Hello everyone. I would like basic revolver info and help please, not just S&W. I really want a revolver for concealed carry and I have some questions. What brand names are quality brands? What I mean is what brands are the most likely to work well the first time and not have quality control issues? Which brands will last a long time and be less likely to fall apart from simply firing it for many years? It seems that many carry a 38 only revolver, why is this? Why not carry a 357 snubby where you can shoot both rounds? Thanks for the help.

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Livin’ Life From The Blindside

.357 is uncontrollable for most people out a snubby, so most shoot .38 . As far as brands go, Taurus is never the answer. For pocket carry get a S&W 642/442 That's all I got

I would say S&Ws, obviously, Colts and Rugers. As far as not having a 357...have you ever shot a lightweight snubby with full house 357s? It isn't that enjoyable. Less than enjoyable = less practice. I prefer 38+p for defense in my 642. I can practice quite often with it and not be sore the day after.

So S&W and the Ruger sp101 are the way to go? What about Charter Arms? No I have never shot a 357.

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Livin’ Life From The Blindside

I only know about S&W revolvers. I checked out the Ruger LCR, it had a nice trigger, had an enclosed hammer and all but I just couldn't see myself with a plastic revolver. My 442 had all the features I was looking for, was a well established design, had lotsa aftermarket support and was all metal.
It's a .38 Special, I had considered a .357 Magnum, however the .357 version of my gun, the 640, weighs a half a pound more. My wife's 4" 66-3 weighs 1.25 pounds more. My snubby is for concealed carry and I figured lighter is better. I can carry it all day either on my belt of in my pocket and barely notice it's there. .38 Special is plenty to get someone's attention and give them a good idea that they made the wrong choices in life.

I have a 642 with Desantis Nemissis pocket holster.
I also have a Colt Agent which is not big or heavy but the hammer tang tends to get snagged when drawing so never carry it. both .38 the 642 in +P. the Agent fits my hand like a glove but has that hammer problem.
Steve W.

S&W, Colt, and Ruger would be my choices. I carry a Colt Agent sometimes. The Agent is light which means a lot after 5 or 6 hours. I also carry a S&W medium frame in 357 with a 3 inch barrel. The smith is heavy compared to the Colt but is easier to shoot because it is heavier.

It all gets very personal since size, gender, location, method of carry, cost and any number of things have a bearing on what works best for each person. I went thru about 15 different guns and 50 or 60 holsters before I settled on 4 that I carry. One of the guns is even a plastic 9mm auto with a trigger like a staple gun, but after getting used to it I like it.

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Dennis

All I have are S&W revolvers, 3 I carry just about daily. a 686 2.5" barrel in 357 I carry 357 some times as it depends on where I am going. I have a second 686 357 in a 3" barrel I carry 357 in that most of the time as it is heaver and absorbs the recoil better. I also carry a M60 with a 3" barrel in 357 but only carry +p ammo as it is a small J frame.

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Carpriver.

I tend to be more of the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" kind of guy. I prefer time tested over the newest trend to hit the market. My goal with a revolver is concealed edc so pocket of IWB. I am over weight and am working with my doctor for diet and exercise plan, so I plan to slowly lose weight.

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Livin’ Life From The Blindside

I think S&W has a better selection of revolvers than Colt and would probably be easier to find. The lighter the gun the harder and more unpleasant it is to shoot. How do you plan to carry? Pocket carry, Inside the waistband, outside the waistband, ankle carry, etc? For pocket carry, a small 5 shot with a shrouded hammer. Get a pocket holster or by the time you need the gun it will be upside down in your pocket. My regular carry gun is a small 9mm auto loader. The only small revolvers I have is a Taurus 44C which is a .44 magnum with a 2½ barrel. It is not what I recommend for a first gun. The only other is a Colt Detective special. It is bigger (6 shots) and much heavier than the S&Ws on the market now. I have not handled many Rugers, but the brand has a good reputation.

If it were me and I was sure I wanted a revolver I would look at S&W.

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Luke 22:36

I like the look and feel of a revolver. I like how they seem mechanical and how the gun feels classic.....like a mechanical watch or using a DE razor with brush and shave soap over an electric. It seems that S&W is the standard in a new revolver these days. Is Charter Arms a decent option or should you spend the extra $100 and get a Smith?

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Livin’ Life From The Blindside

s1mp13m4n, CCW all depends on what you wear and what you are comfortable shooting. I have at times carried a 6" 44 mag in a shoulder rig when the weather was cool enough for a jacket. My Sig 226 9MM I also carry in a shoulder rig with 2 extra mags. What I carry 24/7 is a Ruger LCP in a flat pocket holster in my back pocket. It does not get in the way sitting in a chair or seat and is accessable.
Best thing to do is check with some of your gun friends and if agreeable try some of their rigs. If it isn't comfortable you will not wear it and if its in the way it doesn't stay concealed. JMHO
Larry

Though I fire my Dan Wessons with the 2.5" barrel from time to time, I agree with Jeff Cooper that all the "Magna" need a long barrel to achieve proper effectiveness. Skeeter Skelton was enthusiatic about the 2.5" M-19 when it was introduced, later he decided the extra muzzle flash and recoil weren't worth it and a 4" M-19 concealed just as well and had more effectivess. And it's the hits that count most in self defense.

best small gun is a smith j frame. forget the 357 thing,you won't like it. a colt cobra is an excellent choice too but long out of production and pricy for a nice one but it hold 6 rds. as opposed to 5 in the smith. if you are even considering charter or taurus,how much is your life worth?

On the 357 vs 38 Special question: The greatly increased muzzle blast, recoil and flash of a 357 fired from a 2 inch barrel only results in a minor increase in muzzle velocity. I think the inceased controlabilty of a 38 Special fired from that platform is more combat effective. I've put my money whee my mouth is: I carry a S&W 638, an airweight, 2" barrel 38 Special, certified for +P, and I carry it loaded with the Speer Gold Dot for short barreled revolver. There may be better combinations, but I haven't found one yet.

Here's mine. Now it wears Speigel grips; smoth ones as the checkered ones tend to scratch the hand when fired with defensive loads.

Attached Images

SW 638 Airweight-G.jpg (80.3 KB, 7 views)

Thanks for that. You answered my question. So pay for the quality and forget the cheaper brands.

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Livin’ Life From The Blindside

Re: your question about paying for quality the answer is yes, absolutely. My oldest revlover was purchased new in 1968, a Colt Cobra, and it still works like the day it was new. Smith, Ruger or Colt (used if you can find one) and you will have no regrets. Besides, Smith and Ruger stand behind their products 100%.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Like others said. S&W, Colt, Ruger. As far as the .38 vs .357 I f you have a .357 it will shoot .38 SPL just fine. And will be worth more if you want to sell it later. As far as shooting a lightweight .357 I did that ONCE. Some say they arn't all that bad. I guess I'm a sissy, cus I thought "this hurts."

I rotate between these two. The 22 ounce Detective Special is perfect for the belt and the 15 ounce Smith 442 is great for pocket or ankle.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

Tell me something, why is the retail price of a S&W 642 $450 and the 736 $729? How much difference can there be between the S&W and m&p revolvers?

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Livin’ Life From The Blindside

I would stay away from the Charter Arms revolvers. While some are fairly decent, Charter Arms has gone through several different owners, and quality control really suffered.

It doesn't pay to cut corners on a SD handgun, IMHO.

Colt revolvers are getting to have quite a lot of collector value, so they may be too costly, though you could get lucky. You aren't likely to find a real bargain quickly or easily, I'm sorry to say.

My vote goes to S&W, since I've never had anything like a 'bad one', and I've owned quite a lot of S&W revolvers.

Second would be Ruger. They make very strong revolvers, that stand up to a lot of punishment. It's hard to go wrong with a Ruger.