Quick history, I’m 27, did 3 years in the army as field artillery and one tour to Iraq.
I’ve owned a shotgun since i was young but I just bought my first handgun.
I bought a 686 4inch barrel, now i wasn't planning on carrying but i think i might, now my big debate is weather i want to get a semi to carry as well or if i want to get a snub to carry.
Nobody can really tell you what you should choose for a carry gun, that's a decision that you'll have to make for yourself. About all we can do is give you a bit of advice on where to start the process of choosing a carry gun.
A common carry revolver is the S&W J frame and there is a wide spectrum of models in this frame size. You have the hammerless DAO models such as the 342 or 442 and the models that have a hammer such as the model 60 or a shrouded hammer such as the 438. Weight is also all over that map, you can get a 357 Magnum that only weighs about 12 ounces or a stainless steel model 60 that weighs in at about 24 ounces. I’ll want you to make sure that you actually try out any of the lighter models because the recoil in the featherweights can be Brutal. I wouldn’t even consider shooting the 340PD with 357 Magnum, it’s just much too light for the power of a 357 Magnum. Even with the much milder 38 spl. The 340PD can be a real beast to shoot. POINT IS, make sure to shoot any of the featherweights before deciding on a purchase of one of these models. BTW, my personal choice for a J Frame would be the 24 ounce model 60, it’s heavy enough that it’s tolerable to shoot with the 38 spl. and light enough to carry easily.
The downside to the J frame line is that they are all 5 shot revolvers in a centerfire caliber. This low capacity means that you MUST maintain proficiency so that you can hit well if you need to use it. As for carrying spare ammo in a speedloader, IMO it’s going to be difficult to reload as quickly as may be needed in a defensive shooting. I would advise if you want to carry a J frame revolver that you carry two of them, aint nothing faster than just grabbing a second gun.
Now, for semi automatic pistols. They have some distinct advantages over revolvers in two areas. One is that the slide reciprocating does change the recoil from a single hard hit to a pulse that is spread over a small time span. This can greatly reduce the perceived recoil. The second advantage is the capacity, there are some compact semi autos that carry as many as 12 or 13 rounds.
The downside to the semi autos is that they can jam. Normally this is due to a condition called "limp wristing". Basically, if you don’t hold some semi auto’s firmly enough, the slide won’t fully cycle and you’ll end up with a live round jammed somewhere on the way to the chamber. However it’s been my experience that this concern is way overblown if you purchase a Quality semi automatic.
If you want to look into a semi automatic, I would advise that you find a range with a wide selection of rentals you can take for a test drive. You’ll get first hand experience with the variety of triggers and sizes available. I also suggest that you take your time in making your selection, because making a poor choice can be an expensive lesson. Tip, don’t choose based on size and weight, make your choice based on ease of use and ease of concealment.
BTW, my carry choice was a Sig Sauer P239 in the 40 caliber. It’s neither small or light, however it’s very easy to conceal and I really enjoy shooting it.
Either way i hear all this talk about different kinds of .38 ammo and different .375 ammo and different grain and stuff. now this totally confuses me. Can someone break this stuff down a little bit for me?
The 38 spl. and 357 Magnum share bullet types, diameters, and case dimensions with the exception that the case for the 357 Magnum is longer. Grain is the weight of the bullet and ranges from as light as 110 grain to 200 grain in these calibers. As rule of thumb, the lighter the bullet the higher the velocity. In these calibers there is a velocity threshold below with hollowpoint defensive rounds won't reliably expand. Because of this, generally the premium self defense ammunition will use either 125 or 130 grain bullets. In the 357 Magnum the heavy 180 grain and 200 grain bullets are optimized for hunting medium sized game animals to insure deep penetration. As for the 158 grain loads, these are basically throwbacks to the bullets in use back in the 20's and 30's, great for target shooting but not as well suited for specific uses as the modern specialty loads.
Next is there any semi that shoots the same ammo as a revolver? I doubt it but it would be nice to have lots of ammo that would fit both weapons.
There are some 9mm, 40 S&W, and 45 ACP revolvers on the market. BTW, these are all semi automatic calibers. S&W is not currently offering a 9mm revolver, however the 310 Night Guard will use either 10mm or 40 caliber ammunition. The model 625 is also offered in the 45 ACP caliber. Last year S&W had the model 610 in their catalog and that was a 10mm/40 S&W 6 shooter.
BTW, all these models use Moon Clips, which are re-usable thin stamped steel "stars" that you snap the cartridges into. I just love moon clips because all you have to do for a reload is slide the fired clip out of the cylinder and replace it will a fresh clip. Load up a few boxes of clips and you can really pump ammo downrange because reloading is so quick.
There have also been some semi automatics that use revolver cartridges. However, the long case of the typical revolver cartridge means the handgrip will have to be fairly large to accomidate these long cartridges. At one time Automag offered it's semi in the 357 Magnum and the 44 Magnum. Today Desert Eagle still has a 44 Magnum in their line.
Not for a very very long time if properly stored.