advice-flat latch j frame...refinish or not?

[Guillermo]

the case in point, this j-frame, is not a valued family member...it is a j-frame.

Since I don't where clown pants I can't pocket carry...and besides...keep too much crap in my pockets anyway

(cell phone, keys, speed strip and have a knife clipped on the edge of one)

Still, lots of folks just swear by the J-Frame. Are they all wrong?

I am going to try to find a use for it and if I can, I will refinish. If not, I will sell it to someone who will love it more than me...and I will have to find solace in my K and D frames (don't throw me in that briar patch!!!)

 

[PRM]

Yep - I've done that too. Started out with a $400 - $500 dollar custom job done on a Bisley. One thing built upon another, last came the elephant ivory grips. I'm still scratching my head how it got to over 2K.

Upside - I love the gun. Won't ever get rid of it unless something seriously bad happens. If I did - I know for sure that breaking even is a long shot at best.

Guns can be a costly hobby.

 

[Old Fuff]

Still, lots of folks just swear by the J-Frame. Are they all wrong?

Not at all. It was designed as a sidearm for law enforcement command officers and administrators who were required to be armed, but unlikely to get into a gunfight - hence the name Chief Special.

It quickly became popular with others that needed a back-up for a larger service pistol or revolver, and it worked well for the purpose.

It was also a hit with those who simply wanted a small but powerful snubby.

With an enclosed hammer (suggested to S&W by Col. Rex Applegate) it became an almost perfect pants pocket and ankle holster gun.

But as you stray away from these purposes it gets harder to justify over other choices that are slightly larger, hold 6 rounds of .38 ammunition, and have longer barrels, wider sights, and smoother double-action trigger pulls.

 

[ThomasT]

Hey Guillermo I am in Burleson Tx just south of Ft Worth. Home of Kelly Clarkson. She put us on the map.

But after thinking about your gun I am pretty sure it is not +P rated so it may not be what I would want after all.

I like the matt blue option myself. My uncle had a rusted Browning Hi-Power Parkerized and it looked super cool with that finish. With the matt finishes you can warm the gun and rub a coat of Johnsons paste wax on it and it seems like they never rust. I do that on my BP rifles that have been browned. In twenty plus years I have never had rust on these guns.

 

[Guillermo]

Ratshooter,

With all due respect to the talented young lady, one would think that Edward Burleson's service to Texas as a military leader and vice president would put your fine town on the map.

Of course it, being built prior to +P is not "+P rated" but S&W says that it is okay at 20,000 PSI, which is below what +P cartridges run.

All that is academic as I am going to cart it around some and see if I can find a use for it. Maybe I can embrace the ankle carry (although the flatness of the auto seems like it would be better)

 

[Guillermo]

it became an almost perfect pants pocket and ankle holster gun.

maybe I should bob it

 

[Old Fuff]

I wouldn't until you're sure you like it as a pocket-carry revolver, and in-an-of-itself you would pocket carry it or anything else. It does for some (including the Old Fuff) make an attractive option in hot weather when a covering garment is out of place.

Just don't try to make any quick draws while it's in its present configuration, and get a pocket holster that covers the hammer spur.

When (or if) you get to the point of seriously considering refinishing (especially the expensive kind) then take up the question of modifications. Also before you bob the hammer (if you do) see how well you can shoot it in the double-action mode. After you bob it you won't have any other choice, or so I hope.

 

[Guillermo]

Hopefully I will get the chance to shoot it this weekend.

I have shot J-frames a lot but in recent years have been shooting a lot more snubbies (Cobra and DB) so my opinion might have changed.

BTW, I almost never shoot single action. Sometimes when playing at the 100 yard range with "the Queen" (Colt Officer's Special .22) I will shoot single action.

 

[ThomasT]

/With all due respect to the talented young lady, one would think that Edward Burleson's service to Texas as a military leader and vice president would put your fine town on the map.

Yes you are correct but I travel around the state quite a bit and when people ask where Burleson is I ask if they watched American Idol. Most did and remember Kelly Clarkson came from here. Thats why I say she put us on the map.

As far as +P goes there seems to be an ongoing fued that +P is just what the original 38 load was and that it has been toned down and rating loads as +P is just a selling point for ammo makers. Regular 38s have been doing a decent job for many years.

I am glad you are going to give it a chance. I have bought guns in the past that I made a quick profit on and then regreted not shooting them a little before I sold them. I did that with a flawless model 12 snubby that I made a $150 profit on but never fired a single round out of it.:banghead: