Small concealable?

[1stimestar]

Suggestions, advice? I used to have a snub nosed .38 special that I have been kicking myself for years now for getting rid of it.

[Adventure Wolf]

Those old .38s were nice. I remember my father buying one back in the 90s. He told me that when the police departments were phasing them out for the semi-automatics, the market price on them dropped. They were easy to grab up.

Last I heard, Smith and Wesson still made a .38 snub nose design.

[natertot]

This is going back to the Revolver VS Semi-Auto thing again. Which really Boils down to personal preference with no right or wrong.

Revolver Pro: Unless you have bad ammo, the thing will fire. If it doesn't fire, you have the simplicity of only having to pull the trigger to cycle to another round.

Revolver Con: Depending on the revolver, you either have 5 or 6 shots. (know some hold a few more, but the purpose of this thread is small and concealable. Not happening with a eight round 44Mag.) It then takes a bit of time to reload another cylinders worth of ammo.

Semi-Auto Pro: Ammo capacity is 7-12 rounds. Up to twice that of a revolver. Quicker reloading is also accomplished through additional, pre-loaded mags.

Semi-Auto Con: Laced with malfunctions. Although, it is my opinion, that semi-autos made by reputable manufactures in the last ten years are just as reliable as revolvers. Semi-Auto malfunctions can almost always be attributed to owner neglect. If you run a box of ammo through it a month and clean it properly, there should be no issues. Also, during much colder temps, an owner should take care that the gun oil they use does not freeze or gel up. The leads to another semi-auto con that they can be a little more high maintenance.

Really, it is personal preference. I chose semi-auto. More bullets, quicker reloading, and a little more maintenance to give me those shots reliably are worth it to me. I do own both though, and on times, why not a .38?

Being you are in Alaska, you also have big creatures to contend with. A revolver would allow you some more potent cartridges for those instances. A snub nose 44 special, perhaps?

[Tokwan]

Oooo...itys about a concealed small gun...just reading the title gave me a different idea...ok...so its a gun...guns again..

[Adventure Wolf]

Oooo...itys about a concealed small gun...just reading the title gave me a different idea...ok...so its a gun...guns again..

Tokwan, did you mind go into the gutter again?

[natertot]

Tokwan, did you mind go into the gutter again?

Of course it did. It always happens when he sees the word "small"!!!!!

Just kidding ya, Tok!

[Phaedrus]

I gotta say Ruger LCR. It's just 13 oz empty and very small. The trigger is excellent on it and it's easy to shoot well. It's available in .38 Special, 9mm and .357 Mag. If I read you right then the .38 Special is probably your best bet (and the version I have). Presumably your concerned more about two legged predators if you're looking for something small, and the .38 Special version is 25% lighter than the other two. From a 2" pipe a .357 Mag mostly gives you a lot more blast and recoil for a very small gain in velocity. IMO you need to move up to a 4" barrel or so for it to be worth it. In any event even a .357 Mag would be a bit light for the bigger critters up there.

[wilderness medic]

How small is small to you? *Crosses fingers*


No seriously, S&W Model 66 too big?

[Tokwan]

Muahahahahahahahahahahaha....Sawyer little thing....

[Rick]

My wife carries the LCR in .38. There is no hammer to get hung on anything if you want to purse carry. The .38 is a proven round and, as Phaedrus said, it's light weight. You can get it with a Crimson Laser, which my wife has. She likes it and is pretty accurate with it.

[cwlongshot]

I don't think you could go wrong with a J Frame S&W. Also as suggested the newer LCR from Ruger is getting good reviews. Colt also made a fine revolver as well, not quite as small as the smith. I would avoid the Rossi/Taurus revolvers. Some are excellent more have issues of some kind. Charter can be spotty as well.

CW

[natertot]

I don't think you could go wrong with a J Frame S&W. Also as suggested the newer LCR from Ruger is getting good reviews. Colt also made a fine revolver as well, not quite as small as the smith. I would avoid the Rossi/Taurus revolvers. Some are excellent more have issues of some kind. Charter can be spotty as well.

CW

The Rossi/Taurus revolvers that were imported 10+ years ago are the problematic ones. If you get the newer one's that are made in the USA and not imported, you will be fine. JMO.

[Old Professor]

My smallest CC firearm is a Smith & Wesson shrouded hammer 38/357 mag. Five shot. I like the choice of either 38 for practice or the 357 for greater effectiveness for two legged predators. For serious carry, I load with Speer short bbl hollow points. My second choice would be the Charter Arms Bulldog in 44 Special. The Ruger LCR is a good choice if you prefer a semi auto. My Semi auto CC gun is currently a Smith & Wesson Shield in 9mm.

[hunter63]

Have, carry and like the K-LCR.....This one handles the .357, but is normally loaded with .38's........speed loader has the .357's.

.357 will handle most anything I would have to use it on around here...but I do understand the Alaska connection.....so yeah .44 mag, although kinda hard to conceal.

[Rick]

The Ruger LCR is a good choice if you prefer a semi auto.

You meant the LCP?

[hunter63]

When these. discussions start, the suggestions seem to start small....and ended up getting bigger, and bigger, why is that?

[1stimestar]

Yea this would be for two legged predator only, not worried about game for this one. Small and very concealable is on the top of the list here.

[hunter63]

LCR or LCP or the S&W version.......Both handy and "tuck-y"

[cwlongshot]

I have a few, I even have a Taurus. I like the revolvers, but don't carry one much anylonger.

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CW

[LowKey]

I have a smith 638. I'd mightily appreciate it if someone knows of a speedloader that works over the cylinder catch...
Other than that, it's small and extremely lightweight.