Looking to carry a revolver? Alien Gear has got you covered! Here we cover revolver carry as well as five revolvers under $500

1. Alien Gear Holsters
Presents
A Guide to Revolvers for Concealed Carry

2. Revolvers: They’ve
Returned
Revolvers were the king of self defense
handguns for well over 100 years.
Almost everyone has heard of the two
most iconic revolver manufacturers in
the US – Colt, and Smith & Wesson.
The revolver faced a decline around the
1990’s due to increasing popularity of
the semiauto, how compact and
lightweight they were compared to the
heavier revolvers made them a lot more
desirable.
Revolvers are on the rise, though, thanks
to advances in polymer frames and
increasing lightweight metallurgy as well
as advances like the moon clip.

3. Are Revolvers Suitable for Concealed Carry?
You bet! Smith & Wesson J-Frames have
been cornerstones on the handgun
market because of their timeless
reliability. There’s been a few
introductions, such as 9mm revolvers,
that have proven the revolver is still just
as timeless. Here’s just a few examples of
why a revolver suits concealed carry:
• They meet magazine restrictions. In
states like California and other heavily
restrictive states they have virtually
zero affect on revolvers
• If properly cared for, a revolver can
last a life time
• They’re easy to maintain, fewer
components that can break means
fewer things that need fixing
Alien Gear Holsters has a blog piece
about the differences between revolvers
and semi autos you might want to check
out as well!

4. Carrying a revolver is a bit different than
carrying a semiauto
A good holster, like the Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.0 , for
revolvers will have high retention and a high quality
molded polymer shell. Some folks think a leather
revolver holster is a one-size-fits-all, though it’s
guaranteed trying to fit a Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan
in a S&W 2” J-Frame holster will work about as well as
you breathing water. Even among revolvers that are
based off of a more iconic model there may be slight
differences in width, barrel length, height, and the
geometry of the firearm that interacts with the holster
don’t always match up.
You want a holster designed specifically for revolvers, if
it doesn’t feature a retention bump for the trigger you
may end up with a firearm rotating around inside the
shell and causing holster burn faster than expected.
With leather holsters there’s a little bit of leeway on the
retention bump, the leather will form to the cylinder.
Leather does degrade over time, though.

5. What is the best holster to
carry a J-Frame revolver?
What should a body look for when looking for a revolver holster?
Ideally, these three things:
1. Trigger Guard Coverage – Almost nothing is as important for
a concealed carry holster as trigger guard coverage
regardless of handgun type. It helps prevent accidental or
negligent discharges
2. It needs to carry easily – J-Frames are more compact than
most, however due to their sturdy design features they are
a bit more hefty. Ideally, a holster that helps distribute
weight along the belt line. Since you’ll be carrying all day, it
needs to be comfortable
3. Concealment – Concealed Carry means fully concealed. It
shouldn’t print through clothing, allow a shirt to be tucked
over it if needed, and the clips should be barely noticeable

6. What are some good concealed carry
revolvers?
Alien Gear has got you
covered with five
revolvers with a price tag
less than $500 for your
concealed carry

7. Taurus 605B2
Taurus, manufactured in Brazil, makes a wide variety of firearms of
semi autos and revolvers ranging from small-frame to “you wanna
bet?”
Their entry-level revolver is the 605B2, a five-shot snubby in 3.57
Magnum running for around $356.06. Taurus states it fires .38
Special, as almost every .357 Magnum does.
At a 2” barrel length and a true hammer-fired double-action, this is
a great concealed carry revolver

8. Charter Arms
Charter Arms has a great lineup of compact
revolvers. Almost every one of them retails for
less than $500 and available in calibers ranging
from 9mm to .45 ACP, naturally the .38 Spl and
.357 Mag, along with .40 and .44 Special
The Charter Arms Undercover goes for $346.00,
with a five-shot capacity and chambered in .38
Special with 2” barrel. It can be had with hammer,
or hammerless for $6 more.
Charter Arms is also a Made in the USA revolver!

9. Rock Island
Many folks have heard of Rock Island, part of
Armscor International from the Philippines, for
their extensive 1911 lineup.
The Rock Island M203 is similar to the 605B2
and the majority of Charter Arms’ lineup, though
it has a 6-shot capacity and a price tag of only
$283
There’s an option for the 4” barrel version for
$275, as well as two hammerless DAO’s in 2” for
$492

10. Rossi
Another Brazilian manufacturer, though the revolvers they offer are
actually manufactured by Taurus.
There are nine total, from .22 LR to .357 Mag and only one of which
is MSRP’d at over $500. The entry level models are the Model
R46102 and R35102 in .357 Mag and .38 Spl +P respectively with a
price tag of $390. The R46102 is a six-shot, while the R35102 is a
five-shot.

11. Smith & Wesson
There was no way the creator of the iconic J-Frame wouldn’t be on this
list.
There’s nine total revolvers from S&W under $500, with your standard
2” barrel chambered in .38 Special +P with an enclosed-hammer
Double Action Only. These snubbies are also only 5-shot, the standard
for J-Frame. Six of them run at $469, with the remaining three at $499
– just barely under the $500 mark.

12. Looking for more info on revolver carry?
Check out Alien Gear Holsters’ Blog! It’s chalk-full of information on
Concealed Carry, firearms, and holsters!