Concealed carry revolver.

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S&W or Ruger is the way to go.

If you can't fine a snub by those two makes for LESS than $500 then you are not looking hard.

I see .357 SP-101 2 1/2 inch barrel snubs for $450 aruond here (used.)

S&Ws can be had for about that price to.

Deaf
 
SP-101s can be had at a good price for sure. I had been looking at buying one for 2 or 3 years, but I never got around to it.

As luck would have it, at Gander Mountain of all places, I stumbled into a well cared for SP101 with a bad case of cylinder face staining a few months back. $350:eek:

Locks up like a bank vault with sharp rifling down the barrel and no dings or wear around the crown. I snapped it up.

I don't usually worry about how the face of my revolvers look, but i figured a one time cleaning wouldn't be bad to see what was under there.

Buffed right off with a little Barkeeper's Friend. Gorgeous little shooter, and oddly enough one of the most accurate guns that I own.

That gun was waiting there for me, specifically. I love it.
 
Down here in FL, you're not likely to even touch an old pre-lock S&W model 19, 66, 13, or 65 for $500 or less. This is especially true for guns having barrels less than 4 inches. Any Smith to be had at that price point has likely been rode hard and put away wet. I've been following pre-lock prices online for a few years now, and what I'm seeing around the country seems to fall in line with how things are looking here in Florida. Maybe some locales are awash with used revolvers sitting on the shelves, but it appears to me that (for the most part) the ship has long since sailed on cheap pre-lock specimens that have actually been taken care of.

Rugers should be doable, but even they are getting proud these days.

YMMV, and if it does, you should be snatching up those old guns!
 
I'd stick with Taurus or Ruger over Smith and Wesson. S&W QC is pretty crappy now days while Taurus has greatly improved and the Smiths have the worst lock design possible and a rep for locking themselves.

I just got this Taurus 605 Poly Protector and love it. 20 ounces vs 13 for the LCR is still light on the belt, yet absorbs 140 JHP full power .357 recoil well. Also, you can cock it. The LCR is DAO. I prefer ALL my DA revolvers to be able to fire single action. Just a preference of mine and YMMV.

The LCR has the best trigger going. The SP101 is rugged, but heavy, but if you're recoil shy, the SP101 is the best snubby out there for you.

245ip86.jpg

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I'd stick with Taurus or Ruger over Smith and Wesson. S&W QC is pretty crappy now days while Taurus has greatly improved and the Smiths have the worst lock design possible and a rep for locking themselves.
Click to expand...

I am not trading my Smiths anytime soon, and the trigger lock plugs were cheap enough.

I had my SW629 5" out yesterday and was again reminded how well I can shoot 44 Magnum in spite of the recoil from store bought ammo. I attribute that to the gun, because I have other 44s and 41s that are more challenging.

I have had gunsmith or factory trips for a number of guns, whether Ruger, S&W, Taurus, Kimber, Kahr, etc.

I have another Ruger in queue to go back, but it is not a new gun and no fault of Ruger's.
 
I'll throw a vote in for sp101. Reliable and more accurate than I am. Some day I may likely have the cylinder beveled as I wish they would do from the factory. I will say though that the lcr double action trigger is a bit nicer than the sp101, but the sp101 is a solid buy that will offer years of service with even modest maintenance.
 
You want a small snubby 357 and when you shot a small snubby 357 you thought it was going to split open. ? .
 
All the S&W Airweight J frames in .38 Special +P are under $500 new. The M642 and M442 have no lock variations too.

The no lock M442 Pro which allows the use of moon clips or no moon clips is available at Bud's gun shop online for only $419 including shipping.
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...Pro+38+Special+1.87"+5rd+Syn+Grip+Moon+Clip+B

Here is a photo of my M442 which is an every day carry and it's fitted with a set of Rosewood Badger Custom boot grips.

M442-2.jpg
 
Any one of the "quality: .357 Snubbies of current manufacture and shoot +P
s.
Personally, I ae2" Nickled Chief's Special with Uncle Mikes S&W factory grips.
I shoot the Horniday .38 Special non-+p loads to protect the revolver from excess stress.
I hope to NEVER use it, but it's there to protect us. I don't doubt it's effectiveness.
ZVP
 
One of my carries is a Taurus 617. Can't go wrong with 7 rounds of 357 Mag. Fairly light recoil due to it being 27 oz. The only down side is the porting. Lots of flash and kinda chops the barrel down to 1" for all intents and purposes.
 
One of my carries is a Taurus 617. Can't go wrong with 7 rounds of 357 Mag. Fairly light recoil due to it being 27 oz. The only down side is the porting. Lots of flash and kinda chops the barrel down to 1" for all intents and purposes.
Click to expand...

The Taurus site doesn't show a current offering 617 that is ported. I see a 2" barrel at 28+ oz. Seems like a good concept, if I trusted Taurus for a truly accurate gun. But at close range, point and shoot, how bad could it be?
 
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RealGun said:
On

The Taurus site doesn't show a current offering 617 that is ported. I see a 2" barrel at 28+ oz. Seems like a good concept, if I trusted Taurus for a truly accurate gun. But at close range, point and shoot, how bad could it be?
Click to expand...
As long as it fires how bad can it be but will it fire each and every time? (no, not bashing Taurus, just asking a serious question)
 
In an earlier post I gave my SP and LCR357 experiance. I forgot to mention my Taurus 605. It's not as heavely built as the SP but, mid range 357 is doable with a grip that fits your hand. It handles 38+P easily. Mine has a very smooth action.
 
Awww, man... Taurus discontinued the 617 for the most part! It looks like the only offering is the SS model with a full spurred hammer.
 
Snubby? The DA trigger and short barrel, plus the recoil of a full power cartridge, makes them difficult to shoot well. The Ruger LCR mitigates much of the difficulties inherent to a heavy double action pull. Many people I know like them. The price is right and there are new boot grips available.

Personally, I'd really enjoy an LCR with 3" barrel.
 
Having shot the Airweight .357 J frames and the .357 LCR with full house .357's, I'd take the LCR all day long. Nice trigger and manageable with full house ammo. Mid range stuff is a breeze. The lightweight Smiths are just plain punishing IMO with full power stuff, and uncomfortable with mid range ammo.

Trigger on the LCR is best of the breed out of the box as well. I'll admit the LCR was a gun I didn't really want to like, but after shooting one, I'm thoroughly impressed. Of the lightweights, its the one to have IMO.

Of course the Sp 101 is a great revolver as well as the model 60 S&W. I find the ergonomics of the SP to be much better for me, but the trade off is it's bigger and heavier, and a GOOD QUALITY Belt and holster are going to go a long way in carrying the SP 101. Budget at least $150 for a good holster/belt set up if you go with the SP. The LCR you can get away with a much less expensive pocket holster and a regular belt. (although a quality belt will STILL make a difference)


For the recoil shy, a good 38+P in the 357 LCR would be a nice set up IMO.
 
I've owned both a Ruger LCR and J-Frames. My first choice would be the LCR, but you ruled that out. The next choice, and the only other in my list would be a S&W. My EDC when I don't feel like strapping on a fullsize gun is a S&W 637.
 
Some answers are making it seem like the S&W Airweight will go over budget. They cost only ~$380 to $410 which leaves money in the budget for a holster and possible a box of ammo.
 
I bought the S&W bodyguard and hated it, cylinder release was in an odd place and it shot 3" left with 3 different types of ammo. Took it back and got a ruger LCR-x and love it. Great trigger, light, dead on at 10yds with golden saber bullets. Works great for deep concealment. Its a little different from my normal EDC guns which are full size 1911 and a S&W M69 with 44spl loads. I really like the LCR-X.
 
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