J-frame home defense?

[Doug M.]

It depends on your threat assessment and a lot of individual variables. Where do you live? What' a likely police response time? What have you done to discourage potential home invaders/burglars?

First: Good fence, at least 6 feet, with the gates padlocked. Good lighting on timers or sensors to reduce concealment for malefactors. Any alert dog is ok; I like big ones for their bark and ability to hit an offender hard. 2 dogs of good size (minimum is GSD/Malinois/Dobe size; I prefer rotts and my next dog will probably be a Boerboel) is better. We have a small boxer who is alert, but her bark barely intimidates cats. The bass bark of the Rott is way better. If people feel comfortable coming to your house uninvited, consult R. Lee Ermey for life advice. You are wrong, and very wrong.

Only after taking steps to harden the target do you need to worry about firearms. If you are really good with a J frame, ok. I am not. While they are capable of mechanical accuracy that is as good as any other handgun, the ergonomics of a J frame are not favorable to performance. If you have reason to expect a fight and can't be elsewhere, a handgun is a poor choice. Ballistically, the AR in 5.56X45 with good duty ammo is far less likely to over penetrate house walls than most handguns and shotguns (despite the folklore), and its ergonomics are far better. A good light of 500-1000 lumens and a red dot sight are really valuable. If someone is close enough to try to disarm you, you are wrong. If they feel confident that they can, you are REALLY wrong. I also have a shotgun, loaded with slugs or 000. It too has a RDS and foreend light.I am not worried about over-penetration; missing is a far bigger deal. In our house, if someone got in, they would be funneled to the bottom of the stairs while I shoot from the top. If you are in a fair fight, your tactics suck. If you don't understand that, pay someone for slap therapy until you do.

Avoid hanging out with people who are less than upright, and don't let them in to your home ever, or even let them know where you live. I live in a college town, and the possibility of a drunk kid trying to get in by error is a real concern. Making that really hard pretty much ensures that I am good to go on shooting without further inquiry. Crossing my fence is a crime, and a warning as it requires conscious effort. My doors are never unlocked except to pass through them, so again, error is reduced. Anyone who continues when a big dog is telling them not to is clearly a threat. If they continue after some number of bites, even more so.

Mindset matters. Learn it, apply it.

 

[majick47]

Have additional thoughts re the 38 J frame, if it's all you have at least it's of a size the wife can handle in a pinch, she doesn't need to be a range marksman/expert to pull the rigger.

 

[1sailor]

I may get some argument on this but, if you do decide as some have suggested to choose a long gun I recommend you get some training. Going around a corner, through a doorway etc. you can easily loose control of your weapon. Much harder for an intruder to grab a pistol out of your hand if it's held close.

 

[Glenn R. McMannly]

Have additional thoughts re the 38 J frame, if it's all you have at least it's of a size the wife can handle in a pinch, she doesn't need to be a range marksman/expert to pull the rigger.

My wife has passed away so it is only me here and my cat.

 

[1sailor]

I carry a J frame and also use it as my primary home defense gun. They are a very simple weapon to use. Even under less than ideal circumstances. When we get up in the dead of night to use the head we stub our toes, trip on stuff, bump into walls etc. Yet somehow we believe if awakened by the sound of breaking glass or an intruder stepping on a cats tail we will jump up and go through the necessary actions to get our firearm ready for use while still half asleep. Your J frame is always ready and won't require any additional steps.

 

[hkcavalier]

Better than no gun, but far from my first choice. Here in the country a rifle is preferred, then a shotgun, then a handgun with a lot of ammo on board. A 5 shot revolver might have been a top choice in 1923 but there are too many good options in 2023, even in blue states.

 

[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.

I would not recommend any center fire rifle for an in-the-house defense gun. Too much muzzle blast, over penetration, and any long gun is easier for a perp to reach around the corner and disarm the homeowner by grabbing the barrel.
If one must use a shotgun, be conscious of weapon retention.
At across the room distances, shot size does not matter much as long as you use #6 or larger.
Never heard of more than 5 shots being needed in an in the house defense shooting. Has probably happened in a very few instances, but still would be extremely rare.

I expect someone will be along directly with evidence to the contrary.

 

[Dave Baird]

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".

 

[somorris]

If you have the resources, my recommendation is to find something with more capacity. One of our neighbors had an attempted home invasion back in the spring. It was four thugs. They got the security door then the wood door open, but the neighbor's three dogs finally woke up and charged the door. One of the dogs is about 100 lbs. I decided then that waking up from a deep sleep and immediately having to fight for your life would, at least for me, require more ammo available.

For me, a shotgun is too cumbersome inside a house.

Odds are, you will never have your home invaded. The odds are low but the stakes are high.

 

[majick47]

Glenn sorry to hear the wife passed away, being alone except for the cat I can understand your concern for your safety and having a firearm that will protect you. The J frame revolver will be adequate under most circumstances, might want to invest in a reliable flashlight. I keep a rechargeable D cell Maglite I carried for years on the bottom shelf of my night stand. Along with being an excellent flashlight the Maglite makes for a good club.

 

[Rpg]

A J frame with 38 special is plenty for home defense.

However, J frames are very difficult to shoot well.

A K frame with the same ammo (a M10 or 15) is a better choice because it is so much easier to shoot well.

Hitting what you're shooting at makes a big difference!

 

[stansdds]

Is a J-frame S&W in 38 Special adequate for home defense? No, you should use nothing less than a phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range.

Seriously, I'm sure that countless homes are protected by someone whose only handgun is a 38 Special revolver, 5 or 6 shot cylinder, and a barrel of 2 to 3 inches in length. Although I prefer a handgun with a barrel of 4 inches, I would not feel uncomfortable with relying upon a J-frame 38 Special.

I would not stoke it with the FBI load, a 158 grain lead semi-wadcutter hollow point loaded to +P pressure. Why? That load was tailored for revolvers with 4 to 6 inch barrels, the bullet does not achieve sufficient velocity for reliable expansion from a 2 inch barrel.

I would use a more modern load, Federal 130 grain HST Micro, Remington 125 grain Golden Saber, Speer 135 grain Short Barrel Gold Dot, Winchester 130 grain PDX1, or Winchester 130 grain Ranger Bonded. With the exception of the Federal load, all of these are +P. Should you shoot +P in a S&W J-frame 38? If it has a steel frame, then I don't really think there will be issues. Aluminum frame, I'd practice with standard pressure ammo and just fire one or two cylinders full of +P at the end of practice for recoil and point of aim familiarization.

 

[Pointblank2U]

My Dad used to defend the homestead with an old 5-Shot, Breaktop, 38 S&W.. We always felt safe, but it was a different world.

 

[colt_saa]

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.

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

 

[Zoner]

My Model 60 stays within reach(right next to me or in my pocket)24/7. At home it's self defense role is mostly to get me to my Mossberg 500 12 gauge shotgun(about 3' away when I'm in bed). The shotgun is loaded with 00 buckshot. The j frame is stoked with 158 gr XTP HP 38 special +P.

 

[Rammer Jammer]

No

Carry specific guns are compromises to make toting it easier.

At home where weight and size are lesser considerations I want a duty size hi capacity semi auto and an AR for if the blank has really hit the fan.

Snubbies are for your pocket, not the bedside.

 

[majick47]

Might not have to go there but it never hurts to have a plan B as a backup. A lot of police agencies have switched from shotguns to patrol rifles. Former police pump action shotguns are fairly cheap especially those that have cosmetic wear. In the home a shotgun loaded with #4 buckshot you have a very formidable weapon that is unlikely to penetrate the exterior walls of your house but can do serious damage to an armed intruder at close range. A S&W M-3000 police 18" barrel 12ga pump shotgun would be my recommendation. Two shell magazine extensions are an option bringing the shell count to six in the tube and one in the chamber,
more than enough to deal with multiple assailants.

 

[chief38]

While a J Frame was my CCW / EDC for 40+ years - up until 4 years ago when I went to a P365, I would not choose it for a HD gun. Only 5 rounds, and hard to control with powerful ammo. For pocket carry it's great but for a HD gun I'd much rather have a Shotgun or a high capacity 9mm handgun. Save the J Frame for pocket carry or CCW.

 

[BabaBlueJay]

J Frames are reliable and accurate at most home defense distances, so sure. Why not?

 

[hardluk1]

I did mention if all you have is a j frame then practice a lot with it . For me my daily carry is also my HD handgun and its ether a lw commander in 45 with a 8 round mag or a m&p 40sw with a 15 round mag . Both are far quicker to swap mags than reloading your snubby . My back up mags are 10 round and my spair carry mag for the 40sw is an extended 21 round mag .
I fuguure the person that breaks in to my house may have a couple friends with him and be on drugs than make it hard to shot them .

Since the PO mentioned a J frame he has or is looking to buy and a s&w 5 shot and for the same money as a well used J frame he could buy a new Taurus G3 with 17 rounds of 9mm for less money.