Anyone Chosen to Carry a 627PC or Other 7 and 8 Shot Revolver??

Hey all,

I am thinking about what carry gun I want to get. Normally I would go straight to a semi, but with these 7 and 8 shot revolvers I think it presents a good alternative. I just wonder how many others feel the same way and have chosen to carry one of these revolvers like the PC627 Bloodsport revolver or something like the 686+ or 586 L-Comp. I would be happy with any of them on my side, I think.

So, how many of you have made the jump to these revolvers or are seriously thinking about doing it?
I'd like to hear your thoughts on it, good and bad.

Of course you don't have to be limited to the higher capacity revolvers like I mentioned, there are perfectly wonderful choices all over the place in the S&W Catalog.

If you have any pics of your rig...how about posting them?

Thanks all

Nalajr

I carry this 327 Sc in a Blackhillsleather.com IWB holster.

I recently (about 2 months ago) picked up this 627-5 V Comp and have been carrying it quite a bit. I'm finding it to be a good "all arounder" for me. Although I've only had this one a short time, I'm no stranger to carrying full sized revolvers, so this isn't any different than say a Redhawk , Blackhawk, SAA or Python that are my other carry options.

I keep my carry ammo in the moonclips for ease of use and convenience, and just load 'em individually like any other revolver at the range. I find the moon clip arrangement even more convenient than an autoloader with a magazine. Loads and unloads in the blink of an eye.

The weight and size are really a non issue with a good holster and belt combo.





It fits quite nicely in this well used Simply Rugged holster that was made for my 5 1/2" Redhawk. Pulls the butt in nice and tight to the body and disappears under an untucked T shirt

Nalapombu said:

Hey all,

I am thinking about what carry gun I want to get. Normally I would go straight to a semi, but with these 7 and 8 shot revolvers I think it presents a good alternative. I just wonder how many others feel the same way and have chosen to carry one of these revolvers like the PC627 Bloodsport revolver or something like the 686+ or 586 L-Comp. I would be happy with any of them on my side, I think.

So, how many of you have made the jump to these revolvers or are seriously thinking about doing it?
I'd like to hear your thoughts on it, good and bad.

Of course you don't have to be limited to the higher capacity revolvers like I mentioned, there are perfectly wonderful choices all over the place in the S&W Catalog.

If you have any pics of your rig...how about posting them?

Thanks all

Nalajr

Click to expand...

Are you referring to concealed carry?

I carry both a 627PC 2.6" 8 shot and 686PC 2.5" 7 shot. They are my main carry guns. I have written reviews of carrying both of them. (I also carry the other guns you mentioned...586 L Comp, 386 NG, 386PD etc)

Here is a repost of my 627PC 2.6" Holster Review:

You might have seen my earlier thread that I recently picked up a New 627PC 2.6" that I am very pleased with.

While the trigger is not quite as nice as the trigger on my 686PC 2.5", the gun has performed flawlessly and has exhibited the type of accuracy I have come to expect from my S&W revolvers.

I bought this gun to carry. I have been carrying L Frame 357 Snubbys for the last bunch of months (686PC, 386NG, 386PD, 586 L Comp), so I figured I should give an N Frame 357 Snubby a try. I just wanted to see how big and heavy I could go without it being a problem.

I have mainly been carrying my 686PC which comes in just over 38ozs loaded. I mainly carry it in a Tucker Gun Leather Texas Heritage IWB. After much trial and error that was the holster I liked best. If I carry OWB, I carry it in a Simply Rugged Pancake holster. Here is a review of the Texas Heritage for my 686PC:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/gun-leather-carry-gear/408221-praise-tucker-gun-leather.html

Since I absolutely love the Tucker for IWB carrying my 686, I figured I would go with the same holster for my 627PC. The Tucker arrived this AM and I have been carrying the 627 in it all day.

It is much more comfortable to carry the 627 IWB than OWB in the Simply Rugged holster. It is a lot of weight to have hanging off your hip. In general, an IWB set up keeps the weight in closer to your body than an OWB set up.

The Texas Heritage in particular, with it's dual anchor points, distributes the weight so well, that you barely notice you are carrying a gun, and a heavy one at that (42ozs loaded). It feels exactly the same as carying my lighter and thinner 686PC. I feel no difference despite the bigger bulging cylinder of the 627.

Once again Tucker has come through for me. I cannot recommend this rig highly enough. It is truly amazing how easy it is to carry a large and heavy revolver when you have the right holster and belt. If anyone is looking for a way to conceal a large and heavy S&W Revolver, look closely at the Tucker Gun Leather Texas Heritage and one of Tucker's excellent carry belts.

Here is a repost of my 686PC Holster Review:

It is only recently that I have acquired revolvers larger than a J Frame. As many of you know carrying a large revolver can pose quite a challenge. So when I purchased my 386 Night Guard, 686 PC 2.5"m and 586 L Comp I knew the holster search would quickly be underway.

For the last 5 years I have carried my J Frames in a Cover-Up and Cover-Up Plus from Tucker Gun Leather. When I purchased my first J Frame I did some research on the forums to see what others were carrying their J Frames in. I looked at many reviews and decided to purchase several holsters to see which worked best for me. I knew many of them would wind up in the "holster draw" in my gun room, but trial and error has always been the best way to figure out which holster works best for me for a particular gun I would like to carry.

The Tucker Cover-Up won my J Frame holster contest. After five years of heavy use my cover up still worked great, but looked a little worse for the wear. So I decided to order a second cover-up. This time, however, I choose the Cover-Up Plus which is reinforced around the top to make re-holstering easier. I still use my old Cover-Up, and absolutely love my Cover-Up Plus. They have both served me very well.

Given my satisfaction with their other products, the first place I turned to when looking for a new holster for my 2.5" barreled L Frames was Tucker Gun Leather. And I couldn't be happier with my choice.

When I picked up my new three new L Frames over a 2 week period, I immediately emailed Rob at Tucker Gun Leather, who has always been incredibly responsive when I have had a question in the past. I asked him what direction I should go in for my new L Frame revolvers for IWB carry.

He told me the only way he knows how to carry a large revolver IWB is with Tucker's Texas Heritage. I had no reason to doubt Rob, and I placed my order:
"Texas Heritage" IWB | Premium IWB Holsters | Tucker Gun Leather

The Texas Heritage is $100, and worth every penny in my opinion. I received my holster the other day and when you look at the holster and think about all the work that goes into making a holster like this, it is truly a bargain. Holster making is clearly an art, and the guys at Tucker are quite masterful. The fit, finish and quality is absolutely top-notch. Given my previous experience with Tucker holsters, it will no doubt be durable as well.

My 386NG, 686PC, and 586 L Comp fit the holster perfectly. It is constructed so all of the metal of the gun is covered by leather and the gun does not touch your sweaty skin. The gun sits at the perfect height for IWB carry, not too high and not too low, and is canted just right for a quick draw should one be required.

While not a small holster by any standard, it is so comfortable and perfectly supported by the two attach points that you barely notice you are wearing a holster or gun!

Since they are all 7 shot .357 L Frames with 2.5" to 3" barrels, I only needed to purchase one holster for my 3 new guns! How awesome is that. Plus I have a 3" 686 Talo Deluxe on the way that will fit in the holster as well. And I notice my 6 shot 65 Ladysmith 3" is perfectly supported in the Texas Heritage as well. Five guns, one holster, can't beat that!

A belt, which supports the holster, no doubt plays an important role in the comfort of the holster as well. When I ordered my Texas Heritage IWB I decided to finally breakdown and order a real Carry Belt as well. The Tucker belt is my first true carry belt. I have always needed one, but for some moronic reason I always just made due with the Department Store options hanging on the hooks in my closet.

The Tucker belt is not only beautiful, it is thick and heavily reinforced. It sits in a circle on it's own because of all the reinforcement. It is also very comfortable as well. It does an amazing job of supporting even a heavy revolver such as a 686 PC.

Not wanting to spend a fortune on a belt, I went with the Tucker Basic Carry Belt. But Tucker has lots of other belt options as well. Considering the importance of a quality Cary Belt, $89 for their Basic model seemed reasonable to me.

If you have never owned a dedicated carry belt, I highly recommend you get one. It is a very different animal from a belt bought at a Department Store and is made specifically for the job at hand.

(Not affiliated with Tucker in any way. Just like to spread the news of a good product when I encounter one).

Here are some pictures:

Nalapombu said:

I just wonder how many others feel the same way and have chosen to carry one of these revolvers like the PC627 Bloodsport revolver or something like the 686+ or 586 L-Comp.
Nalajr

Click to expand...

FYI, it is called Bloodwork, not Bloodsport Clint Eastwood carried the 627PC 2.6" in the movie Bloodwork, hence the name.

I pocket carry a Taurus Mdl 617, 7 shot, 357 Mag revolver. It fits in a Remora pocket holster made for a Ruger LCR. The opening in the holster is just a tad bit wider/larger than a holster for a J frame snubbie. It is smaller framed than a 686 +, but still has the full hand grip. I have 3 of them and have had no problems with any of them. They are more accurate than I am.

If I carry a backup, I simply carry another Taurus 617 Airweight, 7 shot, in 38Spl, in the weak side front pocket.

I like the 7 shooters. I have diabetic neurophaty in my hands and run the risk of unknowingly limp wristing and pistols don't like that.

If I feel the need, I have a Glock Mdl 19 or 23 that I carry IWB in a Comp Tac Minatour holster,but the 7 shooters are carried 98% of the time. Incidently I am retired and I home carry also.

I will carry my 627PC, but you need a good solid belt (1.5-inch horsehide, thebeltman.net) and you need a well built top-quality holster (enhanced pancake, lobogunleather.com). With these, it is invisible, and I am not a big guy.

I have carried a revolver with me almost everyday of the last 35 years. Often times, two of them.

Today there is a M&P340 sitting in my front pant pocket loaded with Hornady 357 Magnum 140JHPs

On many occasions that will be replaced with a 327 Carry or a 41 Magnum Night Guard or whatever I feel like that day.

I carry my 627 Pro Series on a pretty regular basis. Depending on how I'm dressed, I think both the IWB and OWB holsters I have are equally comfortable for all-day carry. When I carry this gun, I carry two moon clips strong-side, two speed loaders weak-side and two speed strips (one in each front pocket). I figger 56 rounds of .357 will let me fight to the truck where the rifle is. Hehe!

I occasionally carry a 4" 627-5 in a holster I made myself. I carry a 5 Star speedloader, since I do not trust the thin moonclips for the reload.

But 99% of the time I carry a short 625 .45 ACP. It's still the better revolver with the better cartridge.

Dave Sinko

Thanks all for the good info. I was just curious to see how many do it.

I am getting ready to take my class here in Texas to get my CCW. I had it before in Ohio and Florida, but now have to take the class here. I told myself that the first pistol I would buy would be a J frame or something that I could just pop in a pants or shorts pocket and go. Usually that means 5 shot J.

Well what got me to thinking about this plan was that here in Spring, Tx where I live we are about 15 miles from Houston city limits. Crime is not bad here and its a nice suburban place. As you can imagine though, bad elements do find their way here all the time.
Every day I see and hear stuff on the news about stuff that I once thought I'd never be close to. Well now I am. LOTS of very violent animals out there for sure. Home invasions, murder, armed robbery, carjacks, you name it, it's here.

My friend works at a local convenience store. I go there about 2 times a week and stand around and talk to him for 30 or 40 minutes or so. Not long ago it was about 10pm and 3 masked men burst through the door and put a pistol to his head and drug him behind the counter and proceeded to kick him and slap him around trying to get the keys or combination to the safe. They threw his phone across the store. I watched the video of it and he was literally scared to death. He had a right to be. The lead thug had his finger on the trigger at all times and he was carrying an autoloader. He had it right on my friends ear. Anything could've happened and he would be dead today. They made a customer lie on the floor and kept a pistol on him as well.
Police report taken, info was given, video was taken by cops and they were never caught. It just isn't high enough on the totem pole. They don't have the resources to go after every one of these kinds of crimes and the thugs that prey on people know it.

Well after talking to my friend and seeing the horror on his face, he is from Sri Lanka and is trying to get his Green card and then become a citizen, I thought about my plan. I could've very easily been standing right there at the counter talking to him when that happened. There were 3 of them. Naturally I wouldn't do anything to provoke a confrontation, I'd give them whatever they wanted to get them GONE ASAP. If things got really ugly, really fast, would a 5 shot J frame be adequate? Would I feel like I had a good chance to survive if I had to use it in a situation like that? Most of these violent crimes here and not done by 1 guy, they are done by groups.
So, I kinda felt like there would be a better way to go than a J frame as my primary carry weapon. Disagree if you want, that's just the way I feel after seeing that video.

I started thinking whether I should just keep my Glock 19 as my primary. No doubt I'll use it, but I am thinking about other choices. That's when the 7 and 8 shot wheelguns came to mind. I handled one of the 627PC BloodWORK guns at the NRA Show and loved it. I thought it was one of the coolest pistols I ever handled. I also really liked the 586 L-Comp. I've never handled the 686+ though.
Seeing that setup above, I am also adding that 627 Pro to my "possibles" list.

That's what caused me to ask this question here.

Now that you see what prompted it, what would you do? Would you go with something with higher capacity than the J frame or keep it?

MORE PICS TOO....I love seeing the gear and guns you guys post. Keep 'em coming.

Thanks all.

Nalajr

I forgot to add this to my response. That PC627 that weighs 38 ounces loaded, is LIGHTER than an empty full sized 1911. Most of them are 38 to 42 ounces unloaded. Plenty of people out there love packing their 1911 with 8 rounds or their CCO with 7.
I don't know how much that 627Pro weighs, but it can't be that much more, if at all.

The only negative I see when comparing these revolvers to the 1911's and other semi autos is that the semis are thinner and might be easier to hide when going IWB. If you have a loose shirth though, none of that matters one bit.

How about posting what some good prices would be for the Bloodwork pistol, the 586 L-Comp, 686+ and that 627 Pro. I wouldn't mind USED either, but I doubt that these come up for sale USED very often and I wouldn't know what a good used price would be on any of them.

Thanks again.

Nalajr

Nalapombu said:

I forgot to add this to my response. That PC627 that weighs 38 ounces loaded, is LIGHTER than an empty full sized 1911. Most of them are 38 to 42 ounces unloaded. Plenty of people out there love packing their 1911 with 8 rounds or their CCO with 7.
I don't know how much that 627Pro weighs, but it can't be that much more, if at all.

The only negative I see when comparing these revolvers to the 1911's and other semi autos is that the semis are thinner and might be easier to hide when going IWB. If you have a loose shirth though, none of that matters one bit.

How about posting what some good prices would be for the Bloodwork pistol, the 586 L-Comp, 686+ and that 627 Pro. I wouldn't mind USED either, but I doubt that these come up for sale USED very often and I wouldn't know what a good used price would be on any of them.

Thanks again.

Nalajr

Click to expand...

I too feel undergunned with a J Frame. I used to carry Js for my primary, until I encountered a similar situation like yours. 4 guys stormed a local restaurant shot and killed the bartender. A 5 shot would not have been up to the task. That's when I started carrying 7 and 8 shot revolvers. I just prefer revolvers to semis. And I am not an old timer.

I have a 586 L Comp that is part of my carry rotation as well in addition to the 8 shot 627 and 7 shot 686 PC guns.

(BTW the 627PC is just over 42 ozs loaded, not 38.)

I bought an as new 586 L Comp on GB that had the action done by a well-known retired Gunsmith, Mike Carmoney. The action was "Carmonized". It simply has the best action of any revolver I have ever handled. I had no idea a revolver could have a trigger like this. It is about 5 lbs in DA! I paid $900 for it. It is the finest revolver I own. I will never sell it. I wouldn't take $3K for it. Carmoney is retired and could not be replaced.



My $900 "Carmonized" 586 L Comp PC:

My 586 L Comp It is the finest shooting handgun I own:

I also paid exactly $900 for my brand new 627PC 2.6":

I got my brand new 686PC 2.5" in a trade. I gave an excellent condition 12 year old 360PD for it straight up:

All of these guns are cut for moon clips which make for fastest possible loading and unloading. Moon clips are a must in a carry revolver in my opinion.

I purchased a 325sc a short time ago from Mike Carmoney off this forum. He bought it years ago & never shot it. He said he gave up the gunsmithing 4 years ago when he started his own law firm. The 325sc is an n frame & at only 22 oz carries well for me owb & fires 45acp with moonclips. S&W produced approximately 300 of the SC's but there are plenty of the 325pd black finished models. This is my first 45acp revolver & I'm quite pleased with it.

Nalapombu, you mentioned a number of guns you have or want. I'm sure you know that proficiency is what matters more than any gun, so long as the gun is adequate to the task.

I don't like the "Bloodwork" revolver only because it feels awkward in my hand. Different grips would probably improve that. It is sufficiently accurate at any likely self-defense range, but I also prefer a longer barrel because they are easier for me to aim/point.

I have a PC627-5 I am quite pleased with. It will fit any N-frame holster, it feels like a better balance with the 5" barrel, and I carry speed strips rather than moon clips. Someone else mentioned the apparent fragility of the ones provided, so if you want to use them, I suggest you look for stronger ones. I find them too hard to conceal, and a pain to find the right place on my belt for them.
This is probably the best handling and shooting revolver I have ever owned. I love my Python, but this gun is way ahead in terms of utility and performance.

I also like my 627-5 Pro with 4" barrel for the same reasons.

HarrishMasher said:

FYI, it is called Bloodwork, not Bloodsport Clint Eastwood carried the 627PC 2.6" in the movie Bloodwork, hence the name.

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Yes. The 1988 movie Bloodsport features Jean-Claude Van Damme in his prime in a relatively big-budget outing. The film actually has a plot (even if fairly implausible), and a few firearms do make an appearance, which is somewhat rare in a martial arts movie. As a bonus, Bolo Yeung does some great character work as his usual over-the-top heavy.

I make that mistake all the time and use the wrong name for that pistol.

Duly noted and will try and fix myself for the future posts.



Nalajr

I did recommend above the belt and holster combo that would make carrying a 627PC viable... but as I was reading your reply about why you want to carry this gun, I started thinking "I'm going to recommend this guy carry a Glock 19"... and then a few paragraphs later, you said you had one.

I love my revolvers, love them. I especially love my pre-lock 627PC snubbie. I often carry it despite the fact that I paid so much for it, it should be a safe queen. But whenever I am really going into a bad part of town, I carry the Glock 19. Much easier to conceal than an N-frame, and you just cannot beat the capacity and quick reloading. When I carry my revolver, I always have a speed strip or 2x2x2 on my belt... but given the choice, I would rather have 15+1 at the ready any day of the week.

The concealed carry gun is a tool, and you must pick the right tool for the job. I carry a bunch of different revolvers, but if I know I'm in a place where there's trouble, it's the Glock all the way. It's just the right tool for the job.