but last night on an out-of-town trip for a nice dinner my Kimber Ultra CDP (Lightweight Officer's sized) .45ACP rode in my belt slide holster.
Today, the Kimber was changed out for a fullsize, high cap. Para P14.45 LDA Limited.
My carry HAS changed due to the cold weather allowing a jacket here in Central Georgia.
Yes, my M37 Airweight still rides in my front pocket's holster, as always . . . but last night on an out-of-town trip for a nice dinner my Kimber Ultra CDP (Lightweight Officer's sized) .45ACP rode in my belt slide holster.
Today, the Kimber was changed out for a fullsize, high cap. Para P14.45 LDA Limited.
After years of being told that cross draw is a big no-no and agreeing with it, I have found that when wearing a heavy jacket that has to be zipped up makes it an attractive option. It is much easier to access a cross draw holster underneath a heavy coat than strong side.
I have also found that gloves can be a big problem with getting caught in between the trigger and the frame and making the revolver short cycle on successive shots. With practice and the right gloves, it can be dealt with. I would suggest wearing the thinnest and tightest fitting gloves that you can wear and still be warm, or wearing very loose gloves that you can remove quickly if you need to shoot.
I have also found that gloves can be a big problem with getting caught in between the trigger and the frame and making the revolver short cycle on successive shots. With practice and the right gloves, it can be dealt with. I would suggest wearing the thinnest and tightest fitting gloves that you can wear and still be warm, or wearing very loose gloves that you can remove quickly if you need to shoot.
wheelgunslinger
Member
Yeah, I tend to carry crossdraw a lot too in winter.
Problems: Once in the Rockies on an elk hunt, a friend who was lost in the woods tried to fire his S/W revolver (to signal his position) in what I remember as -10 temps. None of the rounds fired. They all had indentations when he got back to camp (finally) where they had been struck.
When it warmed back up, the revolver worked fine. Weird.
Problems: Once in the Rockies on an elk hunt, a friend who was lost in the woods tried to fire his S/W revolver (to signal his position) in what I remember as -10 temps. None of the rounds fired. They all had indentations when he got back to camp (finally) where they had been struck.
When it warmed back up, the revolver worked fine. Weird.
silent flatulence
member
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- Jan 9, 2010
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Same gun summer or winter. Either a ruger lcp or a smith and wesson 432pd .32 magnum. Which one I carry depends on how silly I feel that particular morning.
NMGonzo
Member
Winter carry is not that great.
Depends on the occasion, I carry my .44 redhawk
Most of the time, Anything that fits on my p-coat pocket.
Depends on the occasion, I carry my .44 redhawk
Most of the time, Anything that fits on my p-coat pocket.
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