Firearm: Heritage Roscoe (MSRP: 363.99)
While plenty of folks are quick to pronounce the revolver dead, or at least look at it as something slightly more technologically advanced than a bow-and-arrow, there’s still plenty of space in today’s concealed-carry world for a solid .38 Special wheelgun. Heritage Manufacturing recently released the Roscoe .38 Special revolver, and this small gun has a lot going for it. With actual wooden grips and a polished black finish, it’s an attractive option that is still quite functional.
Now, look. I know a good number of people are going to scoff. It only carries five rounds! You can time reloads with a sundial! Yes, revolvers do have some drawbacks when compared to magazine-fed semi-automatics, particularly when it comes to capacity and getting more ammunition into the gun when it runs dry. Some of this can be overcome with practice—no one tells Jerry Miculek his revolver reloading times are slow. While the rest of us are mortal and can only aspire to someday be a tenth as fast as Jerry, with repeated practice, getting rounds into the revolver can be done faster. Best of all, this can easily be practiced at home with snap caps or dummy rounds.
It's the revolver’s ease-of-use and small size that grant it a stay of obsolescence. The Roscoe is 6½ inches long with a 2-inch barrel, 4.8 inches high and 1.4 inches wide, with an unloaded weight of 22 ounces. While the weight is a bit on the heavy side, it’s a trade-off that gives increased shootability for the small revolver—it’s nowhere near as punishing as the super lightweight unobtanium revolvers nearly half its weight. Shooting the Roscoe with standard .38 Special rounds was not unduly painful or difficult, which is not something I can say for my titanium and scandium “Snubbie from Hell.”
I’ve saved the best part of the Roscoe for last: The MSRP. While most revolvers these days are pushing four figures, the Roscoe is significantly less than four bills in MSRP. I’d wager it’s going to be available for less than $350 for the most part, and maybe even closer to $300 with the right sale or rebate. There’s a 3-inch barrel version available, too, which is another rare bird. The only drawback I noticed when shooting the Roscoe had to do with the wooden grips: while they were quite comfortable, the left-side grips are full-size and impinge slightly on the spent casings coming out of the cylinder. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it will require some practice. Again, the beauty is that this can be done in dry practice, at home—just remember to grab a few empty cases the next time you hit the range.
Holster: Galco Front Pocket Horsehide Holster (MSRP: $94)
Owing to the small size of the Roscoe, we’ve opted for pocket carry, as this is one of the instances where the small revolver really shines. Galco’s Front Pocket Horsehide holster offers a solid option that fully covers the trigger guard and stays anchored in the pocket thanks to the rough-out construction and engineered hooks. The interior of the Front Pocket Horsehide holster is smooth to allow for a faster drawstroke.
It's the faster drawstroke that is one of the advantages to pocket carry. With a holstered firearm carried in one’s strong-side pocket, simply placing the hand inside the pocket allows for the concealed-carrier to have the firearm ready to draw well in advance of an attack. Practice the draw a lot, though—with adrenaline, it’s easy to remove the holster with the firearm with an imperfect draw. This is something that can be rehearsed in dry practice so that the draw from the pocket is smooth and predictable.
Knife: CRKT Cinco (MSRP: $64)
In keeping with the pocket-size theme of today’s kit, we’ve opted for the Columbia River Knife & Tool Cinco folding knife. With its 2.89-inch, D2 steel blade and flipper opening, the Cinco is unassuming and easy to operate, yet built to handle all the tasks for which you need a sturdy pocketknife. Scales are stainless steel with a G10 inlay, so they’re attractive, easy to hold onto and weather resistant, all of which are important in a knife you’ll have on you daily.
The Cinco is a handy, affordable and useful knife that complements the Roscoe well. Folks who prefer the simplicity of operation of a five-shot revolver should appreciate a knife that opens and closes quickly and easily with one hand, and requires minimal maintenance aside from periodic sharpening. It is simple and gets the job done—just the like Roscoe revolver with which it is paired. Best part, also like the Roscoe, is that the price is supremely affordable, with an MSRP of $64 and a current price less than a box of defensive ammunition.
