J-frame home defense?

[paladin42]

I really, really can't believe that a bullet of that caliber would do that.

I really, really can't believe that a bullet of that caliber would do that. I think that you probably missed the target, and/or the bullet was deflected after it fully penetrated the target.

=====================================

Shooting critters with .38 Special can be a eye opener. I once had a 148 gr. Target Wadcutter bounce harmlessly off of the head of a opossum. So we do need to consider the gun and ammo it is loaded with.

As I often post;

Do not confuse being lethal with stopping power. It may be of small comfort to your spouse, family and loved one if your attacker dies 1/2 hour after you do.

 

[wood714]

My nightstand gun has always been my carry gun. I was most happy with my 642. Then I switched to a P365 that I still carry. There has always been a 12 gauge pump leaning against my headboard too.

After reading this thread, maybe I shouldn't use my carry gun as a nightstand gun.

I think this will work out perfect, 30 rounds and pretty quiet.

If needed it might not look good to a jury?

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Yes, it is adequate. Any 38 Special ammo is fine.

Nice, short/pithy, correct answer. I like it and, obviously, I agree.

My EDC M649 is one of several handguns available to me for home defense. My nightstand gun is a 3" M686+ which is not so significantly different but for the extra 2 rounds. Both are loaded with .38 Special only. The 649 is nearby on a dresser, anyway.

 

[Jack Flash]

I would turn the question around a little and ask
"If a 5 shot J-Frame .38 Special is inadequate for defense inside the home, how could it then be acceptable for street carry, where there is much greater likelihood of multiple assailants coming from all directions, and who can see exactly what they are up against?

The point that you also have to consider is will anyone else in the household, perhaps with smaller hands and less physical strength, need to have access to this firearm.

 

[smoothshooter]

If a J Frame is the only gun you own then it is good enough.
If you are asking should you buy something different?
Then absolutely.

My first choice for home-defense revolver would be a K-Frame 4", in the form of a Model 10, 13, 15, or 19, preferably a fixed sight model. If easy concealment isn't the primary consideration then why limit yourself to a J Frame revolver? There is a very good reason that Police and other professionals do not use J Frame revolvers as their primary weapon!

Police can make use of higher-capacity's guns sometimes than ordinary citizens.
The policeman may HAVE TO take out a felon on the spot so he cannot get away and harm someone. The ordinary citizen's only obligation is to use his gun to prevent injury to himself and family and leaving the area if possible or necessary. He has no civic obligation to protect the public. He does not have to enter a building to root out a felon.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Is a J-frame with 5 shot capacity of .38 special with maybe a speedloader at ready enough gun for bedside use in the home? In your own words please share your opinions if you will. Thank you.

Why not a four inch revolver in 38 or 357?

When I was a cop most other cops shot the J frame revolvers very poorly and we shot a minimum of six times a year.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Shooting critters with .38 Special can be a eye opener. I once had a 148 gr. Target Wadcutter bounce harmlessly off of the head of a opossum. So we do need to consider the gun and ammo it is loaded with.

That was poor shot placement. I used a .44 Shotshell and took a opossum's head off when it was in my chicken coop.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Some of you guys must live in Beirut? Or maybe L.A.

Remember the murder of retired Major General Marion Carl USMC, in 1998 at age 82, he was shot to death during a robbery, defending his wife, Edna from a home invader in Roseburg, Oregon?

As a career Lawman I remind people that evil is out there everyday. You will never know when evil will cross your path, be prepare or not. Its your choice.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

As I stated previously, I feel the J frame with any 38 Spl ammo is fine. There have been mentions about the difficulty shooting a snubby accurately which is valid but in the home we are not talking yards, we are talking feet so this is not a major issue. Home defense needs a point and shoot gun and the J fits the bill just fine.

I know a Case where the homeowner missed the home invader six times at 20 feet. The home invader (6-3 300#) kicked in the door because he thought the homeowner was the man fooling around with his girlfriend. Home invader went to the "wrong" home and fled when the "fight or flight" response kicked in. Homeowner needed Paramedics because he thought he had a Heart Attack.

 

[smoothshooter]

A J-frame
(even with a speed loader) is not an optimum choice

If it is all you have, then the point is moot.

Every persons preference is going to be different. It will be guided by the area you are in, personal preferences as well as experiences the individual has faced. Also take into account the geographic area you reside in and the season.

A perpetrator in Florida in the Summer is usually dressed totally differently than a perpetrator in Minnesota or Alaska in the Winter.

Concealability should be a non-issue in Home Defense, so effectiveness is more often drawn from. This is obviously colored by your financial ability to meet that goal

I have spent decades as a small arms instructor so the firearms that I have on hand to choose from is more varied than that of most individuals

On one side of our king size bed is a pump 14" barreled 12 gauge wearing a green Crimson Trace side saddle laser. It holds eight rounds of #6 shot

The other side has a USP45f sitting there and carrying a full load of 15 rounds of 230 grain JHPs

There are no reloads handy for either of the firearms.

If the sound of unexpected gunfire heading their way does not get your criminals scurrying away . . . five additional rounds of 38 Special is not likely to make a difference in the outcome of the event.

Besides, have you ever tried to reload your revolver while your life is in jeopardy and your adrenaline is pumping at max capacity and you are under fire?

The most productive reload is grabbing a larger, more effective firearm

Stashed within arms reach of the doorway between the bedroom and the living room is a 45ACP AR style SBR wearing an auto-on holographic sight and carrying 30 rounds of 230 grain JHPs

In more then five decades of carrying a defensive side arm I have drawn a firearm in defense of myself or others five times. Only one of those events involved the exchange of gunfire

I hope your SBR is stashed out of sight so an intruder does not grab it and shoot you with your own gun when you are asleep.

 

[smoothshooter]

A J-frame five shot .38 is better than nothing for home defense but there are many way better choices when size and concealment are not issues. AR-15s are fairly cheap these days and a 16" carbine with magazines of 20-30 rd capacity are readily available and would be a far better choice. As said above a pump shotgun would also be better and cheaper.

Consider the concussion your ears would feel after firing a short barreled .223 in a confined space with no ear protection.

 

[smoothshooter]

I keep my j frame next to the bed every night, and a Mossberg 500 within easy reach. Have no doubt the j frame can do the job. Question should be, Can You?

I never leave a loaded gun in plain sight while sleeping.
Bad practice.

 

[smoothshooter]

No doubt the knockdown from a shotgun is probably the best caliber for defense, just needing one shot and it carries a wide radius. But, inside a building, I've always been more comfortable with a handgun for fear of the longarm being taken from me. A handgun is a weapon I can keep close and have the ability to aim faster. A J-frame? Sure! Just practice with it. I'm selling a snubbie .357 that's a 7-shot. So, there's different "J-frames".

Inside a house your shotgun pattern will likely be no larger than a grapefruit. Good shot placement still required just like a rifle.

 

[smoothshooter]

Shooting critters with .38 Special can be a eye opener. I once had a 148 gr. Target Wadcutter bounce harmlessly off of the head of a opossum. So we do need to consider the gun and ammo it is loaded with.

As I often post;

Do not confuse being lethal with stopping power. It may be of small comfort to your spouse, family and loved one if your attacker dies 1/2 hour after you do.

That must have been a pretty weak wadcutter load.
I have killed dozens of rabbits, armadillos, groundhogs, squirrels, etc. with them. Most were reloads that were a little bit hotter than factory, but not much.
They are my favorite .38 loads