EDC revolver

I have been curious about EDC a revolver. So I did my homework and purchased a Smith and Wesson model 19 comp K frame 357 magnum. I pick the 357 magnum revolver because it is very versatile. I can shoot 38 special, which gives me some options for carrying and practicing ammo. We all know the 1st con of a revolver is the capacity, you get 5,6 or 8 rounds, and mine is a 6. 357 has a wide range of ammo you can choose from hunting ammo, defense, and just plain old standard 158-grain FMJ and I also have a lot of 38 special options like 38 special+p.
Since 357 is better than 9mm in stopping power, and we can debate that, I will say no way a 9mm CAN OUT POWER 357. 9mm technology has come along, but 357 will win all day.

So why carry a semi-auto if the statistics show I will never need to reload? I will never have to worry about a magazine failure or feeding issues, racking the slide - bluh bluh. Revolvers point pull the trigger bang or light primer strike pull the trigger one more time bang.
Six rounds of 357 would stop most, not if all, threats four-legged and two-legged critters.

Let me know your thoughts, family!


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Very nice!:sunglasses:

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Are those statistics generated from a majority using semi autos that hold significantly more than 6 rounds? Just asking’ (sayin’?)

But, 6 shots is probably adequate for the vast majority of scenarios. And there is indeed no “limp wrist”, no interfering with the slide reciprocating, no stovepipe, etc. There is that

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Nice looking gun! How do you conceal it?

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AIWB- I have two custom holster coming in soon- Ronin Leather and Proteq Custom Kybrid

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Have you put it on the timer for any favorite drills yet with preferred .357 carry ammo and how did it do?

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Not yet-- I am still getting used to shooting it. I need at least 500 rounds of 357 mixed with 38 before training for EDC. 38, I can hit 15 yards double action and put rounds in a 10-ring. 357, umm, could be better, even at 10 yards. I am using 357 Magnum 158 Grain FMJ for training. Right now, I am working on trigger control.

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There are still people who hate revolvers… :upside_down_face:

But, as we always say - carry what works best for you !

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That is a sweet looking revolver! A 3” barrel 357 is on my really want short list.

The problem with averages is they represent a broad range. So if the average is 3 rounds, 3 yards and 3 seconds then there will be a whole lot of situations that involved one round at 1 yard and 1 second. But there will likely be more than a few situations where someone needed more than 10 rounds at more than 10 yards for more than ten seconds to make that average come out to 3. You don’t want to be that someone when carrying a 6 shot revolver.

The other issues that I personally find with a revolver is the long, heavy, double action trigger pull takes a lot of practice to master for speed and accuracy at medium ranges. And the extra recoil from full power 357 rounds that can slow down follow up shots compared to a semi 9mm. At least in my personal experience. Jerry Miculek might disagree:)

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Very nice. I love revolvers and have hunted with them, .357 and .45LC. If I didn’t like the 1911 in .45 so much, I would probably carry a .357 much like yours. :slightly_smiling_face:

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^^^^ This is so so dam true- Even with the comp I am struggling, I refuse to cock the hammer to shot single action.

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I think that is a good idea. It is nice to have the single action option if you need to take a longer shot and have the time to do it. But a lot of self defense situations are unlikely to provide that extra time.

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You lucky dog. Smith Wesson a great quality. Lots of pro’s to me over the con’s.

Personally, I’m convinced I’ll never be as accurate with them as with semi’s. In awe of accuracy like yours, Jerry Miculek, and a nephew of mine - whom defy gravity.

From an artistic view, what beauty are some heavy steel revolvers. Of all the arms I’ve held so far in my short time, never felt as comfortable - was the nice hold of a black Night Colt Cobra .38, bobbed hammer, 6 rounder, factory composite grips, smooth trigger. Figure every person’s hand differ.

If I could carry two, I’d carry a .38, or .357 (oh so versatile), but since I can’t manage the weight, I can only carry one, a semi, but envy yours.

And interesting, as some rifles out there, take .357/.38.

But sometimes, I EDC, a .22 wheeler, 8 rounder.

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I like my LCR but to be honest, 38 Spcl+P is a bit harsh though.

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I had an LCR .357, yes, a little harsh.

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I personally like revolvers. And carry one at times as a backup. Sometimes it’s really about doing a changeup. I have about as much fun shooting them as any. :us:

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Some things that broke me in to my revolvers (might not be proper, might not work for everybody, but helped me):

  1. Grip - a high hold (for me the Compac and old rubber Presentation grips helps this). IMO, if your hand position moves up the backstrap when shooting magnum loads, you’re holding too low. If the current grips aren’t conducive to holding the firearm high enough find ones that support this. Simple way to tell: if you shoot with magnum loads and the recoil puts your hand higher on the grip after the shot, you’re not holding the revolver high enough to begin with. The position of the web of your hand relative to the backstrap after the shot should be the same as before the shot (hard to explain without illustrations).

  2. Grips - Bought the inexpensive Pachmayr/Lymn Compac grips (NOT the Compac Professional Grips) while deciding what wood grips to purchase. Ugly as heck but I enjoyed shooting with them so much that I dropped the search for wood grips. I’m sure there are wood grips that replicate this, but the ones that I thought might work usually took months to make (waiting list) and cost $$$… not conducive to experimenting to see what worked for me.

If you watch many YT video reviews of 357 magnums, many reviewers have to reposition their grip with every shot because the revolver is moving in their hand after every shot. Every time I see this, I know that the reviewer isn’t really a revolver shooter… and/or they don’t have time to search for different grips for a firearm that they are being loaned for a short amount of time to make the review.

  1. Follow through with the trigger squeeze - No staging of trigger, just initiate and finish with every shot. Squeezing the trigger will be one entire motion, not feeling for breaks… this might not be proper, go against modern techniques, etc… but it works for me… might not work for you. IMO, S&W full size revolvers like your model 19 make this technique easy.

In the end, the entire trigger pull should have no effect on moving the sights… I’ll place this in point #5. How deep you place your finger on the trigger will also have an affect on this (different for different sized hands and grips).

  1. Snap Caps and Dryfire - Buy reputable snap caps (price is not often an indicator, but I would not cheap out) and practice. I do NOT like snap caps with rubber primer areas. Pull the trigger 100 times per day for a few days straight. After a week, the trigger will have broken in, and your finger will have grown stronger and more proficient with the motion.

  2. The main idea - MOST IMPORTANT I wanted to place this first but the previous points helped me realize this point at the range. The gun (and therefore the sights) should be held steady through the completion of the trigger pull. Using snap caps, if the sights move when you finish pulling the trigger, adjustments in grip, grips, and/or trigger finger position are needed. This is true on semi-autos as well, but that idea gets forgotten when going back to revolvers.

Similarly (from points #1 and #2), if the revolver shifts in your main hand from recoil every time you shoot, adjustments in grip and/or grips is needed. The firearm should be an extension of your arm such that the position of your arm/hand might need to reacquire the target each shot, but your grip on the revolver (and therefore the orientation of the gun in your hand) should remain the same before, during, and after the shot.

I guess I should also mention… I think this might not follow many YT videos, but… the way I grip places the grip of the firearm in line with my wrist. This means that the bottom of my palm is FULLY in contact with the grip (at least as far as the grip will go; subcompacts might not be in contact but line up to the wrist axis the same way). It’s my opinion that many modern techniques (especially when relying heavily on two-handed technique) don’t require this. I, however, prefer to line the firearm up with my wrist axis (firearm pretty much parallel to the line from my Radius to my Ulna).

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I just put this in another thread, but it really fits here. Mas makes some good points about how things have changed in terms of tactics, multiple assailants, assailants on drugs or wearing body armor, etc. Is six rounds still enough?

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1984 I carried a 357 Smith & Wesson, and it is what I first trained to shoot with. I found it to be very accurate and foul proof. I still have it today, but I mainly carry it when I am out in the woods for cougars, bears and Bigfoot. I love my S&W!

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6 rounds of 357 might be enough??? That is my question-it might take10 rounds of 9mm to stop a person on drugs. But with 357 you might only need 2 rounds.

Placement of shot matters

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