Over the years I've used dog walks to try out new carry guns, holsters, etc. It's been from serious evaluation to getting a wild hair and trying something different (Why not carry a Ruger .357 Blackhawk?). I've learned a lot from my walks like I really can carry a Smith 629 Mountain Gun concealed. And they've also added to my box of holsters I may never use again.

Tonight was a little different, rediscovering an old favorite in carry guns. In Sportsman's the other day looking for .357 ammo when the clerk asked my why I was looking for, "Old Fart ammo". Well, fuck you then you little whippersnapper, I'm going to go carry a .357!

I've got a 3-1/8" barreled Smith & Wesson 66 with round butt finger grooved Ahrends grips on it. I've carried it in an El Paso Saddlery Street Combat pancake holster. Things change, carry guns change, haven't carried it in a long time. It kind of got shoved to the back of the safe by my 3" Ruger GP100 in 10mm. But carrying it tonight reminded me why I love that gun and holster combination. It just carries so easily and doesn't shift while moving around, or have the butt of the gun feel like it's flopping around, it's solid. It shoots great as well, smaller than a traditional .357 revolver yet not punishing like the smaller j-frames.

Walking back up from the river I was getting all nostalgic thinking I need to get back to carrying with this combination more often. Then I saw the fresh black bear scat on the trail that wasn't there on the way down and started thinking, "Summertime in Alaska, time to start carrying something bigger..."

I have a few somewhat older S&W revolvers. One than comes to mind is a Model 65, bought it before prices inched up.

As we know, most any revolver isn’t well suited to stop a charging bear, but there are still benefits. Should one encounter a bear, most often there will be no charge.

There's nothing better than having that perfect carry package. I have a few setups that are just right, but when I've tried to re-create them with different guns, just never seems to work out

I have a really nice S&W 65-5 3" and I bought it with the intention of making it my "hiking" gun. I live in PA and where I hike, we don't have really big bears so I'm comfortable with a 357 with hardcast rounds (I do also carry bear spray).



Well after owning it for awhile I decided its too nice to carry hiking. So a few weeks ago I traded a P320 for this 1978 Ruger Speed Six 2 3/4" barrel 357. Its got some finish wear so it will make a great hiking gun.

I've got an older model 66-2 3".
It's one of my favorite revolvers, and I don't care if I'm an old fart for liking it and the .357 Magnum cartridge.

Nice! That’s a rare-ish barrel-length for a 66.

I dig the shorter-tubed Smiths myself. This 3-1/2” 27-2 accompanies me at times.

I've got a Ruger Police Service Six in 2 3/4s and a 66-3 3". IHHO it's the sweet spot for a Concealed Carry revolver. Heavy enough to be shootable, light enough to carry and generally well balanced. The only druthers is the lack of support for the Six series, holsters and replacement front sights. I also have to get the trigger of my 66 radiused, it's not as comfortable as the Ruger.

I’ve owned a few 66 2 1/2” through the years and I’m down to one pre-lock model. I always wanted a 3 inch model but when they were easy it come by it seemed that I always wanted something else.

I recently picked up a 66-8, 2 3/4” which is probably the closest to a three inch I’ll ever get to in a K-frame.

I did own three 65s with 3 inch tubes that I sold off prior to them gaining “holy grail” status. Silly me.

another 66 3" fan,

bought one new back in the 80's,
lew horton or similar special
3 inch, full length ejector, round but,

the factory grips sucked, esp in 357, (rotates in my hand) so I bought a set of Eagle finger groove (like kinda like hogue knockoffs) and it made it much better

I carry it once in a while in a leather pancake holster


eta, here is mine with some Factory Smith round butt combat's I picked up later

https://imgur.com/zYTmrhA

https://imgur.com/u2Bsz6e

This message has been edited. Last edited by: lyman,

“Worse” than that here. At lunch today I swapped out my P365 Tac Ops in a Crossbreed holster for a S&W Model 36 with a 2” barrel in a Galco holster. Not a permanent swap, I own both of these.

Why did I do that? Because I could!

Now there’s the definition of an “old fart gun!”

quote:

Originally posted by 2000Z-71:
Well, fuck you then you little whippersnapper, I'm going to go carry a .357!

Signature worthy.

I kind of know what the OP is talking about. I own a ton of handguns, but one of my favorites is a late 70's S&W 4" Model 64. I can't really explain why.

Who doesn't love those?

The 3" Model 65 ain't too shabby either: