Is a J frame enough?

[camsdaddy]

I was just thinking this question had never been discussed so I thought I would ask.

I have heard the story of 10 gun guys sitting down at dinner and all have a J frame in their pocket most as their primary if they were carrying at all. Most of the police officers I know carry nothing off duty.

Over the past almost 15 years I have carried from a Keltec P32/NAA mini - Glock 17/4" k frame. Im 5' 7" 140 ish and I am capable of carrying almost anything while maintaining a grey precense. I dont look tactial or operatorish. Recently I have been carrying my Glock 19 because Its awesome at what it does. I shoot it well, it carries lots of ammo, it reloads easy, and is lighter than a K frame. I have been thinking though that maybe its over kill. I live a low threat lifestyle and would like to think my situational awareness is above average. Im begining to wonder if carrying a 19 is overkill. I also have a 26 and I simply shoot the J frame better. I wonder if my J frame would serve me just as well. The only time in all of my years Ive needed my carry gun was to dispatch a water moccasin and the J frame was on task. If I never draw my gun I will be as happy a hound in the sun. I know there are those that say a j frame is a belly gun for contact distances I call BS I say its good for headshots out to 25 if you dont use excuses.

I know its cool to talk about the latest and greatest. I know its cool to have the latest and greatest. Im just wondering how many of you carry a J frame? How many of you did carry a J frame until something happened to change your mind.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Been carrying a snub off-duty for over 20 years with confidence.

 

[pokersamurai]

I say carry the biggest gun you that you are willing to carry, and carry that gun all the time. If that's a Glock 19, good for you. If you want to carry a j-frame (or if that's all you're willing to carry), than carry that j-frame and become proficient with it.

All I can get away with carrying at work is a j-frame (I work in an anti-gun environment). However, I feel perfectly comfortable with it because I practice with it a lot.

 

[rswartsell]

Well not a J frame, but I consider myself in the ballpark with my late 4th issue Detective Special. I just like it better (trigger, hand fit, etc.). I like the sixth round, but it isn't a deal breaker.

I feel fully armed and comfortable with a snub nose .38. If I lived in Mogadishu? That would be an entirely different kettle of fish.

 

[bluetopper]

A J frame model 36, old flat latch model made in about 1961 is my primary carry gun. It works like a fine swiss watch and deadly accurate with my cast lead reloads. I can't see me needing anything else.

 

[heycods]

J frame rides with me. It is WAY better than a rock.

 

[Tancred]

I've owned several 9mms that were my carry guns. But ultimately, I gave them up for the extra reliability of a j-frame. I also like the craftsmanship of revolvers.

 

[CZ9shooter]

Model 637 for me. I may end up owning a little .32 auto before too long here. I will try it out to see how it carries, but I think the chances of it replacing the J frame as my primary are remote.

 

[Byrd666]

I would feel fairly comfortable carrying a J-frame. If that were all I had. However, having only the use of one hand, that would only complicate matters further for me if I had to do a stressful re-load. A stressful reload for me with a semi auto is bad enough, but, I've got quite a few more rounds to go through before that problem arises

 

[Skribs]

A thread a while ago (I'll find it when I get home and link here) discussed the amount of ammo you'll want on hand based on hit rate, hits per stop, and number of attackers. The number of rounds you'll want on tap goes up real quick even assuming 30% hit and 2-shot stops on 1 or 2 attackers. I would say if you like your j-frame, carry it. h
However, the old days of "revolver vs auto" were comparing 6x.357 vs 7x.45. Today you're usually looking at 5x.38 vs 10x.45 or 15x9mm. If you want to go small, .380 is roughly comparable to .38 snubbies in smaller autos with faster reloads.

I understand there are pros to revolvers, but I think for most people the auto offers a lot of benefits. In the pocket, a .380 fits better for slightly better capacity. On the hip, a compact is the same size for much better capacity.

If all you plan on carrying is a J-frame, then carry it. It's better than going unarmed, and if you need a gun chances are it would do the job just as well. But I'm a min/maxer, and I dont see a revolver as being as capable as an auto, all else being equal.

 

[MedWheeler]

I was just thinking this question had never been discussed..

Where did that idea come from?

Any gun is enough.. until it isn't. The point is that you'll never know until the encounter is over.
If you pull a Bond Arms derringer on two bad guys and they both flee, you had "enough gun." But, if you pull a Glock 19 and they keep coming before you can hit them enough to disable them, it wasn't "enough gun."

An overwhelming majority of self-defense firearms-uses follow the first scenario. I cannot remember reading of any cases of a law-abiding citizen just going about his low-risk day and suddenly needing more gun than he had (unless he had none.) Well, I do recall one, in December of 1853 (the "Jonathan Davis Incident".)

But, there are potentially hundreds of thousands of defensive-displays of guns that involve no shots being fired each year.

My guess is that, at the end of your life (assuming a low-risk lifestyle), you're gonna find out that a J-frame was more than enough.

 

[Drail]

Gun - not really important. Shot placement - really really important. If you can't place the shot where it needs to go then the type of gun doesn't matter at all.

 

[rcmodel]

Good enough for me.

A Model 36 Chief, or Model 49 Bodyguard since 1960 something when I first had enough money to buy the first one.

Way too late in life to change my mind now.
A 20 oz steel J-Frame is about my upper limit weight-wise for that type of gun.
Anything heavier has to go on a stiff gun belt in a good holster for god and everybody to see it.

If I knew I was going to a gun fight though, I would take a rifle or shotgun instead of a J-Frame 38 Spl.

rc

 

[skoro]

Yep.

Like you, I live a low risk lifestyle. I have a S&W 642 in my carry rotation and feel well armed with it.

 

[browningguy]

I have a 642, but to be honest if I feel comfortable carrying it (mostly out in the suburbs) then I feel just as comfortable carrying the KT P-32, or one of my .380's. Honestly I shoot all the semi auto's better than the S&W so it rarely leaves the house anymore.

But for those that shoot them well they should be just as good as one of the mini semi's, although harder to conceal.

 

[JERRY]

its better than nothing but I'm not delusional to its abilities.

 

[westy39]

I can only speak for myself and all the street cops I worked with for about 22 years, hel yes I carried off duty in the winter I carried my duty weapon. In the summer I carried my J frame. I tend to carry what ever I can best conceal depending on the weather, my attire and the occasion. The J frame is an easy pocket carry for me and most of the time I almost forget I carry it. It fits great in my Sunday go to meeting clothes as well as my day to day cargo pants or levis. Life is short so enjoy and use what works for you, however if you do carry a J frame please go and shoot it (a lot) to become proficient, as being unprepared is as bad as not being prepared at all.

 

[exdetsgt]

A long time ago when I was an LEO uniform my off-duty carry was a Model 36. Then when I made detective it became my on-duty carry, which meant I had to qualify at 25 yards every three months. This was not nearly as easy as with a Model 10 with a 6" barrel. However, about a week before each qualification I would go to the range and shoot at 25 yard targets until I got pretty good with a J-frame.

I guess the moral of this little story is that if you really like the J-frame make sure you can shoot it well; if not, just get a Glock 26 (10+1).

 

[PabloJ]

I now own fine R9 pistol yet still hang on to the S&W 940, therefore, it must be good for something. Bought several boxes of Emcon 147gr loads just for that weapon so it probably isn't going to end up someplace else any time soon.
If more is needed I would extract myself from that environment if I were you.

 

[WestKentucky]

Carrying a gun should be comforting not comfortable. Is a j frame enough? Can you dispatch a threat in 5 shots? Can you hit well enough to make a shot count is more important than weapon choice. Carry what you can hit with whether that's a desert eagle or a naa mini 22. Forget capacity unless your concerned that a greyhound of bad guys are coming your way (if so you might want to change lifestyle) forget power (500sw, 480, 460doesnt matter if you wiff it) and be happy with whatever is in your concealed spot knowing you can hit what needs hit.

 

[Jaymo]

Chief's Special loaded with Buffalo Bore 158 grain +P LSWCHP.
Fits in my pocket.
Very comforting.
Not as comfortable as the Kel Tec .380 I used to carry, but much more comforting.
It NEVER jams.

Shoots better, too.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm guessing there are A LOT of people who feel a J frame is "enough" since the J frame is S&W's best seller!

 

[CoalTrain49]

I carried a J for awhile. Lost confidence when I started shooting it past 7 yards. I moved to a M19 snub. I know everyone says 7 yards is SD range but I'm not buying into it. If I see it coming I'm not waiting for anyone to get close enough so we can talk about it. My J is in my night stand drawer now.

 

[Water-Man]

I've been carrying one for forty six years, had to draw and shoot twice back in the sixties with it, and I'm still walking and talking.

It's been good enough for me.

 

[Skribs]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=665883

This is the thread I referenced earlier: thoughts on multiple assailants, hit rate, and capacity. The thread undertakes some basic assumptions that are typical in this discussion: 30% accuracy, 2 shots to stop the target. It then calculates the likelihood of getting the number of shots required within a certain capacity:

For a single assailant and a 30% hit rate probability.
# of Shots : Probability of achieving 2 or more hits.
5 : 47.2%
6 : 58%
7 : 67.1%
8 : 74.5%
9 : 80.4%
10: 85.1%
11: 88.7%
12: 91.5%

For two assailants and a 30% hit rate probability.
# of Shots : Probability of 4 or more hits (i.e. 2 on each assailant).
5 : 3.1%
6 : 7.1%
7 : 12.6%
8 : 19.4%
9 : 27%
10: 35%
11: 43%
12: 50.8%

As has been said above, if you draw your gun and they flee/cower, then the J-frame is enough. If you draw your gun and they keep coming, and you fire once and they flee/cower (whether from the pain of being hit, or even if you miss and it just scares them that you're willing to pull the trigger), then the J-frame is enough. If you get attacked by 5 determined guys and stop one in his tracks with each pull of the trigger, then the J-frame was enough.

If you need 6 bullets, then that J-frame wasn't enough. But, like anything, it will always eventually be "not enough". The question is where you draw the line between "prepared enough" and "paranoid." For some, carrying a weapon - let alone an evil gun (sarcasm) - is paranoid. For others, if you don't have a couple of BUGs, you're naive and are going to die when you have a swarm of mall ninjas attack.