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Like some suggestions from you 3 finger grip wheel-gun(only) packers

9K views 22 replies 22 participants last post by  sinzitu 
#1 ·
If i can't get 3 fingers on the grip i won't consider the gun for my EDC
The less the recoil the better
Still like to have acceptable stopping power
She can't be too heavy nor too light
So where is the sweet spot with caliber,weight,and a well made peacemaker

Thinking here .357/.38 because i can get mucho practice in at a cheap ammo price along with some .357 rds ofcoarse AND since we haven't returned back to the 1850's Wild West days "yet"; other than practice the gun shouldn't see much live action(hopefully) and hopefully none, right. Also if a .38 was good enough for the PD years ago it ought to do fine plus the .357 option helps

So far i'm liking Ruger's SP101 w/crimson trace rubber laser grip ~ new for $640
What am i not thinking of?
What do you carry and why do you like it ?
 
#2 ·
I think your on the right track with the SP101. It may be somewhat heavy but its right in the "sweet spot" like you say of caliber , weight, and will last forever. Practice with .38s. Carry .357s. To me its a great gun. In a good holster such as a Simply Rugged Silver Dollar. www.simplyrugged.com. Youll have a hard time finding a better wheel gun for carry. I love mine.
 
#3 ·
I have a Security six .357 for over 30 years and I love it. Carried it for years and still do ocasionally,last year I took a white tail with it at 40 + yards. I would guess that I have over 12,000 rounds thru it and it's still accurate. Can't go wrong with it. Enjoy
 
#4 ·
So far i'm liking Ruger's SP101 w/crimson trace rubber laser grip ~ new for $640
This is, in my opinion, and excellent choice and setup. This is what what my wife carries daily. I did have to change the main spring from a 14lb to a 12lb though. She is very small and not a lot of hand strength.

Good luck!
 
#5 · (Edited)
The Colt Detective Special. A much better snub revolver than any other brand's 5-shot models. All steel with a substantial feel but not clunky like Ruger's SP 101. Not a flea-weight like a hard recoiling Smith & Wesson alloy-framed snub. Holds six rounds of good .38 Special ammunition. Factory grips are fine for adequate grasp and there are aftermarket options available if you want to go that route. Controllable in rapid-fire double-action shooting. It's a used gun proposition these days as they've been discontinued but a good Detective Special is worth it.

My older style Detective Special which was made in 1966 visiting with a friend's post-1973 Detective Special. Both styles are very shoot-able. It's mostly a matter of personal preference on appearance. Both can handle +P 158 grain SWC loads and shoot them accurately.

 
#6 ·
Your best option is the Ruger SP-101 with a 2.25" barrel and CT laser grip in .357 Magnum. This is a perfect wheel gun for concealed carry, with fantastic stopping power, you can practice with .38 special ammo which is cheaper, load it with .357 Magnum for self-defense and the gun's 25 ounces of stainless steel will help tame recoil better than other lightweight j-frame revolvers. Only downside is that it won't work for pocket carry and it has an exposed hammer so it can snag to clothing when drawing your gun. Nonetheless, you can carry this beauty IWB or OWB comfortably.
 
#9 ·
love my smith 642 CT in right front pocket, with a smith 442 in left front pocket.... works for me... some speed strips in back pocket for zombies... i love the lightweight feel to the smith... i think they are only like 13 or 14 oz's..... barely know they are there... desantis superfly pocket holsters. Bunker
 
#10 ·
+1 on the Ruger SP101; I have and carry a 3" version but if I had to do it over again, I'd get the shorter barrel with factory bobbed hammer for dedicated CCW. Having said that, I'm fortunate that I can get that 3rd finger on the butt of a J frame grip so my main carry revolver is an S&W 640-1; 2" .357 all stainless, pre-lock that someone had a gunsmith work over. It's a pure pleasure to shoot and hold.
Gideon
 
#12 ·
Three fingers vs. Two Fingers on snubby

I have a number of snubbies and have gone back and forth on the question of three finger grips vs. two finger boot grips. In the past I have favored the three finger grips, thinking I had a better hold on the gun and liking the more secure feeling it gave me. But I could see the advantages of the two finger boot grips in concealing the gun and minimizing the lenth of the grip.

One snubby that I have carried and fired a lot is a S&W model 66-3 with 2.5 inch barrel. I used Ahrends three finger grips on it for several years, but recently got some Badger two finger boot grips, as shown below. On the Badgers my little finger rests on the bottom of the grip while the other two fingers rest in the two finger grooves shown. I have shot the gun at the range quite a bit with the Badgers, and decided that there is no loss of accuracy or control of the gun with the boot grips, even shooting magnum ammo. But the Badgers are shorter and enhance concealability in a belt holster.




 
#23 ·
I have a number of snubbies and have gone back and forth on the question of three finger grips vs. two finger boot grips. In the past I have favored the three finger grips, thinking I had a better hold on the gun and liking the more secure feeling it gave me. But I could see the advantages of the two finger boot grips in concealing the gun and minimizing the lenth of the grip.

One snubby that I have carried and fired a lot is a S&W model 66-3 with 2.5 inch barrel. I used Ahrends three finger grips on it for several years, but recently got some Badger two finger boot grips, as shown below. On the Badgers my little finger rests on the bottom of the grip while the other two fingers rest in the two finger grooves shown. I have shot the gun at the range quite a bit with the Badgers, and decided that there is no loss of accuracy or control of the gun with the boot grips, even shooting magnum ammo. But the Badgers are shorter and enhance concealability in a belt holster.




I've got an SP101 w/ the Hogue mono grip installed. I'm seriously considering the Badger boot grips primarily for ease of concealment (plus they do look good). I've noticed the Hogue's are a bit trickier to conceal since the grip is bigger and the rubber texture teds to grap at my cover garments. I definitely enjoy shooting the SP101 w/ the Hogues as they make full bore .357 mag rounds very controllable.
 
#13 ·
Don't forget the older Taurus model 85. They are built like a tank, weigh 21 oz, and are very reliable. Nowdays, you can get a good used one for $300.
Here is a link
http://www.taurususa.com/product-details.cfm?id=304&category=Revolver
AND, they give a lifetime repair policy(gun not owner).
There are some who say Taurus is junk, maybe the new ones, but the older ones are still very reliable. I own one, so I know, and yes, I will trust my life to one(and have). Mine was built in 1992, looks and shoots like new. I would post a pic here, but don't have it in a url to post.
 
#15 ·
I have the SP101. Just like everybody said, you can't beat it for a belt gun. For a pocket gun the J-Frame was always my choice till I bought the LCR 357. Here is a 17oz. pocket gun that handles 357 just as good as a J-Frame handles the 38SPL. I think it is a bit more accurate. The stock Grip called a Tamer Grip makes shooting 357 ammo a non issue. The only thing is if you ware tight Jeans, the LCR Tamer Grip is a little bigger than the standard J-Frame Grip. I like to carry the SP on or in my belt and the LCR 357 in my off hand pocket. The #36 HKS Speed Loader fits both guns. 10 rounds of 357 and a couple of Speed Loaders full of 357 is comforting.
 
#18 ·
My snubbie is a older Charter Arms Undercover. It originally had factory three finger wood grips. I replaced them with Charters 2 finger combat grips. They also have a three finger combat grip, but like Pogo 2 said I dont think you lose that much control with the two finger grip. After all how strong is your pinky anyways. In a 2" snub nose the sight radius probably contributes more to lack of accuracy than the grip. Besides if its for concealment/self defense you shouldn't be making 50 yard shots. If it's 50 yards, run, dont shoot. The two finger grips make it easier to conceal. Just my opinion.
 
#19 · (Edited)
:blink:I thank you all * This info gathering is about getting a gun for the 1st time * So far in 63yrs i haven't needed one, though i've had a couple a few close calls * Maybe the SP101 isn't the ticket because i want ONE "peacemaker" to carry all year-round * So we'd call that a pocket pistol, LCR,638,R9,etc AND got to have a laser grip with my lack of experience PLUS i'm NOT going to spend a lot of time at the range becoming an expert marksman, only what time it takes to get and keep a consistant acceptable close group with 3 or 4 rds, feel secure in handling the gun, and know how she works along with a tear-down, maintenance, and all that stuff * IF there's not a need and i don't go wild i may never buy a 2nd * Last week i was in a gunshop where this clerk/guy keeps a shotgun by the bed, pistol on the nightstand, and several through-out the house so he can reach for one right away * i don't see anything wrong with that and he works at the gunshop so he's really into it too, but that's not me * Maybe i'd get a shotgun for the house plus my EDC and that would do it unless the need changes * i'll drop the 3 fingers only grip to open the field up to find that 1st gun ............... :ziplip:
 
#21 ·
I am able to get my three skinny fingers on a J-snub with boot-style grips, but favor the heftier denser SP101, anyway. I like a bit of heft in a fightin' gun. An SP101 locks into my hand better than a larger weapon, better, in fact, than any weapon I have handled, a nice factor if I ever have to fight at contact range with a gun in my hand. I favor the 3.06" version for belt-level carry, and the 2.25" is good for quite a few alternative carry methods. The 3.06" SP101 seems to balance much like a 4" S&W K-frame in my hands, which enhances pointability. (Not trying to start a point-shooting argument; I want to see my sights before firing, by preference, but a naturally-pointing weapon gives me a head start.) I favor the factory grips on the SP101.

I do shoot a K-frame better than an SP101, of course, but the difference is much less than the J-versus-K-frame. When I need the compactness, I really like the SP101, whether it is serving as secondary/alternate with a larger weapon, or a first -line weapon itself. Actually, I generally carry two SP101s, if that is the largest weapon I am carrying.
 
#22 ·
I have small hands so I get a pretty solid grip on my 642 boot grips, even with the little finger underneath. My 640, which I OWB carry, has the longer "banana" grips. I fire +P in the heavier 640, so the longer grips help. Firing standard pressure .38 spl in the 642, I find no problem in controlling it.
 
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