Revolvers stand out in the firearms world for their reliability and simplicity, making them excellent choices for primary defense and backup situations. Their straightforward operation—pulling the trigger to fire until the cylinder is empty—makes them exceptionally user-friendly, even under stress. Their ease of use allows them to be quickly handed off to someone with minimal firearms training, instantly increasing defensive capabilities. Unlike semi-automatic pistols, which require some familiarity with their more complex manual of arms, revolvers offer a no-fuss, dependable option for concealed carry.
So. you’ve made up your mind. You will start adding a revolver to your everyday carry lineup, but you need help determining where to begin. Start with our series’ first post, which compared the main mechanical and practical differences between semi-auto pistols and revolvers. Now, let’s get into the weeds on specifics for concealed carry, focusing on sights, ammo, and holsters. I’ll share my experiences to help you transition to a revolver as smoothly as possible.
Sights & Point of Aim, Point of Impact
Semi-auto sights are known for their straightforward and practical design, often featuring squared-off front and rear sights. You line up the top of the front sight with the top of the rear sight. Easy. The sights on most revolvers are not so much. They come in a diverse array like partridge, ramp, notch, hump, adjustable, to name a few.
The most common carry revolver sight setup will feature a notch/groove rear sight and a ramp front sight. When presenting the sight picture, most people will line up the rear notch with the front ramp’s bottom or middle. This is incorrect and will make you shoot high. You want to line up the notch with the topmost part of the front ramp. It feels funny, almost like you’re pointing the gun downward, but this will ensure you’ll hit dead on. As you back up and shoot further distances, there may be a better chance you’ll need to use lower parts of the front ramp.
XS Sights, for example, recommends using different elevations of the front sight to varying distances with some of their aftermarket Smith & Wesson revolver sights. You and your revolver need some experimentation to get your exact shot down. For ramp sights, a practical tip is to use nail polish or some other high-viz paint to mark the elevation point where your shots are more accurate. The visual aid helps quickly align the sights, enabling faster target acquisition.
Speaking of ammunition, let’s chat about that.
Revolver Ammunition
The fantastic benefit of a revolver is the versatility of ammunition selection. Unlike semi-autos, which can sometimes be finicky with certain types of ammo and, in some cases, different grain weights of projectiles, revolvers can reliably handle a wide variety without the threat of jamming. Whether it is vastly different bullet weights & designs, hollowpoints, flat-nose, semi-wadcutter, full-wadcutters, shotgun ammo, you name it, and a revolver can shoot it.
I’ve narrowed down my carry ammunition choices for my revolvers, which include a beautiful pre-lock Smith & Wesson Model 686-3 with a 4″ barrel and a no-frills Model 642. Let me walk you through my selections to provide insight into where to begin.
I choose Liberty Ammunition’s Civil Defense 50-grain .357 for home defense. Yes, 50 grains. These are my go-to for one simple reason: in close quarters like my neighborhood, where my neighbors’ houses are just 10 yards away, these rounds expand rapidly upon impact, often within the first inch of penetration. There is absolutely no chance of these going through drywall. Yet, they pack a devastating punch.
When concealing my 686 or 642, I opt for a standard 125-grain Hornady FTX round. Its polymer tip is particularly advantageous, especially during winter, when targets may be layered in heavy clothing. This round reliably expands regardless of the target’s attire, offering consistent performance and instilling confidence in myself when carrying it.
You’re instinctively going to pull the trigger until the gun starts clicking. Always carry the hotter load. For practice sessions, .38 serves its purpose well. It allows me to hone my skills—mastering the trigger, reloading, grips, and drawing—without subjecting my hands to excessive recoil after just a few cylinders. However, at the end of each practice session, I always run a couple of cylinders of .357 through the gun to ensure familiarity and readiness before putting it back in my pants.
Holsters
Let’s talk holsters. I’ll share my personal choices, which might offer valuable insights for your selections. I’ve had excellent experiences with the Harry’s Holster’s Masterpiece for inside-the-waistband carry. At first glance, it resembles a leather holster, but upon closer inspection, you’ll discover it’s made of brown faux leather patterned Kydex. Beyond its aesthetics, the Masterpiece is incredibly comfortable, thanks to its two-clip design. I trust it to securely hold my heavy K-frame revolver loaded with six shots of .357 snugly on my belt.
