How Many Have DUMPED their J-Frame for a NEW MINI Semi-Auto?
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sipowicz
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tomrkba
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I switched away from the small S&W revolvers because they are difficult to shoot. I hated my 442's. I tried the 640 PRO with 38 Special but the trigger needed work. I went to the Kahr CM9 with its revolver-like very smooth trigger and the Glock 43.
The good news is that I happened to really like the Ruger LCR's trigger. The sights are bad (only the 640 PRO had decent sights out of all these revolvers) but it is shootable. I got it in 9x19mm for ammo compatibility. The 9mm round performs between 38 Special and 357 Magnum. It is still a compromise on terminal ballistics, but Speer Gold Dot 124 grain JHP penetrates 18" of test media without expansion. The flat face yielded a straight wound channel.
The good news is that I happened to really like the Ruger LCR's trigger. The sights are bad (only the 640 PRO had decent sights out of all these revolvers) but it is shootable. I got it in 9x19mm for ammo compatibility. The 9mm round performs between 38 Special and 357 Magnum. It is still a compromise on terminal ballistics, but Speer Gold Dot 124 grain JHP penetrates 18" of test media without expansion. The flat face yielded a straight wound channel.
sipowicz
Member
I figure if a snub nose 38 served my dad as a daily carry for 63 years I might as well carry on the tradition.
Sawfish
Member
I have been tempted, but ammo compatibility is never an issue with my J frames.
DJINCO
US Veteran
I have also considered because of the snappy action of the .357. Now I am just considering using some of the "new" 38 special loads. Perhaps the 38 is a bit better on the wrist.
I have a couple of Sigs that are real nice, but none that are really small. The J Frame continues to be the most comfortable and easy to carry.
I have a couple of Sigs that are real nice, but none that are really small. The J Frame continues to be the most comfortable and easy to carry.
Ziggy2525
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I switched because of the round count. I really like my 642's, but I want more than 5 rounds. Maybe 95% or so of the random violent crime around here is committed by 1 or 2 BG's. I think 5 rounds works for that. The other 5% is committed by 3 or 4. Five rounds doesn't seem so good for that.
I'd rather carry seven .380's with another six I can load quickly, than five .38's with a slow load of another five.
I still use a 642 as my winter coat gun.
I'd rather carry seven .380's with another six I can load quickly, than five .38's with a slow load of another five.
I still use a 642 as my winter coat gun.
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If I went back on the job today I'd carry a modern auto loader just to level the playing field w/the opposition. In '74 I was involved in a gunfight w/three bad guys (BG) that held up a liquor store. After emptying my revolver twice, and hitting the BG several times, I was out of ammo but the BG was still advancing on another cop. Needless to say it left an impression on me.
Tradewind36
US Veteran
I've been leaning towards parking my Shield 9 and going with my 640. I have about a 10% FTF with the Shield using HST 147HPs that I haven't resolved. Shield works fine with Winchester target ammo but it doesn't like the HSTs, seems they get hung up on the feed ramp.
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The smallest semi-auto I currently own is a Glock 26. I will occasionally carry the Glock in place of a snub, but I can't see it ever replacing it. My primary reason for opting to go with an auto is significant additional capacity. I feel like I get that with the G26. I haven't shown much interest in guns like the Shield or Glock 43 because they have as large a footprint and are actually heavier than my snubs without offering a substantial enough round count increase to compensate for trading away the revolvers advantages.
I do have somewhat of a passing interest in very small, light autos that have an equivalent capacity as my J's, but are significantly smaller as well as lighter. I'm not overly enthusiastic about .380, but could see it filling a niche in certain instances since such small guns can go places and be carried in methods where even an airweight snub might be considered too large. The only problem is I haven't come across a model that has the reliability reputation that I'd like to see.
Neck Chain Holster: Stellar Rigs' Travel-Friendly Carry Design
I do have somewhat of a passing interest in very small, light autos that have an equivalent capacity as my J's, but are significantly smaller as well as lighter. I'm not overly enthusiastic about .380, but could see it filling a niche in certain instances since such small guns can go places and be carried in methods where even an airweight snub might be considered too large. The only problem is I haven't come across a model that has the reliability reputation that I'd like to see.
Neck Chain Holster: Stellar Rigs' Travel-Friendly Carry Design
Ziggy2525
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I have some different small .380's. I don't feel like any one brand has a reputation for reliability. The cartridge power is low enough and the manufacturing tolerances are wide enough, some individual pistols are very reliable, some not. Can't pick by brand.
My LCP I - Gen 2 stainless (2 of them) have been flawless. My LCP I - Gen 2 blued, not so much. I've seen some say their LCP stainless have been perfect and others say they have issues. I have two late model Glock 42's. Love how they shoot, but they're not reliable enough to carry. Other people with late model Glock 42's never have had an issue. Seen the same story with Taurus TCP's and Kel-Tec P3AT's.
I think there are super reliable .380's, but it's based on individual pistols, not a specific brand.
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TomkinsSP
Member
The LCR trigger out of the box IS really nice, (like a J AFTER disassembly, tuning and reassembly) AND you can get a decent front sight, several are available, just need a punch. I just wonder if the polymer parts will be 'good to go' 100 years from now (I have a 105 year old .32 S&W Hand Ejector that is ready for another 105 years.)
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TomkinsSP
Member
Please forgive my editing.
Agree, gotta love a steel framed J
Agree
I am worried about you. Where do you live, and what are you facing that, as a civilian, you "run out of ammo"...
Agree.
TomkinsSP
Member
Just me, but until I switched, I would be carrying the practice ammo. No amount of whiz-bang science or exponential projectile expansion matters if your carry doesn't go bang EVERY SINGLE TIME you pull the trigger.
I switched. I carried J frames for the last half dozen years or so, always on the belt, never in a pocket - my front pants pockets are already full of stuff I'm not going without (money, small flashlight, knives.) And I never found drawing from a pocket to be convenient or reliable unless I was standing up, so . . . belt carry. I like the dead nuts reliability, and even the possiblity of shooting through a jacket pocket (to which the gun has been discreetly transferred from the belt holster) with a revolver. Carried 38s and, for a while, 32 Magnums - an extra round, and with Buffalo Bore ammo just about as much muzzle energy as a 158g 38 Special +P.
And I could shoot 'em all pretty well, but not for very long. I couldn't stand more than a dozen or so full power loads out of any 2" J frame, whether alloy or steel, without it starting to hurt. (Alloy guns do hurt more and sooner, but even steel gets uncomfortable - for me - real fast. I can't even shoot a 120-round IDPA match with 38 Specials in a 3" K frame unless it has a cushioned grip on it, and that's spread over several hours.)
Recently, I had a chance to try several of the micro 9mm autos, and did so to prove that they were even worse than J frames in the pain department and so I could stop even thinking about 'em. But I found the opposite to be true - went through over 100 rounds checking 4 different guns, and ALL were comfortable to shoot, even the last magazine out of the last gun tested. (This test took less than an hour.) And none had a single malfunction of any sort (they were all well broken in rental guns.)
The attraction of comfortable practice coupled with the additional capacity and near-instant reloadability made me decide to switch pretty much on the spot. The fact that there is now an IDPA class for these guns is a bonus - so I can compete with what I carry like I did when I carried a Glock 26, but can NOT do with a J frame outside of the rare (around here) BUG gun match.
So I picked a 9mm Shield for its best-accuracy and -capacity among those I tested, and the $75 rebate helped close the deal. I have almost 1000 failure-free rounds through it so far, and am delighted with the choice. Turns out that using 147g Speer Gold Dots or Federal HSTs I get a bit more energy than I had with Remington 158g 38 Special +Ps or Buffalo Bore 100g 32 Magnums out of any of my J frames, so I'm even a bit ahead there. AND I can stand to practice with that power level (using lead bullet reloads for practice - lots of 'em.)
As for dumping the revolvers, that remains to be seen. Will probably sell some of the 32s, keeping a couple just because they're fun and accurate to shoot with soft ammo. I'll sell my 49 simply because I'm never going carry a blue gun again, and maybe the 640 because it would probably bring the most. The several alloy 38 J frames show some (or a lot of) carry wear, and so wouldn't bring much in a sale - they may just hang around for my kids to argue over.
And I could shoot 'em all pretty well, but not for very long. I couldn't stand more than a dozen or so full power loads out of any 2" J frame, whether alloy or steel, without it starting to hurt. (Alloy guns do hurt more and sooner, but even steel gets uncomfortable - for me - real fast. I can't even shoot a 120-round IDPA match with 38 Specials in a 3" K frame unless it has a cushioned grip on it, and that's spread over several hours.)
Recently, I had a chance to try several of the micro 9mm autos, and did so to prove that they were even worse than J frames in the pain department and so I could stop even thinking about 'em. But I found the opposite to be true - went through over 100 rounds checking 4 different guns, and ALL were comfortable to shoot, even the last magazine out of the last gun tested. (This test took less than an hour.) And none had a single malfunction of any sort (they were all well broken in rental guns.)
The attraction of comfortable practice coupled with the additional capacity and near-instant reloadability made me decide to switch pretty much on the spot. The fact that there is now an IDPA class for these guns is a bonus - so I can compete with what I carry like I did when I carried a Glock 26, but can NOT do with a J frame outside of the rare (around here) BUG gun match.
So I picked a 9mm Shield for its best-accuracy and -capacity among those I tested, and the $75 rebate helped close the deal. I have almost 1000 failure-free rounds through it so far, and am delighted with the choice. Turns out that using 147g Speer Gold Dots or Federal HSTs I get a bit more energy than I had with Remington 158g 38 Special +Ps or Buffalo Bore 100g 32 Magnums out of any of my J frames, so I'm even a bit ahead there. AND I can stand to practice with that power level (using lead bullet reloads for practice - lots of 'em.)
As for dumping the revolvers, that remains to be seen. Will probably sell some of the 32s, keeping a couple just because they're fun and accurate to shoot with soft ammo. I'll sell my 49 simply because I'm never going carry a blue gun again, and maybe the 640 because it would probably bring the most. The several alloy 38 J frames show some (or a lot of) carry wear, and so wouldn't bring much in a sale - they may just hang around for my kids to argue over.
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otis24
Member
I have, but only because I have issues with my shooting hand. The 38 rounds in an airweight J frame are a little more punishing on my shooting hand than the 9 mm rounds out of a Shield. One thing about the J frame, at least a hammerless, it can be fired from a jacket pocket and, nothing pocket carries like a J frame.
As a side note, an all steel Centennial (640 or 640 no dash .38 Spcl) might be less punishing, and therefore a more viable option. Its on the bucket list.
As a side note, an all steel Centennial (640 or 640 no dash .38 Spcl) might be less punishing, and therefore a more viable option. Its on the bucket list.
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I switched, not because I didn't like the idea or design of the J frame Smith, I just didn't feel like I was very proficient with it. Much happier with a Walther P99C, which I have found to be accurate and dependable.
The J frame is a great old design - it just for some reason isn't for me.
The J frame is a great old design - it just for some reason isn't for me.
Blademan
Member
I have carried a model 60 for over 30 years. My recent carry piece is a Springfield XDS in .45 ACP, but the model 60 is still toted it just rides in an ankle rig or in a pocket. For the times when I am not on a detail the 60 is still my pocket gun.
digiroc
Member
I live in Pittsburgh and there are areas that are gang controlled and it is possible to run afoul of heavily armed groups that could see me as a target for a car jacking.
This is obviously a worst case scenario, and while I will always hope for the best, it's been my policy to prepare for the worst.
digiroc
Shoot Well My Friends
