This thread's getting a little moldy--but I'm not sure anyone has made the point clearly that even though the Bureau stopped approving new .38 revolvers back in the 90's, we moss-backed oldsters were allowed to carry our previously approved, personally owned revolvers until relatively recently. I think that my authority to carry my 2" Model 49 was revoked sometime in 2007.

I always found the justification for revoking the authority to carry revolvers--the gun vault's inability to afford spare parts and service -- laughable. I carried my Model 49 on my ankle, on my hip and in the pocket of my top coat for over 27 years and it never needed one whit of service.