BEST Concealed Carry Revolver
- Thread starter HOUSTON RICK
- Start date
This is my preference as well.
RABULL
Member
A S & W Model 642 or 442.... They are light weight and are something that you can carry all the time.... Better to carry it all the time and the lightweight 642/442 are easy to carry and the .38 Special +P Speer Gold Dot 135 HP is a good load for it.......
GreenGoblin227
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GreenGoblin227
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Love my 340pd. Even though it has the lock
Cocked & Locked
Member
In addition to J-frames, my DAO converted Charter Arms Undercover .38 special is one of my favorite little carry revolvers.
AAAARRRGGGGGHHHH! I call down the demons on you...
Since looking at these images, I haven't been able to stop drooling.
(People are already suggesting maybe it's time to shunt me off to the farm.)
Great photos. So, tell me, what's the recoil like with that load in that size of sixgun? Have you broiled any steaks with the muzzle flash?
And does it shoot high or low?
The .41 Mag is a superb cartridge, and I applaud your choice!
The recoil depends on the stocks. Using my loads of 250 grain LSWC at 850-900 fps, it is very nice with not much muzzle flash. And they shoot to POA at 15 yards (and the sights are adjustable
). However, using my full power hunting loads developed for my 6½" full lug 657-2 Classic Hunter, this little one becomes a beast! The flame is inspiring.I have since switched to these Ahrend's boot grips to test out. But the VZ 320 G-10 stocks are nice.
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at_liberty
Member
Concealed carry has a range of meanings depending upon the context of how one dresses and the guns suitable for concealment when dressed a certain way. Seasonal dress is a major factor too. It's just too broad to have an unqualified answer for "best" concealed carry.
It seems like pocket carry is related to generation as a function of fashion, what older people might consider the loss of a sense of how to dress appropriately.
A person's weight or build will influence choices of what is practical and comfortable enough. That will also influence mode of carry...IWB, OWB, pocket, shoulder rig, et al.
So, if I was answering this question, I might qualify the context of how I carry concealed and some of my variations, guns varying accordingly.
All that said, I am inclined to carry a revolver with six shots, a four inch barrel, and subsonic. I never carry a gun in my pocket, although I do have cargo pockets in the tactical pants I usually wear. I carry OWB and use suspenders. I dress to conceal, mostly with camp style shirts, preferably in poly or some form of rayon that drapes well over guns.
My preference for a six shooter that is subsonic has lead me to favor 32 H&R Magnum, which I am currently shooting in a 4" Ruger SP101 327 Federal Magnum.
To travel light or to be more dressed up, I do have a Smith 637 Wyatt Deep Cover that offers a bobbed hammer. I also have the Smith 30-1, a J-frame in 32 SWL, which gives me the six shooter part that I value.
My favored winter carry is 5 shots of 44 S&W Special in the Smith 696 or Taurus 441.
It seems like pocket carry is related to generation as a function of fashion, what older people might consider the loss of a sense of how to dress appropriately.
A person's weight or build will influence choices of what is practical and comfortable enough. That will also influence mode of carry...IWB, OWB, pocket, shoulder rig, et al.
So, if I was answering this question, I might qualify the context of how I carry concealed and some of my variations, guns varying accordingly.
All that said, I am inclined to carry a revolver with six shots, a four inch barrel, and subsonic. I never carry a gun in my pocket, although I do have cargo pockets in the tactical pants I usually wear. I carry OWB and use suspenders. I dress to conceal, mostly with camp style shirts, preferably in poly or some form of rayon that drapes well over guns.
My preference for a six shooter that is subsonic has lead me to favor 32 H&R Magnum, which I am currently shooting in a 4" Ruger SP101 327 Federal Magnum.
To travel light or to be more dressed up, I do have a Smith 637 Wyatt Deep Cover that offers a bobbed hammer. I also have the Smith 30-1, a J-frame in 32 SWL, which gives me the six shooter part that I value.
My favored winter carry is 5 shots of 44 S&W Special in the Smith 696 or Taurus 441.
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My EDC
My EDC is a 5 round 642-2. I have lower back issues so I carry it in a Galco Miami Lite shoulder holster. This is my run to the store and gas station gun and also my nightstand gun. I can keep it loaded forever without having to worry about magazine springs getting weak. If I need it, it will most likely be against robbers who are in it for the money. I'm often asked if I feel 5 rounds is enough and what if there are 6 bad guys. Well, yes 5 is enough if you look at it this way. Most likely, all 6 (we'll call them (A,B,C,D,E,F) will have their guns out before I realize it. So, let's say I draw and shoot bad guy A. and bad guy B shoots and misses because he is already starting to withdraw and has bad sight alignment etc. Or I shoot bad guy A and B. Either way, by now bad guys C,D,E,F realize things are not going as planned and withdraw. Or, I shoot bad guys A and B and shoot at C. Right then C,D,E,and F return fire. So, I have one round going down range and 4 coming my way. The chances of surviving that are slim. So yeah, 5 is enough.
I also have a M&P Shield in 9mm that I take to areas where I might encounter a situation that where the motive of the adversary is not for the money but they're in it for the fight, like a person with mental illness or a terrorist group. If I'm lucky, I won't be the primary target and there will be some distance between me and the shooter and can seek cover. Not like getting jacked in an open parking lot at a distance of 7 yards or less.
So, both my carry guns are DAO without safeties. The 642 of course, is ready to go all the time and I carry the Shield with one in the chamber. I love them both and can use them interchangeably
My EDC is a 5 round 642-2. I have lower back issues so I carry it in a Galco Miami Lite shoulder holster. This is my run to the store and gas station gun and also my nightstand gun. I can keep it loaded forever without having to worry about magazine springs getting weak. If I need it, it will most likely be against robbers who are in it for the money. I'm often asked if I feel 5 rounds is enough and what if there are 6 bad guys. Well, yes 5 is enough if you look at it this way. Most likely, all 6 (we'll call them (A,B,C,D,E,F) will have their guns out before I realize it. So, let's say I draw and shoot bad guy A. and bad guy B shoots and misses because he is already starting to withdraw and has bad sight alignment etc. Or I shoot bad guy A and B. Either way, by now bad guys C,D,E,F realize things are not going as planned and withdraw. Or, I shoot bad guys A and B and shoot at C. Right then C,D,E,and F return fire. So, I have one round going down range and 4 coming my way. The chances of surviving that are slim. So yeah, 5 is enough.
I also have a M&P Shield in 9mm that I take to areas where I might encounter a situation that where the motive of the adversary is not for the money but they're in it for the fight, like a person with mental illness or a terrorist group. If I'm lucky, I won't be the primary target and there will be some distance between me and the shooter and can seek cover. Not like getting jacked in an open parking lot at a distance of 7 yards or less.
So, both my carry guns are DAO without safeties. The 642 of course, is ready to go all the time and I carry the Shield with one in the chamber. I love them both and can use them interchangeably
Cocked & Locked
Member
Yes Sir...300 of these were made in year 2000 as a special order for Camfour Distributors. Each one is numbered in order of production. This one is #013
They are pre-lock guns and came from factory with Hogue rubber grips.
Wow guys some really nice pictures of Smith & Wesson Revolvers. My 2 carry guns atnthe present are both Rugers. Now I am still a S&W revolver fan for most. My main .357 is my S&W Mod. 66 no dash with a 4 inch barrel. Now back to my carry revolvers one is my Ruger LCRX Snub .38 Special +p very accurate using Hornady Critical Defense ammo. My other Revolver is my Ruger SP101 .38 Special with a 3 inch barrel. This gun is very accurate for a 3 inch barreled gun. I currently carry .38 Special +p load a 125 grain jhp bullet. I have been looking for years for either a S&W 19/66 with a 2.5 barrel or a 10/13 with a 3 inch barrel. I cannot find a decent one under $500.00!! So when this Ruger SP101 showed up thru a trade using my Ruger 10/22 to trade for this Ruger SP101 it wasba no brainer!!! Even though I wanted a revolver in .357 magnum. 98 % of the time I would carry .38 Specials+ p anyway. So I made the trade & never looked back! This gun has a really nice smooth action plus I could see it's had good care. My feelings about J frame sized revolvers is that the Smith & Wesson will have a lighter & smoother action/trigger pull.
But the Ruger SP101 is a much stouter heavier built gun compared to a S&W J frame. Given the choice between the two guns I would take a Ruger SP101 over a S&W J frame. So my Ruger SP101 serves as my 3 inch gun over a S&W K frame 2.5-3 inch barreled revolver. I tried very hard to turn up a S&W K frame with no luck!!! I rotate between my Ruger LCRX & my Ruger SP101. I am now wanting a small semi-auto 9mm in the rotation. My first thoughts are a S&W Shield 9mm, a much better gun then a Ruger LC9s & a Glock 43!!!
But the Ruger SP101 is a much stouter heavier built gun compared to a S&W J frame. Given the choice between the two guns I would take a Ruger SP101 over a S&W J frame. So my Ruger SP101 serves as my 3 inch gun over a S&W K frame 2.5-3 inch barreled revolver. I tried very hard to turn up a S&W K frame with no luck!!! I rotate between my Ruger LCRX & my Ruger SP101. I am now wanting a small semi-auto 9mm in the rotation. My first thoughts are a S&W Shield 9mm, a much better gun then a Ruger LC9s & a Glock 43!!!
hoosierboy57
Member
I like to carry my 637 Gunsmoke PC edition which now has the S&W walnut grips instead of the polymer clip grip. Beautiful gun with a smooth trigger. I also like to carry a M36 with a nickel finish from the classic collection. I replaced the springs with some from APEX and it's a great shooter. My newest carry gun is another from the classic collection,the M10 with a blue finish. I've only had it a few weeks and have put about 200 rounds through it.
OldBoldPilot
Member
340PD is my ideal carry weapon
I arm myself for short, sharp self-defense requirements, not for extended gunfights, so a J-frame is just fine. At 72, I appreciate the light weight of my 340PD, which has been slightly modified with an XS Standard Dot front sight, CT 405 laser grips, and an Apex spring kit. It's loaded with either Speer Gold Dot .38 +p short barrel or Buffalo Bore standard pressure wadcutters. I carry either AIWB in a Remora or Sticky, or OWB in a Galco Combat Master, depending on what I'm doing and/or wearing. Also carry a 5-Star Firearms billet aluminum speed loader, which works well with the laser grips. I usually wear a padded shooting glove when I practice due to the 340PD's rather hefty recoil.
I arm myself for short, sharp self-defense requirements, not for extended gunfights, so a J-frame is just fine. At 72, I appreciate the light weight of my 340PD, which has been slightly modified with an XS Standard Dot front sight, CT 405 laser grips, and an Apex spring kit. It's loaded with either Speer Gold Dot .38 +p short barrel or Buffalo Bore standard pressure wadcutters. I carry either AIWB in a Remora or Sticky, or OWB in a Galco Combat Master, depending on what I'm doing and/or wearing. Also carry a 5-Star Firearms billet aluminum speed loader, which works well with the laser grips. I usually wear a padded shooting glove when I practice due to the 340PD's rather hefty recoil.
nipperdog
Member
Although I Love S&W Revolvers, my EDC Carry Revolver is a Charter Arms Bulldog Pug .44. It conceals real well, and has the ballistics of a .45acp in a 21oz package
counter-clockwise
Member
I'm 6'5" and can hide large guns fairly easily ( I do not open carry although it's legal) so this may not be right for everyone. The smallest guns I am willing to carry are my 1911s, but I have found my 6" Smith 629-5 by my side quite a bit lately.
So technically, my 629 is my concealed carry revolver
So technically, my 629 is my concealed carry revolver
Stainz
Member
Some years back, I had Robert Mika make me a pocket carry holster for my 296, which had been carried, albeit infrequently, in a belt mounted OWB holster. Even though I didn't own a 642 at that time, I had him make a similar holster for that sized J-frame. I had to put the boot grips back on the 296, but even then, it would only fit 3/4 of my pants' front pockets. I soon had a 642. I shot it quite a bit, breaking it in and becoming used to it. My self protection ammo of choice for .38's & .357M's alike is the venerable Remington R38S12 +P 158gr LHPSWC, aka "The FBI Load". The recoil in the 642 with them is far easier to follow up on than the 200gr Gold Dot .44 Spcl's in that 296. One day, I couldn't carry the 296 due to pants pocket fit - so, as an afterthought, I carried the 642.
That afternoon, in a newly opened discount store, two gang members cornered me at the back of the store, the older one, so close to me that I could smell his nasty breath, stopped when he saw my mean look (Well, as mean as a white-haired fat old guy could muster!) and my hand on something in my pocket, and stared at his young protégé - shaking his head as he retreated. They all but ran out of the store and left in a waiting Ford sedan. As I passed my wife, who had witnessed the event, I re-assured her that they were wanting to 'witness' to me and went for more literature. She didn't believe it - and was visibly shaken. After seeing them get in a car and leaving (no tag), I assured the manager, who had also witnessed it, that we were okay. I called the manager later - the video recorders were not operational, but the BPD officer said it was likely a gang initiation - and that I was 'lucky'. No doubt - but I was also prepared.
Several years ago found me buying a new 351PD. A month later, I needed it! I had torn my right rotator - and couldn't support the loaded 642, much less it's recoil. The 6oz less mass of the loaded 351PD - and no recoil - made the difference. I still carry it a lot - the 642 a little - and the 296 is a woods CCW. My story was to emphasize the need for 24/7 carry - of something! And... have a survivor's instinct, too.
Stainz
That afternoon, in a newly opened discount store, two gang members cornered me at the back of the store, the older one, so close to me that I could smell his nasty breath, stopped when he saw my mean look (Well, as mean as a white-haired fat old guy could muster!) and my hand on something in my pocket, and stared at his young protégé - shaking his head as he retreated. They all but ran out of the store and left in a waiting Ford sedan. As I passed my wife, who had witnessed the event, I re-assured her that they were wanting to 'witness' to me and went for more literature. She didn't believe it - and was visibly shaken. After seeing them get in a car and leaving (no tag), I assured the manager, who had also witnessed it, that we were okay. I called the manager later - the video recorders were not operational, but the BPD officer said it was likely a gang initiation - and that I was 'lucky'. No doubt - but I was also prepared.
Several years ago found me buying a new 351PD. A month later, I needed it! I had torn my right rotator - and couldn't support the loaded 642, much less it's recoil. The 6oz less mass of the loaded 351PD - and no recoil - made the difference. I still carry it a lot - the 642 a little - and the 296 is a woods CCW. My story was to emphasize the need for 24/7 carry - of something! And... have a survivor's instinct, too.
Stainz
Really hard to beat the M&P 340, especially in Summer. What's funny is Rem 357 125gr Golden Saber is ok for 5-10 rounds of practice (still feel it) but the Buffalo Bore +P LWCR are as brutal as the Buffalo Bore low flash 357 loads.
Mike_Fontenot
Member
I'm exactly the opposite: I HATE shooting DA, and consider DA strictly an emergency mode, when a Bad Guy is so close that I don't have time to cock the hammer. Otherwise, 100% SA for me, for both defense and practice.
In answer to the OP, my favorite primary carry revolver is a DA/SA S&W69 4-1/4" 5-shot L-Frame .44mag, carried in a homemade under-the-shirt vertical shoulder holster, all my waking hours. Its SA trigger (2-1/2lb) is the nicest trigger I've got.
My other primary carry is a 10mm Kimber Eclipse 1911, carried in the same type of rig as I use for the 69. Its 3lb trigger is nice, but not nearly as nice as the 69's trigger. My BUG is a S&W360sc scandium/titanium .357 J-Frame snubby, carried in my front pocket.
I carry the two primaries about 50/50, more of the 69 when the bears are awake, and more of the Kimber in the winter. Both carry very comfortably and conveniently, and with near perfect concealment.
