Is a J frame enough?

[Twiki357]

To me, a “J” is enough. I carry three different Airweights depending the weather. A 637-2 OWB under a winter jacket; an “all black” 37-2 pocket carry in the summer; and a nickel plated Pre37 when I feel frisky.

 

[Hometeached1]

The j-frame should be good enough, but if you can carry a G19 why not? I carry a 642 as well as a G19 or G30 with two spare mags and a reload for the Smith, so I might be paranoid, but I rather have more than what I need not "just enough". That is what is nice about being able to pick your own handgun, go with what works best for you.

 

[j1]

The j frame is good for all but a home invasion scenario.

 

[camsdaddy]

I think I would rather enjoy my life I have rather than sacrifice for a fight I hope to never encounter.

 

[Old Fuff]

Ultimately “enough” is determined by the courage and mindset of the user, combined with his/her skill that reflects the amount of training and practice they have gone through.

A snub-nosed revolver has obvious limits, but they are relatively easy to carry and conceal. A long history of use has shown that they are more then enough to carry the day in most incidences if the user is able to take full advantage of what they offer.

 

[PRM]

Nope I'd say it isn't!!! I carry one daily just for the bling. It's only good for hoards of foraging mice. I own three just because I like that number. Smith & Wesson has offered them for 64 years only because they needed it to round out their catalog and keep their workers productively employed. Taurus and Rossi have cloned the J Frame only because its chic.

Seriously, is this question being asked again...LOL. I've Been carrying J Frames as both primary and back-up guns in the course of my employment since the 70s. Works for me, maybe not for everyone.

 

[Hanshi]

I've carried my j-frame many times though I prefer my PPK. The little Smith feels good in the hand and is righteously accurate. "Good enough" is whatever one feels confidence in carrying.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

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.

A J frame revolver is quite capable of good accuracy out past 7 yards, I shoot them out to 25 yards and sometimes even 50 yards. It only requires more practice. I know I will probably never need to shoot a J frame out to 25 yards in a SD situation but shooting well that far out makes the shorter shots much easier to make!

 

[fastbolt]

Ultimately “enough” is determined by the courage and mindset of the user, combined with his/her skill that reflects the amount of training and practice they have gone through.

A snub-nosed revolver has obvious limits, but they are relatively easy to carry and conceal. A long history of use has shown that they are more then enough to carry the day in most incidences if the user is able to take full advantage of what they offer.

Nicely stated.

I tend to agree with Old Fuff and some others when it comes to carrying a 5-shot snub.

Sure, a short-barreled 5-shot revolver presents its own inherent considerations, but it's still more the mindset, skillset & experience of the user that determines whether it's going to be useful ... and able to be effectively used ... by the person who decides to carry one.

According to a couple different 1-day LE training lectures I attended in the last couple of years, the venerable J-frame snub has saved the lives of cops, on & off-duty, and continues to do so.

Nowadays we have an amazing variety of them from which to choose, too. For those folks who have already developed the skills & experience, or who are willing to invest the time & effort to do so ... and maintain that skillset ... the little 5-shot snubs can be very handy and useful.

Whether or not they're practical for any particular person and their anticipated needs? Depends.

 

[Hondo 60]

Whether a J-frame is enough depends on your proficiency with a firearm.

If you can hit what you're aiming at, then yes.
If you're not such a good shot, then probably no.

No, it not a definitive answer, but I think it's the best answer.

 

[jimbo555]

If you can't hit what your aiming at 15 shots ain't going to help you!

 

[JWH321]

I have had a 637-2 for quite a few years now and a "Chief's Special" before that. I have never had either weapon misfire - ever. I like my little P938, but it has to go a ways to be better overall than the 637.

 

[Monster Zero]

Wouldn't say that

"I call BS I say its good for headshots out to 25 if you dont use excuses. "

BZZZT. Not with someone's life at stake, it isn't. If a BG is 25 yards away from me I'm gonna do the smart thing and run away. 25 yards? Typical BG can't hit me with a handgun because I'm already 50 yards away... Now if he has a shotgun or rifle, why the heck am I going to go popping away at him with any handgun unless I know that I'm about to die anyway?

Best case I'm outta there. Second-best case I'm taking cover or getting in position to ambush him up close, handgun range where I can hit him under stress. I mean 10 yards or less.

Otherwise I'm outta there.

Otherwise as you were saying... yeah, a j-frame oughta be enough unless you have a bulldog you can carry instead.

JMO. YMMV.

 

[Blueduck]

Their are a lot of videos posted online of armed confrontations. Would suggest looking at some if you have not done so to familiarize yourself with how they look as compared to other ideas people have gotten from movies and even most training.

Then make your decision from there.

 

[grimjaw]

If you can carry a G19 concealed with the majority of your wardrobe and get away with it, I'd say stick with it. I can't, and a J-frame (or the equivalent in size) works where the G19 doesn't.

 

[Hometeached1]

Their are a lot of videos posted online of armed confrontations. Would suggest looking at some if you have not done so to familiarize yourself with how they look as compared to other ideas people have gotten from movies and even most training.

Then make your decision from there.

+1 It's not like in the movies at all.

 

[tomrkba]

While it satisfies the first rule of gun fighting, it is not enough. The short barrel makes it difficult to shoot. Actually, small snubbies just stink to shoot overall. I much prefer a revolver with a four inch barrel and six to eight MAGNUM cartridges in the cylinder. If you're going to limit yourself to a revolver, don't choose the worst one with a weak 35 caliber cartridge.

 

[Haywood]

I always carry Two 357 Snubs but, Two J-Frames would work.

 

[AFDavis11]

Enough for what? Until you can finish the sentence you'll never know, and then you still won't know. I think everyone is satisfied with the gun they carry, and no one is ever satisfied with the gun they fight with.

 

[PRM]

The short barrel makes it difficult to shoot. Actually, small snubbies just stink to shoot overall.

That will vary from one shooter to the next. And depends on the skill level of the individual.

I much prefer a revolver with a four inch barrel and six to eight MAGNUM cartridges in the cylinder

Again, preference and intended use. There are times when I do like a larger/longer barreled revolver. I don't care for the magnums, and that is personal preference. If I'm going bigger, I like the .45LC or .44 Special. Problem being a 5.5 SAA is harder to carry and conceal compared to a J Frame. The OP's question, "is a J frame enough?" History and the volume of posts says it is. My favorite J frame is a Model 36-1 (3 inch heavy barrel round butt).

 

[km101]

It's been enough for me for almost 40 years! I carried a model 36 until I got a model 60 and that was my EDC for years. Now I alternate between my model 60 and my pocketsize 9mm.

Whether it is enough for you depends on your ability, training and mindset. I realize that a snubbie is not for everyone but I like them and carry them. YMMV

 

[Gun Master]

J Frame Enough ?

Sure, it is to me, for most of the time. My Model 38 is my most often carry, but I plan to see how the CZ82 in a shoulder rig works out.

When I'm feeling kinda lazy, confident, or just rather have something over nothing, I'll take my Kel-Tec P32.

 

[strambo]

I'm not going to talk about guns or capacities as that has been hashed out already ad naseum. However, the OP and many posters are conflating two very separate things when they think along the lines of that since they live in a safe area and practice good avoidance skills then (fill in the blank lesser firearm) is enough.

The odds of being in a violent situation are completely divorced from the severity of a violent situation. Should you find yourself in a violent confrontation, that the odds of it happening were 1/1 million, now have no bearing whatsoever on the best tool with which to handle it.

If you knew you were going to be in a gunfight at some point in your life (100% chance, no way to avoid it), but couldn't predict the day, what gun would you carry?

 

[PRM]

If you knew you were going to be in a gunfight at some point in your life (100% chance, no way to avoid it), but couldn't predict the day, what gun would you carry?

It would most definitely be my rifle - but since carrying it concealed is a bit out of the question. It would still be one of my J frames.

 

[Kleanbore]

An Airweight Centennial was my first concealed carry piece. It was convenient; many others seemed to be carrying them; and after all, I did not really expect trouble.

Two things caused me to retire it from primary carry a few years ago:

• Trigger pull--others may be able to do well with it, but I cannot.
• Capacity--In Post #25, Skribs outlines the issue quite well; I had never realized just how much better 6 shots might be than 5, or 7 or 8 than 5.

It took a few things to make me realize that higher capacity and a better trigger were a good idea:

• I took a high performance defensive pistol course focussed on getting a couple of hits very quiclkly on two or more rapidly moving asssailants, and found a semi-automatic much, much better.
• A member here pointed out that my risk assessment, which had been based on the judgment that I was unlikely to need to draw in the first place, was heavily flawed. The question should have been, what would I likely need in the event of trouble. In Post #48, strambo expresses that very clearly indeed:
  

  The odds of being in a violent situation are completely divorced from the severity of a violent situation. Should you find yourself in a violent confrontation, that the odds of it happening were 1/1 million, now have no bearing whatsoever on the best tool with which to handle it.

• A little fact- checking indicated that if I were attacked, the likelihood that I would face more than one violent criminal actor would be far from remote.
• JohnKSa ran the numbers cited by Skribs; that analyis was a real eyeopener.

Of course, a J-Frame is a lot better than nothing. A Colt Cobra with a hammer shroud would be that much better.

I had never thought much about carrying a back-up gun, but it occurs to me that when a driver is belted into an automobile, accessing a a firearm from a right-hand IWB holster might not be sufficiently timely. A revolver in a pocket holster in the left hand pocket of a bomber jacket could be just the solution.