Carry Gun
- Thread starter johnbh
- Start date
jamesellik
Bearcat
I just picked up an SP101 a couple weeks ago and just started carrying it today. There are lighter revolvers out there that would be easier to carry, and I definitely need a better holster for it than what I currently have, but Im happy with it.
I had an SP101, too heavy. I really like the LCR and am currently going back and forth between the LC9 and LCR over which will be my next gun. I think the flatter gun will hide better but I have a soft spot for wheelguns. Still undecided.
contender
Ruger Guru
We have a few Sp-101's around here and have found them to be excellent CCW firearms. With the weight, you get better recoil control. Small enough to pack easily, and powerful enough to double down any thug!
tiger955
Single-Sixer
I normally carry a Taurus 605 357, it is basically the same size and weight as a SP101. With a good holster I don't notice the weight or bulk. The biggest problem for me was going through a bunch of holsters 'till I found the Right one.
I traded my sp for a Smith 637 and shoot warm .38's in it. Much easier to carry and this Smith has an amazing trigger for some reason. It is brand new but yet has the smoothest and lightest pull I have seen for some time. The sp was a fine gun but just too heavy, especially wading rivers while fishing, you have enough weight already and at 10,000 ft the mountains are getting higher every year(or I'm getting older).
Ten years of carrying a gun every day has convinced me that weight is the number one factor. I've tried heavier guns but I seem to always come back to my 18.5 ounce S&W M296 Airweight Centennial in .44 Special.
Gregg
Gregg
Major T
Blackhawk
I like the SP 101, but for carry, I use an older S & W 42 (grip safety[redundant.] Unfortunately I lost my original from the late 50s-early 60s.) 13 ounces empty, about 18 ounces with 110 grain Silvertips. I use two different holsters. One is an inside the pants suede model. The other is a Model 40-42 specific holster by Seventrees with a thumb break snap behind the trigger guard. It is a flat pancake style. My information is that Seventrees was founded by a NYC undercover cop. I also love their rendition of the 1911 pancake. Their holsters are horse hide and will last forever if given minimal care. Use either one of these and you should not loose your piece. Best wishes, Jack
JumpmasterC
Single-Sixer
When I do carry, 90% of the time it is a SP101 2.25bbl that is MagnaPorted, wearing CT grips (the smaller harder plastic ones, because the are more concealable & don't "grab" clothing). I know I will probably get blasted for this, but 1st rd is a rubber bullet, then the rest good ole .357 hollowpoints- hey, in today's litigious society....it may help in court in the unfortunate event I have to use it for self defense. That other 10% of the time....LCP, you can just drop it in a shirt/vest/sweatshirt pocket & it completely disappears!
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Axehandle
Buckeye
In shorts and a t-shirt that LCP sure makes it easier to satisfy that first rule of gunfighting... Any other time I want as much gun as I can stand. Hate to call it for anyone else. So much depends on you and what you do.
mr surveyor
SP-101
I cover a lot of ground in my profession, some nasty and some not so nasty, and carry a variety of equipment on my person...often getting 1/2 mile or more from my truck. A revolver is always part of my personal tools. For several years I carried older low cost (or well used) guns, some .38 spl, some .357 mag, but always had to pay almost daily attention to wiping away the rust specks. Then tried a S&W 637 Airweight, but found I just could not shoot the thing well and also doubted it's ability to deter a ticked off pig (or dope grower in the woods) in the event we stepped into the wrong place at the wrong time. Then the 3" SP101 found it's way into my hands and I was in love. I carry it daily in an OWB holster under a cover shirt very comfortably with the confidence of being able to ward off most any "threat" the nasty bottom land in NE Texas may offer. Being accustomed to carrying 8-10 pounds (or more) on my belt and in pockets, the extra few ounces the SP brings into the mix over the lighter weight revolvers makes little difference. The real advantage for me is that the SP101 has withstood all the nasty environment that I have to deal with and not required any special attention. On a normal Texas summer day my personal body weight can vary as much as 6-7 pounds, so 8-10 ounces in my carry gun ain't gonna be an issue. We all have different needs, wants and opinions. Them's mine :D
surv
surv
A
Anonymous
Might as well get my dose of ridicule and cover the other end of calibers. I carry the Beretta Bobcat in .22LR. Very small, less than a pound loaded. I feel comfortable with it loaded with CCI Velocitors, which I can keep on a paper plate at 30 feet.
I think you should carry the same gun, every time, year round. Unless you live somewhere with cool summers, that's a small, small gun. Most are DAO. You're already handicapped by a tiny sight radius, why make it worse not having SA ability? PPKs are a little large, Tomcats have a cracking issue, so Bobcats were the only pocket pistol left with a hammer. Hot .22s beat .25ACP, and that finished the choice.
I think you should carry the same gun, every time, year round. Unless you live somewhere with cool summers, that's a small, small gun. Most are DAO. You're already handicapped by a tiny sight radius, why make it worse not having SA ability? PPKs are a little large, Tomcats have a cracking issue, so Bobcats were the only pocket pistol left with a hammer. Hot .22s beat .25ACP, and that finished the choice.
Calthrop
Single-Sixer
Carry the gun you shoot the best. Carry as much extra ammo as you can. Get the best holster available. Practice with an load similar to your carry load. Shoot up your carry ammo after three months use. Buy a second gun and carry it to.
I assure you if you chose a "mouse gun" if things go bad you will wish you had a crew served weapon. That said Find some good training. Calthrop
I assure you if you chose a "mouse gun" if things go bad you will wish you had a crew served weapon. That said Find some good training. Calthrop
gsquare
Bearcat
I agree whole heartedly with Calthrop. Only thing I would add is once you decide which gun works for you, stick with the same gun everytime you carry.
Calthrop
Single-Sixer
Thank you gsquare for making my implication plain. I will go even farther. Explore different weapon systems. While you are at the range rent something you have not shot. Get checked out and shoot it. That is how I learned to shoot the Glock trigger. Also if I had the money I would have a gas operated H&K M7. Very nice single action trigger. Calthrop
I like the SP101 as well and have been carrying one for years!
I have two. One P7M8 and one that is PSP style. I used to always say it was the perfect gun for civilian CCW. A truly safe gun with decent power and great accuracy. First I bought the P7M8 and really liked it. But I gradually discovered that it in unforgiving about its holster. You have to have a really good design to protect those twin mag releases. They stick out quite a bit. And it's embarrassing to squat down in Wal-Mart to get something on a bottom shelf and hear a click and a clack when a magazine comes shooting out and bounces around on the floor. So I decided it was worth giving up a super fast reload and use the heel release on a PSP. I got one, started carrying, decided it was better from a mag release point of view but.... I've never carried it more than a month or two without deciding it is too darn heavy. They made them well and they made them old style. All steel from one end to end. If HK would go back and do a redesign and somehow make a "Glock style" polymer P7, now that would be a carry gun. But now my two mostly sit in the safe. They get to go out shooting when I've got company that wants to try them out.
I'm still a big fan of the design but I want light weight for daily carry!
Gregg
Yosemite Sam
Hunter
As much as I love revolvers (both single and double action, old and new), as well as 1911s and Sigs, and have multiple examples of each, I must admit I end up packing a Glock 30 (.45 ACP) more often than not. The light weight more than makes up for the blockiness, and it's a caliber I trust. IWB or fanny pack.
That said, a small revolver like an SP101 or S&W M60 blends into the curve of your hip better than just about any auto out there, so is somewhat easier to conceal (for me).
It has been touched upon, but consider holster selection, too. It can be difficult to find holsters for less popular models, and especially brand new designs.
-- Sam
That said, a small revolver like an SP101 or S&W M60 blends into the curve of your hip better than just about any auto out there, so is somewhat easier to conceal (for me).
It has been touched upon, but consider holster selection, too. It can be difficult to find holsters for less popular models, and especially brand new designs.
-- Sam
CigarGuy
Bearcat
Yosemite Sam said:
Not to butt in on the OP, but the model most closely resembling the SP101 from S&W is the 60?
Major T
Blackhawk
Bearcatter, If I remember correctly, the first rule of gunfighting is have a gun. At one time I had a stainless Walther TPH in .22 LR. I let the big boys convince me that they were unreliable and sold it. I did a little trigger work and fed it Yellow Jackets and never had an issue. Small, light, and flat beyond belief. I wish they were still made, would get another. One of my friends carries a miniature North American Arms .22 mag. everywhere-even if he has a serious handgun on his person. Not much larger than a pocket knife. I used to give him a hard time for carrying it to church. Right after we moved to Ft. Worth, The infamous Woodway Church massacre occurred. He called within minutes and said, "I have been telling you...." ( Back to rule #1) I recently swapped My #2 daughter my LCP for My old pocket Colt .380. She doesn't usually carry concealed- likes to plink when the opportunity arises, and has it for home protection along with her Skeet Grade 20 ga. I may need to swap back or get another LCP. Best wishes, Jack
Yosemite Sam
Hunter
Pretty much. S&W has so many models now it's hard to keep track, but the M60 is a stainless steel J-frame, and is just a tad smaller overall than an SP101. I've had mine since the early 90s.CigarGuy said:
-- Sam
CigarGuy
Bearcat
Yosemite Sam said:
Tad bigger, then, then the 642 and a little heavier?
gsquare
Bearcat
Been carrying a S&W 60 for years, being a revolver guy I am comfortable and accurate with it. Always wanted a semi-auto for quick reloading though, tried a DW CBOB, great gun but a little big for daily carry and the trigger is so light. Then I tried a Kahr K40 covert for a while, it felt great in the holster or in the pocket but I never could get used to the trigger and was not very accurate with it, so like the DW, I never carried it. (BTW, two of my friends could shoot the lights out with the Kahr, so the gun itself was not the problem, it just wasn't the one for me)
Funny someone mentioned the P7 PSP, I got one a few months ago and love everything about it, trigger is awesome, design is intuitive and I can shoot it very consistently. It could replace my J-frame if it carries well.
I'd love to know if anyone else has tried to make the jump from a revolver to a semi-auto and what worked best.
Funny someone mentioned the P7 PSP, I got one a few months ago and love everything about it, trigger is awesome, design is intuitive and I can shoot it very consistently. It could replace my J-frame if it carries well.
I'd love to know if anyone else has tried to make the jump from a revolver to a semi-auto and what worked best.
If it's just a Ruger handgun being considered for a carry gun, it would be my LC9 first & then my LCR. Of course there is my SP101 in .327 Federal. There are sooooooooo many choices. It's bewildering. Pick one that you shoot well under stress & are comfortable with. And, practice, practice & practice.
lmd
lmd
WESHOOT2
Hunter
S&W 3913
Non Ruger choices are;
Springfield Micro Compact 45 ACP
S&W 3913
S&W 4013TSW
S&W 332
Springfield Micro Compact 45 ACP
S&W 3913
S&W 4013TSW
S&W 332
doublebarrel
Single-Sixer
I always carry a Kel-tec P32,small,lightweight and very reliable.Other than that I carry a Glock 17, Kel-tec PF9 or Ruger LCR,depending on how I'm dressed.The .32 is always with me no matter what else I carry.
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