SHOT Show 2019 Revolver Roundup

Your RevolverGuy team hit the floor of the SHOT Show again in 2019, looking for products and information that would interest our fellow wheelgun aficionados.

With miles and miles of booths, and crowds in the 70,000+ range, it was hard to get a look at everything. We’re sure to have missed some neat guns and gear, but hopefully you’ll enjoy this summary of the products that caught our attention.

This was mostly a “product line extension” year for the industry, but we still found some exciting new stuff to tell you about. We also managed to ferret out a few guns from companies that you’re probably unfamiliar with.

So, in no particular order, here’s what we found in Vegas this year:

Kimber K6s DASA

The Kimber guys call it the “Dah-Suh,” but I think that sounds funny. I heard some attendees on the show floor borrow a page from Ruger and unofficially christen it the K6sX, but that would probably send the Yonkers crowd into conniptions if they heard it! I’m just calling it the external hammer version of the K6s. Whatever you want to call it, it’s a neat gun. The DASA version of the K6s sports a 3.25 – 4.25 pound trigger in single action, and the same, smooth, 9.5 – 10 pound DA pull that we’re used to. The DASA will be offered in brushed stainless, with both 2” and 3” barrels. The 2” version has a pair of checkered walnut boot grips with a pinky finger groove, and the 3” version has a pair of extended length, checkered walnuts without grooves. I shot both versions and they were super! I was surprised to see that Kimber went with a transfer bar safety on this gun, instead of a hammer block. Expect a RevolverGuy T&E on this gun later in the year. [MSRP $949]

Kimber K6s TLE

The K6s is getting the TLE treatment in 2019, with a matte black finish and green-black, finger grooved G10 grips. Both the 2” and 3” models will be equipped with tritium night sights. The TLE is designed to offer a K6s with a more affordable black finish than the pricier DLC finish of the K6s DC model. I shot the 2” version and thought it shot as good as it looked. Neat! [MSRP $999]

Kimber K6s LG

Kimber photo

The Kimber K6s DC (DLC finish) and CDP (“Pinto” finish, with stainless barrel, cylinder, and thumbpiece, and a matte black frame) models will be offered with Crimson Trace Lasergrips as a factory option this year. Good stuff! [MSRP $1485 (DC) and $1510 (CDP)]

Colt Cobra Classic

I think the Cobra Classic might have been released sometime last year after SHOT Show, so I’ll treat it as a new gun here. It’s a good looking piece, with the cylinder polished bright, and a great looking pair of wood finger groove grips with the rampant Colt medallion. The front sight is a brass bead—a favorite of times past, due to its ability to collect light. [MSRP $749]

Colt King Cobra

King Cobra on the Left, Cobra Classic on the Right

Hold your horses! This one leaked out a few weeks before the show and I was looking forward to it more than anything. The new King Cobra is a .357 Magnum that’s built on a heavier, stainless Cobra frame. The topstrap on the King is noticeably thicker than it is on the standard, .38 Special +P Cobra, to handle the extra horsepower of the Magnum cartridge. The brushed stainless finish on the frame is MUCH nicer than the frosty finish on the standard Cobra, and really adds to the curb appeal.  I shot this one with 110 grain, .357 Magnum ammunition from DoubleTap, and it handled like a champ—the combination of the extra weight out front and the rubber grips made it feel like I was shooting a lighter caliber. The trigger on the King Cobra was very good, as it has been on all the new Cobras I’ve fired. I’m a little irritated that Colt is following the industry trend of recycling historic names for products that are very different than the original namesake, but you can’t fault the performance here. At the rate Colt is introducing new models, I wouldn’t be surprised to see an adjustable sighted version down the road. We’re working on getting a sample for T&E, so stay tuned! [MSRP $899]

Scavenger 6

This one looks really wild. Imagine a revolver with a carbine-length barrel, adjustable stock, and foregrip with light/laser. Now, imagine that it can swap cylinder-barrels to handle bullets from .22 caliber up to .308 caliber. Now, imagine that each of the six chambers in a single cylinder-barrel can be in a different caliber! OK, I can imagine all that, but I can’t imagine what the Scavenger 6 is actually useful for (the marketing centers around a far-fetched, TEOTWAWKI scenario). Still, the engineering necessary to make it all happen intrigues me. [MSRP starts at $1997]

DeSantis FLETC 2.0

Your RevolverGuy team was involved with this one from the start. Take an excellent DeSantis open top, OWB scabbard, and mate it with an attached ammo carrier (your choice of speedloader, 2x2x2, or strip) which rides in front of the pouch at your One to Two O’Clock position. There’s no excuse to be sans reload with this holster. Expect a full review of the FLETC 2.0 here in the RevolverGuy pages soon. [MSRP $89.99]

 Ruger LCRX 3”

I know! The picture sucks! Sorry, but the lighting at SHOT is atrocious and the cables attached to the guns often prevent you from moving them far enough to get a better pose.

Ruger’s excellent 3″ LCRx revolver is now available in .357 Magnum! At 21.3 ounces, this 3” barreled .357 isn’t going to pull your britches down, and might just be one of the best choices out there for an outdoorsman who is worried about weight. Backpacking? Fishing? This gun packs a big punch in a lightweight package, and the Hogue Monogrip will help to make it more controllable. It would also be a dandy, lightweight CCW belt gun for those who like external hammers. The 3” barrel sports an adjustable rear sight, so you can get things dialed in for the load of your choice, even if that’s “just” a .38+P round. [MSRP $669]

Ruger SP101 Blued

Those who know my tastes won’t be surprised to learn that this was one of the guns I was looking forward to seeing the most at SHOT. I was not disappointed! The SP101 has always been an excellent revolver, but it has also always been rendered in stainless steel. This year, Ruger is debuting an alloy steel SP101, and I’m just tickled pink blue about it. This gun has deceptively handsome looks, with it’s blued finish, stainless trigger and hammer, and rubber-cushioned wood stocks. Some of you might think the alloy steel is a step backwards, but this one just pushes all my buttons and I absolutely love it. Simple, classic, tough looking. Absolutely marvelous. I’ll take two, please. [MSRP $719]

S&W 442PC

The Centennial-style J-Frame is hard to beat as a carry or backup gun, and the blackened, aluminum alloy Model 442 has been especially popular in the role. In 2019, the Smith & Wesson Performance Center is taking the Model 442 and adding a few custom touches, like a two-tone finish with polished cylinder flutes, thumbpiece, screws, and trigger, and a Performance-Center tuned action. I tried the action and I thought it was pretty darned good for a J-Frame. The PC 442 is stocked with a set of Crimson Trace lasergrips, and—best of all—doesn’t have one of those stupid internal locks in the side of the frame (S&W: Please do this more often!). I think I’d be tempted to buy one of these for the no-lock feature alone, but the lasergrips and good trigger are nice benefits too. [MSRP $742]

S&W Model 19 Classic

This was introduced at the 2018 NRA Annual Meetings, and I can’t figure out why it took so long for Smith & Wesson to get around to it. The Model 19 is one of the most popular S&W wheelguns of all time, so it should have come earlier in the Classic series, but at least it’s there now. This Model 19 is different than the true classics I cherish, in that it has a two-piece barrel, a slightly larger frame with a yoke lock, and one of those darned internal locks in the side. If you can get over the bloomin’ lock hole, you’ll appreciate the fact that the new K-Frame doesn’t have the flat at the Six O’Clock position on the forcing cone like the old ones did, and it adds a third lock (the modern “Triple Lock?”), so it’s much stronger than the old design. [MSRP $826]

S&W Model 19 Carry Comp

The Model 19 Carry Comp is an unabashed fighting gun, and it’s almost neat enough to make me forget all about the lock hole. Unlike the Model 19 Classic, the 3” barrel on the Carry Comp is a single piece of steel, and it incorporates what looks to be a very effective compensator, to tame the muzzle rise generated by full-power .357 Magnum cartridges. The PC-tuned action gives a nice DA pull, and the tritium night sight up front should work really slick . . . right up to the point where you touch off that first Magnum and see the comp do its thing! There aren’t many folks packing medium-frame revolvers as fighting guns these days, and that’s a shame, because they really excel at the task. Nothing handles quite like a 3” K-Frame, and Smith & Wesson’s Performance Center gave us a nice one here. I’d love to see a version without the comp!  [MSRP $1092]

S&W new K-Frame lock

I know you guys are geeks like I am about these things, so I thought you should know. When the new K-Frames first came out a few years ago, there was a spring-loaded bearing machined into the front of the yoke which rested in a recess under the barrel when the cylinder was closed. This extra lock allowed S&W to manufacture a K-Frame without the barrel flat that served as the weak link in the old design.

Smith & Wesson has since changed the design on this lock. Now, the spring-loaded bearing rides in a housing milled into the frame, and it locks into the yoke. This reverse setup looks like it’s a lot easier to build, and I’m sure it’s just as strong. All the new K-Frames are being built with this design now.

Cimarron ‘62 Pocket Navy Conversion

I own far more double action revolvers than single action revolvers, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love the thumb busters. Cimarron will give us a really neat one later this year in the ’62 Pocket Navy Conversion. The Pocket Navy lived its life as a percussion revolver, of course, but this new one is going to be chambered in .380 ACP! The Pocket Navy Conversion holds 5 rounds of the 9mm Kurz and uses a fascinating cylinder design to make the autopistol cartridge work. Each chamber has a spring-loaded arm that engages the rim of the cartridge and holds it in place. After the loading gate is opened, the arm retracts when the chamber is aligned with the loading gate, allowing you to punch out the spent case from the front of the cylinder with a pencil or other tool (there is no extractor rod, in the fashion of the conversion guns manufactured by Colt in 1873 – 1880). The contrast between the blued cylinder and barrel, brass trigger guard, and color case hardened frame is stunning. This is a beautiful little gun and I’m sure it will be a lot of fun to shoot. Now this is a .380 I could get excited about. [no MSRP yet]

Taylor’s & Company Cavalier

Here’s another sharp-looking single action for you guys. The Taylor’s & Company Cavalier sports a 7.5” barrel and is chambered in .38 Special. The ebony grip, brass backstrap and triggerguard, and color case hardened frame offer an eye-catching look. Another version will be offered in polished stainless steel. Taylor’s does a wonderful job with tuning and upgrading the Italian-produced guns, and their single actions are really super. We can expect these around the second quarter. [no MSRP yet]

Hogue LCR Laser Enhanced

The Hogue Tamer grip for the Ruger LCR is a fantastic grip which really moderates the effect of recoil in the lightweight blasters. This excellent grip just got better in 2019 with the addition of a red or green laser unit which is activated by your grip pressure. Hogue will offer the Laser Enhanced grip for the LCR in black, flat dark earth, purple, and pink. Stay tuned for a full review of this grip in RevolverGuy’s pages . . . but don’t expect to see the purple or pink one. [MSRP $189.95 (black, with red laser) or $249.95 (black, with green laser). Add $10 for colors other than black]

Hogue Kimber K6s G10 Bantam grip

Hogue also has a great-looking G10 Bantam grip for the K6s in the 2019 lineup. The K6s Bantam has finger grooves and is available in the aggressive “Pirahna Grip” texture or a smooth texture. Color choices for the laminate stocks includes such selections as black/grey, green, pink lava, blue lava, red lava, and dark earth. It’s hard to tell without testing, but the speedloader cutout looks ample and it might just work without modification—what a concept! [MSRP $59.95 (smooth) or $69.95 (Pirhana)]

Lyman-Pachmayr Aluminum Competition Speedloader

Pachmayr Aluminum Competition Speedloader

Justin reviewed these here at RevolverGuy previously. New for 2019 is a Pachmayr Competition Speedloader fit for the 6-shot, N-Frame .44 caliber guns. Based on my conversation with these guys, they have more fits planned up their sleeve for later. [MSRP $19.98]

Janz revolver

It’s going to take a full RevolverGuy review to give this design a fair shake. Suffice it to say that the Janz revolver incorporates Willi Korth’s trigger design, and is a spectacle of engineering and craftsmanship. This design incorporates an elegant, quick-change barrel and cylinder system that allows the shooter to move between calibers from .22 to .454 using the same frame! Special cylinders will allow the use of autopistol cartridges like 9mm or .45 ACP as well. Trigger weights are easily adjustable by the user. This revolver represents the epitome of German engineering and craftsmanship, and I’ve never held a finer gun in my hands. I’ll never own one of these, but I’m happy to know they’re out there. Stay tuned to RevolverGuy for more on this fascinating design. [MSRP varies by models and features–if you have to ask, you can’t afford it! I saw guns with $14,000 price tags, and cased sets with $30,000 price tags right before I felt woozy and things got dark]

Taurus 856

Coming back to reality, Taurus had a colorful display of their Model 856 revolvers for attendees to look at. I counted 10 different color combinations, ranging from your basic black to azure to rouge to burnt orange. The Taurus 856 is a small frame, 6-shot revolver that replaced the legendary 5-shot Taurus Model 85 a few years ago. It has an external hammer, and comes with either an Ultralite (UL) frame at 16 ounces, or a standard frame at 22 ounces. [MSRP $378.79 to $415.00, depending on finish]

Taurus 692

The Taurus 692 was launched at SHOT 2018, but I didn’t get a very good look at it then. The Taurus 692 is a medium-frame revolver with a 7-shot cylinder in .357 Magnum. What makes the 692 interesting though, is that it also comes with another cylinder in 9mm, and the gun is equipped with a push-button release for the cylinder on the right side of the frame. To change between .357 Magnum and 9mm, the user simply opens the cylinder, pushes and holds the button in, and pulls the cylinder assembly (yoke and cylinder) off the frame. Reinstalling the other cylinder is the same process in reverse. The 692 offers the choice of a 3” barrel or a 6.5” barrel with ports and a ventilated rib. These guns intrigue me, and I’d like to try one of them out at the range sometime. [MSRP $639.45 (matte finish) or $691.95 (stainless finish)]

Sarsilmaz SR38

Sarsilmaz is a Turkish company, and for those who are unaware, the Turks have a solid reputation for building quality guns. Until the splashy debut of the striker-fired, SAR 9 pistol last year, most folks knew Sarsilmaz as a maker of shotguns and CZ-pattern pistols, but Sarsilmaz also has a line of revolvers, and they look good. Their SR38 revolver is a medium-large frame revolver chambered in .357 Magnum (despite what the name indicates). It takes many cues from the Smith & Wesson Model 686, and representatives told me that L-Frame speedloaders fit this gun. I suspect that L-Frame stocks would fit as well. This gun appears to be well-built, and it sports a good trigger. Barrel lengths of 2”, 2.5”, 3”, 4”, and 6” are advertised. Best of all . . . no internal lock. The engraved models add a touch of flavor that you don’t normally see coming out of American factories. These guns are not currently imported for sale in the USA, but the American arm of Sarsilmaz—SAR USA—could bring them in if they thought they would sell. If you like that idea, let them know. I think they’re focusing their energies on the polymer SAR 9 pistol for now, though. [no MSRP]

Standard Manufacturing S333

The Standard Manufacturing S333 is a volleyfire gun, in which each pull of the trigger simultaneously shoots a pair of barrels. The rotating cylinder has an 8-round capacity of .22 Magnum, so you get 4 trigger pulls and 8 shots out of a cylinder. The trigger on the S333 has a safety tab in its face like a Glock pistol, and is designed for the shooter to use two fingers (index and middle) to pull the trigger. Two fingers are necessary to gain the proper leverage because the mainspring tension must be very high to ensure reliable ignition of two rimfire cartridges at the same time. I handled one of the three prototypes which have been made, and found it to be an interesting, if unusual design. President Louis Frutuoso says this gun is not designed for the highly-trained and dedicated shooter, but he feels the gun could be a good fit for a novice looking for a compact, simple, defensive arm. Louis suggested loading one chamber with a solid projectile, and the other with a shot cartridge to maximize the effect, but I think I’d load two solids if it was me. [MSRP not established yet]

Standard Manufacturing Single Action Revolver

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautifully-crafted example of the 1873-pattern revolver than those made by Standard Manufacturing. The fit and finish of the Standard Manufacturing Single Action Revolver is simply without peer. The actions are magic, and the fire-blued screws, case hardening, and luxurious walnut stocks are cosmetic highlights of an elegant product. These guns are completely made from machined 4140 steel—there are no cast or MIM parts used in these guns! Some models feature exquisite C-coverage engraving that will knock your socks off. If I ever plunge into the custom gun arena, this is where I will start. [MSRP $1,895 and up]

Dan Wesson 715

Most folks know the company for their excellent, factory-custom 1911s these days, but there was a time when Dan Wesson only made revolvers, and they were considered some of the best around. Dan Wesson returned to its roots a few years ago and resurrected the revolver in the form of the Model 715, and it’s a great gun. The forward latch on the crane keeps the cylinder aligned during recoil for best accuracy, and the tensioned barrel does its part there, too. The Dan Wesson design made it practical to switch barrels, and the company continues to sell the popular “Pistol Pak” with 4”, 6” and 8” barrel lengths. [MSRP $1,558 or $1,999 (Pistol Pak)]

That’s all folks!

That’s it for now.  Stay tuned to RevolverGuy for more details and forthcoming reviews!

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Author: Mike

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Mike Wood is a bonafide revolver nut, a certified law enforcement instructor in handgun, shotgun, patrol rifle, less-lethal, and diversionary device disciplines, and the author of Newhall Shooting: A Tactical Analysis, the definitive study of the infamous, 1970 California Highway Patrol shootout in Newhall, California. Mike wrote the "Tactical Analysis" column at Police1.com for 8 years, and enjoys teaching both armed citizens and law enforcement officers.

26 thoughts on “SHOT Show 2019 Revolver Roundup”

  1. Mike,
    Fantastic coverage of the Show for RevolverGuys! I truly appreciate your hard work. Although I know SHOT is a lot of fun, I also know you worked your butt off out there getting us these pics, talking to engineers, and getting us lined up with some T&E guns for this year.
    I only have one complaint: where’s the coverage of the new HST for my new favorite revolver cartridge???
    Again, great work, buddy!
    Justin

    1. Haha! Well, I shot some of the new 10mm HST in a 5” steel 1911 and it shot very nicely, but I couldn’t bring myself to write about the 10mm Auto in a revolver roundup! It almost seemed like I’d be breaking some kind of rule and I didn’t want to get voted off RevolverGuy Island!

  2. Ever since it leaked, I have been trying to find out the cylinder width on the new Colt King Cobra. I know the frame is bigger, but is the cylinder? from the picture you included, it doesn’t look like it, but I’m not sure how much I trust my eyeball.

    I hadn’t realized that the Taurus 856 replaced the 85. I’m not entirely convinced that was a great choice, but I guess they know more about their sales figures than I do.

    Thanks for the pictures and info. I don’t envy you; 70,000 people is about 69,997 more than I’m willing to put up with.

      1. Mike,

        I don’t think there is a problem with your wording. I just think the model 85 offered some nice options weight-wise (especially in the UL version) that the 605 doesn’t manage to. That said, when I wanted a small, pocketable revolver that weighed just over a pound, I went with the Ruger LCRx in .357 rather than the Taurus 85 UL, so it doesn’t really affect me.

        1. I agree . . . the Model 85 was a more attractive gun in many respects than the current offerings. I particularly liked the spurless hammer version that used to be catalogued in the early 90s. For $200, it was a good, basic carry gun. Not as well executed as a Centennial, but at almost half the price, it was good enough and a good bargain.

          To clarify my comment in the article, the 856 replaced the 85 as the small-frame .38 Spl in the lineup, but capacity did increase to 6 rounds. The 605 kept capacity at 5 rounds, but the gun grew slightly bigger and heavier to handle .357 Mag. So, both of the current guns are bigger than the 85 of old. I suppose either one has a claim to being the descendant of the 85, but I think the 856 is closest in size and weight, despite the 6-shot cylinder.

          I don’t have any recent experience with the Taurus guns. I’d be interested to work with one and see where things stand with the brand. My gut tells me the Ruger LCR/X is the much better gun and value, but I’d still like to see what the Taurus has to offer.

  3. I love this website. You guys do a great job. I look forward to every post.

    I wish Colt would make revolvers that looked like traditional Colts. I miss the curves of the old revolvers. These new revolver’s lines are just to straight. It would be a shame to see Colt upscale these guns and slap a vent rib and adjustable sights on it and call it a Python.

    When I heard the King Kobra was coming back and saw what it really was I was disappointed. I mean, come on the whole idea behind coil springs and investment cast internals of the Troopers and King Kobras was to keep the cost down. Ruger still makes the GP100 and it is still affordable. Why can’t Colt do the same thing?

    Sorry for the rant.

    Steve

  4. Thank you. This is exactly what I have been waiting for. I am fascinated by the Sarsilmaz guns, having traveled quite a bit in Turkey and seen first hand how seriously their companies take pride in the workmanship of goods.

    I will write them in hopes of encouraging them to export a few wheel guns. I would love one with a 3” barrel. Prices should compete with Taurus for a far better gun, though my 85 has served me well for more than 2 decades until I began carrying my Kimber K6S. Sorry to hear they discontinued 85 production, as the basic design, so like a J frame, was trustworthy, especially in all-steel guns. We have a few in our group of revolver fans, often the first handgun that many of us owned.

    1. I’m very interested in the Sarsilmaz guns, too! I reached out on behalf of RG and told them there is definitely a market for them (and asked to be considered for a T&E gun either way!). I’d also LOVE to see them offer a K-frame-comparable option.

      1. I reached out too. The guns were well made and I suspect Old-School is correct that they would be competitively priced, because the labor over there is much less expensive. It would be neat to see these as an option in the current market.

  5. Have to agree with you, Mike – the Ruger SP101 blued is probably the revolver that gets me excited the most out of the new offerings. I much prefer the classic look of a blued frame over stainless, and I have a similar Altamont grip on my GP100 that feels great.

  6. I’ll be interested to see how well the Hogue laser grips work.

    Re the new Tauruses, do note their new warranty policy: one year warranty on newly introduced models (which might be one reason why the 85 went away).

    1. Lee, that’s an excellent catch. I guess the new management decided the Lifetime Warranty was too big of a liability to continue it. I hadn’t noticed that detail.

  7. I had some issues with the King Cobra during range day and on the showroom floor. On multiple guns I had the ejector rod get stuck when depressed. Seemed as though the checkering on the end had some burrs that were getting stuck in the channel the rod lives in. When striking the rod with my palm during a universal reload I had some difficulty getting it to return to its original place. Less difficulty when lightly pressing the rod in, but the it would still become stuck even when lightly pressing.

    I thought the gun was just dirty on Range Day, so I thought nothing of it due to the blowing sand. Each King Cobra I handled on Tuesday (and again on Thursday) had the same issue. I brought the issue to one of the Colt reps who seemed very upset about the problem. The only way to get the rod unstuck was to press on the star towards the muzzle end of the gun.

    Curious if you caught this as well. The standard Cobras did not have this problem.

    1. Daniel, thanks for writing. I didn’t experience this with the King Cobra at the range or in the booth. Perhaps I wasn’t driving the ejector rod as deep into the cylinder, but I just didn’t see that happen. It would be an easy thing for Colt to fix, and I’m sure they were glad you pointed it out—-not happy to learn of it, but glad to have the chance to address it.

      Something to note is that a lot of the new guns we see at SHOT are not representative of production. Sometimes we’re seeing small-run products that are closer to working prototypes than exemplars of production units. In some cases, the guns that get dirty on Monday are often the very same ones on display in the booth on Tuesday, after they get cleaned up and defanged. It’s possible you were looking at the same S/N in both locations.

      In any case, I appreciate you sharing your observation here. It will give us something to look out for when we finally get our hands on one for testing.

  8. I am very interested in the new 856 Hamerless (actually bobbed) Ultra Lite that was introduced. Its stating 6 shot .38 special in same size as 85 five shot but weighing 15.7 ounces unloaded.

    I think most interesting is that I have seen photos of a pinned sight in Taurus ads and catalogs for that model. Need to confirm that.

    Wow 6shot, 16 ounces with pinned sight at $300 street price count me in!

  9. Nice overview! I’m most interested in the blued SP101 and may finally pick one up to go with my LCR. Speaking of… I just bought a LaserMax unit for it today and now I see the Hogue laser is available. Might have to have two LCRs.

    The other one on my list is the 19 Carry Comp. I had one of the original PC 586 CCs, what, 20 years ago when it was introduced and I still regret selling (trading?) it. This could remedy that regret.

    1. There’s a 586 L-Comp available too from the Performance Center! You could make it a set. ; ^ )

      The blued SP101 would be just the ticket for shooting .357 Mag from a snub. I know they make LCRs for it, but that’s a .38 Spl in my book.

      1. When I bought that L-Comp back then, I was enamored with the 7-shot capacity (anything over a six-shooter was a novelty in those days) and wasn’t concerned much with concealed carry. Now that Smith has decided to bring back the format in a K-frame that’s a few ounces lighter, and a little smaller, it makes more sense. Only problem now is… there’s a such thing as a Ruger LCRx with a 3-inch barrel at HALF the weight of the K-comp (yes, it’s one shot down, but also dispenses with the comp) that makes more sense as a carry revolver. BTW, the stock Hogue Monogrip on the ‘x is awesome; I have one for my ‘little’ LCR in .357 MAG.

        I used to think Smith was “it”, even though I also had some Rugers I liked. But Ruger is really starting to come around as my favorite revolver manufacturer. I also want to applaud you, Justin, and the guest contributors for making a fun and thought+action provoking site. I just purchased your Newhall book and will take a break from the site to read that and report back later. Keep up the great work!

        1. Glad you’re enjoying it so much! Thanks for all the great comments!

          I’ve always been a “S&W Guy,” but agree that Ruger is doing great work and turning heads—including mine! If I was asked to recommend a revolver these days, they would be the first place I’d start. Stay tuned for more coverage on their products in these pages!

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