anyone carry a i frame s&w 38? as a carry gun? back up to a bigger ccw? thoughts? pack a 3.5in pre 27 now and am getting a lil i frame 38s&w as poss an ankle gun or summer drop in the shorts pocket gun its hot here this summer in texas thoughts? heck it beats a poscket full of flat rocks?

I've gone one step farther down the power scale and carry a 2" snubbie version of the .32 Hand Ejector I-frame. I'm still looking for the same thing in .38 S&W (the Terrier) but don't feel naked with the .32 S&W Long and factory loads. I can (and do) get in a lot of casual shooting with it and not feel battered at my end, but at "social distances" I also know that 6 of those little 100 gr slugs will go where I want to discourage a potential threat. JMHO, YMMV.

Froggie

froggie,

true im thinking the same, no its not a 357magnum, BUT as hot as its been here in texas this summer, i feel safe dropping in my pocket and heading out at the distance its made for it will do the trick. as i said i dont wanna be shot with anything. have a lil baby browning as well i carried in an extra cuff case but dont carry it in my pocket the dang saftey keeps coming off... so terrier gets the nod

I carried a pre war Terrier and a "Baby" Chiefs Special (pre 36) alternately as back up guns during warm summer months for almost 40 years. Perfect in the pocket, inside the waistband or on the ankle. I have no reservation about the 38 S&W up close and personal, being underpowered. There are plenty of cemetery's whose occupants could attest to that....but they ain't exactly chatty. LOL

Cheers;
Lefty

I don't have the low regard for the .38 S&W that some others do, and if I had a Terrier and needed to pocket carry something on my travels out of the house, I would consider it an adequate piece of personal protection. My basic yardstick is this: if a round has the power to kick hard and bruise a knuckle in a small revolver, it has the power to do way more damage on the other side of the muzzle. I find that if I'm not careful about my grip, even .38 RPs can be uncomfortable to shoot -- and they are heavier than Terriers.

Still, if I had the option, I think I might pick a Chief's Special or Centennial because the variety you can find in the .38 Special cartridge. Yes, the small amount of additional steel makes for some additional weight, which is not a disadvantage in my opinion. And if bulk was not really an issue, I'd go with the humpback bodyguard model -- 49 or 649.

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David Wilson

The revolver on top is a reblued, early Chief on the I frame, and even with a reblue it's 85-90%. It is a 38 Special, not a 38 S&W. Mechanically it is tight. The gun shoots really well, very accurate for close quarters, and it gets it's share of time on my belt.
These 2" Chiefs, if you fire them single action, are quite capable of plinking cans and such at 75 feet give or take.
I stick with revolvers because I have yet to meet a semi that I can be as accurate with.

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Geoff. Since 1960.

I bought a Terrier 38 with the intention of experimenting with loads to see if it could be made into a viable carry piece. I pushed a 125 JHP to a clocked 975 FPS from the Terrier, which is 100 FPS faster than factory +P 38 Specials run from my 2" guns.

I found that the Terrier was only about 1/4" smaller than a J Frame and the slightly larger gun in 38 Special offered more potential (I load 38 Specials to around 1100 FPS from my 2" revolvers) so now the Terrier is a toy.

If restricted to factory ammo the 38 S&W cannot be considered for CC in my opinion.

STILL WOULDNT WANNA BE SHOT WITH IT

Prior to the .38 Special becoming the standard police ammunition, during it's use and afterward, the .38 S&W was effectively performing in the defense arena. No one can calcualte the number (many, many thousands?) of creatures it has dispatched for good or evil purpose, throughout it's existence. Logically, there have always been larger and more powerful cartridges available, if one wanted that option. The argument that the .38 S&W standing on it's own is anemic, is entirely academic, except when it is compared with other more powerful standard ammunition. It's like comparing a .22 LR to a .44 Mag. A foolish argument indeed, when it has been said that more people are killed with a .22 than any other round. The same is true with the .32 Long, .25ACP, .32 ACP and a whole bunch of older cartridges when that argument is made. Every one is capable of killing.

There's always a more powerful cartridge, that's my view.

Cheers;
Lefty

Geoff;

It is not an I frame. It is a J frame, pre Model 36, referred to as a "Baby Chief". It has the shorter I frame grip and smaller round trigger guard. It is impossible to fit a .38 Special length cylinder into an I frame. Just wanted to clarify this for our readers. BTW....both nice examples in your photos.

Cheers;
Lefty

I sometimes carry my one of my Terriers or even antique top breaks in this caliber. Used as intended, at spitting distance to get a bg off of you, ANY well-placed round will do the job.

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Chris
SWCA #2243 SWHF #292

donnidee, I know this sounds a little off the center of this thread, but I carry a Ruger LCP in my back pocket every day. I have a mod 36 and several 3" I frames but I just don't want to subject them to what I do to this poor Ruger. When the big hay field is ready, I can spend 50 hours in the field over a four day period. I know y'all have been hotter in Tx than here in Al. but temp atop a Kubota is still hovering around 120 by afternoon.

All that said I have had the Ruger totally wet from sweat and has to be disassembled weekly. I can replace it if I screw it up, not so my Smiths. So out of respect to your Smiths, if you drop it in your pocket wipe it down when it comes out of your pocket.
Just my thoughts Larry

I wouldnt carry my 38 S&W Terrier mostly because its too nice to ruin carrying but I would carry it if I had to choose between it and a much larger gun.
Luckily I have a M37 Airweight thats lighter, more powerful and wearing CTC laser grips.

Also had an LCP but didnt like the trigger pull, traded it for a flat latch Model 38.

Luckily for me, I've got the option of various snubbies. Not
only that, but I've got a BellCharter Oaks holster that fits both
I-frame and J-frame. All my blued handguns wear a coat of Renn. Wax
to ensure the rust won't start. I've also been known to wax my long guns when hunting in rain or snow.
Terrier's are just so fine! TACC1

I have been thinking about all this talk about .32 longs and .38 SWs for personal defense. Sure, you can do it, we all have a choice. But is that what you really want to do? Don't get me wrong, I love these cartridges and the guns they lay around in. They are great for shooting cans and grasshoppers and such. On the other hand, would you take them deer hunting? If not, why not? Would you value your own life less than that of a wounded deer? Think of them as a bodyguard, because that is what they really are. Who would you rather have to back you up in a dark ally, Mike Tyson or a half blind pygmy? Sure, the pygmy may be able to run up and stick an icepick in the bad guy's liver, but don't count on it. Most likely the pygmy will just kick him in the shin a couple of times. In a gunfight things can happen that you have not thought of. Maybe you only get one hit. Maybe the Goblin is wearing a heavy coat. Maybe your injured and can't shoot straight. Maybe you can't shoot straight even on a good day. Who knows? So why would you push you luck even more with an inferior round? Gen. Patton said about luck....."We only have so much of it." I think many times we get a new gun like a terrier or 32 HE and we feel all warm and fuzzy about it. We start thinking with our emotions....and that can lead to danger. Truth is we should all carry a rifle for self defense, but it would not be good to get your haircut with an M1A1 laying across your lap. So the next best choice is a handgun. As it's been said, choose wisely. I can only say one thing for certain. If you ever find yourself in a gunfight, you will not be able to change your mind about caliber after it starts.

Hexer, Well said but to mutilate an old quote, better to have a BB gun in your hand than a 44 Mag at home in the safe. That is why I carry the LCP.
I'm familiar with it and with the little DeSantis pocket holster it goes in the back pocket every day.
Larry

I am not debating .32 versus .38 S&W versus .38 Special

But if you want a very small and easily concealed .32 S&W/Colt revolver here's a Colt Pocket Positive.



If I ever carry concealed it will probably be a .38 Special M36 2 inch with bobbed hammer that I have.

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

Not to drift too far,but I've been in the position to use a High Standard .22 Mag. Derringer for serious social discourse.The .22 mag is a serious killer if you can place your shots. Nick

BUUUUTTT... more political and Mafia hits have been done with the .22 short, a decidedly inferior choice for deer hunting. The assumption for me, at least, is that a concealed carry piece is a last ditch response that will be utilized at close range. If I'm expecting trouble, a 12 ga pump full of buckshot is my first choice. The little, "inferior" gun in hand will do a lot more good than the superblaster that can't be carried anywhere except the range or the hunting fields. If you are a LEO and in uniform, the parameters change, but we are talking CCW for a civilian here, and actually carrying either of the CF pieces mentioned (or even the various .22s) will mean you are armed, if not intimidating. JMHO, but if you want to weigh yourself down with something bigger, go for it... it's an intensely personal choice.

Froggie

true im thinking the same, no its not a 357magnum, BUT as hot as its been here in texas this summer, i feel safe dropping in my pocket and heading out at the distance its made for it will do the trick. as i said i dont wanna be shot with anything. have a lil baby browning as well i carried in an extra cuff case but dont carry it in my pocket the dang saftey keeps coming off... so terrier gets the nod

"JMHO, but if you want to weigh yourself down with something bigger, go for it... it's an intensely personal choice."

Yes it is, but there is pretty well no practical size or weight differential between a Terrier and a Chiefs Special, and the probable differences in effectiveness between the better loadings in each chambering is worth considering. If you have decided to carry and decided on a steel J frame, there may be better choices than the Terrier.

Just sayin'.

I always carry my Model 37-3 Airweight in my back pocket.