Posted: 11/21/2021 1:27:51 AM EDT
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Big shout out to @x_red_beard_x for his excellent thread, A Millennial's Perspective into Carrying a 1911. It inspired this thread. Okay, onto the main event.  Much like x_red_beard_x, I grew up around guns. I cut my teeth on a number of guns growing up. GLOCK, S&W, Ruger, Colt, Beretta, Browning, Star, etc . . .  My Father started his career during the era of the cross draw revolver and went from there.  Yes, he eventually went to the automatic, first with the Beretta 92SB and was one of the very first in Florida to carry a GLOCK.  But he was a connoisseur of the handgun arts, and it is the wheel gun that he truly loved and that passed down to me along with a few other things.  Anyways, this thread will be about the fine art of carrying a revolver. The methods of carry, reloads, the mindsets involved for carrying a revolver in the 2020s, and a general discussion of all things that are revolver goodness. My personal experience with revolvers goes back to shooting Police Pistol Combat match style courses with my Father along with doing some training under a number of seasoned instructors in Florida's law enforcement community during my career as a cop. I took those skills and applied them to both general carry along with specific revolver centric carry and find tuned the shooting and handling of revolvers during shooting matches.   Carrying a wheel gun is done for a reason. Some of it is purely because of want and desire. I personally find the revolver to be capable even in this day and age and regularly carry them.   My S&W no dash Model 586 in .357 Magnum is just as viable today as it was in 1981. Same with my Ruger GP100.  Other carry them because of convenience.  Take my S&W Model 342. She's been beaten, abused, and rode hard. But she is still a faithful carry piece. Nothing equals the weight, caliber, and general concealability of this J-Frame. It is the perfect everyday carry gun. There are a number of options in models, sizes, and methods of carry and we're going to discuss them all.  As mentioned, this will be an ongoing series and discussion. So, it back and enjoy. |
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I started this thread 3 years ago That was the start of my serious revolver work. Before that I had a Ruger redhawk I carried for a year, a colt det spec I carried here and there aiwb but never put the work in with either. I've also carried a Blackhawk here and there. But it was the M19-3 that got me to start studying the revolver. About 2 years ago I picked up a 2.75" m66-8 and cut an inch of my jmcustom aiwb holster. With the slightly shorter length and a round butt it is seriously a comfortable gun to carry and is the most concealable full sized gun I have. It's a work on progress. Attached File  Bradford USPSA 8/18/19 stage 4  Bradford USPSA 8/18/19 stage 5  12 yards. .357 mag from concealment  #revolvermasterrace reloading  Nov Bear camp match stage 2  Nov Bear camp match stage 4  Bearcamp 4/11/21  Bearcamp 5/2/21  Bearcamp 5/2/21  Bear Camp 6/13/21  Bearcamp 7/11/21  Bearcamp 7/11/21 2  Bearcamp 7/11/21 3  Bearcamp 7/11/21 5  Revolver reload practice  Revolver drills  Bearcamp 10/10/21 stage 1  Bearcamp 10/10/21 stage 3  Bearcamp 10/10/21 stage 4 Attached File And I still carry that m19 Attached File Attached File |
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Carrying a speedloader has always been a work in progress as well. I started with a speedloader in my empty right pocket. Then tried a JOX kydex holder but then tried a Safariland cd-2 ahead of my holster. Perfect. Attached File Just recently I tried one of the split six pouches and it works ok but prints a lot more than I like for EDC. Attached File And I always keep a speed strip in a pocket as well. |
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Awesome posts from both of you guys, who I consider to be revolver connoisseurs. I enjoy carrying a revolver on occasion, but mostly open carry in a traditional side holster. I have a very nice crossdraw holster for my little SP101 357 snubbie that I really enjoy using. Thanks for the pics and posts guys! I want to get some leather for my 7.5" Redhawk and and also for my 686 no dash. Maybe even for my 627-2. |
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I've got a 4" model 64 I carry every now and again. Really the only downside is capacity. Years back I found out revolvers were fun. Bought the 64 used, refreshed it and went to work with some old timers I knew who used them extensively through the 70s and into the 80s. I may have to reload more, but I'm as fast. Got a model 65 on the way. I have a 686 but it's a 6" and a little ungainly to carry. A Ruger is in my future though. |
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Glad to see wheelguns in circulation, and am making moves in the direction of carrying one of mine on the regular. I have a Model 36 no-dash and a Model 19-3, both of which I dearly love, and am about to take delivery of a Model 10-6 snubbie and a 1946-vintage Military & Police .38 Special. I’m giving serious consideration to carrying that Model 10-6, because it’s just about my favorite revolver style. Will post pics of the “family” once I get back home. |
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When folks think of the Wild West, Cowboys, and Six-Shooter. Most folks think of the. 45 Colt Single Action Army. Yet one of the most popular rounds back then was the .44 WCF (.44-40) and more Six-Shooters from Colt, Smith & Wesson, Merwin & Hulbert, and Remington were chambered in that cartridge and sold on the civilian market. Why? Simple! The Winchester 1873 and later the Winchester 1892 along with the Marlin 1894 wetr all chambered in the .44 WCF. .45 Colt back then wasn't chambered in lever actions. That didn't happen until long after the Wild West became the Settled West and Hollywood started to make Westerns on the Backlots of their Studios. As WWII ended and the Westerns began, production and popularity of the .44 WCF started to wane in popularity while the .45 Colt started to gain popularity.  So much so, that because of Ruger and their massively strong wheel guns, that the. 45 Colt was given new life as a quasi Magnum load.  But we're not talking about the Ruger. Oh no, we're talking about Big Blue and their two N-Frames chambered in these timeless cowboy cartridges.  S&W chambered two commemorative anniversary models in these old-school bronco busters. The six-inch barreled Model 25-3 celebrating Big Blue's 125h Anniversary and chambered in .45 Colt. The other is a five-inch Model 544 and it was made to commemorate the Texas Wagon Train that went around to the Lone Stat State to celebrate their 150th Anniversary. The Model 25 is a pre-1982 production gun, it came from the factory with a pinned barrel.    The Model 544 was a post-1982 production gun. So, no pinned barrel.    Now, these are limited commemoratives that should live in their fancy felt lined boxes. Well, they don't, not with me. Guns are meant to be well maintained and cared for. But they're made to be shot, and shoot then I do. You can see the drag line on the cylinders. The six-inch is a fun hog gun and the five-incher is a mighty fine open carry or home defense piece. Both rounds aren't slouches. A 225gr lead slug is no laughing matter and neither is a 250gr one either. Sure, neither are on the same level as the .44 Magnum, but honestly. That's a good thing.  These are soft shooting N-Frames and allow the recoil adverse to get the benefits of a full-bore DA revolver. Both can even be fed by HKS speed loaders. The .45 Colt in its original black powder loads saw action all over the Wild West, Cuba, and the Philippines. The .44 WCF also had a long history too. Serving a long career with the Spanish Guardia Civil with their Winchester 1892 clones, the Tigre in .44 Largo. So, out of the two, which would you take? 
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| Love those big bore Smiths. I have a Model 25 in the Classic line (45 Colt) and the Model 5440 (44-40). Both are great shooters as you mention. The .44-40, I have has had to go back to Smith for some work. It had some cylinder binding issues. But man is it accurate. I shoot it potentially better than any of my other revolvers. I have found 45 Colt brass lasts longer than my .44-40 brass. The .44-40 brass is thinner and a little more fragile than the 45 Colt. .44-40 brass is harder to find but luckily Starline still makes runs of it. |
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03RN and Miami both convinced me to try both enjoying and carrying a revolver. So far I have 3. A 642, 15-3, and 19-3. The 642 I actually edc for months at a time at my old job and it worked great for that as a low profile pocket gun where I couldnt carry iwb. The 19-3 I have been carrying owb under a jacket as the weather cools off when I’m actually at home. Yeah it’s down on capacity, but if I feel like I need more I can always carry the g34/rmr/x300u. But 95% of the time I probably wouldn’t carry if I didnt want to. And I want to carry the revolver so I do. Besides 6 rounds of a 130grn hydrashock going ~1250fps is decent medicine from 2 legged threats. The next step in revolvers for me will be a 44mag. Keeping an eye out for one of the special Lipseys Stainless Ruger Super Blackhawks in 44 in 5.25 inch. Also keeping a more passive eye out for a 629 or model 69. I dont think I will conceal carry the sbh or 629 much but they’ll see lots of woods use. No, I dont need a 44 for the woods I inhabit but I want to so I will. The 69 I will probably try out for ccw. Attached File My model 19. I have to look for a picture of the 642. It’s literally wadded up with pocket lint and the sweat has corroded the frame. |
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Quoted: 03RN and Miami both convinced me to try both enjoying and carrying a revolver. So far I have 3. A 642, 15-3, and 19-3. The 642 I actually edc for months at a time at my old job and it worked great for that as a low profile pocket gun where I couldnt carry iwb. The 19-3 I have been carrying owb under a jacket as the weather cools off when I'm actually at home. Yeah it's down on capacity, but if I feel like I need more I can always carry the g34/rmr/x300u. But 95% of the time I probably wouldn't carry if I didnt want to. And I want to carry the revolver so I do. Besides 6 rounds of a 130grn hydrashock going ~1250fps is decent medicine from 2 legged threats. The next step in revolvers for me will be a 44mag. Keeping an eye out for one of the special Lipseys Stainless Ruger Super Blackhawks in 44 in 5.25 inch. Also keeping a more passive eye out for a 629 or model 69. I dont think I will conceal carry the sbh or 629 much but they'll see lots of woods use. No, I dont need a 44 for the woods I inhabit but I want to so I will. The 69 I will probably try out for ccw. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/246951/4E1CF165-92E7-4D85-A327-3A53C3F74A07_jpe-2184180.JPG My model 19. I have to look for a picture of the 642. It's literally wadded up with pocket lint and the sweat has corroded the frame.    As for a woods gun. My .45 Colt Ruger Bisley Vaquero is my favorite. It is the older, larger frame and can digest loads that would blow up an original Colt Single Action Army or even a S&W Model 25. Heck, the current production Vaqueros can't take those loads either. 
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Quoted: 03RN and Miami both convinced me to try both enjoying and carrying a revolver. So far I have 3. A 642, 15-3, and 19-3. The 642 I actually edc for months at a time at my old job and it worked great for that as a low profile pocket gun where I couldnt carry iwb. The 19-3 I have been carrying owb under a jacket as the weather cools off when I’m actually at home. Yeah it’s down on capacity, but if I feel like I need more I can always carry the g34/rmr/x300u. But 95% of the time I probably wouldn’t carry if I didnt want to. And I want to carry the revolver so I do. Besides 6 rounds of a 130grn hydrashock going ~1250fps is decent medicine from 2 legged threats. The next step in revolvers for me will be a 44mag. Keeping an eye out for one of the special Lipseys Stainless Ruger Super Blackhawks in 44 in 5.25 inch. Also keeping a more passive eye out for a 629 or model 69. I dont think I will conceal carry the sbh or 629 much but they’ll see lots of woods use. No, I dont need a 44 for the woods I inhabit but I want to so I will. The 69 I will probably try out for ccw. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/246951/4E1CF165-92E7-4D85-A327-3A53C3F74A07_jpe-2184180.JPG My model 19. I have to look for a picture of the 642. It’s literally wadded up with pocket lint and the sweat has corroded the frame. I bet those are going faster than that. This guy is getting 1250 from a 2" gun  Does a 4" 9mm Rival a .357 Snub Nose?- Ep 4. Federal Hydrashok "Low Recoil" Nice gun too BTW. I carried my m19-3 in a jmcustom aiwb for the year before I got my 2.75" barrel m66 |
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Quoted: I bet those are going faster than that. This guy is getting 1250 from a 2" gun  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1exbr-vcc64Nice gun too BTW. I carried my m19-3 in a jmcustom aiwb for the year before I got my 2.75" barrel m66 No thats what theyre doing on my chrono. Theyre handloads. A medium hot charge of titegroup. The goal was moderate recoil and no flash/minimized report. I think i have achieved this. Its a far cry from a similar load with like h110. That mv puts them right in the window where they seem to be very effective in gel test that I have seen. The factory load is hotter but most people agree that it’s reduced recoil in name only. |
Is the Wheel Gun Dead? Those were the words uttered in 1989. The Era of the Wondernine was upon us. High Capacity 9mm Semu-Autos that had a magazine capacity of 15rds to 17rds was becoming the standard. Technological wonders from S&W, Ruger, GLOCK, Sig Sauer, and Beretta were hitting store shelves and police holsters. The thought across the gun ranges and in the roll call rooms was that the old reliable wheel gun was done. By the year 2000; we'd all be shooting lasers in the 40 Watt range and doing it on the moon. Carry guns like this factory bobbed hammer DAO S&W Model 65 were done and no one would want them.  Only old people would be carrying such a beast. Low capacity, heavy, and large. Why would someone lug a S&W Model 13 around?  The semi-automatic was to replace the revolver like the percussion cap replaced the flintlock or the self contained cartridge firearm replaced the muzzle loader. Well, weren't they wrong. Revolvers are still here and gaining popularity. So much so that Colt is back in the game with the Python and Cobra line after they abandoned it entirely with the belief that the semi-auto was the only future they could partake in.   Kimber has jumped into the market with an entirely new design.  S&W is making newer versions of their ever classic J-Frames without locks and they've even brought back the 3" Model 66.   Ruger is selling their revolvers like hot cakes and coming out with new designs.    And ultimately, folks like yours truly are still putting the original ones through the ringer. The revolver is not dead, far from it. It is rising from the ashes like a phoenix. Sure, the wheel gun had a slump in the 1990s and early 2000s. But in the 2010s it regained its strength and is it starting the 2020s with a hell of a demand. Folks want guns that go bang due to the rioting and pandemic. And the revolver is still a hell of a self defense gun. For a novice shooter, the revolver isn't a bad choice. .38 Special and .357 Magnum are nothing to sneeze at and the fact that they don't need magazines is a plus to the thrifty buyer. Since with the massive panic we're witnessing, magazines like guns are hard to find. |
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Quoted: No thats what theyre doing on my chrono. Theyre handloads. A medium hot charge of titegroup. The goal was moderate recoil and no flash/minimized report. I think i have achieved this. Its a far cry from a similar load with like h110. That mv puts them right in the window where they seem to be very effective in gel test that I have seen. The factory load is hotter but most people agree that it’s reduced recoil in name only. Quoted: Quoted: I bet those are going faster than that. This guy is getting 1250 from a 2" gun https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1exbr-vcc64Nice gun too BTW. I carried my m19-3 in a jmcustom aiwb for the year before I got my 2.75" barrel m66 No thats what theyre doing on my chrono. Theyre handloads. A medium hot charge of titegroup. The goal was moderate recoil and no flash/minimized report. I think i have achieved this. Its a far cry from a similar load with like h110. That mv puts them right in the window where they seem to be very effective in gel test that I have seen. The factory load is hotter but most people agree that it’s reduced recoil in name only. Gotcha. |