As a retired law enforcement firearms instructor, and someone who has been in actual armed confrontations with suspects, I'd just like to add my two cents on something.

I see a lot of threads about j frame revolvers, and especially light or alloy frames, and the fact that they do have some pretty snappy recoil. Yes they do and it is very noticeable when you're at the range.

That being said, if you are unfortunate enough to be involved in an armed confrontation, I can tell you from personal experience, under that stress, you probably won't feel the recoil at all. Your body will react to muscle memory, and there will be no thought of recoil, only your fight or flight instincts. Which if you are shooting your J Frame, you've made the decision to fight.

Yes they can be a pain to shoot during range sessions, but practice doesn't always require live fire. Dry practice is very important to maintaining your skill level with a firearm. So take your J Frame to the range and make sure it's stone reliable, and then go from there.

Again only my humble opinion based on 38 years as a firearms instructor.