I'm looking for a recommendation for a small carry revolver. I'm from the OTHER team and have very little practical experience with carry revolvers. I have heard of some featherweight options, maybe stainless in .357 mag. I have attempted to carry my Super Redhawk with the 9.5 inch barrel in a pocket carry style but haven't been able to make it out the door without the inevitable question of is that a banana in your pocket or are you just glad to see me. TIA =)

I have an airweight Taurus 85 which is a small J-Frame clone. I like it but would go S&W if I had it to do over just based on grip and accessory availability.

If I were buying today I'd look at the Carry Depot or Cabelas with their Visa promotion and get a Scandium 340PD.
Light, .357 Mg or .38, Hammerless, NICE. It's a handful to shoot for sure.

As a carried often, fired little backup piece that's light enough and small enough so you won't leave it in the safe it's a nice piece.

Personally, I'd recommend hammerless in any case (I bought mine with a hammer since I was learning... hindsight is 20/20)

S&W 642; you'll see mine on every Forum page.

Would you just get a hammerless so it wouldn't snag on your pockets? I will be getting a PD revolver. I am trying to decide if I want a hammer or not. I like the thought of being able to pull the hammer if I need to and have time. I also wouldn't want to be in a situation where I need to draw it fast and it catches on my pants and I lose.

Couldn't a person get used to "thumbing" the hammer when you draw? Then you could draw and cock the hammer in one motion. I guess it is one more thing to think about though. Thoughts?

forgot to ask... what is the visa promotion?

re: cabelas visa, I got the info here:
http://www.twincitiescarry.com/forum/vi ... hlight=252

re: hammerless and thumbing and etc, I'm just a newb myself and not an expert. I've had the hammer catch when taking it out at the range and if I'm in a SHTF situation where the gun is going to come into play I don't forsee having time to cock it anyway. Double action shooting on a revolver does take some getting used to.

I'd wait for some more experienced opinions and explanations.

I really like my S&W 638 Airweight also known as the "Bodyguard".

It's similar to Joel's 642 except it has a shrouded hammer intead of being totally hammerless. You have the option of single action or double action.

From the S&W website:

When you need a lightweight carry revolver, you turn to Smith & Wesson's Small Frame Airweight Series. They are the original aluminum, small frame revolvers chambered in .38 S&W Special +P.

They are available in three distinct hammer styles – the "Chiefs Special" with exposed hammer, the "Centennial" frame with fully enclosed hammer and the "Bodyguard" frame (.38 S&W Special +P only) shrouded hammer. Three styles with one idea...perfect personal protection.

www.smith-wesson.com

Okay. So you, in a situation that you think you need a gun out, draw and cock the hammer. Then, as in the majority of such situations, you find that you don't have to shoot.

It's pretty easy, normally, to lower a hammer safely; I'll not go through all five steps now.

But this isn't a normal sort of situation -- you took out the gun because something or somebody scared you badly enough that you thought you might get killed . . . your heart's beating like a triphammer*, fingers trembling from the adrenaline burst, blood flow's altered in your brain, sending more to the little lizard brain and less to the higher function centers . . .

And you really want to lower a hammer now? Are you sure?

_____________________________
*The little devil on my left shoulder is suggesting that I use another, more colorful, and perhaps perhaps not entirely kind turn of phrase involving a person banned from the Forum and a picture of a firearms instructor who doesn't post here; PM me if you want to hear from him.

Makes sense I guess.

WOW! I emailed the link to my wife! If that is going on still, I may buy one on my way to the "New Thing!"

Goalie & I had a mini-debate about thumb-cocking revolvers a few days ago. It was established that a hammerless revolver is best, i.e. that I was right and he was wrong. Well anyway that's the way I remember it.

If stainless is a possibility, I'll put my .02 for a Ruger SP101. The one in my avatar (and my carry) is a 3" version with the exposed hammer, but the KSP-321XL model is a 2.25" barrel and "hammerless". Affordable, built like a bank vault- what's not to love?

Personally I think a bobbed hammer is a good way to go in a J-frame; if only so you'll look better at the range

Nothing wrong with those; I've got a S&W Model 42 with a factory-bobbed hammer that I like quite a lot.

That's exactly what I carry. It's 25 oz. which makes it maybe the heaviest 'J-frame-class' revolver out there, but that's not all bad if you're going to shoot .357 magnum ammo, as anybody who's shot magnum ammo out of a super-light alloy snubby will tell you! Even so, the first time I shot .357 through it, I went out and bought the cushy Hogue monogrip the next day.