View Full Version : Revolver Education/Suggestions?
I don't have a whole lot of knowledge on revolvers. The only revolver I ever shot was a Raging Bull .454 Casull (range rental) for shits and giggles. I'm looking to buy a revolver that I could conceal carry, now my question is which brand/model and caliber? What is everyone carrying? I've got small hands and I do resemble a Man Child of the Asian persuasion, so I'm thinking a nice J Frame. What is the better round to carry, .357mag or .38spl? Thanks for the suggestions/comments in advance :cool:
I don't have a whole lot of knowledge on revolvers. The only revolver I ever shot was a Raging Bull .454 Casull (range rental) for shits and giggles. I'm looking to buy a revolver that I could conceal carry, now my question is which brand/model and caliber? What is everyone carrying? I've got small hands and I do resemble a Man Child of the Asian persuasion, so I'm thinking a nice J Frame. What is the better round to carry, .357mag or .38spl? Thanks for the suggestions/comments in advance :cool:
in a really small gun 38 will be more controllable, and really not give up much in power out of the short barrel...
i've heard good stuff about the ruger LCR, haven't handled one though. J-frames and old colts are sweet too of course.
mike benedict
02-14-10, 07:42
a 642 would be my choice.
357's out of a J-Frame are no fun
Mike
montanadave
02-14-10, 10:13
The Ruger LCR with Crimson Trace sights loaded with Gold Dots in a Looper appendix carry is about as easy as it gets. That said, my wife is going to take possession of the LCR and I recently purchased a Ruger SP101 (.357), again with the CT grips, which I intend to carry the same way. Additionally, I put Big Dot tritium front sights on both handguns. I've been pleased with both.
Ak44:
You and I appear to have similar physical and cultural backgrounds :).
I grew up shooting revolvers long before I started shooting the square guns. My buddy Mike Benedict is in that the 642 aka J frame Smith & Wesson is a good carry revolver. I've carried one every day for 12 years now. I shoot it every now and then also. But I didn't start out with the little lightweight gun. I started shooting L frame and K frame S&W and Colt D frame revolvers, with barrel lengths from 2" to 6". They're easier to learn to shoot and lesser recoil.
I suggest a 3" model 64 or 13 Smith & Wesson, it's both short enough to carry inside the waist band and long enough for a novice to shoot accurately. After shooting that for awhile, then graduate to the little J frame for a backup or everyday gun.
Good luck.
John_Wayne777
02-14-10, 11:12
The J frame is probably the most popular concealed carry piece in hostory. I pack a S&W 442 with CT grips daily. It is a blend of reliability, concealability, and ballistic performance that is difficult to beat. They are difficult weapons to shoot well and they have limited capacity, but they are still capable enough to get most jobs done.
As far as carry goes, if you can carry something like a G19 you would have to be brain damaged to give that ujp in favor of carrying the J frame. Having one aS a BUG or for those occasions when you really can't carry spomething else is a good move.
As for 357 vs. .38, AFAIK there is no real terminal ballistics advantage to the magnum loads in a J frame over the 38 loads, but you do gewt more recoil and muzzle blast. If I'm wrong on that, somebody correct me.
I used to have a 642, but I had to sell it years ago. I now carry a M&P 340. I wanted the option to carry either .357 or .38, but the magnum loads peg my fun meter. I stick with .38 +Ps these days. I do like the big dot night sight, but the CT grips really open up the usability of such a small hand gun. All in all, the 340 doesn't hold much of an advantage over the 442/642, but for some reason I prefer it. I don't have any regrets mind you, but that's my take on the two.
I do think that a Ruger SP-101 will find it's way into my rotation. The grip allows for more of a purchase than the J-frame, and that helps substantially with recoil management and control. I typically carry IWB, so the extra weight of the Ruger won't make much of a difference. The 340 is hands down a better pocket carry solution, but I only do that about 25% of the time. Hell, on occasion I carry a 586 L-Comp. That's a hunk of metal, but it's nice to know that you have 7 rounds of .357 Magnum at the ready (and moon clips for seconds)!
Overall, you can't go wrong with a S&W J-frame in .38 +P. No need to pay extra for the magnum capability or "ultra" lightweight materials. Find one that fits your application, fits your budget, and fits your lifestyle and don't worry about the rest.
Alpha Sierra
02-14-10, 16:02
I suggest a 3" model 64 or 13 Smith & Wesson, it's both short enough to carry inside the waist band and long enough for a novice to shoot accurately. After shooting that for awhile, then graduate to the little J frame for a backup or everyday gun.
There is an incredible amount of wisdom in this post.
Smith & Wesson J frames (and similar from other manufacturers) are NOT beginners' handguns. They are, in fact, quite the opposite.
The 3" fixed sight K frames (Models 10 and 64 in .38 Special and Models 13 and 65 in .357 Magnum) are hard to find and command a premium price, but there are good reasons for that. They are the epitome of a fighting revolver and are perfect for concealed carry.
Don't forget the Ruger SP101 comes in 2" and 3" versions.
I had a S&W M60 in .357Magnum that I foolishly traded it for another gun. I carried light grained .38+Ps in it for a couple of reasons. 1) 357s are brutal on the hand. 2) With such a short barrel, there's no real advantage to run 357s other than the extra bark. 3) Did I mention 357s are brutal?! I put the sting in my hand on par with the S&W 500 I fired.
Another gun I miss is the 686 snubbie I had. That gun was pretty good with magnums because of the extra weight. Although, Remington 110Gr 357s were pretty stout.
S&W 442 or the new Ruger LCR (awesome out of the box trigger) would be my top choices. Stoke it with Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel .38 +P and don't look back.
The 342 PD or 342 M&P are both great pocket revolvers...
B
SeriousStudent
02-14-10, 23:14
I'm with JW. A no-lock J frame with a laser is a very efficient platform for its size. I have a 642 that I took the lock out of.
I also have an old M60 in .357 like halo2304. It's one of the old stainless two-inch guns with a pinned barrel, and is freakishly accurate. It will shoot one-hole groups at 12 yards with Speer +P short-barrel Gold Dots. It's a lot heavier than a 642, so it gets carried in the Carhartt coat pocket in the winter.
It's my favorite pocket rocket. :)
And I could not agree more with Alpha Sierra. These are easily the most difficult pistols to shoot well, that I own. That's why I bought the steel frame M60, to practice with.
lethal dose
02-14-10, 23:30
In my personal experience, the ruger sp101 is the best ccw revolver. It has proven to be the most reliable wheel gun I've ever owned, along with the ruger gp100. I like smiths, but there are just a few reliability issues that arose... not enough to where I don't trust them. Not to say the rugers don't have failures, too... I have personally never experienced one fail, though. I carry the 3" model... good blend of concealability and accuracy. I do notice a difference between .38 and .357- I usually carry +p. The downside to the rugers is the weight. What do I carry? Ruger. Would I trust my life to a smith? Absolutely.
I carry a large gun all day with a j-frame as a bug.
http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy358/SuperiorFirearms/GREY%20625/100_0972.jpg
The fact of the matter is when I can't carry what I like I carry what I can.
http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy358/SuperiorFirearms/J-frame/swpolishblue-2.jpg
http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy358/SuperiorFirearms/J-frame/100_1003.jpg
http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy358/SuperiorFirearms/J-frame/DSC_0223.jpg
I think you can get good training from the big names in the industry. I think Ken Hackathorn is very knowledgeable on the platform just go to a basic class and bring a wheel gun. I went to a L.A.V. class with a smith 627 and did not do poorly at all.
I all so know that Ken is a big smith and Wesson fan not just the pistols the revolvers to.
Ak44:
You and I appear to have similar physical and cultural backgrounds :).
I started shooting L frame and K frame S&W and Colt D frame revolvers, with barrel lengths from 2" to 6". They're easier to learn to shoot and lesser recoil.
I suggest a 3" model 64 or 13 Smith & Wesson, it's both short enough to carry inside the waist band and long enough for a novice to shoot accurately. After shooting that for awhile, then graduate to the little J frame for a backup or everyday gun.
Good luck.
Same experience here. I started with a Model 10HB, went to a Model 15 before trying the Detective Special and the steel framed Bodyguard.
Even after shooting the 4inch .38s for a while (2 years), shooting the J frame for the first time was a different experience in terms of recoil. I never got to the point where I could manage the FBI load in the small snubs but 129gr Hydra Shoks and 125gr Nyclads were comfortable. Have not tried the Gold Dot SBs yet but the 110gr DPX load is comfortable enough for me.
brushy bill
02-27-10, 14:38
Mr. Smith,
What can you tell us about the blued S&W in the second photo? What model, front sights, and grip? Thanks...beautiful in my opinion.
Alpha Sierra
02-27-10, 15:31
To the OP, if you really want to become proficient with revolvers, get a 3 or 4 inch barrel S&W K frame (Models 10, 64, 13, 65, 15, 67, 19, or 66) or L frame (Models 581, 681, 586, or 686), a good holster, four or five Safariland Comp II or SL Variant speedloaders, and go compete in IDPA.
Train at home as you would with a semi auto (same drawstroke and dry firing regimen) and make or buy dummy rounds to work on reloading practice.
If you train and compete diligently, you will be amazed at what you can do.
lethal dose
02-27-10, 16:06
To the OP, if you really want to become proficient with revolvers, get a 3 or 4 inch barrel S&W K frame (Models 10, 64, 13, 65, 15, 67, 19, or 66) or L frame (Models 581, 681, 586, or 686), a good holster, four or five Safariland Comp II or SL Variant speedloaders, and go compete in IDPA.
Train at home as you would with a semi auto (same drawstroke and dry firing regimen) and make or buy dummy rounds to work on reloading practice.
If you train and compete diligently, you will be amazed at what you can do.
You got it! I have a 3" ruger sp101. It made me a proficient shooter on the wheelie platform.
Mr. Smith,
What can you tell us about the blued S&W in the second photo? What model, front sights, and grip? Thanks...beautiful in my opinion.
The gun is smith model 60 3 inch sight is 14k gold bead the grips are Esmeralda wood grips. The finish is a finish we use to look like blue but it is not blued it is a bake on finish with lots of time spent on body work to make the gun look the way it should. Thank you for the complement on it.
This gun is a mod 66 that we did for a customer a while back.
http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy358/SuperiorFirearms/66%20f-comp/swm66bluepolish2.jpg
This gun is one that just had to be loved it was fun to have if just for fun.
http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy358/SuperiorFirearms/mod%2057/swm571.jpg
Alpha Sierra
02-27-10, 17:25
This gun is one that just had to be loved it was fun to have if just for fun.
http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy358/SuperiorFirearms/mod%2057/swm571.jpg
Now THAT is bad ass!
Now THAT is bad ass!
Thank you Sir 41 mag just makes you feel like a man.
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