38 special for conceal and carry
#15
RE: 38 special for conceal and carry
I have the Ruger SP101 in .357 mag. Great little gun, built like a tank. i practice with .38's--smaller recoil.But keep it loaded .357 for personal protection.
Note: I also put acrimson laser grips on it, that are simplyamazing. I can empty the gun at 60 feet and all 5 shots are touching and I'm not the best pistol shooter by any means. well worth the money !!
Note: I also put acrimson laser grips on it, that are simplyamazing. I can empty the gun at 60 feet and all 5 shots are touching and I'm not the best pistol shooter by any means. well worth the money !!
#16
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 24
RE: 38 special for conceal and carry
I think the Taurus does ok with their little revolvers. I have a J Frame S&W which I hate. It's a fine firearm, but I'm just not that accurate with it. Yes, the barrel is less than 2". Yes, most self-defense engagement ranges are 7 FEET (not yards), so accuracy is not paramount. But I just don't like it. But I still carry it in a pocket holster in the Summer and when I don't feel like strapping on my Commander-sized 1911. I guess it's a love-hate relationship.
That said, I think a 38spl with +P ammo is my minimum carry round, and the little J Frames are easy to conceal.
That said, I think a 38spl with +P ammo is my minimum carry round, and the little J Frames are easy to conceal.
#18
RE: 38 special for conceal and carry
ORIGINAL: BOYWONDER
IMHO?????
IMHO?????
Now about the .38spl..... It will do the job just fine if the proper bullet is used, you can also obtain a good load that's suitable for standard pressure 38's like the S&W model 36 or the earlier Chief Special.
I like the standard pressure Hornady 125gr JHP/XTP's (900 fps) out of my S&W J frame and while I can think of better self protection calibers this (38spl) is the only one my wife shoots well and a bigger gun won't do a hill of beans if it can't be shot accurately so the Chief sits in the bed side lock box.
#20
RE: 38 special for conceal and carry
It's best to stick with the best brands as it's impossible to put a price tag on your life. Once you're actually in an defensive situation, it's too late to 2nd guess or wish you had bought the better choice. I recently bought my wife a s & w j frame airweight .38 "hammerless" (dao) with +P rating. She likes it VERY much as do I. In fact, I'm thinking about getting the .357 brother for myself. I would highly suggest ordering a wolff reduced tension spring kit and installing it or have your local gunsmith to do so. After installing spring kit and miminal smoothing up, her double action pull feels roughly 50% lighter, while still being 100% reliable. I DO NOT reccomend clipping coils off the factory springs in attempt to lighten pull weight however as the rest of the spring still has exact same compression rate, just being shorter for overall less weight BUT being shorter, isn't as reliable over time. Another thing, the heavier the bullet (as well as pressure), the more recoil it produces, so if you're leery of recoil, stick with standard pressure loads in 110 gr or 125 gr.bullets. Hornady offers excellent defensive ammo designed exclusively for good expansion and very low muzzleflash fired from short barrels as well as being fairly mild recoiling.