Best revolvers for concealment

[BabaBlueJay]

I love my 686-1 (4 inch) and trust it with the protection of the lives of my family and those dear to me. That being said, there are times where bringing it with me is just not practical. While it is easy to conceal and carry for our long winters here on the North Coast of Lake Erie in Ohio, during Summer it is near impossible at times. I love to hike and kayak with my daughter and concealing my 686 in board shorts and a tank top just is not realistic.

I have thought of several possible options to fill this summer carry role, but admittedly have no experience with any of them. I prefer revolvers, but would consider an auto loader that has legendary reliability as well. I have tried the Taurus 586 (twice) first the air weight, then the carbon steel version which was 6 oz heavier. I found them both to be far too snappy to enjoy practicing with them. My philosophy is that If I do not want to practice with a gun I should not own that gun, thus I traded both back in. They were reliable and accurate for me, I just did not enjoy paying a blood price to shoot them.


Update: I have eliminated the options for this to be more open-ended. I am liking what I am hearing about the J Frame guns and Model 10. Still open to other suggestions and going to try and get my hands on some to test before buying.

 

[petepeterson]

Your "list of possibilities" is oddly narrow.
There are hundreds of makes and models that fill that role.
Is that a list of what's available to you now, and affordable?

 

[murphydog]

Well, I see the Taurus 856 is a small steel or alloy frame, 6 round .38 Special. If that one is not controllable and/or too small a lightweight 9 mm will probably not be for you either. And a .22 anything may not be enough for your purposes.

One candidate that comes to mind would be a 3" adjustable sight stainless J frame in .38 Special/.357 Magnum. It works the same as your 686, uses the same ammo and is quite a bit lighter. The out of production 60-4 is .38 Special, the 60-10 uses both and the current version is the 60-15. Good luck in your decision.

 

[2ndshift]

Any aluminum or steel J frame 38 Special 5 shot PRELOCK will work.

 

[NYlakesider]

I love my 686-1 (4 inch) and trust it with the protection of the lives of my family and those dear to me. That being said, there are times where bringing it with me is just not practical. While it is easy to conceal and carry for our long winters here on the North Coast of Lake Erie in Ohio, during Summer it is near impossible at times. I love to hike and kayak with my daughter and concealing my 686 in board shorts and a tank top just is not realistic.

I have thought of several possible options to fill this summer carry role, but admittedly have no experience with any of them. I prefer revolvers, but would consider an auto loader that has legendary reliability as well. I have tried the Taurus 586 (twice) first the air weight, then the carbon steel version which was 6 oz heavier. I found them both to be far too snappy to enjoy practicing with them. My philosophy is that If I do not want to practice with a gun I should not own that gun, thus I traded both back in. They were reliable and accurate for me, I just did not enjoy paying a blood price to shoot them.

1. North American Arms .22 magnum
Pros: Tiny, nice safety features
Cons: Hard to grip (I am a big guy 6' 2¨ 200 lbs), have to remove the cylinder to reload, exposed hammer can snag, 22 not famously reliable

2. Ruger LCR
Pros: Ergonomic grips, multiple caliber choices, reliable, accurate
Cons: Different cylinder release, not a fan of polymer frames, exposed hammer can snag

3. S&W 351C
Pros: Smith and Wesson familiarity, heavier frame, low recoil, hammer-less
Cons: 22 not famously reliable, possible lack of stopping power

4. Taurus 605 polymer
Pros: Similar operating system to smith, can shoot 38 or 357, lightweight, ergonomic, lower cost
Cons: Polymer frames weird me out, snappy, bad grips

5.Taurus 942
Pros: 8 shots of 22, more of a grip to it, similar operating system to smith revolvers
Cons: Bigger, heavier, wider cylinder means less easy to conceal, more expensive as far as Taurus goes

6. Beretta Pico
Pros: Tiny, 9 mm in a small package, Beretta reliability, less expensive
Cons: Not much grip space, no experience with auto loaders, seems easy to get a slide bite with something this small.

007. Walther PPK (380 kurz/9 mm)
Pros: Huge James Bond fan, tiny, reliable, accurate, and cool factor
Cons: Expensive for a pocket gun, seems to have a decent kick to it, sights are not the best.

8. Other
Maybe there is something I am blind to that is better than the options listed above. I am open to more than the ones I have researched, so please feel free to offer suggestions. Thanks in advance!

I carry a Ruger LCR.38 a lot. It normally rides in my pocket with a Desantis pocket holster. The only way someone knows I have it would to be physically searched. I have the shrouded hammer, no snag. As far as the different cylinder release, not a concern as I own a couple Colts also along with numerous S&Ws

 

[BAM-BAM]

Any aluminum or steel J frame 38 Special 5 shot PRELOCK will work.

My favorite is a 60-10 3"; think micro 686

 

[03hemi]

I love my 686-1 (4 inch) and trust it with the protection of the lives of my family and those dear to me. That being said, there are times where bringing it with me is just not practical. While it is easy to conceal and carry for our long winters here on the North Coast of Lake Erie in Ohio, during Summer it is near impossible at times. I love to hike and kayak with my daughter and concealing my 686 in board shorts and a tank top just is not realistic.

I have thought of several possible options to fill this summer carry role, but admittedly have no experience with any of them. I prefer revolvers, but would consider an auto loader that has legendary reliability as well. I have tried the Taurus 586 (twice) first the air weight, then the carbon steel version which was 6 oz heavier. I found them both to be far too snappy to enjoy practicing with them. My philosophy is that If I do not want to practice with a gun I should not own that gun, thus I traded both back in. They were reliable and accurate for me, I just did not enjoy paying a blood price to shoot them.

1. North American Arms .22 magnum
Pros: Tiny, nice safety features
Cons: Hard to grip (I am a big guy 6' 2¨ 200 lbs), have to remove the cylinder to reload, exposed hammer can snag, 22 not famously reliable

2. Ruger LCR
Pros: Ergonomic grips, multiple caliber choices, reliable, accurate
Cons: Different cylinder release, not a fan of polymer frames, exposed hammer can snag

3. S&W 351C
Pros: Smith and Wesson familiarity, heavier frame, low recoil, hammer-less
Cons: 22 not famously reliable, possible lack of stopping power

4. Taurus 605 polymer
Pros: Similar operating system to smith, can shoot 38 or 357, lightweight, ergonomic, lower cost
Cons: Polymer frames weird me out, snappy, bad grips

5.Taurus 942
Pros: 8 shots of 22, more of a grip to it, similar operating system to smith revolvers
Cons: Bigger, heavier, wider cylinder means less easy to conceal, more expensive as far as Taurus goes

6. Beretta Pico
Pros: Tiny, 9 mm in a small package, Beretta reliability, less expensive
Cons: Not much grip space, no experience with auto loaders, seems easy to get a slide bite with something this small.

007. Walther PPK (380 kurz/9 mm)
Pros: Huge James Bond fan, tiny, reliable, accurate, and cool factor
Cons: Expensive for a pocket gun, seems to have a decent kick to it, sights are not the best.

8. Other
Maybe there is something I am blind to that is better than the options listed above. I am open to more than the ones I have researched, so please feel free to offer suggestions. Thanks in advance!

I carry the PPK/S from time to time because it's easy, but I also swap it out with my Wilson/Colt 45acp too.
I only CC one of the two guns in my collection, ever.

 

[biku324]

My M49 Smith with factory stocks and a Tyler T-grip has been in a coat pocket, ankle, boot or IWB/OWB holsters since 1982. If you can't hide it, you aren't trying hard enough.

 

[Duckfood]

Out of what you listed, and others will likely disagree.

1. North American Arms .22 magnum: I would trust one of these to protect a bag of potatoes...

2. Ruger LCR: If the 856 is too snappy to handle, you will likely find this to be worse, unless you find on in .327 Fed Mag,,,

3. S&W 351C: Great gun... Some will say that .22 is not effective for self protection, and they may be correct... Those people have always turned down my off to let me shoot them with one to see if it was effective or not...

4. Taurus 605 polymer: See #2

5.Taurus 942: See #3

6. Beretta Pico: This is actually a .380 and not a 9MM... Great gun, reliable, a little snappy

007. Walther PPK (380 kurz/9 mm): Great gun... Little less snappy than the Beretta...

8. Other
Maybe there is something I am blind to that is better than the options listed above. I am open to more than the ones I have researched, so please feel free to offer suggestions. Thanks in advance!

Buy a Model 10, 15, or 19... A smidge smaller than your 686, but, very similar operation to what you are used to...

 

[teletech]

I see the 351C on the list, but there are plenty of other Smiths out there worth a look if you want something more than a .22. An airweight J-frame isn't much bigger and then you get something in .38SPL. They have made Js in .32 and 9mm as well that are worth finding (or having made).

The NAA is generally very poorly regarded by most respected gun folks. That's not to say it has no use-case, but:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwFgBabWfEY[/ame]
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8fQq8_VxVg[/ame]
Your title specifies revolvers for concealment, but I notice some autos on the list:
The Beretta Pico is a .380 and I think out of production. If you should buy one, don't dry-fire it EVER or you are very likely to snap the firing pin.
The Beretta Nano is the 9mm and seemed fine but I don't have more to say.
The PPK is of course famous, but it's also very dated and with marginal ergonomics.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROTJTKXs_Eo[/ame]
These straight-blowback guns tend to be very hard-recoiling for what you get. A locked-breech .380 or 9 will shoot softer, softer shooting means shorter splits and better accuracy.
I have yet to meet a compact .380 I can shoot worth a darn compared to a J-frame.
If you want a compact 9, check out the SIG 365 as these have been getting a lot of really good press. Too big for me to consider, but that's a bit of a double-standard there because I think it's actually about the same as a j-frame.
I don't think a tiny 1911 is an awful choice. A colt Lightweight defender is 24 oz and slightly larger and heavier than the 365, but the shape is a bit more rounded, so I don't think it would be harder to carry than the SIG. For me it would come down to which manual of arms I was more accustomed to and which shot better.

 

[rockquarry]

Any J-frame snubnose .38 Special, lightweight or steel, lock moaner version or the older ones. For all except skilled shooters, they take a lot of practice to master, but are capable of good accuracy and are probably the very best for concealment.

 

[rockquarry]

I see the 351C on the list, but there are plenty of other Smiths out there worth a look if you want something more than a .22. An airweight J-frame isn't much bigger and then you get something in .38SPL. They have made Js in .32 and 9mm as well that are worth finding (or having made).

The NAA is generally very poorly regarded by most respected gun folks. That's not to say it has no use-case, but:
NAA .22 Magnum Mini-Revolver at the BUG Match - YouTube
The NAA Mini-Revolver: You Can Do Better - YouTube
Your title specifies revolvers for concealment, but I notice some autos on the list:
The Beretta Pico is a .380 and I think out of production. If you should buy one, don't dry-fire it EVER or you are very likely to snap the firing pin.
The Beretta Nano is the 9mm and seemed fine but I don't have more to say.
The PPK is of course famous, but it's also very dated and with marginal ergonomics.
The Walther PPK Is Not Very Good - YouTube
These straight-blowback guns tend to be very hard-recoiling for what you get. A locked-breech .380 or 9 will shoot softer, softer shooting means shorter splits and better accuracy.
I have yet to meet a compact .380 I can shoot worth a darn compared to a J-frame.
If you want a compact 9, check out the SIG 365 as these have been getting a lot of really good press. Too big for me to consider, but that's a bit of a double-standard there because I think it's actually about the same as a j-frame.

I've never had a PPK but have had several PPK/Ss in the .380 chambering. I doubt actual shooting differences between the two guns would be no more than minimal. These guns are much like the J-frame snubnoses; they're capable of good accuracy but do require a good bit of practice to shoot well.

Like the J-frames, many give up before they acquire the necessary skill to shoot the guns well. A Walther .380 will actually shoot cast bullet handloads accurately at 25 yards, but probably not on the first attempt.

 

[BabaBlueJay]

Someone said the 10 is like a mini 686, I like the sound of that

Is a J Frame that much smaller than a 2 1/2 inch 686? Maybe I should just go with a smaller 686 unless a J Frame or Model 10 is just that superior in terms of concealment and carry ability

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

A 6 in N-Frame in 357/41/44/45 conceals very well behind the bib on a pair of overalls.......Been there........Done that.

 

[Telecaster]

Check out the Ruger SP101.

J-frames are my first choice.

I loved the Kimber K6S but the grip didn't work with my hand, even with three different stocks.

The Taurus 856 in steel shouldn't be painful or bloody to shoot. There are different grips for that which might help. There's a 3" version too, which keeps calling my name.

 

[Old cop]

It’s just me but I’ve been carrying a J Frame since 1968. My EDC is the 340PD w/+P b/c it’s light enough to be pocket carried & small enough to be with me all the time it’s legal.

 

[KalamazooKid]

It’s just me but I’ve been carrying a J Frame since 1968. My EDC is the 340PD w/+P b/c it’s light enough to be pocket carried & small enough to be with me all the time it’s legal.

Same here since 2007. The 340 is super lightweight and that equals “snappy” but it’s always in my pocket! You do have to practice with them tho!

 

[Borderboss]

IMHO, you need to first decide how you want to carry and then the "what" will tend to follow on.

As an example, when the weather gets nice and I don't have an outer garment, I will carry one of two ways:

1. If I'm casual, I carry in an Elite belly bag containing an S&W 469 with an extra magazine, both of which easily fit in the pouch intended for carry.

2. If I'm dressed up and a belly bag would be out of place, then I pocket carry an S&W 940 9mm with a couple of extra moon clips in my other pocket.

I do have a 2" pre-10 M&P from 1954 and have pocket carried that in pants with large pockets, but generally it stays at home

 

[snubbyfan]

I'd say it's more how you carry rather than what you carry.
Maybe one of these things?
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlbYu1wCEpE[/ame]
Works with bike shorts and a tank top.

 

[Bald1]

For when it’s really hot NAA 22mag short barrel. When temps are not an issue 38 j frame with FBI load