I carry a Glock 42 every day and like it very much. I recently purchased my first revolver, a Ruger GP100 Match Champion. It is a great gun to shoot, very powerful and accurate but, for me, too large to carry concealed. I like the idea of a wheel gun for CCW because of its simplicity, power and reliability and have been thinking of going to a small frame 38 special, such as S&W J-Frame. I’m very interested in the pros and cons and any advice from the community.
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I have a S&W AirLite 342PD that I carry sometimes. It is so light that you forget you have it. I only carry it in situations where I know I wouldn’t be the primary person responding to a situation. It is an escape harm’s way weapon, meaning I have a weapon while I move my family or myself out of a situation instead of actively seeking to engage a threat.
As with all snub nosed revolvers, it is a great close quarters gun, but I wouldn’t try shooting a headshot at 25 yards. In my mind the pros are: reliable close quarter gun, insanely light and concealable, can handle +P .38 rounds, great back up, no hammer to snag on a pocket. Cons are: not accurate past a certain range, only 5 shots, not a primary weapon if you work security or law enforcement. Some people have a hard time handling recoil with such a light gun when firing +P.
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Shepherd,
Excellent analysis, thanks for the information.
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Pros=relatively compact package, reliability, can be had in some powerful cartridges.
Cons=low capacity, slower reload times, powerful rounds can be a handful
Small revolvers have been stopping bad guys for almost 100 years. Of the current crop, my choices would be, in this order
Ruger SP101 357
Ruger SP101 327
Kimber K6
Ruger LCR .357
And last but not least, Smith and Wesson 642 Pro Moon Clip.
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I’ve carried a 425 TI in .41 mag frequently for many years.
Downside? Low capacity and slower than semi autos.
Upside? Lightweight and raw power! I have similar models in 45LC and .44 mag I carry occasionally as well.
More often than not if I’m not training or hunting though I carry either an XDM Comp in 5.25" or an XD sub compact in either .40 S&W or .45acp.
If you are going to own and carry different guns it’s wise to have them as similar as possible so you don’t ever have to think “which one and I carrying today” in an emergency.
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I carry a S&W Pro Series 640 (2.125" barrel- 5 Rnd) with a Pachmayr Diamond Pro grip. It is stainless steel with Tritium Night sight and has a nice weight and feel. The recoil is minimized. I have also had Ruger SP 101 and S&W 340 PD ultralight. This 640 is by far the best carry for me.
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I love hearing about everyone’s preferences for their carry, @Pat! Do you carry multiple guns at a time or every switch out your carry?
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Depends on where I am going…if I’m in the burbs glock 43 almost every day…if I’m going to a shitty part of Chicago…the glock 19 comes out.
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That’s why I am not carrying a revolver because of the hammer that could get snag on. I see S&W has a very cool 38 special though. Didn’t mean to interrupt though!
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There are a number of hammerless revolvers on the market specifically made for CC.
You’re never interrupting, @Shawn! That’s the reason we’re here - to have good conversations with everyone! Glad to have you in the Community!
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Excellent pros and cons.
I sometimes carry one of my Ruger sp101’s in .357 mag in an owb DeSantis, but that is mostly around my property. Not easy to conceal when out and about, but I know it will be there if I need it.
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Welcome to the Community, @Skullcrusher! Is your property in a neighborhood or out in the country?
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Thanks! Out in the middle of nowhere. I like having something easy to wield in case of sneaky coyotes or raccoons, or the like.
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Glad your prepared, @Skullcrusher! There are a number of people in the Community who have enough land in the countryside that they can shoot on their property.
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Welcome @Skullcrusher. The SP101 is definitely a good choice for the wayward small to medium size critters.
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Thanks for the replies. I can just open my door and shoot if I want. I have a nice little spot for shooting and training. The bad part is mowing and recovering brass. 
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I carry one at a time, usually my 640 with speed strip. I sometimes carry Colt King Cobra which is 6 rnds with a 3" barrel, which is a tad bigger for concealment.
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Us too… its awesome!
This is why we have sheep and great grandchildren 
Have you tried using a nut-roller for picking brass? They work pretty well if the grass isn’t eating them.
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