My favorite S&W is the bodyguard humpback.

Snag free profile with single action option. A slightly higher grip is obtainable as well. I always thought it looks better than even the tradition hammer profile.

Wouldn’t an L frame Humpback 686p with 2.5 inch barrel be the best carry piece!!

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I also have great affection for the humpback J frame. It's hard to beat them for deep conceal and ease of draw. If I had the extra cash I'd opt for the 649 in 3". It would be a great mate for my 438. Unfortunately, I sold a nice 49 years and years ago (Kick! Kick! Kick!) and wish I hadn't.

A 686 humper would be a bit too much for me as an AIWB piece, although it would be really nice in a pancake at 4 o'clock.

My 649 is an outstanding little revolver. I have tailored specific hand loads for it and if I do my part, it is as accurate as any that I have.

The crisp clean action of a J... makes me happy.

I just got one about 6 months ago on a trade deal and they guy threw it in I really didn't want it and thought well I will just trade it on something I like .Its a 638-2 .I have truly been impressed with tjis revolver like you said easy to carry easy to draw I mean quick and I read an old American Rifleman article I think it was the humpback S&W is the on.y gun not just revolver but handgun you can truly shoot from a jacket pocket and it reliably goes bang more than once .Not saying you would just saying you could .Anyway I'm keepin mine .

Next to a TOTALY ENCLOSED all steel 640, the humpy would probly be an EDC for me. It feels lighter, well balanced, good grip/feel in the hand/balance/point ability, it has A LOT going for it. Thanks S&W for ALL the fine choices.

Actually, the 640 and 642 which have internal hammers can be fired from a pocket carry position with no snag affect.

Personally, I never have understood the need for firing a snubbie SA, but that leads to my question,
does the hammer area collect a lot of lint that could ever effect its operation?

The recess will collect dust and fuzz.

I have two .38 Model 649s. IMHO they are the best pocket guns ever produced. Yes fire power is limited but these guns are completely reliable with no magazines, safeties or other **** to fail. I find these guns easy to point shoot also and yes I use Magna grips.

I know that the experts say single action should not be used. That's until one has to make a precision shot at some distance. It's a capability I want to have and will not give up.

Having a variety of holsters for them allows me carry one most everywhere it's legal to do so. With pocket carry they do pick up a bit of lint. It has never affected operation and mine get shot.

The single action feature is handy. I've used it many times. I live in the country and have had skunks come into my yard to eat the cats food.....single action allows a little more control for those shots you really don't want to get any closer than you have to. and the snubby just carries so easy so if you are having a skunk issue it can be as easy to access as reaching in your pocket for a jack knife. {this gun has more than just a belly gun use-ability}
{never had any lint problem} If you are having lint problems...not sure why a person wouldn't just clean their pocket. I carry my 638 in a Kramer pocket holster....I guess if there is lint anywhere in a pocket, it would be at the bottom or in the corners, not where the hammer is located when in a pocket holster.

I'm a fan. Currently my only humpback is this 1972 M38. I love the way it carries in the pocket.

WRT pocket lint; I don't care how clean your pockets are or how well your holster covers the gun, you're going to get lint in your gun. Cleaning and examining your carry weapon regularly should not be a foreign concept.

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I will agree with you that single-action makes the humpbacks more versatile and more accurate and usable at a long range.

However, I hope you're shooting those skunks far away from your house! Peeeeyeeewwww!

I like mine. After a lifetime of guns as a hobby this has become one of my favorites.
Shoots good, too! That's a 50 foot, single action, slow fired group.

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Could you guys tell me if this is a 49 nickel or a 649? It's not mine, just a pic on the net. Maybe it's one of yours. LOL.



I sort of like oddball type guns. So the humpback appeals to me somewhat. I did think it was very odd looking when I first saw it though. And it's not what I'd call overly striking. But I like the utility of it. I personally like DAO guns for self defense. But I also see the use for single action in certain circumstances.

But one of my favorite guys was Stephen Camp and promoted having a DAO for defense revolver. As do others. I could go either way, but definitely lean towards DAO. I carry a 442, but it wasn't necessarily my first choice of gun to carry. It just worked out that way.

Maybe since lint will ooze into any orifice or a pocket carry {hammer, trigger, between forcing cone, end of barrel} A person should either carry their pocket gun in a zip lock baggy or carry their lint in a baggy. The other option would be to carry their lint in a different pocket than they carry their gun. {or as suggested above , any lint will go away with a small amount of cleaning} {Sorry, making lite of this, I've never had a lint infestation but it may be the kind of pants I wear}

That's good shootin for a flatlander. Just messin with you.

Just be sure not to carry loose change in the same pocket. A dime could slip behind the hammer and tie things up.

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Well done > well said

I am fond of the 649 as well, and the picture above resembles mine quite a bit....
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I don't know about a L frame bodyguard but this is my version of K frame bodyguard. I used to have this Bianchi Lightning grip on a 2" model 10 but I prefer it on this 3" model 10 as I shoot it much better and didn't notice much difference with the extra 1" barrel.

The ability to ‘choke up’ (higher grip) on the humpback, as distinct from the centennial hammerless or Chief special designs (eg, M642, M36, M60) is important.

This is one of the HUGE benefits of the REAL Bodyguards (as distinct from the current 380 and so called Bodyguard 38) that is rarely mentioned!

The old M38 and 49 are my favorite j frames, in no small part because of this feature!

I think it's excellent advice not to carry anything else in the same pocket as the firearm, but at least in the case of the (original) Bodyguard line (Model 38, 49, 638, 649, etc.), this has proven to be an old wives tale. My EDC is a Model 38-0 and a Model 638-1, and I tried to jam the hammer with (American) pocket change without success. The only foreign object I'll allow in the pocket with my firearms is a handkerchief, and I always use a pocket holster (the DeSantis Nemesis is my favorite).

Regards,

Dave

Flatlander??!!! My Godparents were from Kenosha.

Dave is right: a coin won’t jam the hammer on a real Bodyguard.

I too carry only a handkerchief in my pocket with a M38 or 49: the idea of having to fish around a gun to locate keys, change or a penknife in a pocket is unacceptable.

I don’t use a pocket holster: just adds bulk and slows things down without benefit in my experience.

This model 638 is my EDC

My only J frame centerfires are a M49 (.38) and a M640 (.357).
Near perfection in a small EDC revolver.

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

Yes it collects lint, and when you pull the trigger it goes poof, straight up in a little cloud.

I can’t see and have not heard of one getting jammed due to debris. And the option of single action makes the gun a...wait for it...”Survival Kit Gun” for your bug out bag.

My 649 SA trigger rivals or is better than any other Smith I own.

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My 649-2 is one of my favorites.

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Dave Brown
SWCA #3279

Wouldn’t an L frame Humpback 686p with 2.5 inch barrel be the best carry piece!!

They did make a L frame2.5 inch barrel humpback, the model 242. It's a 7 shot .38 Spl.

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The lint and dust thing pertains to lazy shooters. I hope anyone putting their gun in their pocket is turning the pocket inside-out first to clean the **** out. Anyone carrying, if they care for their life, will look the gun over when they take it off for the day. As a rule, if you put a gun in your pocket, nothing else should go in that pocket. You should also use a pocket holster to keep the barrel clean and keep the trigger from being pulled. So what will get in the gun unless you're rolling around on the beach? Yes, I carry a 649.

I hear what you're saying. But murphy. Murphy might get in your gun. Not sure if that is really the case or not. I mean you have to draw the line somewhere at being concerned with the worst case scenario.

I have to admit, I don't do anything of sort, looking over my gun every night. But I carry a 442 and it's not typically in a pocket.

While I understand the benefits and affection that many on the forum have for their humpbacks, I just can’t get passed the “look”.....

That being said, my current summer EDC is this Model 60 purchased from a retired Cincinnati PD LEO who also happened to be one of their armorers. This was his BUG.

He bobbed the hammer, worked on the action and polished the frame to this shiny finish.

I know the polished “look” may also off-putting to some but, for me, it just plain works. This piece has the best trigger of any of my J-frames and is a pleasure to carry in a Milt Sparks VMII or a Mika pocket holster. Occasionally it will ride in a Mika IWB holster if deeper concealment is called for. The Uncle Mike’s grips also fit my hand very well.

Accuracy out past 10 yards is only surpassed by my 3” Model 60-15 or K-frame snubbies, as long as I do my job. Its function has been flawless and I only shoot/carry factory ammo.

The bobbed hammer assures a smooth, snagless draw and there is nothing there to risk binding the trigger.

While I have other “stock” 36’s and 60’s, this one has been my “go to” for practical EDC.

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Never had a bumpy and likely won’t. My 640-1 scratches that itch just fine. I prefer the in closed hammer. No place for **** to accumulate.

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I recently got a 638. Never really considered one until the the guy at the counter offered it because it was discounted. While the trigger was heavy, it was super smooth, and I figured there was nothing wrong with having an extra pocket gun (it being very light). I haven't shot it yet, but it feels super comfortable in my hand, more so than my Mod. 60 with the Uncle Mike's boot grip.