Next pistol

silenthunterstudios

silenthunterstudios

Slipjoint Addict
Joined
Feb 2, 2005
Messages
20,039
I'm going to decide between a used Beretta 92 in 9mm with two clips in the original box, a snub nose 22 or a snubnose 38. The brands I am deciding on are S&W or Ruger, I like Ruger, but do they make a good snubnose 22 or 38? I am going to be looking for used pieces, at gun shows etc.
 
Let's get that terminology right around this here forum, my friend. Them's magazines you put yer bullets in.... :D
 
What are you planning to use it for? Those are three VERY different pistols you're considering.
 
I've always wanted a 92, so I am going to get that at some time. I am planning on moving to PA, and PA is less restrictive than MD about issuing conceal carry permits. I don't want to carry anything big, I don't want an automatic to carry, I was interested in a 22 or 38, enough of a gun to defend myself. I am planning on getting a field pistol chambered in 22, but right now, I am just looking at a CCP, maybe a J frame etc.
 
The Beretta 92 is a great design, but it is a bit large for concealed carry. Of the options you mention, I would go with a short .38 revolver for that purpose. However, I much prefer a semi-auto over a revolver for concealment because of the thickness. (I carry an H&K P7 M8 every day.)

My actual recommendation would be to look at small 9mm semi-autos like the Glock 26 and Kahr PM9. They conceal better than a .38 revolver while also providing more power and ammunition capacity.

If you do decide to go with a revolver, think about getting a .357 Magnum instead of a .38 Special. The only difference in dimensions is a negligible amount of length and a .357 will handle .38s too. That gives you a far wider range of ammunition options. (My wife's handgun of choice is a factory-ported 2" .357 Magnum in titanium from Taurus.)

--Bob Q
 
I've got a Ruger Sp101 2.25 inch barrel. I think it's a great pistol.
 
mwerner said:
Let's get that terminology right around this here forum, my friend. Them's magazines you put yer bullets in.... :D
Click to expand...

Actually, them's cartridges you put in yer magazine :D :D
 
bquinlan said:
I carry an H&K P7 M8 every day.
Click to expand...

Very nice choice! :)

If you do decide to go with a revolver, think about getting a .357 Magnum instead of a .38 Special. The only difference in dimensions is a negligible amount of length and a .357 will handle .38s too.
--Bob Q
Click to expand...

Bob's exactly right. You want to be considering a more potent cartridge than a .22 for defense, and if you're going the .38 route, you would add some flexibility to your ammo choice by choosing a .357 platform. The downside is that any .357 is going to be larger and heavier than a comparable .38.

Personally, for concealed carry, I'd not be looking at snubs. A 3" or 4" bbl will serve you much better and is no more difficult to conceal provide you're going to be using a holster (instead of throwing it into a pocket or purse). For belt carry, the grip is the really difficult part of the gun to hide.

-ExM
 
...To carry IWB?...Get a Glock 26 (9mm) or 27 (.40)...Forget a snubby revolver; Too short of a barrel, only holds 5 or 6 shots, too much recoil.
 
Part of your decision depends on the size of your hands. The 92 needs at least a medium large hand to properly grip it. If your hand is medium or smaller I would make sure that you handle it before you buy. In fact go to a gun range where they rent pistols and try all the various handguns before you buy. You might be suprised at your choice.
 
Do you keep a round chambered when carrying, and if so is the lack of a manuel saftey a problem?
 
Finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger... finger off trigger...
 
Will P. said:
Do you keep a round chambered when carrying, and if so is the lack of a manuel saftey a problem?
Click to expand...
Yes...The Glock pistol is designed to carry "hot".
No...The Glock pistol has very good "passive" safety features, but most important is to keep the finger off of the triger 'till ready to fire...Same as with any gun.
 
i would be carefull carrying a glock IWB w/out a holster, have heard and can see where that might not be a good thing to do. oh i carry mine that way too sometimes, but i do see where it might cause probs, i know glock doesnt reccomend it FWIW. be carefull.

imho the barreta '92 is a good pistol, but it sucks for edc carry, i did it for a while in the mid 80's (after watching 'lethal weapon' lol) but its not very good in that role, and not designed for that, its just too big/thick/bulky, a kahr P9/PM9 or a glock 27/27/33 has the 92 beat to heck in that role. still have the pistol, good holster gun for open carry, not so good for concealed. really a colt 1911 .45 is easier to carry concealed, and a lot lot better pistol in that role imho. upon reflection the 1911 is WAYYY easier to pack concealed than the 92.

in a revolver for edc i would get a S&W snub i guess, its the smallest/litest one going, i would get a alloy frame .38 spec, i would stay away from the Ti .357 mags for darned sure. i also know that the newer S&W's trigger pulls are HEAVY, lots heavier than my early '80s vintage .38 or my early 90's 9MM, and way heavier than my '70s colt detective special. they are sure getting expensive though, for the money i prefer the kahr P9/PM9 myself.

imho the best edc pistol is a kahr PM9 or P9, i have both, a great edc carry gun, never a jam, very accurate, lite, slim, easy to pack every day. the glock 26/27/33 is a close 2nd imho, the thickness makes it just a tad harder to pack imho, BUT ya do get a higher capacity, i put a '+2' floorplate on my 33 .357SIG and it holds 12 rounds with one in the chamber now, a lotta ammo in a small package. but if ya can get by with "only" 7 (PM9) or 8 (P9) rounds the kahr is hard to beat. in the summer i pack the PM9 almost exclusively, in the winter the glock 33 and the P9 split carry time.

good luck!
 
Of the ones mentioned, I'd go with the. .38 Snubby. To the best of my recollection, it's a typical Ruger handgun, somewhat blocky, ugly, not always the greatest ergos, and not very smooth, but....hell bent for reliable and darn near indestructible.

Not a big fan of the Beretta 92- hate the DA/SA action, and you gotta have pretty large forepaws for it to fit you well. Also pretty large and unwieldy. I remember mine carrying about the same as my Smith L frame .357, which gets old after awhile of regular carry.
 
The problem with carrying 357 in a snub especially worsened with a Ti frame and even worse for a woman is trying to get off a follow up shot. I personally would not carry a snub with 357 in it, and I am 6'2" and weigh 270. The problem is severe recoil, muzzle flip and fire balls that make getting off fast follow up shots much more difficult than the standard old 38 special. I'd rather get all five 38's in a bad guy than the one 357.

Many people get a gun and go out and practice with the cheap 38's and shoot only a couple of the dollar+ per bullet 357's and then think they are ready to carry the 357's for SD. In reality they should be shooting a lot of those dollar+ per bullet 357's before loading those up for SD purposes. Try shooting one of those suckers in low light and good luck seeing anything after the first shot.

I'd stick with good ole 38 special. They have all the right stuff to stop a bad guy especially since you'll be more likely to get all of the lead into him instead of "who knows where."

I also carry a P7M8. I have found that it has the least amount of recoil/muzzle flip than any other carry type pistol I've used. It'll put nine shots, center mass very fast. I love the safety feature very much too.

Jon
 
Carrying a Glock is a bit different only in the beginning, when you basically need to retrain yourself. After that, IMHO, it's just simple gun safety. I have three Glocks and feel totally comfortable carrying them with a round in the chamber. Also need to remember that unloading is the same as any other semi-auto: remove the magazine first.. then, cycle the slide to remove the loaded round.. and, ALWAYS, ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger and keep it pointed in a safe direction.
 
Kimberholic said:
The problem with carrying 357 in a snub especially worsened with a Ti frame and even worse for a woman is trying to get off a follow up shot. I personally would not carry a snub with 357 in it, and I am 6'2" and weigh 270. The problem is severe recoil, muzzle flip and fire balls that make getting off fast follow up shots much more difficult than the standard old 38 special. I'd rather get all five 38's in a bad guy than the one 357.

Many people get a gun and go out and practice with the cheap 38's and shoot only a couple of the dollar+ per bullet 357's and then think they are ready to carry the 357's for SD. ...
Click to expand...

My wife, who is 5'6" and around 160, has no problem double-tapping with her titanium .357 snubbie. In fact, she sometimes uses it in local IDPA competition. She does nearly all of her practice with .357s and shoots 300 to 500 rounds per session most of the time.

No, I don't think most lightweight .357 snubbies are a good idea, but with the right design it can work very well. In the last five or ten years Taurus has re-invented the revolver. (Something the rest of the market has begun to notice and copy.) Their new models offer specialized shock-absorbing grips, heavy barrels, compensators, and porting that make controlling them a very different proposition. My wife's 2" .357 in titanium (617T) is easier to control under recoil than a typical steel .38. It's a matter of carefully applied physics and ergonomics.

--Bob Q
 
I would never recommend carrying a rimfire whether its .22LR or .22WSM for self defense. NEVER. I doesn't matter how much power you think you need.
I have had way too many duds over the last couple years shooting .22LR. You DO NOT want the gun to go CLICK when the time comes. It doesn't just happen with bulk pack ammo either, rimfire is just kind of finicky.
Centerfire offers such a wide range of choices in power and gun size, and as a general rule should be as reliable as the gun you buy. There are exceptions, but if you buy quality ammo your much much less likely to have problems.

I have a Taurus model 92, wich is basically a cheaper beretta 92 that lets you carry cocked and locked :D It fits my hand really well, but I can't conceal it without a coat of some sort. Wouldn't be my choice for a daily carry unless maybe your somewhere with open carry ;)

So of the choices you listed, and what you want to do with it, I'd say go with the .38 revolver. I really think you should step that up a .357 revolver though, since it will let you shoot both.
There's a lot of nice auto's out there that will be easier to carry and have higher capacity in .380ACP and 9mm. Still gives you pretty good power too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top