Got my carry piece.

TJ;

A good .357 round for the snubs is the Rem 125gr golden Sabre.  Word is that it was specifically engineered to perfom in the short barrel guns.  It's the only Rem factory ammo I buy.  But I do use it in my Ruger SP101 2.5".

And congrats on getting what you wanted. 

900F

Sounds like a nice rig Tj.  Congratulations. 

As to bullets, i use to use the 125 HP.  But I changed in my 38 P++ loads and I use 130 gr FMJ.  This seems to fly in the face of the hollow points that everyone likes.  My thoughts are, I'm looking for max penetration.  If I have to use these loads, the use will most likely be outside the home.  Heavy winter coats can severly limit penetration of HPs.  In addition my 442 is carried with the intent of shooting thru my own coat pocket.

Just some thoughts.

BEAR

Fella's;

My normal carry gun is an H&K USPc in .40 S&W.  It's filled with Winchester SXT 180 grain ammo for summer, winter, mugger, what-have-you, all the time.  Muzzle velocity runs right at 950 fps. 

I carry it in a Milt Sparks Executive's Companion IWB holster & have for years.  It's comfortable & long lasting.  Just a tip, I bought the belt with the holster & having a matched set seems to work very well.

I'm not a large guy, 5'10" 165 lbs, & the 'compact' part of H&K's nomenclature is  suspect.  But I don't get 'made' to my knowledge with the rig.  The compact H&K's are only compact in relation to the full-size USP's.  Compared to other makers full-sized guns, like a CZ 75 or Hi-Power, the compacts are only slightly smaller.  Not enough smaller to make a significant difference in my estimation.

The reason I picked the H&K was the left-hand friendliness of the gun.  My only other real choice at the time was the Taurus.  No contest, I sucked it up & paid for the H&K & am damn glad I did.  The criteria were: frqme mounted operating lever, right side of gun operating lever or ambi operating lever, major caliber, and reliability.  The CZ's were not generally available at the time I bought, 1996 or 7, gotta go look now.

Since I bought it, it's been sent back & had the ambi operating lever installed.  I also got new mag springs & have changed them out earlier this year.  The springs were only $8.00 ea, which I didn't figure was too bad at all.  Getting 6 or 7 years outta a mag spring isn't bad.  Got 4 mags for it & rotate semi-regularly also. 

900F

Hey Tj, from my experiences, shooting the .357 with wood grips in a small revolver isnt fun. I would stick with the hogue. It is coushier and doenst dig into your hand .

NH_Hunter

Marcus;

The Glocks don't fit my hand well.  I shoot much better with several other guns.  I also don't know any other way to put this either, THEY ARE UGLY. 

My knife's a Kershaw, same size as yours, or close to it, but with a bit more belly on the blade.

900F

CB900 & Triggerguard - I understand what you both say about the feel of the Glock. I used to feel the same way, too. Having been predominantly a "wheelgun" man myself and then much later a huge fan of the Colt 1911 and BHP in semi-autos, it didn't seem natural when first using the "plastic gun". Gawd, it's unnatural!

But what sold me was when I was first issued a Glock 22 in 1995, the same one I still have today. I put about 5,000 rounds thru it during a couple of training courses early on.  To date it has had over 15,000 rounds thru it without a hitch.

Later, that Glock 27 [compact] came along and it has about 5,000 thru it, too. I admit, having large hands it is a bit of a handful in .40 S&W. I have shot the 9mm version and it's a lot easier!

I've since added a Glock 17 in 9mm, to my personal collection although I do prefer my BHP. The Glock was just too good a deal to pas up [at $400 Canadian - or about $300 US]. I am partial to the BHP MkIII with ambi safety, being a "leftie", too.

Course, there isn't anything wrong with a "wheelgun", either.

Top to bottom S&W's: Model 57 .41 Magnum; Model 19 .357 Magnum, Model 37 "Airweight" .38 Special; Model 36 "Chiefs" .38 Special.

  Regards, Marcus.

Tj,

Short barrel double action guns are tough.  Having been a target shooter for years with double action guns, I knew how much better I could handle a SA revolver.  I have a charter Arms SA/DA and I always go for the hammer.  I got the DA only because it didn't have a hammer to catch on clothing.

At least for me, I found that all I had learned about shooting SA, worked against me on shooting double action.  Trigger squezze and trigger control were all wrong for me on the DA.  I alway tried to slowly compress the DA trigger while controlling the sight picture.  For me that was the wrong technique on DA. nI learned to very rapidly squezze (almost Yank) the trigger on the DA while controlling the gun frame.  This really greatly improved my DA shooting.

BEAR

Triggergard,

Different strokes for different folks.  In my alloy J-frame Smith I carry only 4 rounds.  For me this is a defensive piece, and if I can't solve the problem with 4 38s, I better had be running.  I also don't like the barrel pointed at my most important organ with a loaded round in the chamber under the hammer.  In addition the lack of 1 round reduces the weight in an already lightweight gun.

An on duty LEO may encounter a 'fire-fight', and want more gun and ammo.  In that situation, a j-frame doesn't cut it.  I prefer my M39 with 3 clips, as a minimum.  Better yet is the Smith model 57 with a 6 inch barrel, and two boxes of ammo.

tj,

With three muggers, you would have still had ammo left over.  Think positive.

BEAR

Triggerguard,

Yes, conceal carry guns have to be compromises.  Certainly I consider the short barrelled alloy J-frame guns, a compromise.  I've sacrificed accuracy, power, and capacity for light-weight and concealability.  "If I do need the gun or the reload, I'll need them very, very badly" is a very true statement.  Having a high cap auto with extra clips in the car under a seat, doesn't help you on the street.

Your experience of never having fired you weapon is very common.  I had looked at a design of a two shot 38 revolver that packed flat like an auto.  For me two good shots are sufficient in the off-duty CC compromise. 

I note that while sky marshalls have never been issued badges (can't seem to get the agency and the logo finalized) they are carrying a 357 Sig with an extra clip.  For a LEO this is the best CC "on duty" sidearm in my opinion.

BEAR