Best .38 Revolver (2024)

1. Best Concealed Carry Revolvers - JM4 Tactical Holsters

  • Jan 14, 2024 · Best Concealed Carry Revolvers · Colt Cobra · Kimber K6 · Ruger LCR · S&W J-Frame · Charter Arms Off-Duty.

  • Here are what I'd consider to be the best concealed carry revolvers, in no specific order across a few calibers.

Best Concealed Carry Revolvers - JM4 Tactical Holsters

2. Best Snub Nose Revolvers For Concealed Carry - Firearms News

  • Sep 7, 2023 · James Tarr's snubnose roundup with a look at models from Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Kimber, Taurus, and Colt!

  • James Tarr's snubnose roundup with a look at models from Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Kimber, Taurus, and Colt!

Best Snub Nose Revolvers For Concealed Carry - Firearms News

3. Five Great .38 Special Revolvers | An Official Journal Of The NRA

  • Nov 29, 2023 · 38 Special revolver market, including offerings from Ruger, Taurus, Smith & Wesson, Colt and Charter Arms. Ruger LCR .38 Special. Ruger has ...

  • A 38 special revolver give you a lot of power in a small package.

Five Great .38 Special Revolvers | An Official Journal Of The NRA

4. Undercover | Charter Arms

Undercover | Charter Arms

5. Kimber K6XS Review: Best lightweight 38 special carry revolver?

  • Feb 12, 2024 · The Kimber K6XS is purpose built for concealed carry. It's lightweight and snag free. Due to the lightweight shooting this gun is a handful.

  • A Kimber K6XS Review that tells the bad with the good. This concealed carry revolver has a lot of upside but it's not perfect.

Kimber K6XS Review: Best lightweight 38 special carry revolver?

6. The Best Revolvers | Outdoor Life

  • Jun 23, 2023 · The Ruger GP100 is a true workhorse of a revolver. It's not anything noteworthy to look at, but it's hefty, durable, and always gets the job ...

  • We tested and reviewed the best revolvers for hunters, from classics to modern marvels, for hunting, target shooting, & personal protection.

The Best Revolvers | Outdoor Life

7. Why a Small Revolver May be the Worst Choice for Concealed Carry

  • 38 special revolver, is ideal for concealed carry. This firearm was designed to meet the needs of new shooters and seasoned professionals alike. It's enjoyable ...

  • For a long time, before the current craze of uber-tiny micro-compact 9-millimeter concealed carry pistols, a snub nose revolver was considered one of the only viable options for concealed carry, particularly pocket carry or deep concealment. Although small semi-automatic pocket pistols from Browning/FN and others were hugely popular early in the 20th century, by later 20th-century standards these pistols had mostly fallen out of favor for serious use due to their supposedly inadequate calibers (.22LR, .25 ACP, .32 ACP, etc.), fiddly operating mechanisms, or reliability concerns. Table of Contents A brief introduction to the “J-frame” concealed carry revolver. Pros/advantages of the small-framed revolver for concealed carry. Cons/downsides of a small revolver for concealed carry. Tips for minimizing the downsides of a small revolver for concealed carry. Keep your revolver secure from unauthorized access with a Liberty safe or handgun vault. By the mid-20th century, lots of detectives, under-cover cops, and armed citizens chose to carry a small Colt or Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver as their backup or even primary concealed carry firearm. That trend continues to this day, and other makers such as Ruger and Kimber have recently developed new models to try to win sales in the burgeoning concealed-carry market. But despite the high sales numbers, or maybe even because of them, it’s worth asking the question: Is a small-framed, lightweight revol...

Why a Small Revolver May be the Worst Choice for Concealed Carry

8. What is The Best Revolver Speedloader? - RevolverGuy.Com

  • Nov 9, 2019 · 38 Special. For two reloaders (the S.L. Variant and the L-Frame Jetloader) I had to use .357 Magnum ammo due to availability. I used ammunition ...

  • We have been reviewing – or at least examining – speedloaders here since RevolverGuy’s very beginning. I will admit that a lot of our speedloader reviews have been shaped by my personal preferences and bias. Today I’m going to attempt to add some objectivity to the question, “what is the best revolver speedloader?”

9. Recommendations for a range revolver in .38 Special

  • Apr 25, 2024 · I'm interested in thoughts/opinions on some good revolver choices that members here like. I appreciate hearing from you. Thanks in advance ...

  • I currently have an early model 686 S&W .357 Magnum 6" ,and would like to have another revolver for shooting just .38 Special cartridges. More so a range revolver for mild shooting practice. The 686 I'd like to keep to .357 Mag cartridges to not have to scrub carbon rings out of the cylinder...

Recommendations for a range revolver in .38 Special

10. Smith & Wesson Model 637, Chiefs Special Airweight .38 Special

  • While the .38 Special lacks the terminal ballistics of the .45 ACP and the velocity of the 9mm, its power to weight ratio is actually pretty good with the right ...

  • Informative review of the Smith & Wesson model 637, also known as the Chief's Special Airweight, in .38 Special.

11. Five-Shot Snub Nose Revolvers - Firearms News

  • Sep 9, 2019 · 38 Special revolver unless they live in more rural areas where a longer-barreled revolver might be preferred. As a result, Taurus offers an ...

  • The snub revolver was designed as a companion weapon so it can always be with its owner, and it performs that function admirably.

Five-Shot Snub Nose Revolvers - Firearms News

12. Concealed Carry Revolver Roundup | An Official Journal Of The NRA

  • Jun 28, 2023 · The classic Smith & Wesson J frame Model 642 double-action-only (DAO) .38 Special is one of the easiest revolvers to carry, among the lightest ...

  • Six choices for a concealed carry revolver

Concealed Carry Revolver Roundup | An Official Journal Of The NRA

13. Best Conceal & Carry Revolver? [Archive] - The Firing Line Forums

  • Dec 26, 2008 · For everyday carry, I would suggest a SW Airweight J-frame .38 spl or possibly a Colt alloy D-frame. You will notice the difference in a steel ...

  • [Archive] Best Conceal & Carry Revolver? Handguns: The Revolver Forum

14. Choosing the Best Revolver for Self-Defense | USCCA - #14 by AlexV

  • May 18, 2020 · 38 Spl and not .357. Too many people I know or have seen online complain about the recoil of a .357. I shoot .38s through my Ruger SP101 as a ...

  • @MICHAEL479, If she finds the heavier .357 revolver easier to hold, be sure to have her fire .38 Spl and not .357. Too many people I know or have seen online complain about the recoil of a .357. I shoot .38s through my Ruger SP101 as a practice/target round and they hardly have any recoil. .38 +P is better for protection and I don’t feel much difference between them and the ordinary .38 Spl rounds. If she favors a semi-auto, you might want to have her look at the S&W EZ series, where the EZ mea...

Choosing the Best Revolver for Self-Defense | USCCA - #14 by AlexV

15. Meet the small revolver that defines concealed carry - Police1

  • Mar 20, 2024 · Smith and Wesson Lipsey's Model 642 is just as friendly to novice shooters as it is experts and truly worthy of the title “Ultimate Carry”

  • Smith and Wesson Lipsey’s Model 642 is just as friendly to novice shooters as it is experts and truly worthy of the title “Ultimate Carry”

Meet the small revolver that defines concealed carry - Police1
Best .38 Revolver (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular 38 Special revolver? ›

Ruger has established itself as an exceptional manufacturer of firearms, and the 5-shot LCR (Lightweight Compact Revolver) series is no exception. The Ruger LCR in . 38 Special is one of the market's most popular concealed carry revolvers, celebrated for its lightweight construction and innovative design.

What is the most reliable revolver? ›

THE QUICK LIST
  • Best Overall Revolver. Smith & Wesson 686 Plus Deluxe.
  • Best Tactical Revolver. Smith & Wesson Model 327 TRR8.
  • Best Plinker Revolver. Heritage Rough Rider Revolvers.
  • Best Concealed Carry Revolver. Ruger LCR.
  • Best Hunting Revolver. Ruger Super Redhawk .454 Casull.
  • Best Black Powder Revolver. ...
  • Most Robust Revolver.
Feb 25, 2024

Is a 38 revolver good for concealed carry? ›

38 special revolver, is ideal for concealed carry. This firearm was designed to meet the needs of new shooters and seasoned professionals alike. It's enjoyable to shoot, easy to carry.

Is a 38 good for self-defense? ›

38 Special is the least powerful cartridge many professionals feel comfortable recommending. There are two distinct classes of . 38 Special loads. A medium-frame, 4-inch barrel revolver with heavy +P loads is a formidable defensive revolver with controllable recoil and excellent wound potential.

Which is more powerful 45 or 38 Special? ›

The 45 ACP is a lower pressure round and can handle 21,000 psi of pressure per SAAMI specs. In contrast, the 38 Super is rater for higher pressure and can handle 36,500 psi, which is 14,500 psi higher than 45 and 1,500 psi higher than 9mm Luger.

What is the difference between a 38 Special and a 38 revolver? ›

38 S&W boasts a 145 to 146 grain bullet and typically has a muzzle velocity from around 620 to 767 fps. The bullet weight of . 38 Special rounds generally range from 110 to 158 grain, with muzzle velocities typically staying around 700 to 1,200 fps.

Which is the No 1 revolver in world? ›

The Smith & Wesson Model 29 – a double-action revolver introduced in 1955 is one of the most popular and powerful revolvers ever made. The Model 29 is a six-shot, double-action revolver manufactured by Smith & Wesson American firearm manufacturer headquartered in Maryville, Tennessee, United States.

What caliber revolver is best for self-defense? ›

Firing any medium-to-large caliber centerfire handgun inside a room is disorienting enough, but a short-barreled . 357 Magnum is in a class by itself. The gun comes with tritium three-dot sights that enable you to see the sights even in the dark.

Is a 38 more powerful than a 9mm? ›

38 Special is roughly 17,000 pounds-per-square-inch (psi). However, the 9mm Luger has internal pressures of 35,000 psi. It's this higher internal pressure, the result of expansive propellant design and testing, that makes the smaller 9mm more powerful.

What revolver has the smoothest trigger pull? ›

Off the shelf, the Ruger LCR (Light Compact Revolver) is often rated as having the best factory trigger of any revolver.

What is the effective range of a .38 revolver? ›

38 caliber revolver used by a policeman under stress? Most effective is between 1 to 3 yards. Because at those distance even under stress there ae very few missed shots by trained personal. Add any more distance and shots start missing at an exponentially higher rate.

Will a 38 stop an attacker? ›

38 Special is enough gun to stop a violent attack should they actually have to use it. The 38 Special was developed by Smith & Wesson at the turn of the 20th Century, and for a long time . 38 Special revolvers filled the holsters of more police officers than any other handgun.

Does .38 have stopping power? ›

As mentioned before, 38 Special +P is an excellent personal defense round and it will stop the bad guy so long as you do your part. However, the 357 Mag will just do it a bit better, so it gets the nod for stopping power.

What is the best ammo for a 38 revolver? ›

What is the best . 38 Special ammo for a revolver? The best . 38 Special ammo for a revolver is Hornady Critical Defense 38 Special +P 110gr JHP.

What is the most common round revolver? ›

38 Special remains one of the most popular revolver cartridges in the world more than a century after its introduction. It is used for recreational target shooting, formal target competition, personal defense, and small-game hunting.

What is the best 38 Special round? ›

The best . 38 Special defense ammo is Speer 38 Special +P 125gr JHP because it's fast, accurate, and capable of quickly taking down a bad guy.

What is the most iconic revolver? ›

In 1873, Colt introduced the famous Model 1873, also known as the Single Action Army, the "Colt . 45" (not to be confused with Colt-made models of the M1911 semi-automatic), also referred to as "the Peacemaker", one of the most famous handguns ever made.

What is the best caliber for concealed carry revolver? ›

Revolver Calibers

The most common calibers for concealed carry are . 38 Special, . 357 Magnum, and . 44 Magnum. .

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