Looking at picking up a small .357 for concealed carry. Mainly looking at S&W's lightweight J-frames and Ruger's SP101. I've read opinions on several other forums but was curious what folks here thought.

I haven't really decided on pocket carry vs. WB, but I guess it would be nice to keep the pocket option open. Is the SP101 really that bad for pocket carry? How bad are the really light J-frames to shoot Magnum loads through?

If I decided to save money a little while longer and get something more expensive, what do you think of some of the larger 6,7,8-shot .357's? Is there a big difference in concealability, if I were locked into WB carry anyway?

Thanks in advance.

Chris

 

I would not bother with a rev for C.C. I would look at some of the small autos out there, more fire power and more ammo in the gun. IMO, I carry a Glock 36 for C.C. ether in a F.A.G. bag or on my belt (inside pants). It is small enough if your a big guy you could carrry it in your pocket.

 

Light frames with full magnum loads are a handful, but it is hard to beat the .357 for self defense. I carry a .45 Colt Gold Cup myself for serious carry, but I often trade off with a Colt Stainless Carry Detective Special in .357 mag.

I like both a great deal, but the Detective Special is a close quarters fire arm compared to the 1911. I have dozens of other firearms but these are two of my favorites.

Don't be afraid of a wheel gun, the chances of you ever actually being in a running gun battle where you need lots of ammo is slim to none. The reality is it only takes 1 or two well placed rounds and that is how you need use your weapon anyway.

Go with what is most comfortable for you and practice, practice, practice.....and then practice some more.

 

i carry the ruger gp100 .375 magnum revolver w/ 4" barrel in a uncle mikes shoulder harness. not bad to carry at all... and when yer just messin round you can shoot .38 special rounds through it, bout 1/2 the price of the magnum rounds... just my .02

 

The little J frame S&W in their scandium alloy weighs about 12oz unloaded. In .357 it is BRUTAL!

I have a J frame 642 in .38 +P. Its an aluminum alloy and weighs 15oz unloaded. It isnt pleasant to shoot for an extended period of time with regular .38 loads! It is light and concealable though.

One thing to be concerned with when carrying these lightweight revolvers is the bullets jumping crimp. The weapon is so light and the recoil so severe that the bullets in the remaining cylinders can be pulled from their case to the point that the cylinder can be locked up.

My .38 when shooting .38+p rounds will cause some crimp jump but not enough to adversely effect operation. After firing 4 rounds and pulling the 5th you can see that the bullet has been pulled just to the edge of the cannelure (the little groove in the bullet).

I carry mine in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster and it works very well for how I dress. It works well with jeans and gym shorts (if no running is involved). It works great with khakis and cargo pants as well.


I also have a Glock G36 which is the single stack .45ACP. I have a DeSantis Nemesis for it as well. That combination is a little too big for carrying in jeans or gym shorts and isn't concealed very well. However it works excellent in khakis or cargo pants!

So generally its the J frame with jeans or the .45 with everything else. I never thought I'd have more firepower when I was dressed nicer!

One thing to always have in the other pocket is a good light like Surefire. Its also good to have a knife and some extra ammo ready.

When I have khakis on I generally have the .45 in one pocket and the light and an extra magazine in the other pocket with a knife clipped on somewhere.

Always wear a holster and don't forget practice. Don't just practice shooting, practice drawing from concealed carry. Practice offhand shooting and being able to shoot in not so perfect conditions. If you ever need to use your firearm it likely won't be at a well lit location where you have much advantage. Also practice drawing from odd locations. My hardest is getting my firearm out with my weak hand. Its nearly impossible for me to do!

Dry firing with snap caps can be very beneficial as well. You would be surprised at how it can help you because it will get your body accustomed to how the trigger breaks without it anticipating the recoil.

Also be aware of and follow laws of any locations you may visit.

 

The little Airweight S&W is probably what I would go with if carrying a revolver.
In .38 special or .357.

I would hate to be involved in a situation where capacity was an issue.

If you want a good small carry piece: Glock 26
Capacity and firepower in a small package that can't be beat.

 

Yeah, but the 26 is a 9mm, I would rather have the 27 .40 cal if I had to choose between carrying the two. AND YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TO MUCH AMMO!!!!

 

I love my XD40. It packs a punch, shoots where you aim it, and easy to keep clean.

 

Amen brother, preach on!!!


I use that with a CTAC in waistband holster and I am good to go!

 

I prefer the ruger revolvers to the s&w they are easier to field strip and maintain and therefore will more likely be cleaned properly on a regular basis. I carry a Springfield XD45 now I used to carry a 1911 Combat Comander or a ruger sec. 6. I also have a compact XD40 that the wife carries or I carry if I need something small. I like the springfields because of magazine interchangeability My cousin is LE and has a service model XD40 as his service weapon and a compact XD40 as a backup. If he needed it the compact will accept his service model magazines if he was in a jam and lost his service gun and needed extra amo.

 

I like to carry my scandium .357, but I don't like shooting it with full power .357 loads. It's literally painful, the worst part of it is how the trigger guard whacks your trigger finger on recoil.

I have a stainless j-frame as well. When I carry it, I always know it's there. The scandium one I forget about sometimes, it is much nicer to carry.

The SP-101 is slightly heavier than a stainless S&W, but not enough to make difference. If you want a stainless gun, I think the SP-101 is a much better value.

I would point you towards the .38 spl Airweight revolvers. The prices on those have dropped way down since the scandium guns came out, and they will handle +P ammo.

Unless you have really big pants pockets, any small frame revolver is a little big for concealed carry. I think the biggest practical pocket carry gun is the Kel-Tec PF9.

When I was about 90 lbs heavier I didn't have any trouble concealing a Taurus compact frame 7 shot .357 with a 2.5" barrel. A S&W 686 would be the same. I think the N-frame 8 shots would just be too bulky for concealed waistband carry without a bulky cover garment.

 

I do not practice enough anymore to carry an auto. My current CC is my model 65 (.357mag). I have a clipdraw on it so it fits in my pocket without sliding around. I cannot thumbcock it but in an emegency it would be used double action anyway. As has been said, for protection I am only looking at getting a few good shots off.

 

I bought my wife the SP101 in .357. It's a great shooting gun and acurate for a short barrel gun but it's not a pocket gun. In stainless it's pretty heavy. I carry a Springfield Compact .45 I love the feel of a 1911 style gun. I also have a Charter Arms Bulldog .38 I feel a .38 is as small as I would want to go with a carry gun.

 

I have a Smith model 13 3". I can almost palm the thing, recoil is brutal with full power stuff, and after thousands of rounds it is getting a wee bit loose.

I have to say though, for a hideout piece, I would ( and have ) trust it with my life.

 

I had an SP-101 and couldn't stand the way the trigger returns when shooting DA. Seemed like it had all sorts of hitches and glitches so that it didn't feel like it was following my finger forward. Impossible for me to shoot DA well. Got rid of it.