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Am I a "Traitor" for CCW'ing other than a Ruger!!!

14K views 125 replies 55 participants last post by  ghantechmobile 
#1 · (Edited)
So, I have a Ruger Security Six in .357 with the 2 3/4" barrel and I absolutely love it. But, as we all know, it's a little big, bulky and weighty. Anyways. I was looking for a lighter CCW and looked at the LCR in .38 and the SP-101 in .357. I liked the size and weight and feel of the SP-101 better than the LCR and the SP-101 had much less recoil than the LCR so I was able to be more accurate with it up to 20' (Which I feel is my barometer for self-defense accuracy). Anyways. Can't find a SP-101 for under $550.00+tax here in GA so I was like dang my Security Six wasn't even that high. So I decided to hit up a few Pawn Shops to see if someone had one.

Low and behold, a pawn shop near my house had this Colt Detective Special in .38 special with original wood grips and was in nickel (albeit not in the best shape of nickel) and they were asking $249.99 for it. After some himming and hawwing (sorry, southern term for self contemplation) I was able to haggle the owner down to $175.00+tax. So, basically got a 1974 Colt Detective Special for just under $200 bucks.

I say all of that to say, am I a traitor for maybe thinking of carrying this Colt DS as my CCW over a Ruger? And, are there any other Ruger lovers here on this forum that carry a make other than Ruger as a CCW? If so, can you show a pic or two of your non-Ruger CCW and why you carry it? Here are a couple of pics of the Colt DS .38 special.





 
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#2 ·
Nope, you're not a traitor. Carry the gun that you are the most comfortable, safe, and proficient with. For me, it's a .22LR J-frame.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Nope, you're not a traitor. Carry the gun that you are the most comfortable, safe, and proficient with. .....
+1.

While I love my Rugers (my P95 was my original carry gun years ago), today my primary carry is a Springfield 1911 MC and my secondary carry is a CZ 2075 RAMI.
 
#4 ·
As long as the bore and chambers aren't pitted then I might look to get that bad boy refinished. Not sure if they can with nickel finish but wouldn't that be sweet all new and shiny looking. If not shoot it and enjoy.
 
#6 ·
So yeah been researching that. I would love to get it in stainless but not sure if I can. I hear there is a finish in Nickel called "Electroless Nickel" that I hear is pretty durable. A couple of companies here in the south do it. One in Alabama and one in Florida. We shall see. Colt said they could do it for a mere $425.00 and 6 months. I was like, ummm yeah NO!!! Haha!!!
 
#9 ·
Yeah really it is. The timing is good which I hear usually goes first on the Colt DS's. The cylinder locks up tight and the trigger is actually really nice as well. When he said he'd take $175.00+tax for it I really couldn't pass it up. They had another one there that was a Colt DS Cerakoted with Pachmayr grips and they were asking $399.99 so I was a bit confused. It looked really good too. I guess sometimes looks do command a higher price. But this baby shot like a champ at the range the other day after I ran 150+ rounds through her. No issues at all.
 
#10 ·
Bill himself owned guns from other makers so I think not. As for refinishing I'd either have it cerakoted or splurge and send it to Colt sure it'll cost a bit more than having it done somewhere else but a factory Colt refinish will be worth about that same bit more when it's done.
 
#12 ·
You got a great deal on that Detective Special. Nothing wrong with carrying something other than a Ruger as long as it shoots well and is dependable.

Here are my conceal carry revolvers. A S&W 686, S&W mod.15, and Ruger Service Six. They're medium framed, might be bulky for some people but I prefer having 6 shots and have comfortably carried them all in IWB holsters.

 
#13 ·
Those are awesome. I have a model 19-4 2" with 6 shots in .357 and I have the Security Six in .357 as well. I love the option of the .357 being able to shoot .38's in it as well but the Detective Special is .38 only. I love the size of the DS and it shoots really well. Looked at the Smith Model 649 in .357 with the shrouded hammer but only has 5 shots as it's a J-Frame. Those are nice pieces my friend.
 
#17 ·
Not at all, my SR40 was my first handgun ever and it is a great handgun, I'll be a Ruger fan forever...that being said I do alternate carrying it and my S&W Shield depending on who/what/why/when/where the circumstances are.
There's a ton of other Rugers I'd love to own someday but there's also many other brands of guns I'd like to own as well.
 
#20 ·
No. More often than not, my carry gun is a Bersa Thunder 380. Shots on target are stupid easy, as are follow up shots.
 
#21 ·
Ok so you have an LCR as you avatar. I assume it's yours right? Does it seem to be a bit snappy and uncomfortable to shoot for you? I tried one at the range last week and it was a bear to shoot in my opinion. Yeah, I get it's not a range gun but how can you get good with your EDC if you can't practice with it?
 
#27 ·
My EDC is a 442 Airweight but I carry according to weather so I might have a Glock23 when it's cooler...both days :)it's gunna get hot any day now here in Florida now that the Race is Saturday Night!
 
#28 ·
My carry guns are a Glock 27, Glock 30 and a KelTec .380 in that order. So no............ carry ..........whatever the heck you want to carry and what works for you. I love Ruger handguns and rifles and have a lot of them. I have a SR9C for a truck gun and find the trigger fantastic and accuracy from that shooter is spot on.

I think you scored on the Colt and I would just shoot it as is for a while and then decide what you want to do with it. You might end up doing nothing or you may want to restore it a wee bit. I would explore a lot of options for restoration before dumping that money with Colt. Afterwards you will have spent with the restoration and the original purchase price and amount equal to what it is probably worth, not a bad deal but your point of what could you buy with the $450-500 is a great point.
 
#36 ·
Just and example of what $450-$500 can get you here at a Pawn shop here in Georgia (used that is):

Any caliber Glock with at least 1 mag maybe 2
2, Keltec PF9's or PF11's
S&W 637 for $329.99 (before negotiating). Maybe a S&W 637 and Keltec PF9 for $500.00
Ruger SR9c and Keltec PF9
2, Remington 870 Express Magnum 12 gauge shot guns with 2 boxes of 00 Buck. Yeah, no joke. Adventure Outdoors have them for $199.99. Police trade ins and are in 85-90% condition for $450.00

So, see why it's kinda a griff for me to spend $450.00 on the DS? I mean I get it, it will look like a brand new gun and I'm restoring history but I could get more toys that go BANG for that scratch haha!!! Life is tooooo funny.
 
#30 ·
Wow, that baby has seen some hard times. It would be interesting to find out how it got all those scars. I had a blued DS that saw a lot of time in my uncle's glove compartment, pocket and holster and it was still in 90% condition. After storing it for 20 years and firing it sparingly I handed it over to my cousin who is also a gun guy and can appreciate its history. The trigger was perfection. I think it is a great carry revolver.

I am carrying a M&P9c these days after going back and forth between it and an SR9c. Depending on the situation I also carry an SP101 or LCP. Gun slut, that is pretty funny. Next time I am accused of being a gun nut I will know how to respond.
 
#40 · (Edited)
I can't go 100% Ruger because some niches are filled by other makers.



For example I often carry my NAA .22 LR Mini, and I just bought a .22 Short model and want to get a Pug. I can drop the Mini in the watch pocket of my jeans, loaded with 5 Stingers its pocket sized punch I can carry wearing pretty much anything.

I carry my "Zombie" S&W 64-7 occasionally



Other non Rugers I carry are my two Beretta Bobcats (.22 and .25) a Taurus M380 and several other S&W's here and there.
 
#41 ·
I agree with everybody else. No problem at all carrying another brand. I did like the comment about being a gun slut though. All my revolvers are Ruger. Only one is DA and it's a 6" GP100. Hardly suitable for CCW. So when I do carry, which is rare, it's either a Glock or a Sig. Ruger is by far my favorite brand, but they don't make my favorite gun. Carry what works best for you.
 
#43 · (Edited)
The trigger pull is adequate for what it is, accuracy is actually surprisingly good for a gun with no real grip and no sights worth anything:) it's a close range last ditch defense gun, but these are very well made , reliable and very durable. NAA sells tons of these things.



Mine is a .22 LR, there are slightly larger models made in .22 Magnum and for a brief time NAA made some in .17 but there were over pressure issues with these.

With Stingers these can be a handful with the small grips, the cylinder edge on the back came back and sliced my thumb one time, but in a life or death scenario the "jump" won't even matter. I plan to switch to Velocitors after I test fire a few, these will kick even harder but they penetrate better. I only use CCI LR for defense.

I love my Mini and plan to get a Pug as soon as I can, it will fill a serious hole in my carry collection. The Magnum models have a larger grip which I want, it makes them slightly harder to hide but its a good trade off. Rubber grips are a must for me, the wood and other exotic grips like Corian look good but a slick grip is NOT what you want with these. This is a defensive tool for me and rubber is the only way ill go. When these wear out I'll put new ones on.

My .22 LR model is sonewhat difficult to cock with those little grips but I won't put larger ones on and hurt the deep conceal ability. With practice you can draw and cock it with speed for a point blank shot. Any kind of aiming or shooting at ranges past 5 yards is a novelty , if you need to use it it won't be at any kind of long range.

The Pug does have night sights and they seem pretty usable. It also comes with a Hogue-like larger slip on grip to make it easier to handle.

These Minis are addictive and I have already added a .22 Short model and I can see myself having a bunch of these things before too long:)
 
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