Top Wheel guns for concealment??

[freeman3911]

Been thinking a long while about what kind of firearm i'd like to carry on me for concealment. I've settled on a wheel gun because 1) reliability 2) just cause I already have a full size XDM & dont want another poly pistol...

Now it comes down to choosing which gun I'd like to get.....probably the toughest part of this process!

I used to have a CharterArms Undercover Lite in .38spl but there were a few things I didn't like about the gun. First off, after doing research on the Charters I found that they are held together by pins, which can come loose after sometime. Also, the UC LIte was mainly made from aluminum & I just didnt feel like this was as reliable of a material. I know that is what makes it so light, but i'd rather have something heavier and more reliable. Secondly, I'd like something chambered larger than a .38spl and the Charter was not approved for shooting +P ammunition....

So that leaves me to where I am today, looking for a wheelgun I can carry on a daily basis....

SUGGESTIONS!!!?????

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[HollisOR]

S&W scandium, kind of expensive and very light. I was thinking about one in 32 H&H mag, if they had one. A couple of friends has them in .357 mag. Something you don't want to shoot for fun. The light weight makes carry a lot nicer. Also with some of the new bullets designs, some of the smaller calibers are nasty now.

 

[coctailer]

I carry a 1965 Colt Agent in .38 Special in my front pocket.

 

[sweetbeard]

This is my spare with a hip grip
Product: Model 638

 

[MrNiceGuy]

Always love an excuse to repost this crappy old pic.
s&w model 36 loaded with sjhp +p

 

[evltwn]

I looked into Scandium once...a fellow I met in the gunstore told me "If you want to experience firing a Scandium revolver without buying one, put your hand on concrete and smack it with a ball peen hammer"...I have been carrying a 442 Smith .38 for years, with a couple of Bianci speed strips...had a trigger job done and put on CT grips...

 

[freeman3911]

that s&w 36 looks real niiiiice. how do you like shooting it?

 

[MrNiceGuy]

that s&w 36 looks real niiiiice. how do you like shooting it?

It's a blast to shoot, and painless too.
When I got it, it had been sitting since 1982 when it was manufactured. The previous owners had over oiled it heavily before storing, so those oils (or whatever) had hardened inside the gun. After a good cleaning everything smoothed right out.

I prefer the DA/SA, but there's so many j frames out there that you're sure to find a setup that fits you.

 

[ragermack]

Really like my LCR. Poly fabrication though.

 

[MikeE]

My Ruger LCR is polymer and all the wrong things, but it is very easy to shoot for such a light gun, and very accurate. Carried in the front pocket w/ a Desantis Nemisis. People also like the .357 version. My SP 101 worn OWB is also quite concealable in hot weather - and it's a tank.

 

[HollisOR]

I looked into Scandium once...a fellow I met in the gunstore told me "If you want to experience firing a Scandium revolver without buying one, put your hand on concrete and smack it with a ball peen hammer"...I have been carrying a 442 Smith .38 for years, with a couple of Bianci speed strips...had a trigger job done and put on CT grips...

That might true, but in a actual self defense shooting, two things a person would probably not notice, the recoil and the noise. IMHO, with conceal carry, it is the carry that happens 100% of the time. The odds are, it will never be used. I like to think of conceal carry like air bags in a car. I never want to use them but if I need them, I want them there.

 

[MountainBear]

I've carried at any given time a S&W 10, 15, 19, 36, 60, 64, 66, 67, 442, 642, and 649 (and probably a few more I'm forgetting). All have done the job very well. I personally prefer carrying S&W's to Colt or Ruger guns. I have carried a few Taurus as well, but never again. The j-frames are nice because you don't have to alter your dress around the gun. The k-frames are nice because there's a little more to hold on to. I generally stick to the .38 or the .38/.357 guns, but other calibers work well too. Revolvers are great guns to carry most any way you go...

 

[gunslinger1911]

i just picked up a S&W 637 airlight .38 +p and i tell you what...it settles in quite nicely and you wanna know the best part?!? they are only $379!!!

 

[evltwn]

You are certainly correct, the noise and recoil in a self defense situation would go unnoticed...HOWEVER, to become proficient, one must shoot, and IMHO, shoot a lot...after all, look at what is at stake if you have to use it...if its painful to shoot, you might be tempted to trust to luck and not hone your skill...I'd rather be accurate...besides, its a hoot to shoot as often as you can.

 

[HollisOR]

You are certainly correct, the noise and recoil in a self defense situation would go unnoticed...HOWEVER, to become proficient, one must shoot, and IMHO, shoot a lot...after all, look at what is at stake if you have to use it...if its painful to shoot, you might be tempted to trust to luck and not hone your skill...I'd rather be accurate...besides, its a hoot to shoot as often as you can.

If you only had one gun, sure. I never had a adjustment issue. I feel very comfortable with what ever I shoot. I am not target shooting in competition. If you told someone that you shot a 12 inch group they would laugh. Draw a circle 3 inches in diameter. At 25 yards that is a 12 group, at 100 yard that is a 3 inch group. At less than ten feet or so, how close will a self defense shooting take place? I think it will be difficult to justify killing some one at 100 yards in a shooting in a city.


Look at Mountainbear collection. I have probably carried the same assortment to some degree.

So it does depend, on how much a person shoots, how many guns they are comfortable with and other factors.

 

[madderg]

Can't go wrong with a Ruger SP 101 3 in barrel.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

I carry a Colt Detective Special. I also have some S&W j-frames but I prefer the Colt because it is a six shooter instead of five. I drew a doodle in another thread that illustrated how much better I felt a revolver carries than a semi-auto.

 

[jordanvraptor]

I like the Scandium .357 magnum. You just have to find the right load for it. 7 shots and lightweight.

Here is a review I did when I first shot mine.






I went out and fired my new to me S&W 386 Night Guard .357 Magnum 7 shot revolver. This is the Scandium frame L frame with 2.5 inch barrel and Tritium front sight. I also put Crimson Trace lasergrips on it although the stock Pachmyr grips provide more cushioning for recoil. Unfortunately I have short fingers and bigger grips make the trigger pull awkward. Also the wife likes the lasergrips. For home defense use I expect to load .38 +P.






Initial impressions are that recoil is stout and stings a bit. Here is a vid of the first two rounds that I fired. These were Remington 125 gr JSP .357 Magnum loads. Very hot round. Kind of like a worst case scenario.

I then fired off a full cylinder of seven rounds and things got painful. The Crimson Trace lasergrips expose the backstrap of the frame. Well after a cylinder full there was a nice little callous on the web of my right thumb. Another cylinder full and the callous had separated and I was bleeding. Not particularly fun but I kept shooting and wished I had brought some gloves. I switched to cheap Blazer 158 gr JHP .357 Magnum figuring I would try the heavier load since I'm already bleeding, how much worse could I make it? Well, the Blazer loads aren't loaded as hot as the Remingtons. These were somewhat more comfortable or less painful depending on how you look at it. Here is a second vid of me just shooting 6 rounds slow fire of the Blazer ammo.

Overall, its a bit painful to shoot full magnum loads through it. Not uncontrollable or intolerable, but bare handed it will bite. I will try out some .38 +P as soon as I can. I think those will be very manageable for practice and save the .357 for occasional practice with a glove. I am also going to try different Magnum loads like Corbon DPX or the lighter 110 gr JHP loads that are out there. I took the vids to show recoil in this lightweight Scandium/Aluminum framed revolvers. I will keep this revolver for a while to play around with loads and decide if this will be a carry gun or just another that passes through my collection and then goes on to someone else...

I have since tried other less powerful .357 loads and even with the bare frame lasergrips, I think this gun can even be fun. The difference between a .38 +P and even a milder .357 load is signficant in terms of muzzle energy and velocity. Even with mild .357 loads you can expect 350-400 ftlbs in muzzle energy. Some .38 Special loads are half that figure.

 

[MountainBear]

Colt's are evil PP...

 

[madcratebuilder]

I like the Scandium .357 magnum. You just have to find the right load for it. 7 shots and lightweight.

Here is a review I did when I first shot mine.






I went out and fired my new to me S&W 386 Night Guard .357 Magnum 7 shot revolver. This is the Scandium frame L frame with 2.5 inch barrel and Tritium front sight. I also put Crimson Trace lasergrips on it although the stock Pachmyr grips provide more cushioning for recoil. Unfortunately I have short fingers and bigger grips make the trigger pull awkward. Also the wife likes the lasergrips. For home defense use I expect to load .38 +P.






Initial impressions are that recoil is stout and stings a bit. Here is a vid of the first two rounds that I fired. These were Remington 125 gr JSP .357 Magnum loads. Very hot round. Kind of like a worst case scenario.

I then fired off a full cylinder of seven rounds and things got painful. The Crimson Trace lasergrips expose the backstrap of the frame. Well after a cylinder full there was a nice little callous on the web of my right thumb. Another cylinder full and the callous had separated and I was bleeding. Not particularly fun but I kept shooting and wished I had brought some gloves. I switched to cheap Blazer 158 gr JHP .357 Magnum figuring I would try the heavier load since I'm already bleeding, how much worse could I make it? Well, the Blazer loads aren't loaded as hot as the Remingtons. These were somewhat more comfortable or less painful depending on how you look at it. Here is a second vid of me just shooting 6 rounds slow fire of the Blazer ammo.

Overall, its a bit painful to shoot full magnum loads through it. Not uncontrollable or intolerable, but bare handed it will bite. I will try out some .38 +P as soon as I can. I think those will be very manageable for practice and save the .357 for occasional practice with a glove. I am also going to try different Magnum loads like Corbon DPX or the lighter 110 gr JHP loads that are out there. I took the vids to show recoil in this lightweight Scandium/Aluminum framed revolvers. I will keep this revolver for a while to play around with loads and decide if this will be a carry gun or just another that passes through my collection and then goes on to someone else...

I have since tried other less powerful .357 loads and even with the bare frame lasergrips, I think this gun can even be fun. The difference between a .38 +P and even a milder .357 load is signficant in terms of muzzle energy and velocity. Even with mild .357 loads you can expect 350-400 ftlbs in muzzle energy. Some .38 Special loads are half that figure.

I guess I've been living under a rock, didn't know S&W offered a Scandium L frame. That looks like a very nice peice. My only complaint with my 2.5" 686 is weight. I normally don't look at newer S&W's but this one is nice.