RE: Best off duty gun and holster

I would also recommend looking at the Ruger SP101 for a 5 shot revolver that is fairly small and very well made. They also have the advantage of being able to take full .357 magnum rounds.

Other than that, I would take the Taurus as my next choice, then look at S&W before I took the Charter Arms. I just do not have that high an opinion of CA, though it is personal bias.

Sorry, I don't know of any holsters specifically for the revolver. Where exactly do you want to carry it (inside waistband, small of back, ankle, shoulder, belly band, etc.)?

re

I think that the small of the back would be the most comfortable. Do they make a holster that fit on the small of the back but in side your waistband

Im a tee shirt and jeans type of guy

Thanks for the info

Avoid SOB Carry

You can carry many of the IWB holsters in SOB, but I would personally recommend against it.  Last winter, I took a spill on ice and fell on a curb, landing on my back.  I hit hard!   I had a baby Glock tucked behind my left hip in an IWB holster, which was a lot closer to my tail bone than was safe.  The holster had sort of scooted closer to my spine over the course of the morning before falling on my sit-me-down.  Anyway, while the Glock seemed to take the force of the impact, I ended up with a big lump on my backside from the gun.  I am fortunant that I did not break anything.  I had injured my back, pinching a nerve in roughly the same location a couple of years before and was really worried that the old injury was going to flair up again. 

Nowdays, I carry my backup gun on the hip, in a clip IWB in front, on my ankle, in coat pockets (in a holster, of course)...anywhere but SOB.   I had heard the warnings about carrying anything in the SOB in case you got knocked down during a fight, but I never considered it would happen to me while simply trying to walk out to the parking lot.  Incidently, the trigger pin of my Glock 27 came out in pieces a few months later, and I suspect that it wasn't from normal wear and tear.

As far as the gun goes, unless money is an issue, go buy a S&W 5-shot.  Nothing against Taurus, but S&W has been putting alot back into their small revolver line over the last few years, and is sort of the standard that all others are still judged.  The Charter .44 Bulldog would be an interesting consideration, however.

Last edited @ 7/31/2007 5:48 AM

RE: Best off duty gun and holster

I carry the Springfield XD40 sub-compact. Great gun. I also recommend against carrying in the SOB. I used to carry SOB till I had a moron (Road Rage Idiot) run up on me as I stopped at a red light. Apparently I must have unknowingly cut him off. To make a long story short, he was at my window before I had a chance to retrieve my weapon. Thank god the situation worked itself out and no one was hurt.... But, after that night I have never carried in the SOB again.

RE: Best off duty gun and holster

Avoid SOB due to possibility of injury as noted. You should carry your off-duty baasically same location as your duty as that is where your muscle memory will send your hand. In the stress of cofrontation you do not want to think where am i carrying my gun today. T-shirt go well with one of the Tuckable model wher shirt goes in btween holster and belt

RE: Best off duty gun and holster

I carry my Duty Weapon Off-Duty. Full Size SW99 .45 cal. I'm a right hand shooter and I do have the Smith off-duty holster for it (RH) as well as Uncle Mikee Inside pant holster. However, when I don't need to worry about having a secure holster, I feel very comfortable with it just tucked inside my pants on the left hip and then do the cross draw. The plastic frame rides nice and the piece does not slide down my pants. It is a very nice conceal even with shorts and a light shirt.

RE: Best off duty gun and holster

IMO...you should always use a holster for any off-duty weapon and not just tuck it in your pants.

An S&W J, K or L fame is where I would start looking. I have a 686 with a 3" barrel that I carry off-duty on occasion...

My preference for off-duty is a semi-auto compact.

I often use a fanny pack to carry an off-duty gun, but a going to switch back to a hip holster. I've thought about getting a conceal carry type vest as well.

I also strongly suggest that what ever you carry have extra ammo (speed loaders or magazines). The last thing you want to do is not have enough bullets to sustain a firefight until help arrives.

Last edited @ 10/2/2007 1:09 PM

RE: Best off duty gun and holster

I carry a Sig 239 .40cal for off duty. I like the ability to carry the same caliber off and on duty. As for holster, I use the Blade Tech Ultimate Concealment holster. I love it. It is inside the waistband and I can tuck my shirt in over it. This holster offers excellent concealment.

RE: Best off duty gun and holster

As above its going to be personal preference. However, I would also recommend carrying the same type of weapon you carry on duty. I carry a Glock 22 on duty and a Glock 27 off duty. It holds 10 rounds of 40 cal. and is a tack driver at 15 yards. In addition to the obvious, you can also use the sam mags as the full size. I also tried carrying a S/W ultralight 357 revolver. Its a very light comfortable weapon. However, if you are more then 5-7 yards away, it will not be accurate under stress. To avoid the old "its just for saving my life" at close range argument. Remember, you might have to save a family member's life or act on a hostage incident because your still a COP off duty. A five-shot snub-nose revolver, is not what you want to have in your hand under those circumstances.

Fobus makes several inexpensive off-duty holsters. Padles are the most comfortable, IWB are the only holsters I use for off duty dress, because you can see almost all other holster types. Uncle Mikes makes a very inexpensive IWB that is very comfortable because its a soft padded suede type material and you can get it at almost any sport/gun shop.

Stay away from the Charter Arms