Do you carry a revolver for CCW? Which one?

Say what you will about revolvers but they just ride and carry nice, they carry naturally on the body and that's why people still like them. What else is as safe and reliable, can pack as much punch and carry as well in a pocket then a J-Frame? A Sig P365 with a light striker trigger pull and no external safeties you say? Maybe if you are 6'4" and aren't concerned in the least bit about having a negligent discharge then that might be a better pocket gun for you, it ain't for me.

The snub-nose revolver is the only type of handgun I've been able to carry comfortably every day, every season and in any carry configuration, IWB/OWB or in the pocket and still pack a decent punch. I can carry one at around 3:30 or 4 O'clock on my body and can still sit in a car seat or a chair and not have it bother me too much the way a compact semi-auto does. I can even carry two J-Frames fairly comfortably on occasion. The way a revolver is shaped and the shape of it's holster just conforms to my body better. I've discovered that a semi-auto which appears to be roughly the same size as a J-Frame will not carry as easily in a pocket due to it's shape and anyone who says they do probably has never spent very much time carrying and living with a J-Frame.

And yes, I've experimented with so-called pocket 9mm's and all of them were either too big for pocket carry and/or were too snappy for me to control well. Even the Glock 42 which is .380acp was too big for me to pocket carry easily, it would print like crazy in jeans and even in loose cargo pants the sights would always snag or the DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster would come out every time with the gun. I've never had a DeSantis Nemesis come out of a pocket like that with any of my smaller .380's I've carried but I couldn't make it work for the G42 no matter how many times I tried breaking it in, it was just the wrong shape and size. All this on top of it's light striker trigger pull and no external safeties which I never felt comfortable about in a pocket. Needless to say I got rid of the G42 and it was back to the old J-Frame for me. Shame on Glock and other companies like Ruger with their awful LCP II who market these things as safe pocket pistols when they are really not.

I know there are some decent small .380 pocket pistols like the LCP, Bodyguard and Kahr P380 but if you were honest would you really feel more confident with one of these finicky, cheap little pistols over a J-Frame? I don't, that's why mine only seldom come out when I need extremely discreet carry, like wearing dress clothes or some other reason.

It's not all about ammo capacity, rate and ease of fire or faster reloads for me, it's about how well I can live with the gun every day and whether I feel totally safe and confident in it and nothing I've tried so far does that for me quite like a revolver.

Carry what you like. I never told anybody whay they should do, only me.

I don't find a revolver more comfortable. You do, that's fine. But a J frame 38 is thicker than a 9mm auto so bulges a little more in the pocket.

I agree there's no "Pocket 9." I said compact 9mm. I have a 380 thast rides in my pocket quite well.

I see no safety issues with modern auto pistols.

Would I prefer a 380 over a J frame? Yes. That's why I carry one. A good 380 load is not far behind a 38 Special from a 2" barrel and mine carries 7 rounds compared to 5 in a J frame.

Again, I don't presume to tell anyone what gun to carry. But you seem to be arguing against semi-auto pistols and I don't buy that argument. I know what makes most sense for me.
 
I have carried Some flavor of J frame the vast majority of the time. They are so comfortable to me and so familiar. I have several other semi autos that I could carry, but don't. I keep my wits about me and live in a pretty low threat environment, so if I can't solve my problem with five rounds of 38 it is probably not my day. I do think that whatever you choose to carry, it is most important to carry all the time. A J frame on you beats a 1911 at home 100% of the time.
 
Actually, small semiautos (aka 'mouse guns') have been marketed as pocket pistols for as long as they have existed, and predate the J-frame by several decade. The critical factor is a holster that protects the trigger and stays in the pocket when the gun is drawn.
Thinking about it, even an external holster is a form of pocket, just specialized for the purpose of carrying a handgun.
 
S&W 21-4

As I've posted before my constant companion. S&W model 21-4 with the lock delete, bobbed hammer and grips off eBay from a Night Guard. Just got my new Cross Draw holster from Kramer and a gun belt from Bigfoot Gun Belts. Best Leather Gun Belts for Open and Concealed Carry | Bigfoot Gun Belts
I'm really impressed with the belt. I've never had a "gun belt".
 

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No, not the dark side.

Welcome to my world, Franklin.

Say it isn't so. Not the dark side. Just kidding. Frankly carry whatever you shoot the best.

I was a 1911 guy for most of my life. With age and health I've turned to the revolver. I like the simplicity. Everything changed after I had both shoulders done.
 
.380 Bodyguard almost every day.
Swap out with Taurus PT-.22 occaisionally.

Right-front pants pocket in a Ruger .380 LCP pocket holster that fits both guns perfectly.
Once in a great while a Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Special in a small fanny pack that does not really look like a fanny pack or a gun carrier.
 
It depends on which neck of the woods I'm in; the northwest + Alaska, M29-2 4", cross draw or 1911 10mm in same spot. Always a 60-10 3" .357 tucked away in back. In more populated areas, a BHP MK III with aftermarket 15 round mags, with 124 gr Gold Dot +P. Arthritis in my left hand makes it a bit harder than it used to be to do quick and sure revolver speed loads.
 
I always carry a semi auto. Either a S&W bodyguard .380 in my pocket or a Glock 43 on my belt. Might buy a Sig P365 next.
 
I have carried everyday for the last 45 years and carried just about everything from 22s to 45s but for the last 15 years its been a Kahr PM909 w/115 gr +P+ gold dots. When I carried a revolver it was a model 38 or 42 sometimes both or a pair of model 38s I recently picked up 2 Colt Cobras, an Agent and Detective Special and both came with the factory shrouds.
 
Am I the only one that carries a 442?

Nope, I often do even though I like my Glock 43 and other semi's. For years I carried a S&W Mdl. 13 with a 3" bbl. and never had a problem, but lately the 442 had been my go-to revolver unless I'm going to a BBQ or need more fire power, which is not often.
 
Nothing like a revolver for me, but to each his own. If you can shoot it well, carry it. A .22 in your Pocket is far better than the 1911 in your nightstand.

Model 60 .357 works just fine for me with two speed loaders.
 

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As much as I love S&W revolvers, when I carry, I carry either a Walther PPK or a Ruger LCR.

That said, I want to get another pocket holster so I can start carrying one of my Chiefs Specials every now and then.
 
I ran about 30 rd through my Bodyguard (M49, not one of the current wannabes), and punched the A zones out to 10 yards using both hands and strong, weak only; body shots at 25. Definitely need practice but not disappointed.
Missing the days of cheap .38...
 
Hot weather - Model 49
Cold weather - Colt Agent w/ factory hammer shroud
 
442 for pocket carry and I have a 686+ 2.5 inch and a 66 2.75 that I have carried on my belt. But for me I usually carry a Glock or M&P pistol.
 


I carried a 640-1 .357 for a handful of years until my brother gave me this 641-1 .38 Special +P and I've carried it ever since. I like a point and shoot gun.

I bought a Glock model 36 .45 auto and thought about carrying it but it had a problem with jamming so I gave it away. I'll never own another Glock.

That's why I always preferred a revolver for my EDC.

I do have a S&W M&P .45 auto and I love it. Never a single issue shooting but its just too big for me to carry. One of my close friends carries a really nice Ed Brown 1911 and has for years.
 
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When I carried a 380 I always had a thought in the back of my mind, "What would I need to do if this thing jams?".
Funny, I don't have that thought when I carry this:
(That's 25 yards, double action.)
 

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Love to carry my 642-1. Usually with Golden Saber +P. Appendix. I forget I have it on.
 
Mostly I carry this one. I got it as a bag of parts for 90 bucks, finally got it together, and it works great. Colt Agent, circa 1980s, matte finish, Packy Compacs:

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S&W 642 Centennial airweight 'pro' model cut for moon clips.

Yea my big gun is a Glock 26 but manytimes I just pack the little gun.
 
I really want to carry an auto, but other than my little LCP, a j frame is just so easy to pocket carry and I don't worry about safety on or off, accidental discharges, or for the most part jams. It's been a 360J with a bobbed hammer for the last six months or so.
 
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