When you give a lot of folks the option of being able to cock the hammer on a traditional double action revolver, they do so ... and it might be argued that it's not always in their best interest. The time it takes to do so, especially under any stress, might be a concern ... and the resulting lighter & shorter SA trigger can be another concern ...
Watching a lot of revolver folks standing on the CCW qualification range at the 3 yard line, you see a lot of them take the time to cock hammers and fire their revolvers SA. In the real life stress of an unexpected threat of death or serious bodily injury at the hands of an attacker, up close and happening fast during a rapidly evolving, dynamic event ... the arguably fine motor skill of cocking the hammer of a revolver, after trying to draw and present it under difficult circumstances, might present some unwelcome difficulties ... physically and mentally. The time involved in observing, orienting, deciding and acting might be longer than most folks might realize ... and this is presuming their equipment (including apparel and carry method) is something that they can deal with during the stress of the event.
All of that being said ...
When it comes to personal preference regarding the handling, shooting and overall aesthetics of the small J-frames, folks often arrive at different conclusions when it comes to traditional double action versus DAO.
I happen to like the ugly little Bodyguard design, and have an older 649 .38 Spl model.
Been thinking about getting a 638 someday, just because I finally decided the all-steel model wasn't quite as convenient to carry as an Airweight, which is what prompted me to originally get a 642.
The DAO trigger of the 642 took some additional training time in order for me to consistently use it well enough to satisfy myself on the qualification range, though. When I was able to consistently score Master with it on our standard qualification courses of fire (meaning no more than 1 miss over the combined courses for each session), I finally decided I had enough confidence in my abilities with the DAO gun to carry it as an off-duty weapon. Sure, some of the courses of fire might be easier in some respects if I could cock a hammer for a SA shot (think head shots on Hostage-Taker targets at 5-10 yards), but sufficiently frequent training and practice can often resolve a lot of issues.
Now, when I'm practicing Bullseye at 25 & 35 yards with a J-frame, I find it's easier to make desired hits when shooting SA.
On the other hand, since my 5-shot snub revolvers are really pretty much only intended for defensive use, 3 of the 4 of them I presently own are DAO.
Just my preference ... but I'd still like to have an Airweight cousin of my older all-steel 649.
And yes, lint can become trapped in the frame of the Bodyguards behind the hammer, but it's simple to blow out at the end of each day. Care should always be taken so nothing else ends up there, though, especially if carried in a pocket/ankle holster.
