When people think about carrying a concealed firearm, they typically think of a modern pistol. Sure, some will look deeper to choose between a hammer-fired or striker-fired pistol, but they’re generally thinking of a variation of a Glock, a Walther, or several other pistols with many similarities.
Why is that? Great question, and much of it has to do with things like capacity (especially with the higher capacity micro compacts over the last few years).
There is an old staple of small firearms, though, that can be a great concealed carry choice that you probably haven’t even thought about. Patrick Sweeney writes,
The packability of a short-barreled [or snub-nosed] revolver is not something you should overlook. Yes, the cylinder does add some bulk, but the real problem with comfortable carry is the barrel, the part that acts as a lever against your hip, waist or some other body part. With the right holster (and every handgun you carry should be in the correct holster, no “pocket carry” in the 21st century), it stays secure, rides comfortably and is easy to draw.
What, then, are the complaints that people have with the snubby? Capacity, trigger pull and accuracy.
Now, capacity is what it is. If you’re accurate with fewer rounds with a gun that you actually have on you, though, that is certainly better than having higher capacity with a gun that you hate to shoot or aren’t carrying.
As for the trigger, Sweeney writes,
The trigger pull on a revolver can be a task to handle, but it need not be if you have yours slicked up by a pistolsmith who knows the task. Or you can dry-fire it a lot.
That leaves us with accuracy, due to “the short sight radius.” But Sweeney has more to say on that:
That said, does it matter? Well, if you were to attempt to use a snubby in a Bullseye match, yes. But shooting at typical defensive and practical competition distances, not much, if at all.
That’s right. Because most defensive gun use is in relatively close quarters, you probably won’t be trying to hit a target 100 yards out (and in some places, you would be legally required to try to get away from a known threat 100 yards a way from you before you could be legally justified in firing on them anyway). So, while red dot sights can be incredibly useful, in close quarters, the dot may or may not actually be helpful.
So, should you carry a snub-nosed revolver as your daily carry firearm? Obviously, that’s up to you. But if you want a want something other than the more common pistols that people carry for their daily concealed carry firearm, a snub-nosed revolver may be worth considering.