Can someone reccomend a concealed carry revolver?

[Spongebobby]

Okay, so i'm not sure where this goes, but Prac tac seemed like the most appropriate place. I'm looking for a small concealed carry gun. I want a revolver because all my experience with very small semi auto's has been poor and lead me not to trust them. Caliber isn't a huge issue, i don't want any obsolete calibers, i'd even be okay with a .22lr if it held 8 or 9. I don't any double action revolvers so i'm looking for some advice on this, thanks.

[zachtateknives]

Smith and Wesson 442/642 are swell for the money. Small light reliable. 38 special. Look at their m&p line if you wsnt to spend more cash but get an even lighter gun, with a tritium sight, 22, or 357.

Wish i could type more but im ending my break gotta go.

Ok edited..... Exposed hammer i dont recommend, you can get it snagged on the draw, it allows more debris to enter the gun, plus something i learned on the highroad that some lawyers judges media and municipalities will try to get a chsrge other then self defense, due to the fact that you cant prove you had to pull the heavy trigger instead of having thr gun cocked and accidentally discharge.

I say stick with smith because they have a great selection
Ruger sp101 great gun but 20% bigger and 50% heavier then a smith j frame.
Ruger lcr is a great gun, plastic and a little bulkier than the smith
Chsrter taurus and others most likely wont hold their value.
Smith bodyguard, nah, airweight or m&p for me. I carry mine everywhere i feel the need.

[Spongebobby]

Those look great, but i was kinda hoping for an exposed hammer. It's not a huge deal, but it would help.

[Mr. Night]

ruger sp 101.

comes in 3 different barrel lengths. chambered in.38 special/.357 .

super reliable shooter

[moonwilson]

This.

S&W 638 "bodyguard". I have one, it's groovy. I have the 642 as well. It is equally groovy.

[shockjockey24]

id get another S&W airweight bodyguard...it's got a shrouded hammer, but can still be thumbed for a single action shot if need be. go with .357 so you can train and plink with .38 ammo. I carried my hammerless Scandium S&W in an ankle rig when I was a deputy and she served me quite well, now she's on the bedside table...ready for action If youre looking for night sights, I went with a tritium big dot front sight and its the doodoo for close up/low light shots

[HeavyHanded]

S&W Airweight is a pretty good choice, I carried one for many years. Avoid models with exposed hammers or bob the hammer at your first opportunity. They potentially catch on clothing when drawing the gun, and thumbing the hammer on most DA revolvers is a recipe for a serious "whoops" moment. The Ruger LCR has a real nice trigger compared to many stock DA revolvers- on my short list should I opt to CC again. Ruger SP101 is another good gun, but rather heavy for its size.

Most modern autos are very reliable, even the "cheaper" ones. On average, one can learn to put rounds downrange faster and tighter with an auto than they can with a revolver given same amount of training time.

[moonwilson]

Personally, I would steer clear of .357 in a J-frame sized revolver. I have an all steel model 60 in .357 and it has the most ridiculous recoil of any handgun I've ever fired. It's as bad or worse than a full-sized .454 Casull. Seriously, it's like catching a fastball bare handed, or getting hit in the hand with a bat.

.38 Special out of an airweight J frame kicks, but it's controllable. .357 out of an airweight or lighter is a recipe for pain. Out of such a short barrel, I don't think the magnum chambering is doing much for you, except giving you exponentially worse noise, muzzle blast and recoil.

[jdigi101]

If you can get over the hammer thing, all the Ruger LCR's (.22, .38, .357) are affordable, shootable, and have great triggers.

[Spongebobby]

Smiths are really nice, but im low on money, how are charter arms revolvers? Or the armscor M206?

[moonwilson]

Save your money and get a Smith or a Ruger, IMHO. A brand new S&W 638 is around $440, they are worth every penny. Used can be found for even less. I would not trust my life to a Charter Arms or the like.

[powernoodle]

Smith and Wesson 442/642 are swell for the money. Small light reliable. 38 special.

Word. The 442 is one of my two primary pocket carry guns. The other is the Kahr PM9. The 442 is very easy to carry due to its light weight and rounded profiles. Mine rides in an Uncle Mike's pocket holster. No external hammer, no safety, no nothing. Just point and shoot.

[gomipile]

The lowest pricepoint I'd go would be Taurus. Their revolvers are very reliable. Taurus' customer service is good, but turnaround time on repairs is generally long.

[kda89508]

The Ruger LCR. It has a great trigger and it comes in 22,38, or 357. I have the 357. It weighs a little more but that way I have the best of both worlds shooting 38's or 357 Mags. The Smith 642 is also a good pick but I like the trigger of the LCR way better. Good Luck! Kevin

[Colt6731]

Like others here I would recommend a S&W 642/638/637 revolver. Those are in the S&W J frame series and are all 5 shot 38 spl. They are light weight, around 15 oz unloaded, and carry well in a holster or pocket. Price point in my area for a new 642 is $379. S&W also makes all steel versions of those which are a little heavier but still concealable. I had a Ruger SP-101 in 357 mag for many years but recoil was painfull with magnum loads and it was heavy. My preferance is for S&W revolvers and stay away from Charter Arms and the imports such as Taurus, Rossi, and some newer brands. If you are not set on just a carry gun but want more features and options you should also look at the K,L, and N frame snubs from S&W. Trade off is a bigger and heavier gun that costs more, but you get more firepower and controlability. Here is a L frame 686 2.5" 7 shot 357 mag:


And this is a N frame 625 3" 45 ACP:


And last but not least my Ruger SP 101:

[will_1400]

Smith 442/642 or Ruger LCR. The Smiths are the standard in small wheelguns and .38 will do the job if you do your's. Just make sure you practice with it since J-frame revolvers are notriously hard to shoot for most people.

[mobilerd]

Ruger SP101 .357 Mag. 125g Winchester Silver Tip Hollow Points, ( I like the bobbed hammer model). Done.

[matt123abc]

Ruger lcr

[WindyCityKali]

Every S&W revolver that I've owned has never let me down. Not a single time. If you can get into any S&W revolver, then that's your way to go. Buy quality and cry one time.

I've never owned the Ruger SP101, but the knowledgeable people that I know speak highly of them.

Lastly, I have a Colt Detective Special from 1979. If you ever see any 2nd or 3rd gen Colt revolver, snatch it up. They are just great.

[tyr_shadowblade]

First of all, you want an aluminum or polymer frame and a pocket holster. You also want to stick with .38 Special, as .22 is too weak and .357 is wasted out of a snub barrel -- twice the recoil with half the energy. .38 Special +P is perfect.

I understand you want an exposed hammer, but hammer spurs snag. Either you'll need to bob that spur or practice drawing with your thumb over it.

The Ruger LCR in .38 Special with boot grip and either standard blade or Hi-Viz front sight is the best pocket revolver which is both easily available and affordable. Lightly used ones sell for $300 - $350. Don't get the Tritium, laser, or .357 version.

I had several Smiths. I thought the 438 Bodyguard would be the perfect gun for me . . . until the first range session. The trigger pull on Smiths is odd, but some guys like them -- the Ruger was much smoother. Then there is that weird little hammer nub . . . the hammer spring is so powerful it is not possible to safely decock this weapon over a live round . . . and if it is cocked you cannot open the cylinder. You can see the hammer moving as an indicator, and you can cock it for a SA shot, but decocking is serious white knuckle time. I sold it shortly after purchase.

A lot of guys are gonna yell, but you should also take a look at Charter Arms. They are the lightest alloy snubbie available and their quality control has greatly improved. They have a shrouded hammer version with a more substantial hammer stub than the 438 which they call the "On Duty", a concealed hammer version which is a shaved hammer DAO, and even a left-handed version.

Lightweight (non steel framed) .38 snubbies with a pocket holster are the way to go. Steel frames are so heavy you need a belt holster to carry them. In the event you need something even more concealable, check out the NAA minis in .22 Magnum, especially the PUG and Black Widow which have a secure cylinder pin rather than the standard ball detent pin.