a dilemma, need help

[old fart]

i have plans to carry my ruger service six, however i have a chance to get another gun or other gun items. i'm on a fixed income so saving is hard, but at least we aren't going in the hole every month. I have a 4 inch barrel service six, it shoots great and i will conceal it if i can. I have every single spare part that the gun will ever need if it ever needs it. now my budget won't let me get ammo every check, just about a box every month or so as well as supplies every few months. selling a lot of stuff we didn't use or need has put me in a spot of being able to get things I've been needing and wanting. I only have about +- 300rds ammo, and I know I need more and I would like a good holster. I have between $400-$500 to spend maybe a few dollars more but not much and adding more is out of the question. If ya'll had this dilemma what would you do? #1 get a smaller gun in 357 to carry or have as extra one, as I only want to buy one caliber to save money. #2 buy supplies and ammo for the one I have cause I shoot it good already. #3 get another gun the same size to have as backup, as its easy to shoot. if I get another gun, it won't leave much if any for extra's. so what would ya'll do? thanks for the help everyone.

 

[Cowbilly32]

Welcome to the site! According to your profile name you must be my father!! LOL

Do you plan to open carry, carry IWB or carry OWB? I would think this would make a world of difference. Maybe others would disagree but I for one would have one heck of a time trying to draw that self-defense tool from IWB. I guess I am in the camp of getting a dependable semi-auto for everyday carry. One that goes "bang" every time you pull the trigger. The main reason is shorter barrel length for ease of draw and more ammo at your disposal for dealing with multiple bad guys. Seems like the growing trend is for thugs to look for trouble with other thugs unlike years ago when it was a lone loser hiding in the shadows.

Just my $0.02.

 

[JCliff]

i have plans to carry my ruger service six, however i have a chance to get another gun or other gun items. i'm on a fixed income so saving is hard, but at least we aren't going in the hole every month. I have a 4 inch barrel service six, it shoots great and i will conceal it if i can. I have every single spare part that the gun will ever need if it ever needs it. now my budget won't let me get ammo every check, just about a box every month or so as well as supplies every few months. selling a lot of stuff we didn't use or need has put me in a spot of being able to get things I've been needing and wanting. I only have about +- 300rds ammo, and I know I need more and I would like a good holster. I have between $400-$500 to spend maybe a few dollars more but not much and adding more is out of the question. If ya'll had this dilemma what would you do? #1 get a smaller gun in 357 to carry or have as extra one, as I only want to buy one caliber to save money. #2 buy supplies and ammo for the one I have cause I shoot it good already. #3 get another gun the same size to have as backup, as its easy to shoot. if I get another gun, it won't leave much if any for extra's. so what would ya'll do? thanks for the help everyone.

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Well, you asked for it so here’s my two cents:
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Nice pistol, the Service Six, though perhaps not the most easily concealed. Not impossible though! I don’t know where you’re from. If open carry is an option where you live and acceptable to you, then invest in a good holster and carry! If that’s not a viable option and you’re in a northern clime, concealing it comfortably most of the year will not be overly difficult; if you live in a place like Miami Beach (or during a hot summer up north) it will be a little more difficult and/or possibly uncomfortable. My experience is that folks who don’t find a way to carry comfortably end up not carrying. So here we go.
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Option 1: Just stay with what you have. This will be the easiest and least costly of your options, because it doesn’t involve buying another firearm. You will only have to find a holster, or more likely a couple of different holsters, that will meet your carry needs. Without knowing your experience, physical stature, and usual style of dress I can’t possibly make meaningful recommendations as to holster type/style. There are a lot out there. Research on the internet and at your local gun shop. If possible, talk to someone who carries a revolver, find out what has worked for them. There is usually some trial and error here. What looks like a good idea may in practice not work so well for you. You don’t have to spend top-dollar here, but in my experience going el-cheapo on your holster almost always ends in disappointment and reduced performance, and then the additional expense of buying what you should have bought the first time.
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Option 2: Get another gun. There are so many options here that we could talk about this for days. So for our discussion right now I’m going to narrow things down. Let’s stick with .357 revolver options. Personally, I would not recommend getting another gun just like the one you have. I believe a toolbox with more than one type of tool in it is more useful than one with only one kind of tool. Check out these reviews from Guns and Ammo:
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Link Removed
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Hard-Hitting Handful: The .357 Magnum Review - Guns & Ammo
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The Ruger LCR and Charter Arms Pug, for instance, can be had new within the budget you mentioned. They are clearly designed for and will be much easier to carry concealed than your full-size revolver, and allow you to use the same ammo for practice and carry as your Ruger Service Six. You may find other choices nearby on sale or a good used firearm that will do nicely. If at all possible, try shooting one of these before buying.
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Option 3: Get another gun, the great leap. This choice involves trading/selling your Ruger and using the proceeds plus some or all of your additional money to buy something that conceals easier and is more economical to operate. The options here are virtually endless. 9mm will be cheaper (so will .45 ACP at times) and (both) usually more available than .357 magnum or .38 special (this observation about price/availability is anecdotal based on my experience in my area). This option may involve learning to shoot something completely different than what you’re familiar with. If you start thinking along this route, I can’t recommend strongly enough trying out a number of different pistols at the range to see what works best for you.
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Recommendation: My preference (without knowing anything else about you) is for option 2. It gives you two firearms that can be carried, so you are never left without one when one is in for repair, detailed cleaning, etc. It adds another tool to your toolbox. It gives you a firearm type you are already familiar with, far more concealable, shooting the same kind of ammo you already shoot. I suspect the smaller size will contribute to your carrying more often and in more circumstances. In the moment of need, the firearm actually on your person is far, far better than the one you left in the nightstand or safe because it was just too much of a hassle to carry. I am not so inclined to option 3, because I know if I had a Ruger Service Six in good condition I would not be eliminating it from my toolbox. If you did your homework shopping around, you could probably come out with two serviceable firearms in the option 3 transaction also. I recommend periodic training for anyone who carries a firearm or has one for self-defense. I don’t know if you have any experience with semi-autos, but if you don’t and you go down the option 3 road, then I would even more strongly recommend training before you carried one, and yes, that costs money also. Option 1 of course is the least expensive, but for me the least attractive. I simply would like more tools in my toolbox. There is nothing wrong at all though with the idea of only carrying your Service Six.
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Good luck, have fun looking around, talk to people, let us know what you decide!