Looking for a CCW revolver

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thesheepdog

New member
Hey guys,

I am pretty familiar with revolvers and I am wanting to get one for Concealed Carry.

S&W has some pretty nice SD revolvers, but they're on the pricey side-which I am not too concerned about, but cheaper would be better.

I want to know what caliber you guys are using right now for a compact CCW revolver.

I like the .44 Mag, and the .357 Mag, but are there better options, given this is a CCW weapon?

I am a big guy (6'4", 205lbs) so recoil isn't going to affect me much.
I thought the .327 Federal mag looks appealing, but I am not sure if i would be able to reload the .327 Mag though.

I like features such as a muzzle break, night sights, high-strength lightweight frame, 6 shot cylinder, etc.

Thanks in advance.

Oh by the way, i don't want a .38Spl if i can help it.
 
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Daryl

New member
Any of your cartridges of interest would work fine.

You'll soon learn that there are far more concealable, lightweight revolvers chambered in .357 than for .44 mag or .327 magnum.

If recoil isn't an issue, I'd rule out the .327 magnum for no other reason than the availability and cost of ammunition. It's a neat little cartridge, but the .357 mag is superior, as well as being easier to find ammo for...and cheaper to shoot.

If you can find a good, used round butt K-frame revolver chambered in .357, you'll have a good gun for the purpose.

Daryl
 
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Ace_Breaker

New member
I'm pretty impressed with my Ruger LCR with Crimson Trace grips. The simply rugged holster sucks that thing right up to my body making it one of the most concealable handguns I have.
 
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AcridSaint

New member
Body mass is not really going to be much of a factor in handling the recoil. Shooting technique and the grips on the gun are, followed by the weight of the weapon. Lightweight 357s are often seen unpleasant by experienced shooters.

If you want an alloy or other light framed, ported revolver with night sights, cheaper really starts to leave the table. I suggest going to some gun shows and some shops and handling as many revolvers as you can that fit your described needs and then start looking into the specifics of the ones you've narrowed down to.
 
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thesheepdog

New member
Body mass is not really going to be much of a factor in handling the recoil. Shooting technique and the grips on the gun are, followed by the weight of the weapon. Lightweight 357s are often seen unpleasant by experienced shooters.
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As i mentioned, I have a lot of rounds down range out of revolvers. So recoil isn't an issue. Added to that, is my body mass.
 
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savit260

New member
The revolver you described... Light weight, ported, night sights, .357 Magnum etc. etc. is available in some of the higher end S&W's.

Problem is they aren't inexpensive.

To get a better bargain, you'll have to likely give up one of those requirements.

If it were me, given what you're looking at... I'd drop the light weight part, and look at a Ruger 3" GP 100. You'll get a nice .357 Magnum, that's an ideal size for CCW, and has the ability to swap out the front sight for night sights. Gemini Customs does great ported GP 100's, but again, you're going to have to cough up some coin for that.

You could do an SP 101 to and give up 1 round, and do the porting later if you REALLY think you need it.
 
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Kreyzhorse

New member
The revolver you described... Light weight, ported, night sights, .357 Magnum etc. etc. is available in some of the higher end S&W's.

Problem is they aren't inexpensive.
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+1. You aren't going to find a revolver with all the features you want that is inexpensive.

S&W makes some revolvers that fit the bill but to be honest, I don't think I'd want to shoot a light weight .44 or .357 all that often.

I know you said you want to avoid a .38, but the S&W Airweight series are really great CCW guns plus the recoil is low enough that you can actually practice with your carry gun. That's a big plus in my book.

If you really want a .357, I'd look at the Ruger SP. They aren't light weight, but I'd rather shoot .357s out of it than any lightweight .357.
 
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therealdeal

New member
CIA650

I bought a Taurus CIA650 .357 magnum revlover 2" barrel stainless steel 23.9 oz and it is a very good CCW. I already had the ruger gp 100 .357 6shot revolver 6" barrel(CCW cia650 is a 5shot), so I figured I'd try the taurus.

It is hammerless and you can carry it in your pocket with a tshirt,shorts,and flipflops on! in-the-pocket holster from uncle mikes is the way to go and they seel @ basspro shops or wherever. many people seek this firearm and they cant find it(just google the other forums). I paid basspro shops and they had to order it so I bought it same day but came in about a week later for pickup(they tell you ahead of time if they can do this). it does have a lifetime warranty on any part of the weapon. It takes for different kinds of rounds: 38 special, 38special +p, .357, and .357 +P. personally I want .357 for home defense(just my opinion), and I bought this revolver because I have the option of CCW too. I fall under LEOSA(Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act) formerly known as HR218 which you can google too, so I can CCW anywhere in America while off duty. I recommend any active or retired LEO's to google this, as its very good+I agree with the law&2nd Amendment.

I saw a forum here about the cyclinder locking up between shots with the 650 which is a concern for any SD firearm and I had never heard of that in a clean revolver. I was confused when this happened to me once and jams in 9mm why I prefer revolvers. It was because I had the biggest rounds available, but all that you have to do is fire some rounds thru it to break it in and the issue WILL go away. If I am wrong someone please correct me and I will renig. I prefer revolvers and they are more reliable(in my opinion), so I did research on the 650 and I haven't had any issues with it after about 10shots. I shoot the golden sabres .357 regular 125gr+ both revolvers are loaded and ready to go in a small AMSEC gunsafe electronic lock so kids cant find key(punch in #'s and ready to go)
 
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Hook686

New member
The S&W M&P 340 CT is not cheap. It is light weight, has nite sights, XS front sight and the Crimson Trace laser sight. It fits in the pocket.

While .357 magnum rounds are rough to shoot regarding recoil, the Speer Short Barrel .357 magnum are doable. .38 Special +P are my 1st choice, with a .357 magnum round in the last chamber to remind me that a reload is necessary.

The M&P 340 is available without the Crimson Trace laser sight and is about $300 less cost. For me, the laser sight is a very good tool to practice close range shooting with the J Frame revolver.
 
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HKFan9

New member
The new smith bodyguard revolver is pretty nice and lightweight for the cost. The laser doesn't thrill me on it, neither does the plastic cylinder release... but it is moved to the top of the hammer shroud, which is nice when its not digging into your side I suppose. Definitely more affordable then some of the other smiths, however I am not sure if it comes in .357 yet.
 
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ronto

New member
May I suggest a Ruger SP101?...

If you want to show it off to your friends...Get a Colt.

If you want to sip on a cup of tea with one hand and shoot with the other...Get a S&W.

If you own stock in FedEx or UPS...Get a Taurus or Rossi.

If you are going into Hell and plan on comming back...Get a Ruger.
 
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zombieslayer

New member
Well, I say! How did you know I sip tea with one hand, good sir? :p . In all seriousness, I think the S&W 640 is about the perfect snub. Powerful, well-built, and easy to carry. I like mine.
 
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shafter

New member
I'd recommend the Smith and Wesson 637. I know you don't like 38 special but this revolver handles +p ammo which is no slouch in quality ammo. This revolver is very light and concealing it should be easy for a big guy like you. After all that's what a CC weapon is all about. The 637 has an exposed hammer which you may or may not like but I prefer it that way.

A Ruger SP101 is also a very good choice.

Finally I've been toying with the idea of getting s Colt Detective Special or Cobra. That sixth shot is kinda nice.
 
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BigJimP

New member
I like the K frame S&W's model 19's or 66's ...are relatively inexpensive as guns go these days ...

I see a lot of them for sale between $ 500 - $750 depending on condition / and occasionally one will show up with some holster wear for under $ 500 ....
 
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Doodlebugger45

New member
I don't really have a whole lot of need for ultra small lightweight revolvers, so maybe my opinion isn't as valid as some others here. But I have a S&W Chief's Special mod 60. It has a 3" barrel and shoots reasonable .357 loads with no problem. The accuracy at 15 yards is good - better than I had figured it would be. It weighs more than the real popular little midget guns like the LCR and 340, but hey, to me, it is way lighter than the next heaviest revolver I own. Before I got that one, I had figured a 44 oz Colt 45 with 4 5/8" barrel was about the smallest thing I would ever contemplate.

I don't know exactly what it weighs, but I can put it in my jacket pocket when I'm walking around in the hills and forget it's there. I'm not really trying to conceal anything, it's just that 7.5" barrels tend to get in the way sometimes.

I did hold one of the light S&W 357's the other day and I have to say I liked the feel pretty good on it as well. I liked it (can't remember the mod #) better than the Ruger LCR, but I haven't shot either one.
 
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azredhawk44

Moderator
I think you're being unfairly unreceptive to the .38 cartridge.

Go try an airweight or scandium J-frame in .38. It'll bite the back of your hand pretty good. My J-frame 642 slaps my palm pretty good with the recoil. I plink with .45's and .44's for fun and really enjoy recoil out of a big gun, but I don't care for it out of little snubs.

There's no way I'd want the same thing in a .357.

If you've gotta have .357 as a minimum, then look into the steel K-frames that are out there. More mass, less palm slap.

But for a pocket-snub, there's nothing wrong with a .38 J-frame as a robberstopper.
 
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Couzin

New member
I carry a SW 360PD - it is a hand smacker for sure with .357 loads. But I don't really send many downrange with this gun, I use a SW 686 for range time. If you are near me - be glad to let you shoot it if you are considering one.
 
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