J frame for Home Defense?

[Ralph G. Briscoe]

"The .327 Fed Magnum is an answer for a gunmaker needing a use for a bunch of 3" SP101's in .32 H&RM - rebore the chambers/restrike the caliber - get Federal to make some ammo - new round! The .32 H&RM round took two decades to die - I'll be shocked if .327 Fed Mag makes one decade. Try to find brass & bullets - then afford them. .38's are cheaper - and a lot more plentiful. Rant off. YMMV!"

Gotta stand up for my .32's. The .327/.32 HandR/.32 long will be around as long as people handload. If you don't you're missing out on half the fun of the sport...and wasting a lot of money. The .327 chambering is more versatile than most handgun calibers--I have light loads using the .32 long case that are quieter than a .22lr...accurate and with no recoil. Loaded with wadcutters it's one of the most accurate target rounds going. My hot .32 mag loads generate more energy than my .38 carry load with modest recoil. The .327 mag is all anyone would ever need in a defense round. Finding brass and bullets is never a problem thanks to Midway and other online sources.

 

[Jeb21]

I am thinking about getting another J Frame for a bedside gun. A 638 with 2 1/2 barrel and laser grips would be my consideration.

Anybody feel that 5 rds of plus P is sufficient?

Yes five rounds of +p is more than sufficient if you hit what you aim at. For a bed side gun I would want something a little heavier to give you a better sight radius and recoil management. For example a Model 60 with a 3" barrel would be excellent for that role.

 

[RGMoore]

Sorry for the heresy but my night stand gun has been a 39-2 for the last 30 years. I switched from a wheel gun to a semiauto when my first child was a toddler and didn't want a loaded gun accessable. The mags went in one drawer and the pistol in the other. If they were old enough to figure out how to put them together, they were old enough to be taught to shoot. Those mags have been loaded for 30 years and when I shot the gun today, they still fed fine.

 

[Mphstiger1981]

(I know this is a Smith and Wesson forum, and I apologize in advance for the following post O/P, my wife can't handle the recoil from my J frame 642 even with regular or mild loads, but she does not mind the heavier and larger Glock 17. As many have recommended, take her out to the range and let her decide for herself what she likes better. She might surprise you.

 

[photoman]

(I know this is a Smith and Wesson forum, and I apologize in advance for the following post O/P, my wife can't handle the recoil from my J frame 642 even with regular or mild loads, but she does not mind the heavier and larger Glock 17. As many have recommended, take her out to the range and let her decide for herself what she likes better. She might surprise you.

Most shooters will do better with the full size 9mm compared to the Airweight J frame. That's good and well as long as the full size 9mm functions good and well.

Most shooters, at the first sign of a jam, just stand there and stare at the gun wondering what to do. Not a good situation to be in when some strung out meth addict is about to split your melon wide open with a baseball bat!

 

[enfield]

I am thinking about getting another J Frame for a bedside gun. A 638 with 2 1/2 barrel and laser grips would be my consideration.

Anybody feel that 5 rds of plus P is sufficient?

This would also be easy for my wife to use when I am traveling. Her Beretta is a bit too little in my opinion and my current Glock 17 is too much for her to handle.

Interested in opinions. Thanks

It's exactly what I use - 638, laser, LSWCHP +P, with a riot gun/buckshot in reserve.

 

[Az. revolver fan]

My wife is small and has tiny hands. A J frame is easy for her to handle but I think a steel frame makes more sense for recoil control. The air weights have nice price points but you will pay the price I recoil. I will keep my eyes open for a nice clean J in steel, like a 60 maybe.

Thanks again!

+1! Nothing wrong at all w/ a "J" frame for a house gun. But not an alloy or scandium framed model. The snubby is actually a good house gun in that there is less for a perp to grab in an attempt to disarm you, that said, an alloy framed model in .38+P would be very difficult to shoot at any distance or for an untrained family member, but an all steel model w/ Pachmayrs can be fired with deadly precision with very fast follow-up shots, plus, it is superior for the defensive stance of blocking with the weak side arm while firing. Remember the old rule about snubbies: alloy frames are for carrying but steel frames are for actually shooting. Still true today!

 

[Amend2]

I believe a J-frame with 5 rounds is sufficient, but....
My current bedside gun is a model 36-3 Ladysmith (steel frame, 3" barrel) with CT lasergrips. It is loaded with standard pressure .38 Spcl, as my intent was to have something my non-shooting wife could use in an emergency. That 36-3, kept inside an old fanny pack with the zippered compartment open, is only the first line of defense, however. It is within easy reach while I am still under the covers, along with 2 flashlights. There are several more options available after I roll out of bed.

 

[NE450No2]

Random thoughts...

For a home defense gun weight and, within reason size do not matter...

However, having "all" of your defensive guns be exactly the same, is not a bad plan. IMHO.

 

[kennyb]

38 caliber is fine for self defense....if she has to use it in that capacity ...i promise she will not even remember ANY recoil whatsoever

 

[roaddog28]

My number one home defense revolver is my model 10 4 inch heavy barrel. I shoot this revolver the best. My round is the old reliable LSWCHP 158gr +P. I like the Remington round but I have used the Buffalo Bore round.
I do have a back up J frame. My old model 36. I have used for a round the Federal Nyclad 125 HP. Great round for a snubbie.
Regards,
Howard

 

[PRM1]

I've been an LEO since the late 70s. In that time I have owned 3 Model 60s and 1 Model 649. I've carried them as back-up, duty and off duty weapons.

I'm not a big fan of the .357 or 38+P in the smaller guns. I like the standard velocity ammo best. Just personal preference.

Its hard to beat a J Frame S&W

 

[M2MikeGolf]

I shoot this revolver the best

And that is the answer to what is the best weapon for self-defense. In other words, the one that you are trained, practiced and proficient with. Any other information can just be fill-in-the blank.

 

[tacotime]

As you may know, Mr. Ayoob feels the FBI load of .38 SWCHP +P is a valid defense load.

 

[GKC]

Not discussed yet: Revolver vs. Semi-Auto for HD 'nightstand gun': The SA, when loaded, will hold tension on the magazine springs. Left untouched for a year or two, the tension in the mag springs becomes iffy IMHO.

I used to think so...but over the past several years, I have read many articles that say the opposite is true. It isn't the compression that weakens the magazine spring, it is the flexing of loading and unloading. Think of a metal coat hanger...if you want to break one, you bend it back and forth and the wire will break at the point of the bend. Many people have reported finding magazines that have been stored loaded for many years (perhaps an elderly relative's gun) and the magazines worked just fine.

I think a revolver is probably easier to operate under stress for someone not used to handling a handgun of any kind; a revolver is not likely to jam or malfunction (limp wristing, for example) in the hands of an inexperienced user. Every individual is different, though, and he or she should train and practice with the defensive gun to be used.

 

[XTrooper]

You CAN use a snub-nosed J-frame revolver for a nightstand gun, but that doesn't mean you should. The fact is, if this is strictly a "house gun" we're talking about, there's no good reason to limit yourself to 5 rounds and a short barrel. This all goes back to the old adage, "use the right tool for the job." Snub-nosed revolvers are a compromise to conceal-ability. When concealment isn't a concern, there are better tools.

It's true that the .38 Special is a valid defensive caliber, but much more so when fired from a 4" or greater length barrel vs a snubbie. I would suggest choosing a 4" or 6" barreled six, seven, or eight-shooter. You'll be better armed with more rounds, a longer sight radius, and superior ballistics over what the J-frame snubbie can provide.

 

[Sportsterguy]

You CAN use a snub-nosed J-frame revolver for a nightstand gun, but that doesn't mean you should. The fact is, if this is strictly a "house gun" we're talking about, there's no good reason to limit yourself to 5 rounds and a short barrel. This all goes back to the old adage, "use the right tool for the job." Snub-nosed revolvers are a compromise to conceal-ability. When concealment isn't a concern, there are better tools.

It's true that the .38 Special is a valid defensive caliber, but much more so when fired from a 4" or greater length barrel vs a snubbie. I would suggest choosing a 4" or 6" barreled six, seven, or eight-shooter. You'll be better armed with more rounds, a longer sight radius, and superior ballistics over what the J-frame snubbie can provide.

Well said. My BS gun is an 870 riot stuffed with 8 rounds of 00 Buck. I keep a Springer .45 and a model 66 snub as the weapons to let me or my wife get hold of the 870 if I/we have the time. With the 870 in hand you have a HUGE advantage over any handgun! I have mine attached to the box spring under the sham with velcro. Well hidden and easy to pull up the sham and rip the gun through the 2 velcro straps.

Them snubs take practice to be effecient with and you would be much better served with a K frame with a barrel length of 4 inches or less. It will help control the recoil of a +p .38 or .357 being a heavier weapon and is way more accurate IMO.

 

[XTrooper]

Well said. My BS gun is an 870 riot stuffed with 8 rounds of 00 Buck. I keep a Springer .45 and a model 66 snub as the weapons to let me or my wife get hold of the 870 if I/we have the time.

I like the way you think!

Coincidentally, my nightstand guns are a Mossberg 930 SPX riot gun loaded with 8 rounds of Federal LE reduced recoil 00 buck, a Beretta Px4 Storm .40 S&W loaded with 18 rounds of Federal LE tactical bonded 165gr HPs, and my PC 627 UDR stoked with 8 rounds of Winchester PDX1 .357 Magnum 125gr BJHPs.

 

[Tyrod]

I use a Contender fully loaded with a BB cap.

 

[armycook]

I have a 3" 64 on my side and my bride has a 637 Airweight on her side...same loads in both. Speaking of range time, she doesn't score much in the 10 ring, but I can guarantee a perp would rather take 5 rounds to the noggin than where she hits, slightly below the belt, consistently. Maybe she is trying to tell me something.