I agree with this — I bought a S&W 642 .38 revolver earlier this summer and have found myself switching to carrying it almost exclusively. It shoots really well (although the recoil is brutal with +P rounds, not something I ever expected in a .38spl) but at the same time is amazingly concealable. My other carry gun is a glock 29 in 10mm, but it’s bigger and requires more attention to the holster than the revolver does. The .38 revolver, in contrast, as Hugin says, can just be slipped into a pocket and the lack of a hammer spur means it can be drawn instantly. it also works really well for appendix carry, meaning that the pistol is always in the most available position for defensive use.
Accuracy is excellent but takes practice on the long hard DA trigger pull.
I also have a S&W 642. I think it is a great revolver for concealed carry too. The long trigger pull is also the safety.Practice staging the trigger. You take up all the slack,then you are ready to fire the weapon. Also I installed a reduced spring power kit. It makes the trigger a lot easier to pull. I think MidwayUSA has it. Also a extended grip makes it help with the recoil. I just put a laserlyte on it. It’s my wife’s gun, I have a Taurus tcp .380 with a Clipdraw. I keep one in the chamber. Takes some getting used to. I hope this little bit of info helps, good luck and be safe.