I have a S&W 340, which I believe is the lightest .38/.357 revolver they make. It is quite a handful, especially shooting .357, but if you want a very light and powerful revolver, this one fits that category. Also have Crimson Trace laser grips on it. Perfect pocket gun, especially for nighttime carry with the laser grips, except for the limited capacity and feeling like you held on to an exploding hand grenade when you fire it.

Pick up a used model 60. This works for me.

Some good advice here already, but I've gone down the same thought path as you and couldn't resist chiming in.

I have a number of J-Frames. I have limited experience with the LCR, but from what I've seen they're a bit larger than a comparable J-Frame, and frankly, they're ugly. I know it's not a beauty contest...but wow Ruger, that thing fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down! The triggers on the ones I've handled have been very smooth and probably a bit lighter than most J-Frame DA pulls, but the double-clicky reset that they do is not my cup of tea. If you're set on a lightweight 9mm wheelgun, though, it's either an LCR or one of the Taurus offerings these days, and after the experiences I've had with Taurus revolvers, you won't hear me recommending one of those (stories for another day).

The upside to 9mm revolvers is that they share ammo with your semi-auto. That ammo is cheaper than pretty much any traditional revolver loading, more available, and there are a wide variety of quality defensive choices available. After that, though, it's pretty much all negatives.

Revolver ammo headspaces off the rim, whereas semi-auto cartrdiges headspace off the case mouth. This necessitates moon clips if you're going to use them in a revolver (unless you find an old 940 or one of the Charter Arms variants they were offering a while back, but those are hard to come by and add some complications to the design), and moon clips are kind of a pain. They are hard to get the cases in and out of, they can get bent which will cause malfunctions, and some brands of 9mm ammo have different rim/extractor groove thicknesses which means your clips may be picky about what ammo they will accomodate.

Revolver ammo also uses a roll crimp to hold the bullet in, whereas 9mm is taper-crimped. The taper-crimp isn't as secure as a roll crimp, and under recoil, especially in a very lightweight revolver, the gun acts like an intertial bullet puller and your bullets can jump crimp, binding up the gun. I've heard differing reports on how prevalent this issue is, but it's something to be aware of.

Personally, I came to the conclusion that I'm going to shoot revolver ammo out of revolvers, and save the 9mm for semi-autos. I have a 360J (Scandium-framed .38+P with an exposed hammer and a steel cylinder) that I regularly carry in the pocket of athletic shorts, and it works quite well in that capacity, unless I'm running which makes it bounce around too much. IIRC my 360J is right around 13oz. You can shave a couple more ounces by going with the 360PD or 340PD, but those have a Titanium cylinder that requires special care when cleaning so as not to damage the special coating that S&W puts on it. Personally, I'd accept the slight weight penalty of a steel cylinder and go with a 642 or a 442 for your purposes. Those are similar in design and weight to my 360J, but are "Centennial" models with an internal hammer, so nothing to snag on the draw. If money is no issue, and you want to go as light as possible, though, the 340PD is your gun.

The rimfire options are pretty interesting as well. The 351PD in .22 Magnum and 43C in .22LR are very lightweight and low-recoiling guns. I'm not ususally a fan of rimfire ammo for defensive purposes due to the poor reliability, but that's less of an issue in a DA revolver where if you get a dud you can just pull the trigger again, and the gun isn't dependent on the ammo to cycle reliably. It still wouldn't be my first choice for defense against 2-legged threats, but it works good on smaller pests and I think 8 rounds of .22 would be reasonably effective if you can put them where you want them. I'd be lying if I said I'd never gone out with just my model 63 on my belt (although only in very low-threat environments).

I just got done with some close-in-weapons retention training for work yesterday. Two things we noticed is that semi-autos tend to drop the magazine out when you're fighting with somebody over your gun. Also, they malfunction a lot in a fight, both due to unsecure/improper grip or contact with your assailant putting them out of battery. Neither of these is an issue with a revolver.

Wheelguns aren't the solution for everything, but they have some distinct advantages under certain conditions. The lightweight snubbies are definitely a great choice for carry when you can't carry anything else. I'm a big fan, and there are still a few that I'd like to add to my collection, including a 642/442 and a 43C.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
…one of the Taurus offerings these days, and after the experiences I've had with Taurus revolvers, you won't hear me recommending one of those (stories for another day).

I have a Taurus 905 and it’s garbage. After I bought it, and it failed to fire multiple times, I did some research and found out that my gun is not unique and a lot of people have problems with that model. I’d stay far away from the 905.

I went down this same path a few years ago. It all boiled down to two revolvers for me.

-S&W 351c (less-fancy version of the PD) is a great pocket-carry revolver. Incredibly light weight, nobody likes a face full of .22 Mag. The latest Gold Dot ammo in this caliber is pretty good. It was my "I don't have a gun" gun.

-Ruger LCR in .327 Fed. Mag. After reading many ballistics tests, I came to the conclusion that this is the best compromise of power vs capacity that suited my needs. You get 6 shots in a small revolver, one more than other revolvers of similar size in .38/.357. To me, that was important.
.327 Fed. Mag. is a very good caliber, and it is flexible. Hotter SD ammo can be pretty spicy. You can shoot other .32 variants in it as well. From mild to wild and all things inbetween.

quote:

Ruger LCR in .327 Fed. Mag. After reading many ballistics tests, I came to the conclusion that this is the best compromise of power vs capacity that suited my needs. You get 6 shots in a small revolver, one more than other revolvers of similar size in .38/.357. To me, that was important.
.327 Fed. Mag. is a very good caliber, and it is flexible. Hotter SD ammo can be pretty spicy. You can shoot other .32 variants in it as well. From mild to wild and all things inbetween.

I'm a fan of .32. That older 3" gun in my photo above is a model 31 in .32 S&W Long. I wish S&W would put out a modern J-Frame in .327 Mag...there's a lot of versatility there between the .327, .32 H&R, .32S&W, and many will even fire and extract .32 ACP in a pinch.

^^^^^

Yeah, my SP101 will fire and extract .32acp.

This S&W is my grail gun https://www.smith-wesson.com/f.../archive-model-632-0

quote:

Originally posted by Pale Horse:
^^^^^

Yeah, my SP101 will fire and extract .32acp.

This S&W is my grail gun https://www.smith-wesson.com/f.../archive-model-632-0

Yeah, that is indeed appealing. I have it's twin in .357 Mag, and actually pocket carry it on duty as a backup. It works great in large pants with big pockets and good belt support, but the steel frame is a bit much for a gym shorts pocket. It outrigt disapears in an IWB holster on a belt, though. The extra weight makes it pretty shootable with full-house Magnum loads, which is not something I can say for the airweight 360PDs that I've shot.

A .327 version would be pretty awesome. S&W has discontinued a lot of really great stuff over the years. I know it probably didn't sell great, but it's a good round that provides a ton of versatility out of a revolver.

A 642, 638, or LCR .38.

A steel framed snubby like 640 or LCR .357 or 9mm is heavier than it looks and will drag your shorts down.

It's like Hickok reads the forum



Although my Undercover has an exposed hammer, it's an itty bitty thing. Talk about snappy

Guys... This is awesome. Thank you. Lots of stuff to read.

Stopping at the LGS tomorrow and talking with my "crack dealer". Maybe I will buy more than 1 (the wife is looking to change up her Kahr .380 for walking the dogs on the trails, she carries in a fanny pack for that).

I am leaning towards the .38 and .22 varieties and leaning heavily towards Smith & Wesson. The recent statement by the CEO/Executive impressed me, so I will reward them if I can find what I end up wanting.

Keep it coming fellas. I am reading every post.

Again, thank you.

Ha!!! Hickok just posted that this morning. I bet he does read the forum!

You all have to be teasing about the Taurus.

I mean, here's the dependability testimony right here on their own website:

'A 9mm revolver that utilizes Taurus Stellar Clips® for easy reloading, the Taurus 905 is ideal for concealed carry. The 905 is built to the Taurus Zero Tolerance standard—in design, fabrication, fit and performance. Meaning, there is simply no tolerance for parts that do not perform as if someone’s life depends on them.'

https://www.taurususa.com/revo...ide-2-in-soft-rubber

quote:

Originally posted by bozman:

...I am leaning towards the .38 and .22 varieties...

Consider the eight-shot LCR-22. Yeah, it's "just a 22," but it's fairly light with mild recoil. Your wife might want one.

https://www.ruger.com/products...specSheets/5410.html

It's Mrs. Sigmund's HD gun, she does not carry.

www.smartcarry.com is one holster option, though a speed loader won't fit well. Speed strips will.

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
Fanny pack solves the problem. 5.11.

Yes it does. I started Fanny pack carrying in the summer last year.
It’s great. I carry a 43 in the pack. I have one of those kydex trigger guard holsters. It is attached to a paracord loop, the paracord loop is connected to the waist strap of the Fanny pack.
All I do is unzip and rip the gun out. The trigger guard cover just naturally pops off since it is attached to the pack.

I have a Kavu Spectator and it fits the 43 perfectly and I just wear an untucked shirt over it and it disappears.

You will likely need something a touch larger like the Lululemon Belt Bag

I have been carrying for 18 years. I wish I would have started Fanny pack carrying 18 years ago. It is so nice to wear gym shorts when I am just out and about with no need for shorts with a belt. The comfort factor is a million times greater and no less prepared.

I just need to get a 43X for more capacity.

quote:

Originally posted by bozman:
Ha!!! Hickok just posted that this morning. I bet he does read the forum!

Apparently the people who wrote for Shooting Illustrated do, too...just got my issue today and havent had time to read it yet but there's an interesting looking article in there about .22 survival guns with some revolver content.

I had a S&W 357magnum five shot scandium revolver for one year as a backup. We had to shoot 50 rnds daytime and 50 night to qual.I couldn’t feel my right arm from the elbow down for almost a whole day.

After that I carried a 38 spcl as a backup.

I would t and don’t feel under gunned with the 38 when I walk. I’m more worried about large dogs than people here where I live.

I use Speer Gold Dots (short barrel) ammo.

Currently I have a S&W model 60 (stainless) in 38 special
And a lightweight Taurus 85 in 38 special. I’ve never had an issue with the Taurus like others have said, but I know you can get the occasional lemon with any company..mine is probably 20 years old though and I don’t think they make that model anymore.

I carry either one depending on clothing..and gym shorts are not conducive to CCW a 45 Commander.

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

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:

quote:

Ruger LCR in .327 Fed. Mag. After reading many ballistics tests, I came to the conclusion that this is the best compromise of power vs capacity that suited my needs. You get 6 shots in a small revolver, one more than other revolvers of similar size in .38/.357. To me, that was important.
.327 Fed. Mag. is a very good caliber, and it is flexible. Hotter SD ammo can be pretty spicy. You can shoot other .32 variants in it as well. From mild to wild and all things inbetween.

I'm a fan of .32. That older 3" gun in my photo above is a model 31 in .32 S&W Long. I wish S&W would put out a moderfrn J-Frame in .327 Mag...there's a lot of versatility there between the .327, .32 H&R, .32S&W, and many will even fire and extract .32 ACP in a pinch.

I think the .32s have a lot of merit in small frame revolvers.

Smith has dabbled several times with .32s but they don't seem to stay in the catalog long.

I hope the try it again and this time put some marketing muscle behind it.

It's a great idea that never quite hits mass appeal.

A small revolver is certainly a valid option. A Phlster Enigma rig, to carry your usual carry gun, might work well, especially if it can be worn over one’s undershorts, and under the outer shorts.

https://www.phlsterholsters.com/enigma-landing/

My usual dog-walking set-up is a Ruger SP101, toted inside a Hill People Gear Belt Pack, which is a super-rugged interpretation of the mis-named “fanny pack.”

https://hillpeoplegear.com/Pro...ryID/1/ProductID/129

https://hillpeoplegear.com/Pro...ryID/3/ProductID/184

When I was younger and running in the early mornings, I had a chest holster.
Just for laughs, I "googled" chest holster and got a number of hits.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hol...f=pd_sl_6m9ja6k9gd_e

My holster isn't in there, but you may find something that works for you with a compact pistol (G19,Kimber Micro, etc.)
My holster was from Action Direct, but they've gone completely away from consumer-grade chest holsters.