S&W J Frame- Centennial vs Chief’s Spl. vs Bodyguard
- Thread starter Mr. Mosin
- Start date
I just played this game with myself. Ended up wth a Taurus 856 with 3" barrel. I wanted a do all to replace a few other firearms, and I just wanted the exposed hammer for single action, so - I could use it for longer shots and range practice as well. Weighs only 17 ounces unloaded, so - it is light. It depends what you want, for pocket carry around town - I dont think I'd want the exposed hammer, but I carry it hiking and the potential of longer shots is there, so - I went with a 3" barrel and exposed hammer. Taurus becuase they are less and it was the cheapest way to get something decent in my hands to figure out if it would work for what I wanted and it seems OK. I'll use it for a few years and then evaluate and see if I want something else. The little S&W airweights with no exposed hammer are probably the best for pocket carry just due to size and weight. The taurus I got IMHO, is a bit big for pocket carry, doesn't fit well in some of my coat pockets just as it is a touch longer than a 2" barrle version, but it is all a compromise, weight, size, and what it is loaded with. .38 Special is fine to me, out of a 3" barrel, don't plan to carry +P, but I'll have to practice with it more to really get a feel for it.
I prefer the centinel myself. I can get a little higher grip on it which makes for better accuracy and follow up shots then I can with my humpback. And as I do double action shooting with my self-defense revolvers I don't have a reason for a hammered gun in that frame size.
