- Joined
- Feb 20, 2007
- Messages
- 440
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- 637
I had a buddy back in the glory days of the ‘80s and ‘90s who often carried a six-inch barreled S&W Model 29 in a shoulder holster. We both grew up under the influence of the “Dirty Harry” series of films and had a strong affection for the mighty .44; my pal had the wherewithal to live it out, so to speak, by actually acquiring and carrying the sidearm of our favorite Inspector.
And this guy, man, he did it and did it well - he’d slip on a Members Only jacket (I told you it was the glory days) and with his slender build, the 29 just disappeared.
I recall my friend once telling me that sometimes that long-tubed 29 got heavy and that he was considering picking up something “smaller” - like a 4-inch Model 57 in .41 Magnum. The joke was on me, of course, as I didn’t know enough at the time to appreciate that such a .41 wasn’t exactly a great deal smaller than the fabled .44.
Time passed and I lost touch with my Magnum-toting friend, but I eventually found my own path to N-frame fandom via the likes of the Models 27 and 28, with a particular affinity for the five-inch 27 as favored by the late Mr. Skelton among many others. Later, the writings of no less authority than Sheriff Jim Wilson introduced me to Barranti Leather, and I took Mr. Barranti up on his claim of finding “comfortable peace of mind” via his Summer Classic IWB holster. Indeed, I found it to be more than a mere claim; it was reality for me.
Thus I find myself today having quite a fine time carrying a gun like a 5-inch 27 supremely concealed IWB for hours at a time (longest stretch to-date is 17 hours). As I’ve said before, no one is more pleasantly surprised than I am at how comfortable and effective this setup is for an N-frame revolver. Is it for everyone? Is it the most efficient and / or practical solution for concealed carry out there? Maybe; maybe not. But in a world of a LOT of choices, it works very well for me.
Still, there are those times when I recall the wry words of my old pal and start to think of perhaps carrying something a little “smaller” - like a 4-inch Model 28 (ha!) Thus it is that I now seem to swap back and forth between the deep-blued 27 and its less-glossy companion the 28, using an appropriately-sized Summer Classic for either arm.
My amigo, I hope you got that .41 and carry it proudly. And if we again cross paths and you need a holster recommendation, I’ve got one for you. That said, maybe you’ve already discovered one for yourself - I hope you have.
And this guy, man, he did it and did it well - he’d slip on a Members Only jacket (I told you it was the glory days) and with his slender build, the 29 just disappeared.
I recall my friend once telling me that sometimes that long-tubed 29 got heavy and that he was considering picking up something “smaller” - like a 4-inch Model 57 in .41 Magnum. The joke was on me, of course, as I didn’t know enough at the time to appreciate that such a .41 wasn’t exactly a great deal smaller than the fabled .44.
Time passed and I lost touch with my Magnum-toting friend, but I eventually found my own path to N-frame fandom via the likes of the Models 27 and 28, with a particular affinity for the five-inch 27 as favored by the late Mr. Skelton among many others. Later, the writings of no less authority than Sheriff Jim Wilson introduced me to Barranti Leather, and I took Mr. Barranti up on his claim of finding “comfortable peace of mind” via his Summer Classic IWB holster. Indeed, I found it to be more than a mere claim; it was reality for me.
Thus I find myself today having quite a fine time carrying a gun like a 5-inch 27 supremely concealed IWB for hours at a time (longest stretch to-date is 17 hours). As I’ve said before, no one is more pleasantly surprised than I am at how comfortable and effective this setup is for an N-frame revolver. Is it for everyone? Is it the most efficient and / or practical solution for concealed carry out there? Maybe; maybe not. But in a world of a LOT of choices, it works very well for me.
Still, there are those times when I recall the wry words of my old pal and start to think of perhaps carrying something a little “smaller” - like a 4-inch Model 28 (ha!) Thus it is that I now seem to swap back and forth between the deep-blued 27 and its less-glossy companion the 28, using an appropriately-sized Summer Classic for either arm.
My amigo, I hope you got that .41 and carry it proudly. And if we again cross paths and you need a holster recommendation, I’ve got one for you. That said, maybe you’ve already discovered one for yourself - I hope you have.
