Hello there,

New to this forum and thought I would share my newest addition I picked up for my CCW. Anyone have any recommendations for a good IWB holster or pocket holster? I use kydex holsters for all my other pistols and not very familiar with good revolver holsters for CCW. I hope I posted correctly as I did not see any other post with a 640 in it and my Smith was made in 96'. I did see some amazing revolvers on this forum though! Thanks in advance!

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Very nice! I also have a 640-1 and I use a Galco pocket holster when I carry it.

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Life NRA, Life TSRA, C&R FFL

I use a DeSantis Sof-tuck for IWB and a DeSantis pocket holster for pocket carry of my 640-1.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

Get a Mika. I've been carrying a 442
in one over 10 years. Well made and
Robert Mika is great for customer
service.

Products

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never get out of the boat

Thank you guys for the input! The Galco and DeSantis is definitely two names I see mentioned often. I will have to order one and see how it feels. I usually carry IWB with kydex holsters so this will be my first leather holster. I was not sure how well the retention works with leather holsters compared to kydex with the tactical click. Thanks again for the advice.

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Mika is the other name I see alot. Appreciate the input!

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Pre MIM parts Great find.

Thank you, I have been looking for a pre lock Smith for a long time now, I was happy to have finally found one. Now if I can just find some 357 ammo to feed it.

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The Desantis Nemesis, and Alabama Pocket Holster are the ones I use the most.

Congratulations on the 640! The pre mim/lock -1s are exceptional.
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I am partial to Side guard holsters and use a AIWB for J frames.

I carry a 640-1 Pro Series in an ankle holster and love it.

Wish I could help you but this is how I carry mine, it is the first gun I ever bought. It was shipped April 1995.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

I carry mine in an El Paso Saddlery pocket holster. They are light, thin, and slide off in the draw stroke, but can be easily retained if you want to take the gun & holster out together.

The 640-1 was my favorite pocket carry for many years until Smith & Wesson came out with the 340sc. It is still a favorite for certain activities (and modes of carry). I used to put the 640-1 in my inside coat pocket during cold spells, and sometimes in the front pocket of my coveralls when doing ranch duty.

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On the Oak Savannah

That is a awesome looking set up, very nice!!

I appreciate the help everyone. I have been carrying glocks as my EDC for a few years now. However, growing up my dad always had alot of S&W revolvers. So I wanted a pre lock Smith that I could also use as a EDC. However, I have never bought holsters or carried a revolver so this is all new to me. I am leaning towards the Mika's IWB holster so far and I might try a couple of the pocket holsters you all have been suggesting. At least the pocket holsters seem to be affordable so I don't mind buying more than one and seeing what works best for me.



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I like the 640-1 so much I have 2. I had three at one point but I traded off the worst on finish wise.

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-Matt

I like my Lobo offset belt clip, although IWB isn't my favorite method of carry. Before that, I used a Galco Stow N Go, which was inexpensive and readily available. You'll have to wait a bit to get a Lobo.

I rarely pocket carry my J frames. (In fact, I've never pocket carried my 640 Pro.) But I have a Desantis Nemesis and a Mica for my 642, and would recommend either.

Welcome to the Forum, CaliTrav. Excellent J-frame you've acquired.

If you're used to kydex and like it, there's no reason you have to go leather just because it's a revolver. I have both, use both, and both work. I'm trending more towards kydex these days.

For IWB, I recommend JM Custom Kydex.

For pocket carry, the current kydex champ seem to be Aholster products.

As for .357 ammo, you're likely to find most loads mighty stout even in an all-steel J-frame. Most folks opt for a variety of .38 options. If you've got a case of magnumitus and must shoot .357 from it, suggest some of the mid-power loadings like Speer's Gold Dot Short Barrel or Remington's Golden Saber. You'll probably wish you hadn't gone with any full-house loads, 125gr or 1258.gr variety.

Be safe and enjoy.

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Pickpocket

I use an Azula leather pocket holster, common on Ebay. Loved it from day one.

For IWB, a SoftArmor PH-3 sticky holster works really well, can be positioned any way you like it, and works adequately as a pocket holster too. And is dirt cheap besides!

Thank you all for your input, all this information has been extremely helpful.

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Like hyena, I carry my 640-1 in a LOBO offset clip horse hide, all day everyday.

I have 3 -1s and a no-dash

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SWCA #2817

Is that a Galco Miami Classic?

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I guess I'm late to the party. My 640-1 is my most carried gun. Congratulations on finding yourself a great little weapon. I like mine so much that I'm looking for a reasonably priced backup.

In the summer I use a Mika holster to carry in my pocket. I don't find it to heavy, although others seem too. In the winter with cover garments, I carry the 640 on my belt in a Simply Rigged pancake holster. With the accessory straps, I can also use the same holster as a in the waistband type, though I usually don't. Nothing wrong, just not my preference.

For ammo I keep the little gun stoked with the Speed Gold Dot Short Barrel .357's. Backup ammo is this same ammo in the .38 special variety. That way the ammo fits my backup gun also.

I absolutely love this little pocket rocket, hope you do too!

Attached Images

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Bought mine used around 2003 and carried it in a Don Hume leather pocket holster ever since.

I believe 96 was the very first year for the 357 mag 640.

Yes it is.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

CaliTrav, I just sent you a PM.

J frames are the ultimate pocket carry guns, and any of the mentioned holsters are great. One of my favorites are the holsters from Sticky. The only downside to pocket carry is if your pockets are a bit tight, drawing becomes somewhat challenging and lint, especially in the Centennials, becomes harder to remove. Sticky holsters and holsters from Remora can be used IWB as well, and provide you the ability to position the firearm anywhere around your waist as there are no clips to fuss with. They're also quite comfortable. Some folks are concerned about re-holstering with the soft holsters, but realistically if you had to draw, you'll probably want to keep the gun out for a while. When the time comes to put it away, simply pull the holster put the gun back, and tuck the holster in place. These aren't recommended for range use, but for concealment, they hide and secure your weapon very well. Congrats on your find and good luck in your search.

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SFC, US Army, Retired

Thanks again to everyone! This community is great and I see there is a huge wealth of knowledge here. I truly appreciate all the help.

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I have a Mika pocket holster for my 640-1. It is a great product, and a great person to deal with.

Agree with Robert being such a good person. I ordered a holster from Mika based on so many good reviews and he called me minutes after placing the order. I see what everyone means about his customer service. Looking forward to seeing the product.

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So I received a lot of excellent advice here, I am truly grateful for all input. There was also so many good options given for holsters and such. I ended up ordering a IWB holster and pocket holster from Mika's website. Decided to give it a try due to how great the customer service was everyone mentioned. Those two holsters come in tomorrow, however, a fine gentleman here on the forum was nice enough to PM me and offer to send me a holster he no longer uses. I received it today and it fits and feels great. He was even nice enough to include a speed strip for extra rounds. (Was a nice surprise) Thank you Gunny4053! The least I could do was pay for shipping and he said no. I will make sure to pay it forward in one way or another.

I bought the revolver mainly because my dad was a S&W revolver guy and always had several S&W revolvers sitting on his head board or one in his truck, or jacket pocket lol. As a kid he always told me the revolver will always go bang when you need it, this was pre MIM days and he never had issues with them. Now that I am older I went glocks for my conceal carry. Don't get me wrong they are great guns and I trust them. However, there is nothing like a revolver in your hand. I see I just unlocked a new addiction and I can't wait to continue to add more. Thank you all for being so helpful and welcoming, and just plain good people. Here are a couple pics taken with my new gifted holster, this holster will get used as I am very grateful.

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Ammo Question:

So I have read a lot about this gun the last week or so and have some questions regarding ammo. Here is a list of things I have read and hoping to get some clarity.

- Full power loads of 357's comments range from, Too much to handle, will make your hand bleed, not an issue I don't mind the recoil.

- When shooting 357's use lower power loads designated for short barrels. ( I am sure this is the safest and best advice)

- Use only 158 grains when shooting 357's. Using lower weight bullets cause the gas to escape around the bullet and causes extra wear and damage to the revolver and the forcing cone I believe is what I read.

Here is where my question and concerns comes in. With the ammo shortage I was finally able to get my hands on some 357's from a private party. I got 100 rounds of remington umc 125 grains and a box of spear gold dots also 125 grains. With everything I read, would shooting 100 rounds of 125 grain 357's cause damage or excessive wear to the point I should not shoot them? Of course it would be nice to just go get some 158 grains but in California it is extremely hard to find like everywhere right now I'm sure. Thanks in advance!

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125gr won't hurt a thing. Yes, they are a little hot for an all day range session, but they won't hurt the gun. The up side to your little 640-1 is the all steel frame. They absorb recoil rather well. Shooting 158gr ammo is much easier on you and the gun for range work, something in the 135gr range is pretty good for carry.

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SFC, US Army, Retired

Awesome thanks! I do not plan on using this little guy for all day range practice. I have plenty of gun to shoot for fun at the range. But being that this is going on my CCW I do need to train with it enough to be proficient. I just wanted to make sure these loads will not damage it. I will get 158 grains as soon as I can find them. Hoping to get out this week to try it out.

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My 640-1 has seen 110 and 125 grain full power loads and no damage to the revolver. I will say that the recoil was... "snappy". It is far more controllable and usable with ammo designed for short barreled revolvers or 38 Special +P.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

Recoil is objective in that it's the physics of action and reaction. Recoil is also subjective in that the same objective amount of recoil can be experienced differently by different shooters. Too many reasons to name, but they fall largely under differences in each individual's biomechanics, sensory systems and psychological make-up.

So the different, sometimes contradictory answers you've seen on full-house .357 recoil in a steel J-frame snubby each has relative merit. Only you'll know what you personally make of it, but there's no denying that equal loads in a small, light gun will yield more actual and felt recoil than in an otherwise similar but larger, heavier gun.

Lower power .357 is often recommended in smaller revolvers not just for reasons of recoil control (and therefore better accuracy and follow-up), but also because traditional full-house .357 needs longer barrels to make full use of the load's powder and bullet's capabilities; they're largely wasted in a snubby. The .357 loads designed for short barrels aren't just about less recoil and better control, they're about that specific round performing to its intended design from a shorter barrel.

The "use only 158 grain to protect the forcing cone" is likely borrowed or misunderstood from a long-standing but unrelated discussion concerning forcing cone cracks on earlier era K-frames; it doesn't pertain to your particular 640, and you can safely use bullets of all common grains.


All shooting puts wear on a gun. Wear from use accrues over time, unavoidably. Speed of wear is directly proportional to power of load; big boomers will wear a gun faster than little poppers. Simple as that. But your 640 -- assuming it's currently in good health -- will not be worn out or seriously damaged by the ammunition you're planning to run. That's a long time down the road if you take care of the revolver.

That said, the Speer Gold Dot 125gr .357 load isn't optimized for a short barrel, and the 640's is mighty short. If you're planning on that as your defense load, do not expect it to expand as designed; the snub's just not going to get it moving fast enough. Still a good round, especially if it's all you got, but know going in.

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Pickpocket

Thank you for your informative explanation. Good information here. I plan on finding more suitable ammo for when I do carry it but at this time this was all I could find. I am still in the process of adding this to my CCW so hopefully I can find short barrel ammo by then. I do also have some 38 special HP's that I am sure will work fine for carry as well. However, growing up I remember shooting my dad's 629 often and enjoying the recoil.

My EDC now is a glock 26 9mm and a glock 30sf .45. Once I shoot the magnums and see how this little guy feels I will decide what type of ammo I carry when it is added to my CCW. Of course if the recoil feels too great to be able to quickly get back on target or concerns of over penetration then I have the option of 38's. If that is the case then the 357's will be fun to throw some fire balls with my buddies when shooting

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So did my qualification today for my CCW renewal. I added this revolver to my permit. The gun shoots and feels great. Although I was only putting 38's through it for the qualification. Looking forward to putting some 357's though it so I can feel how awesome this little revolver is.

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