Newly 21, whats a good caliber to conceal?

[tswitz2007]

I am looking for a pistol, preferably revolver, $400 - $500 range to conceal... what are some good recomendations? or things to be aware of

[justaguy]

Who was your instructor?

[plblark]

You will find revolvers mainly in 38 special and 357 magnum. Of those two, either is easy to conceal but in a small, light gun, especially the ultralights, the 357 magnum is a bit harder to shoot and unless it's a load developed for short barrels, somewhat of a waste (a lot of flash, noise, and inefficiently burnt powder goes out the barrel instead of driving the bullet faster and harder)

I haven't shot the 327 magnum yet but ammo availability is probably going to be an issue.

Personally, I carry a 38 +p pro port S&W hammerless. Your Mileage may vary. If I made a change, it would be to another .357 Mag J-frame. Not because I'm likely to use the .357 magnum on a regular basis but more for ammo compatibility.

I enjoy shooting my model 65 more than most of my other guns but it's not a pocket carry gun at 4" long, all steel, and heavy.

You can often find a Taurus Clone of most S&W models for much less money. I owned a Taurus 85 which worked just fine.

[Belgiboy]

Welcome, oh newly 21.

I think you can't go wrong with the ol' 38 Special/.357 Mag combination when it comes to choosing a caliber for a revolver. If ability to conceal is a major factor, there are plenty of small frame revolvers to choose from. Just know that small and light revolvers don't make for comfortable shooting, you will feel a bit of a pinch with .357 Mag or 38 +P. If I were you, I'd look into the Ruger sp101. It is small but still has some weight to it, it is right in your pricerange and supposedly indestructible.

[Morbius]

Welcome, check out thunderjohns latest updated ad on snubbies, great prices and a great guy to deal with. Take snub noses slow, I found them harder to hit with at first, now only rarely is there not one in my pocket (38 +p).

[Erik_Pakieser]

IMHO the best revolver for carrying is the Smith & Wesson 642, a lightweight short-barreled revolver in .38 which is +P rated.

The 642, however, is not very pleasant to shoot. If you are going to carry something, you need to shoot it enough to be proficient with it. I shoot my 642 all the time, but I can't say it's fun. I refer to practice with this gun as "eating my vegetables."

If you are looking for an inexpensive concealable revolver which is also more "shootable", I recommend the used .38s available over at JG Sales. I have one of their "Very Good Condition" ones I paid around $275 shipped for. Add a set of Hogue Bantam grips and a good holster and you've got an excellent carry gun.

[Pat Cannon]

They've covered the basics for you so I'll just say happy birthday! I carry a Ruger SP101 myself, which I got at Frontiersman on 394.

[plblark]

I'd point people to the Frontiersman as well.

[Pezhead]

Welcome to the forum & Happy Birthday.

[Shipyard]

welcome - take a moment on the introduce yourself forum to say hi.

onto the topic at hand - any caliber over a .380 would be recomended. there are a host of other questions to consider:

how often do you plan to carry?
what is the largest caliber you can reliable hit with in a conseal size gun?
how much you want to spend?
how much background you have with weapons?

i personally own 3 different carry guns. which one i carry depends on what i am wearing, the length of time i intend to carry and where i'm going. that's how i roll, othere people are different.

start with asking yourself some of the questions above. once you have a purpose/picture of what you want to do, i recomend visiting either of the Bill's guns locations. talk with the dudes at the range. rent a few different guns.

hold them, see how they fit your hand.

shoot them, see what they do when you pull the trigger.

this will give you a MUCH better idea of what you want to spend X amount of dollars on and more importantly what gun you want to rely on should your LIFE depend on it!

this isn't a cut and dry question and it truly does take some time to find something that works for you for what you want it to do. be patient, learn as mucha s you can and PULL SOME TRIGGERS FIRST! WOO WOO!!!

also +1 on recomending Thunderjohn to deal with. A class act all the way.

[Pat Cannon]

PULL SOME TRIGGERS FIRST! WOO WOO!!!

I agree, it's great to have Bill's available, where you can try before you buy.

[mnglocker]

PULL SOME TRIGGERS FIRST! WOO WOO!!!

I agree, it's great to have Bill's available, where you can try before you buy.

This is great advice. Drop some money pulling the trigger. Because it sure sucks when you drop $600 on a gun then sell it for $400 after you find out that you flinch from it and it doesn't point for crap.

[Pezhead]

I currently carry a G17 but would like something for pocket carry. Have you or will you be taking your carry class soon. Some of the isuuses of how to carry will come up. And as others have said try as many different guns as you can.

[mnglocker]

I should also ask what body type are you? That will dictate allot about the methods of carry that will work well for you.

I hate pocket carry for example. Just doesn't fit well or draw well for me, that and I need my pockets for keys, money and such.

[Pezhead]

Come to one of the Gopher breakfasts. The members there will be willing to share from there experience.