The end of the J-frame era

[Old Dog]

I finally did it.

Sold off my last (non-.22LR) J-frame (a cherry 442).

Over the past few years, I'd already divested myself of an unfired Model 37, a minty Model 36, a sweet Model 60, a (post-lock w/MIM) 637, a 3" Model 36, and a beat-up 642 (post-lock w/MIM and peeling finish).

I kept my 4" Model 63; it's a 6-shooter and I don't really think of it as a J-frame, since it's not a snubby, it's a six-shooter and it's not in .38 SPL.

After being an owner of at least a couple J-frame snubs at any given time for the past 40-odd years, I came to a few realizations: (1) they're not that fun to shoot; (2) I don't shoot them all that well (granted, I rarely practiced with any of 'em); (3) I just have never bonded with any of them (beyond the 63, which is splendid fun) and (4) I rarely carried any of them since the advent of the tiny reliable, concealable pistols in .380 ACP and 9mm.

I came to feel that a small autoloader with a bigger payload and far superior sights (especially given the great night sights available now), that pointed better, shot faster (better triggers, superior muzzle velocity), and concealed better was the direction in which I needed to go. Plus, there was always that nagging capacity issue and the slowness of the reload.

I hung on to my J-frames for many years out of pure sentimentality.

So my question is: Is there anyone else out there who's given up owning and/or carrying J-frames for the same or similar reasons?

If you still like your J-frames, why? Sentiment? As collectibles? Primary carry? BUG?

 

[JimCunn]

I use my Airweight 9mm J-frame for primary carry.
Why ?
It's light, dependable, and quick.
I carry a semiautomatic as a BUG.

 

[PavelSJ]

I use my Airweight 9mm J-frame for primary carry.
Why ?
It's light, dependable, and quick.
I carry a semiautomatic as a BUG.

The only option to that are Rugers LCR, LCRx, S&W does not offer light weight J-frame 9mm. They can make 14oz .357 but not 12oz-14oz 9mm Luger
I don't bother with snub revolvers because XTP .38 bullets will not expand at .38 Special velocities. I am going to buy 3" or 4" .357 so I can use 125gr and 158gr XTP ammo. That can be used for both city and wilderness protection, therefore, ammo selection confusion can be avoided. Hornady XTP ammo is significantly less expensive than HST, Golden Saber, Gold Dot or PDX loaded ammo.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I still do and have no plans to get rid of them.

I admit though, that I have not kept up with or handled many of the newer small semis.

 

[PavelSJ]

I still do and have no plans to get rid of them.

I admit though, that I have not kept up with or handled many of the newer small semis.

Keep them, if they ever outlaw semi-autos you will be GTG.

 

[NeroM]

Not a J frame - however will never part with my LCR..... feels like an extension of my body,

 

[edwardware]

If you still like your J-frames, why? Sentiment? As collectibles? Primary carry? BUG?

It goes in my pocket.

That's the whole sales pitch. I see no reason to carry a J frame if you're going to put on a holster, and all the other goes-in-my-pocket options are worse (underpowered, tiny controls, tiny grip, etc). The 38Spl J frame is the apex of pocket carry, when a holster isn't practical.

 

[Pat Riot]

I have owned at least one J frame .38 over the past 27 years. I currently have 2 plus a Colt’s Detective Special.
I do not foresee a time when I won’t have a J frame.
My 442 is often my primary carry gun. Sometimes it’s a backup riding my ankle or jacket pocket. My model 36 goes for rides sometimes as well. I actually shoot it better than the 442, but the added weight relegates it to second fiddle to the 442. Especially in the hotter months of the year.

 

[WisBorn]

I have 3 j frames (442, 642, & 637) and a Taurus 605 357mag. The 442 finds itself in my front pocket more than any of my other carry handguns.
The shape of the centennial model comes out of my pocket easier than my pistols. It is not ammo sensitive, like some semiautomatic pistols can be. The modern micro 9mm has 2 advantages over a j frame one being capacity and they are a little more accurate for the average shooter (like myself). The trade off is a heavier handgun.

I will always have a j frame option, along with a micro 9mm and micro 380acp.
The high capacity 380acp like the LCP MAX and Bodyguard 2.0 Give you the capacity of the micro 9mm and weight of the j frame Airweight.

 

[WisBorn]

I wanted to share the screen shot showing the centennial hammer versus a micro 9mm.
In blue jeans it is normally a j frame.
In cargo pants with there pocket shape the micro 9mm is easier to draw, similar to the j frame

 

[lincen]

As my hands get older I have sold or traded my J-frames that are 38 special or 357. But my selection of 32’s and 22’s has increased. Most recent purchase was the new 32 magnum Lipsey’s Ultimate Carry. Six rounds in a lightweight pocketable revolver that is comfortable to shoot.

 

[Tallball]

Semiautos have way more malfunctions. It's not even close. I've practiced with my snubbies a lot over the past 40 years and can shoot them accurately.

My neighborhood is poor with a lot of homeless addicts sleeping by the creek and the baseball fields. There aren't any "gunfights" (or I would have heard them), but people get beat up and mugged and stabbed. I would much rather have a revolver when Toothless Tommy lunges out of the bushes and grabs at me.

I have to do daily walks for my cancer rehab. I'll be walking around my neighborhood with my 642 in about an hour. My large and serious dog is a very good deterrent, but I'll have pepper spray, a knife, and a 38 snub with me, just in case.

I usually carry my 642 or LCR in 38 special. I have a Taurus 905 (9mm snub) and CA Pathfinder (22lr snub) for cheap practice.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Keep them, if they ever outlaw semi-autos you will be GTG.

If they outlaw semi-autos, no one will be GTG.


To the OPs point, ya I've had lots of J-frame .38s over the years. They are a pain to shoot and bigger pain to shoot well. Swore 'em off. The Colt D-frame is only a smidge bigger and way more shootable with an extra round of capacity to boot.

 

[Bill_in_TR]

Well I only have one snubbie, a Taurus 605 that I am very happy with. It is 357 but I carry it with 38 +p loads and practice with modest 38 special loads. I have the option of shooting 357 if I really want to but I don't shoot the full house loads. I don't anticipate parting with it any time soon. I don't have and am not interested in a micro 9/380. My smallest semi auto is a Sig P6 which I also carry a lot.

I really like my little snub and feel like I shoot it fairly well. Fortunately in spite of my age I don't suffer from any painful conditions preventing me from shooting it. When that day comes and my perspective changes there may be a snubbie on the market. Or I may give it to someone deserving of it.

 

[trackskippy]

Im down to one, a 642. The only reason Ive kept it is to have one to shoot in practice and stay familiar with. And every time I shoot it, it reminds me why I got rid of the others.

Quit carrying one for any reason a long time ago. As you mentioned, for something that takes up the same amount of real estate on your person, the autos just offer a lot more, and make a lot more sense.

 

[Alain72]

My S&W model 649 38 special is a gun I’ve always liked shooting at the range. Super reliable.

 

[shoebox1.1]

I think the no1 answer for a J frame is the “throw it in the front pocket”. They are so light and easy to carry. I forget it’s there.

 

[jstert]

a 38sp j-frame is a highly versatile & customizable, reliable, concealable sidearm that can be set-up to satisfy just about anyone’s needs. pocket, waist or ankle carry. wild 38+p to standard 158gr fmj to mild wadcutters to uber-mild cbc shorts to snakeshot. roundnose, flatnose, hollowpoint all feed just fine. lots of grip options to mitigate recoil or to deep conceal. exposed or shrouded or concealed hammer. lightweight alloy to solid steel. no mags to buy, lose or crimp at feeding tip. easy to make safe, safety check and clean. intuitive, pretty much newbie-proof, manual of arms. strong- or off-hand, one handed operation.

there is no universally perfect ccw. 38sp ammo is pricey. a j-frame’s trigger pull is stout. five shots is just five, practice and make them count, and prudently consider one’s lifestyle habits and locales. however, with all due respect, if one cannot, or declines to, make a j-frame work for most anyone’s particular ccw needs, one has chosen to not try.

 

[Bill_in_TR]

I think the no1 answer for a J frame is the “throw it in the front pocket”. They are so light and easy to carry. I forget it’s there.

As much as I like my snubbie I scratch my head when people say they don't know it is there. I have tried various ways to pocket carry and concluded I don't like any significant weight bouncing around in my pocket. It is just uncomfortable to me. I guess maybe some would argue about what a "significant" weight is. At any rate I guess I am guilty of relying on what some have called "boomer carry". That's OK because I am one.

 

[243winxb]

If you still like your J-frames, why?

Light weight-
10 oz 337PD. 38 +P. 163 gr lswc @ 794 fps. Carry 24/7.

 

[Charlie98]

So my question is: Is there anyone else out there who's given up owning and/or carrying J-frames for the same or similar reasons?

Me.

I bought my mom a 3" full lug Model 60 back in the '90's... it fit her small hands very well (and she could actually outshoot me with it.) But arthritis got her, and I got it back from here, eventually. I started to carry it, but doing shooting drills with it I realized I was not a J-frame guy, or... in reality... a small revolver guy. New grips made a difference... but what I figured out was... 1) bigger grips negated the carry advantages of a smaller pistol, and 2) I shoot automatics better in the first place. I finally sold it to a good friend in WY, who bought it for his wife.

The one caveat to that would be a Model 63. For a brief while, I owned a 4" Model 63... just a great little pistol. I sold it because I wasn't shooting a whole lot of .22 back then, and I wanted the money for something else... but I now regret it, and not only because they are asking absolutely stupid prices for them, now.

 

[PavelSJ]

a 38sp j-frame is a highly versatile & customizable, reliable, concealable sidearm that can be set-up to satisfy just about anyone’s needs. pocket, waist or ankle carry. wild 38+p to standard 158gr fmj to mild wadcutters to uber-mild cbc shorts to snakeshot. roundnose, flatnose, hollowpoint all feed just fine. lots of grip options to mitigate recoil or to deep conceal. exposed or shrouded or concealed hammer. lightweight alloy to solid steel. no mags to buy, lose or crimp at feeding tip. easy to make safe, safety check and clean. intuitive, pretty much newbie-proof, manual of arms. strong- or off-hand, one handed operation.

there is no universally perfect ccw. 38sp ammo is pricey. a j-frame’s trigger pull is stout. five shots is just five, practice and make them count, and prudently consider one’s lifestyle habits and locales. however, with all due respect, if one cannot, or declines to, make a j-frame work for most anyone’s particular ccw needs, one has chosen to not try.

One benefit of 9mm Luger is good efficiency in snub revolver. The .357 or .38 out of barrel < 3" long make no sense to me.
I shoot medium or large revolver better then semi-auto, makes no sense especially in DA mode.

 

[Styx]

So my question is: Is there anyone else out there who's given up owning and/or carrying J-frames for the same or similar reasons?

No, I fo not ever foresee any logical reason to give up small revolvers

If you still like your J-frames, why? Sentiment? As collectibles? Primary carry? BUG?

Sometimes they're my primary and sometimes they're a BUG. IMHO there's no secret or rocket science to shooting J-frames or revolvers in general. The same main concepts that apply to shooting a semiauto well also applies to revolvers, e.i., proper grip, proper trigger pull, keeping sights aligned as the trigger is breaking, not anticipating recoil, etc. They all go hand and hand. If you're lacking with revolvers then you're lacking with semiautos too.

I prefer J-frames and smaller revolvers because they can be fired from the pocket, they're more concealable and print less due to not having a recognizable handgun silhouette. I can throw them in my pocket without a holster. They are more reliable especially if being fired during a physical altercation or while injured. Last, I'm a firm believer in reloading during a civilian self-defense altercation isn't a real thing.

I came to feel that a small autoloader with a bigger payload and far superior sights (especially given the great night sights available now), that pointed better, shot faster (better triggers, superior muzzle velocity), and concealed better was the direction in which I needed to go. Plus, there was always that nagging capacity issue and the slowness of the reload.

I don't feel as if semiautos' triggers are better, but rather just differ. I don't have an issue with DAO, DA/SA, SAO, or striker-fired triggers. Also, some semiautos have revolver like triggers like the Kahr series of pistols and many small mouse .380s and older single stack 9mm's that many still carry. Yes, a DA revolver trigger might be heavier; however, because I'm using my finger joint for leverage instead of my finger pad, a 11lb +/- trigger doesn't feel like half the weight.

I'm not sure we're you got the idea that semiautos have "superior muzzle velocity," because they do not. There isn't any meaningful difference in muzzle velocity between a revolver and a comparably sized semiauto.

 

[JimCunn]

" S&W does not offer light weight J-frame 9mm. They can make 14oz .357 but not 12oz-14oz 9mm Luger"

I've got three of 'em. I start with a .38Sp Airweight 637-2, install a titanium .357Mag cylinder to lighten it up by two ounces, and ream it for moonclips and 9x19.
Weight ranges between 11.5 - 12.5 ounces depending on which grips I'm running.
With 147gr ammo, velocity averages about 952fps and energy about 292 ft-lb. I consider that to be adequate for my purposes. I've got no desire to shoot .357Mag in them. Eject and reload time averages about 3 seconds if unstressed, which is faster than I can manage with .38sp.

 

[Styx]

One benefit of 9mm Luger is good efficiency in snub revolver. The .357 or .38 out of barrel < 3" long make no sense to me.
I shoot medium or large revolver better then semi-auto, makes no sense especially in DA mode.

.38 and .357 out of a 2" snubbing have been used and proven to be adequate for self-defense for decades. With the right choice of ammo, the penetration and performance is there to incapacitate any 2 legged threat. I can as can many others, get effective hits on a man sized target at defensive distances. Why don't they make any sense for you?

For what it's worth, I prefer medium sized revolvers like the S&W 686 and Ruger GP100; however, I can shoot both smaller and larger revolvers well enough to defend my life with.