It’s been more than a year now that I’ve been agonizing over two things regarding my concealed carry practice. The first thing is that I have to lose the large, .40-caliber GLOCK that I was given to carry several years ago. I mean, it’s OK for a thigh-holstered mount when I’m on the ranch. Thigh rigs would be very hard to conceal in the summer, unless you’re into sweating under a trench coat or long jacket! And, I tire of carrying a gun in my purse and on the body? It prints.
The second thing? Should I switch to a revolver?
Tammy Ballew owns a Smith & Wesson revolver. Photo by Jason Baird
And, I really, really like other semi-autos, like Smith & Wesson’s entire line of M&Ps — which I loved shooting for an episode of Women of the Wild Outdoors TV show recently. And what’s not to like about Sig Sauer’s line of carry guns? And, I noticed Colt’s supreme lineup of nice 9mms while at the SHOT show. What to do, what to do? I lay awake at nights thinking about which gun to buy. And then …
A revelation! I’ll treat my gun collection like my shoe collection!
That’s what I decided to do. I am going to accumulate a variety of carry guns, so that based on the situation and in particular, my mode of dress for that day, I will be appropriately armed.
Alicia Keyes in the movie “Smokin’ Aces”
First of all, I’m going to cross over to an industry-standard carry gun, and since it’s a revolver, I’m going to go to one of the finest and most reputable maker of revolvers in the gun world — Smith & Wesson. But, which one, which one? I narrowed it down to between the 442 and 642. And after a recent trip to Huntsville, Ala., where I visited my favorite gun shop in the world, Larry’s Pistol and Pawn, I decided to buy the 642 Airweight because it has an aluminum frame and stainless steel cylinder, crane and barrel — the entire barrel. Cost is $449. And when you think of carrying the summer in our humidity, you must be aware of moisture.
For this reason, and for many others that Ralph posted over at the blog The Truth About Guns and the review on the 642, I am ordering one — today. I’ll take you along with me. I mean, it is like buying shoes. Now I’ll need a holster and a belt and ammo and cleaning supplies for this caliber (.38 Special + P).
My next gun
What do you prefer to carry when the temperature rises?
About Barbara Baird
I carry S&W airweight. Very concealable, not too shab to shoot.
That 38 special + P IS what I carry.. in all weather. LOVE that little gun ~ I like revolvers. and the lack of hammer on this gun is very convenient for conceal. It is small enough no one ever knows I have it.. making me~ and them more comfortable with it. It isn’t to heavy that I leave it at home or in the truck when I go out hiking. I use a neoprene sleeve and just tuck it in the waist of my pants and it doesn’t go anywhere. With a preteen in the house I was worried about the lack of safety on this model.. until I shot it. Some people would say “get a trigger lock for it”.
Well what good is a trigger lock going to do me if I have an intruder. ~ um> excuse me while I get the key and unlock this thing..
Can you tell I LOVE this gun?
I like the pull as there are no mistakes with this gun. If you shoot something with it.. you MEANT to pull the trigger.
I have all the accessories. too.. speed loader, custom grips.. and extra boxes of bullets .. lol
You will enjoy this little beauty immensely
also~ mine is not the stainless version and moisture is and issue. The state I live in is very dry (high mountain desert) so it’s really not something I knew to look for. But a few months in the heat and humidity of the South and I quickly learned. So good call on the stainless model.
Stacey,
I had no idea that you were so passionate about a little gun! I thought you were all about shooting cameras and bows! But then again, you do exude common sense, so it doesn’t surprise me!
I carry my 642 daily in my Flashbang!
I’m thinking about getting one of those, too! How long have you carried it in that type of holster?
I have a Rueger LCP 380 that I use for conceal carry. I started off with ‘the baby glock’ it is small and fits my hand but lordy it was a bit heavy for toten around. so I keep my glock in the vehicle and the Rueger in my purse or on my body when I feel like I might need a little protection. When I practice I start off with my Rueger .22 pistol and work my way up the caliburs. The .22 is just plain fun to shoot anyway!
Good advice, Ellen, about practice especially. We should get together and shoot sometime!
Barb, I find myself sometimes choosing the gun that I want to carry first, then what to wear with it (not that they have to match)! I do really like the thought of a revolver too!
The one I shot with you at the Mike Canovi Self-Defense Course for the Women in the Wild Outdoors episode was a .38 S&W Spl. I love everything about that gun!! It’s the perfect size for my hand, it’s a great caliber, and there is not a lot of recoil. I forget exactly how many rounds we fired throughout the course that day, but I never once worried about a misfire, jam or recoil. It gave me the confidence to use it without hesitation should the situation ever arise.
I do admit that I also have a Glock 30 in .45 auto that is an amazing handgun. The speed and accuracy, plus the durability of this gun puts it right at the top of my list too. But the size of it limits me somewhat as a carry gun, so most of the time it is in my vehicle, not on my person.
Then I have the Ruger LCP in .380 auto that you just can’t help but love! It’s small, easy to conceal and fits good in my hand. And along that same size, I have a Beretta 21A in .22 caliber. Sweet gun!!
But my comfort level for protection, use, ease of shooting, yet plenty of gun, I always go back to the S&W .38 spl. revolver!!
Wow, Tammy, I had no idea that you selected your apparel for the day based on your gun of choice! Neat! And, your form rocks in the photo that I found of you, btw.
I really love my LCR as a concealed carry gun. When I started shooting I had a fondness for revolvers. I chose the LCR as my first firearm because I wanted a multi tasker – something that I could practice with and carry.
I realized after taking it to the range the first time that it wasn’t the most fun to shoot. By accident (I’m assuming) the hubby gave me 38 +p ammo. By the time I got through ten rounds my hand was red and swollen and I was having buyer’s remorse. Since then, I shoot lighter weight bullets and while it still packs some recoil, I can still practice with it.
About this time I realized that there needs to be a different gun for different reasons – much like shoes
I do love this gun for personal protection. This is the one I keep in my bed side safe. This is also the one I wear in my Flashbang holster and carry in my Gun Toten’ Mama’s purse. Since this guns main purpose is personal protection I will be outfitting it soon with a crimson trace laser.
Thanks, Kim! Your input matters and that seems to be the problem with a lot of small guns — and practicing. There’s always a trade off, no pain, no gain. I always think, though, that you have so many things to consider when deciding what to carry! Comfort has to factor in there, not only in how you wear it or carry it, but also, if you can shoot it without your brain going “This is gonna hurt!” We like hearing about your journey into shooting, too!
we also made the mistake of using the +p and the recoil was too powerful for the small gun.
Kim.. I agree with you on the P~ having a kick. I use lighter loads to practice with. But load the it with the P when going some place I might need more. ~ (Bear, Mt. Lion and Wolf country) We have a 45.. but honestly.. I rarely grab it because it is just TOO Big. to be comfortable.