I just like the simplicity of the revolver in a carry gun....

I DO, however, appreciate the micro nines as well.

 

Ideally, I carry a Glock 19. If the Glock 19 is too big, I'll carry a Glock 26. Only when those two are too big will I drop down to a "micro" or "deep concealment" handgun. The snub nosed revolver has served this role well for me and a lot of other people for many years. You get 5 shots of Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 135 gr. .38 Special +P, which penetrates over 12" and expands to 0.50" in ballistic gelatin. That's good ballistics for such a small handgun.

I ignored small .380 handguns because most loads penetrate less than 10". Some people use FMJ bullets because of the poor penetration in JHP bullets in small .380 handguns. Given this, I feel a snub nosed revolver is a better choice as the ballistics are significantly improved.

Now that 9mm semiautos are close to the size of a snub nosed revolver, I'm reevaluating my options for when I can't carry my Glock 26 or Glock 19.

 

Ideally, I carry a Glock 19. If the Glock 19 is too big, I'll carry a Glock 26. Only when those two are too big will I drop down to a "micro" or "deep concealment" handgun. The snub nosed revolver has served this role well for me and a lot of other people for many years. You get 5 shots of Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 135 gr. .38 Special +P, which penetrates over 12" and expands to 0.50" in ballistic gelatin. That's good ballistics for such a small handgun.

I ignored small .380 handguns because most loads penetrate less than 10". Some people use FMJ bullets because of the poor penetration in JHP bullets in small .380 handguns. Given this, I feel a snub nosed revolver is a better choice as the ballistics are significantly improved.

Now that 9mm semiautos are close to the size of a snub nosed revolver, I'm reevaluating my options for when I can't carry my Glock 26 or Glock 19.

It is your right to ignore .380's, but if it is because of the poor penetration, you are using the wrong ammo. Watch the YouTube videos of Dick Metcalf firing an LCP with Hornady's CD ammo, it's very reliable & repeatable.

 

I like semi autos. I definitely would not turn down a Smith and Wesson snub nose. I personally would NOT carry a Springfield if they paid me. I just do NOT trust them.

 

Sub compact semi auto for me. My 9s go in size...G17-->G26 with G19 mag-->G26-->then the Colt Mustang Pocketlite .380.

With 6+1 of Underwood +P 102gr .380 Golden Sabres at 1060fps thru a 2ish" barrel is pretty dang stout. As is their 100gr hard cast flat nose(my backup mag is loaded with these) at 1150fps. Thats getting into 9mm energy range.

With a full on 9mm I can have 115gr Gold Dot +P+ 1400+fps thru a small LC9 or equal(its runs around 1500fps in the G17). That same LC9 would run 1300fps using the 124gr.. and 1150ish for the +P+ 147gr Gold Dot. Thats .357Sig range. A .38spl +P snub nose can't come close to that. At least as far as I know.

I'm eyeing the LC9 at the moment. It looks nice and thin compared to the 26 and might come close to filling the space between it and the Mustang. If there is one(a space) lol.

 

If were to go below a sr9c in size and I really cannot envision a situation where I could not conceal the sr9c with the 10 round mag + 1, then it would probably be the snubby revolver.


Having shot and handled both and owning the sr9c I cant really see where the LC9 would be concealable and the sr9c wouldnt. There simply isnt that much difference in size.

 

I voted semi-auto though I have an LCR and have been carrying it a lot. My other carry is a full-size XD9, so the LCR wins based on size/comfort more often than not anymore.

My next carry gun however will probably be an S&W Shield in 9mm -- more rounds than the LCR, 9mm has a little more muzzle energy than 38sp (even +P), and it's thinner and more comfortable than the LCR.

I heard Ruger may release the LC9 with a striker-fired slide, if that happens before I get the Shield it may be a player too. I've handled (but not shot) the XDS and it feels good but is heavier and costlier than either the LC9 or the Shield.

 

. ..... what makes you stick with the snub nosed revolver?

Revolver: 99.99% reliability with any decent ammo.

Also... No safety to mess with. I've been hunting all my life and NOT at all prone to "buck fever", but I still momentarily forgot to take the safety of my M77 from the middle position to the forward "off" when a 20-point non-typical suddenly appeared a few years back. After a few moments of wondering if the trigger would ever break, I swore silently, disengaged it and got him. I can only imagine what a life-or-death situation would be like. If I did carry a pistol it would have to be one without a manual safety.

Also.... I can carry snake shot loads in it when outdoors without affecting the afformentioned 99.99% reliability.

 

Having a manual safety is a turn off to me as well. Especially considering the manual safety on the LC9 and Shield are very small and low profile. The manual safety on a 1911, in comparison, ranges from large to a 747 wing sticking out the side of the frame.

 

I have shot revolvers for so long they feel better to me especially in a small size.

 

I love revolvers, but autos are flat which I feel is better to conceal and magazines make them easier to reload.

 

For me, it's all about the round count. I went with the semi-auto 8 (Shield) vs 5 shots. (LCR)

 

for me...in an emergency situation, it's revolver all the way. It's the ultimate in point and shoot. Don't get me wrong, I have a lust affair with my SR9 and my SR9C but the have a higher possibility of FTF, FTE, forgetting to "undo" the manual safety etc. In an emergency situation, want to be able to grab, point, shoot, survive.

 

I only have one revolver, a GP100 6"..

I have an XDS45, Shield 9mm and colt mustang in 380. The colt is the pocket gun. The springfield and Shield rotate turns in the same holster. If you are considering a 9mm, then look into the XDS 45... 5 or 7 rounds in a stupid small package that is controllable and fun to shoot.

 

I definitely encourage you to buy a small 9mm. I say keep a revolver-or both, and then get a tiny-niny. I have one snub (SP101) that I always keep. I usually carry a S&W Shield or Bodyguard 380. The BG is pocket material, but the Shield is holstered. I also carry a G26. I think having small revolvers and small pistols is useful and important.

 

Ideal carry: AK with S&W TRR8 back up.

Realistic carry: Glock 19 on the hip, LCR in pocket.

Only one small gun carry: LCR.
In an emergency, I'd choose reliability and simple manual of arms over a couple more rounds every time.

Like someone said once: If you need more rounds/super fast reloads, it's no longer a defensive situation; you're now in a firefight and s**t's about to get ugly, so you better be fighting your way to a real gun.

 

The true micros are the Kahr PM and CM, Kimber Solo, Rohrbaugh R9, and maybe the Diamondback DB9.

That said the small revolvers got me back into wheel guns as I had sold mine off many years ago. Not being able to decide on an auto, I rented a couple "hammerless" revolvers and found I could shoot them quite well. In fact, I could make solid hits as fast as I could pull the trigger easily out to 15 yards.

For pocket and ankle carry, when it is covered in lint at the end of the day, there's confidence that it's going to work.

 

I'd add the Boberg into your list of "micro" 9mm. If the Ruger SR9c, Glock 26 and others in that size are "compacts", then I would call the LC9, S&W Shield and SA XDs 9mm as the "sub compacts"

The 9mm models that are smaller (like the Rohrbaugh and Boberg) than the subcompacts should have the right to use the term micro.

 

I quite like my Keltec PF9. Its my edc. No manual safety due to it being dao. However the design causes it to be a fairly light pull. Zero malfunctions and at 7 yds will put all 8 shots in a fist sized hole within a few seconds.

 

I voted snub nose revolver and agree with the earlier mentioned 99.99% reliability. I don't need a FTB or FTF in a self defense scenario. With the revolver you just keep pulling the trigger. I have nothing against a micro 9mm, its just not my cup of tea. If I carry an autoloader I want a "full figured gal" to grab on to, my fingers need full contact on the grip. Just my preference, but any gun is better than no gun.

 

Shield with an extra mag=17 rounds of stoping power!!!

There is a reason police switched to semi, they were loosing gun fights.

 

That's because they miss more than they hit...

Lies, damn lies and statistics; 3 shots, 3 yards, 3 seconds.

 

I have a Shield and a J frame. Got them initially for summer carry. Since then, the Shield's become my year-round EDC. Easier to conceal, easier to carry a spare mag than speed loaders or quik-strips and I shoot it consistently better.

 

The revolver design combines reliability, safety and simplicity. When it hits the fan I want a manual of arms or failure drill yo be as simple as possible. Murphy was a cockeyed optimist!

 

Revolvers have their share of problems. The space between the forcing cone and front of the cylinder leaves very little room for carbon buildup or debris. If you don't keep your revolver clean, the cylinder can drag or bind on the forcing cone. Depending on the forcing cone to cylinder gap, you could have problems with a couple hundred rounds of dirty ammo. Likewise, unburnt powder or debris under the ejector star can bind the cylinder. Cases that expand too much can stick making extraction difficult and the already slow reload even slower. If you shoot .38 Special in a .357 Magnum, carbon buildup can make the insertion and extraction of the longer .357 magnum cartridges very problematic.

The timing of a semiautomatic is easier to maintain than the timing of a revolver. The former requires a periodic recoil spring replacement, which you can do yourself. The latter requires a gunsmith.

With that said, when kept clean, revolvers are very reliable in my experience. Once they get dirty, you might have problems.

 

People act like revolvers are 100% reliable and they are not. Read some reviews, revolvers like all other machine will have problems..

 

Can a revolver fail? Yes! Since I was issued my first revolver in 1978 I have seen two revolver failures. One I had a bad primer I pulled the trigger again and it fired the next round. A cadet called that "My gun don't work" during initial qualification rifle pistol and shotgun. It was found he was attempting to load a .38 special revolver with 5.56 mm NATO. Despite a lot of remedial training he did not make probation. That's it thus far I'll depend on that track record.

 

I still have and use both. Revolvers and Semi-Autos both have their place. Sometimes I carry a revolver and sometimes I carry a SA. & Sometimes both.

 

OP should have specified if this was a 38 revolver vs 9mm or a 357 revolver vs 9mm. That changes a lot. 38 vs 9mm....ill go with 9mm almost always. 357 vs 9mm different story....357 all the way

 

I only use 357 revolvers, but for defensive loads I prefer stout .38 spl +p or reduced load .357, call them what you will. The reduced flash and recoil is nice. And I'll take a good hit with the ability for a quick follow up shot over some max load .357 magnum.
If I had a .38spl only revolver, I still wouldn't be too worried. It's more about the bullet properties now. I like the 135gr Gold Dots which are .38 +p rated. My 3" SP101 is shooting those around 1000 fps across my chronograph.

For my own personal loads, 158 grain LSWC or SJHP, or XTP's moving at about 850-1100fps covers a lot of ground.

I also have 170gr hard cast Keith style bullets for hunting and defensive use against black bear and cougar, but I haven't worked up a final load for those bullets yet.

I have started to phase away from using any more .38 special brass though, I hate cleaning that carbon ring...

With all that said, I don't think someone can go wrong with std pressure .38spl or 9mm. It's more about bullet design and making sure it penetrates deep enough. I do prefer the heavier bullets though.

 

I like and have both and am back and forth between the two...different carry for different situations and feel safe with either.