The Little Revolvers
Considerations for Concealed Carry
Many of us love our full size revolvers, but for every day carry we tend to go with something much smaller, easier to carry, easier to conceal. There are pros and cons of such small revolvers. Let’s take a look!
The need for a small frame, easily concealable defensive revolver has long been understood by the manufacturers. Private citizens like them, cops continue to use them as “backup” guns, I’ve even seen snub-nose 38 revolvers issued for plain-clothes use in the military. They’re incredibly popular today. Smith and Wesson alone offers a staggering array of 49 different models of their small J-frame revolver!
Beginning students at my handgun classes were often surprised by the recoil and muzzle blast of their 2” “snub nose” 38 or 357 revolvers. Some told me that they thought because the gun was physically small, it wouldn’t kick much. Nothing is farther than the truth if powerful ammunition is fired from a lightweight, compact revolver! Although the 2” 38 Special is a fine choice for concealed carry, it can be difficult to master:
The sights can be notoriously small and hard to see.
The grip may only big enough for two fingers.
Typically they only hold five or six cartridges.
The light weight allows it to recoil much more than from a full sized revolver.
38 self defense loads are no joke - they do produce considerable recoil in the light weight revolvers.
The 357 Magnum is available in compact revolvers and can be a bit much to handle…
So… how do we work around those problems?
My personal compact revolvers are currently all J-frame Smith and Wessons. Two older 38 Special Model 36 in 1 7/8” and 3” and one much newer 3” Model 60 357 magnum. I have had others along the way including a 357 magnum Ruger SP-101. I’ve also had the luxury of firing many different compact revolvers during my duties as a firearms instructor.
My Model 36’s both in 38 Special along with five standard velocity 158 grain LSWCHP rounds from Buffalo Bore. The top one is nickel plated with a 3” barrel, the bottom one has the shorter 1 7/8” barrel. These old revolvers are very smooth-operating and surprisingly accurate. At times I’ve put a smaller grip on the blued revolver for ankle or pocket carry, but I prefer the grip shown as it allows me to get all my fingers on the grip for better control.
A word about accuracy. Some think that with their short barrels and rudimentary sights that the compact revolvers aren’t accurate. They are actually capable of fine accuracy, it just takes good technique and a bit of practice for the shooter to use them well. My friend Terry was one heck of a cop and a great firearms instructor. When someone at the range told him that snub-nosed revolvers didn’t shoot well, Terry would back off to 50 yards with his Chief’s Special and dump all the rounds into the old B-27 target with good hits.
That didn’t necessarily convince people that the short-barreled revolver was accurate, some just thought Terry had supernatural powers!
Learning to focus hard on the front sight, maintain a good grip, then “stage” the trigger during the double-action pull all help produce excellent accuracy. Yes, you should be practicing double-action shooting rather than cocking the revolver. Practice two handed and one-handed, using both left and right hands independently. Push yourself in your training.
Grips: With most revolvers the grip is ridiculously easy to change. Want a smaller or larger grip? Find one you like, grab a screwdriver and in five minutes you’ve got a completely different feeling revolver! For a defensive revolver, it’s important to have grips that are “relieved” for speedloader clearance.
Sights: Today’s revolvers are offered with excellent high-visibility sights. If, like me, you have the older, smaller, simpler sights, the front sight can still be easily enhanced by painting the face of it a bright color. A couple of coats of your wife’s favorite nail polish works well! Color is your choice, I like simple white. Otherwise high visibility sights with a gold bead, a fiber optic insert or a tritium dot are all available from aftermarket suppliers. I’m a big fan of the sights from both XS and Dawson Precision.
Reloading: Most of the compact revolvers hold either five or six cartridges. That might not prove enough for some situations. It’s important to carry a reload, usually in a Speed Strip or a Speed Loader. The strip is great for adding one or two cartridges to “top off” the cylinder. The speed loader is for replacing all the cartridges at once. With some practice (dummy rounds make this safer) it’s reasonable to get that reload down to 1.5-2.0 seconds.
Manner of Carry: Compact revolvers can be carried any number of ways. Simply shoved into the waistband is time honored, if not the best for retention. There are grips that are made for this purpose, like the Barami Hip-Grip.
Pocket carry is perfectly acceptable and can be very discreet. That works best if the revolver is hammerless, has small sights and a small grip. It’s also best to dedicate a pocket to just the gun, and not have any pocket knives or keys in that pocket that could activate the trigger inadvertently. It’s happened… I also like to use one of the many pocket holsters available. They keep the gun from printing, protect the pocket from wear, and keep the gun oriented properly for a good draw. Be sure to practice the draw. More than once I’ve seen someone draw their pocket holster along with the revolver!
Ankle carry works best with the lightest and most compact revolvers. This is where the short barreled alloy framed guns shine. The less weight and bulk on the ankle the better. It is an extremely discreet method of carry and usually goes unnoticed unless the trousers hike up and expose the gun. An excellent holster will help with retention, which is important. More than one cop in foot-pursuit has left his “backup” ankle holster behind while sprinting after a suspect!
A friend of mine called the ankle carry his “Jesus gun” and intended to kneel as if praying for forgiveness or begging for mercy from someone who had the drop on him. He was actually quite good at drawing and firing from that kneeling position.
Inside the waistband carry with a compact revolver works well. Shorter barrels tend to be more comfortable to carry that way, particularly in the “appendix” position. The four-o’clock position is less demanding of that.
Honestly, I still prefer outside the waistband carry with my 3” J-frames and use an old Bianchi holster for that purpose. It’s more of a field holster, but does an admirable job of concealing the 3” guns if I’ve got a loose fitting shirt or if I wear a vest.
Shoulder holsters work fine, but I typically reserve them for larger handguns like the 1911 or a large magnum revolver.
3” Model 60 with Mustang grips (long out of business) a speedloader with 145 grain Winchester STHP ammo and the Bianchi holster. A compact and powerful package that shoots well. The longer and heavier full-underlug barrel and all steel construction moderate the recoil of the full power 357 magnum loads. Typically I only carry the 357 ammo when out in the wilds in case of longer shots or bears.
The compact J-frame is surprisingly strong, and a 357 magnum is not “too much” cartridge for a J-frame revolver so chambered. It can be a bit much for many shooters though!
The most powerful ammunition I’ve fired from my Model 60 is Buffalo Bore’s 180 grain hardcast 357 magnum which averaged 1245 fps from the 3” barrel. That stuff is ferocious! It was recommended to me by Alaskan guide Phil Shoemaker after his famous defensive kill of an Alaskan brown bear attacking two of his fishing clients. Phil used 9mm Buffalo Bore hardcast ammo and shot very well to stop the bear. The 357 magnum180 grain hardcast bullet is designed to penetrate deep and straight through hide, muscle and bone.
For more normal urban carry I’m content with any of the 38 +P JHP offerings from the major manufacturers. I also like the standard velocity 158 grain LSWCHP Buffalo Bore ammo. With either of those it’s easy for me to control the revolver in rapid fire, as might be necessary in a defensive situation.
You might prefer the Ruger, Kimber, Taurus or some other compact 38/357 revolver. You might like the 32 caliber offerings which tend to have lower recoil and usually one more cartridge in the same size cylinder. That’s fine - the same considerations arise no matter which of the compact revolvers is chosen.
As with any defensive firearm carried for protection, I urge everyone to get competent instruction, know the law, and practice frequently at realistic ranges. With a little effort on our parts these little revolvers really shine.
I’m a law enforcement and NRA handgun and rifle instructor, a USMC veteran and a retired police officer with 12 years of SWAT experience. Catch my firearms and ammunition videos on Ultimate Reloader on Rumble and YouTube. Photos in this article are mine.
Hunt well, Guy Miner