9mm Revolvers for Concealed Carry

[Parkje214]

Oh, I see. Although highly unlikely, but i don't think that would prevent slide from going out of battery when jammed up in someone's gut as it's such a small contact point. But I'm not debating revolver over semi. I say revolvers are a worthy addition.. but if i could only have 1.. semi auto for sure.

 

[jayson_b24]

Definitely a good addition.

 

[Glassmtn]

I personally wouldn't bother with a 9mm revolver, 5 rounds, slow reload, I'd rather have a more powerful caliber if I'm going that route. But if I did want one, I'd go for the new S&W 940. Fluted barrel, real usable night sights, cut for moonclips. I have the 640 pro, same gun in a 357, and it's a good gun.

I have a 640 pro with a second 9mm cylinder. I’ve been shooting it that way for about 2 years. Way cheaper to practice with 9 than 38. That said 9mm recoil out of a J frame (even a heavy one) is no joke. It’s on par with 357 but snappier.

 

[Glassmtn]

I have a S&W 340PD that I carry often. I really wish they made a 9mm version of that revolver, or even a 9mm titanium cylinder I could swap.

Why?

The choices for 9mm ammo are so much better than 357 and 38 for the short barrels. I carry HST in my p365, and would like to use that in a revolver. Excellent bullet on top of a round optimized for short barrels. Only a few 38+p options that are OK (critical defense maybe, maybe some underwood stuff) are easily available to order. 357 options are awful for jframes. Even the watered down critical defense seems to turn a lot of the powder into flash and noise rather than velocity. And 9mm practice ammo is half the price.

I've shot HST through a LCRx 9mm and yeah, the recoil is sharper than most 38+p. I imagine that it would be worse in a 11 oz jframe, but still better than 357 for not too much loss in velocity. My carry round is the 158gr underwood +p LSWHP, which has huge recoil for a 38 but about like the critical defense 357 without the blindling flash.

Why carry a 9mm revolver over a 9mm semi?

Because I'd always have it. An 11oz jframe is just so easy to carry. Fits in a soft pocket holster. Super comfortable. Impossible to accidentally pull that 12 pound DA trigger. Doesn't look at all like a gun in your front pocket. Is a p365 with an optical sight a vastly more capable firearm? Yeah but I stick my jframe in my pocket EVERY time I go out, even to the local safeway or for a walk. My p365 IWB setup is for special occasions like when I gotta drive through Oakland or buy gas at the Arco. Jframes are perfect "walking your dog somewhere on the Peninsula" guns.

Tk customs can machine your 340pd cylinder to take 9 with moon clips. I bought an extra cylinder, fitted it to my 640pro and then sent it in to them. Took about 2 weeks to get it back. That same cylinder fits my 642 air weight. I’ve only shot it with the air weight a hand full of times. 9mm out of an aluminum j frame is not pleasant.

 

[Gawernator]

Must be my age but I can't imagine using a revolver as your daily CCW

 

[sonofeugene]

Can someone explain to me how running 9mm ammo in a revolver works? The round doesn’t have a rim that is larger diameter than the case.

 

[bryanwm18]

Can someone explain to me how running 9mm ammo in a revolver works? The round doesn’t have a rim that is larger diameter than the case.

Most have moon clips
The extractor will push out the rounds with the moon clip, photo for reference
The charter arms has a pin detent so moon clips are not needed
I'm sure there's others out there that have different mechanisms but those are the two I'm aware of

 

[treelogger]

Only a few 38+p options that are OK (critical defense maybe, maybe some underwood stuff) are easily available to order.

What's wrong with Speer Gold Dot? It comes in version for short-barreled 38sp revolvers.

 

[ReaperCustom45]

Can someone explain to me how running 9mm ammo in a revolver works? The round doesn’t have a rim that is larger diameter than the case.

Some revolvers will have a ridge machined in the cylinder so the round headspaces off the mouth of the case. The old Smith & Wesson 1917 revolver did that for 45 acp in WWI. Mostly see the cowboy replicas in 9mm do that now, most others use moon clips.

 

[five.five-six]

Because you can’t do this to a revolver:

 

[five.five-six]

Can someone explain to me how running 9mm ammo in a revolver works? The round doesn’t have a rim that is larger diameter than the case.

Same way it works in a semi-auto. The cartridge headspace’s off the case mouth.

 

[Gawernator]

What's wrong with Speer Gold Dot? It comes in version for short-barreled 38sp revolvers.

Nothing is, that is a great round

 

[Ludesmonkey]

Do you really wanna fumble around with moon clips in an emergency reload situation?

 

[treelogger]

Do you really wanna fumble around with moon clips in an emergency reload situation?

People usually don't carry loose ammo / extra mags / speed loaders for their CCW. In the context of this discussion, that's not relevant.

For a "battle load", that's a different question. My standard "put on in an emergency" belt is preloaded with holstered gun and two spare mags. I should really add some mag pouches for AR mags too, haven't gotten around to that yet.

 

[ReaperCustom45]

People usually don't carry loose ammo / extra mags / speed loaders for their CCW. In the context of this discussion, that's not relevant.

For a "battle load", that's a different question. My standard "put on in an emergency" belt is preloaded with holstered gun and two spare mags. I should really add some mag pouches for AR mags too, haven't gotten around to that yet.

I think most people carry extra mags. I almost always carry at least 1 spare mag.

 

[treelogger]

I think most people carry extra mags. I almost always carry at least 1 spare mag.

I'm surprised.

 

[sonofeugene]

Thanks all for the explanations.

And I assume the clips engage the groove at the back of the case?

 

[ReaperCustom45]

Thanks all for the explanations.

And I assume the clips engage the groove at the back of the case?

Correct. They are also a major pain to load the clips. I can't even fully load the clips for my 627, even with significant effort.

 

[sonofeugene]

As I suspected. Why would anyone want to do that.

If I had a revolver, it would take standard ammo with a rim.

 

[Gawernator]

I think most people carry extra mags. I almost always carry at least 1 spare mag.

I'm surprised so many do, when it never really matters in real life. I have 12 or 15+1 in my P2000SK, if that isn't enough then oof.... but like ASP says, he has never seen a CCW self defense shooting where a spare mag changed the outcome of the event.