J-Frame Show & Tell

[KSDrifter]

So you got yourself a J-Frame. Show it off! But tell us also, why? Why that J-Frame? Or you know, why those J-Frames.

-luckygunner

Hint: Nostalgia is a perfectly acceptable answer

 

[Targets Guy]

The wife liked it.

 

[Targets Guy]

You have to get a Chief!

 

[Targets Guy]

A .357 in a small package. What's not to like.

 

[Targets Guy]

Did I mention the wife liked it?

what does a forensic anthropologist do at a crime scene

 

[ParadiseRoad]

...I probably watched too many detective shows and movies...

 

[ContinentalOp]

I'll play.

My 642ND (left) and 642-1 (right):

(Ignore the bad sight painting job...)

I bought my 642ND back in the 90s. I actually can't remember if I had a specific reason for getting it. Concealed carry permits were only for the wealthy and/or well-connected where I was living at the time. I had a trigger job done fairly early on, but kept the factory springs for reliability. It's currently filling the home defense BUG role.

I got my first carry permit at my previous residence back in 2011. At the time I only had a 3" 65 and a Glock 23, with no carry gear for either of them. I wanted to get something more concealable, so after some research I went with a 642-1 and a Nemesis pocket holster. I did eventually get some additional carry gear, including the Side Guard Holsters Quick Clip IWB that I used for several years and still use for those times when the 642-1 is my primary/only carry gun. I should add that the gun pictured is not that 642-1. My first 642-1 broke it's hammer pin a few years ago, after ~1,500 rounds through the gun. S&W replaced it under warranty with the gun in the picture. The trigger isn't as nice as my well-broken-in first 642-1 or my action-tuned 642ND, but it's serviceable. One of these days I'll get a trigger job done on that one, too. My 642-1 currently rides in my Wilderness Tactical Renegade ankle holster as a secondary/BUG, though I will carry it IWB from time-to-time, and rarely in the pocket.

Both guns are wearing PGS Hideout grips.

 

[dubshooter]

I like to shoot them, so I practice with them more, so I shoot them quite well. They fit my hand, fit in a pocket or on the belt and carry easy. Dependable, look good, lots of variety. What's not to like?

 

[mikerjf]

Because CAMPING!!!

 

[RoyS]

I never really considered a J-Frame until a friend place on in my hand and I went 'wow' that fits me perfectly.

Bought a 340 PD a few years back as my every day carry and have never looked back.

Surprisingly easy to shoot (with .38spl).

Planning on getting many, many more J-Frames.

Cheers,

Roy

 

[Cal44]

This is my model 37 no dash.

I like square butt J frames as my small/medium hands fit the square but J frame stock grips perfectly.

This gun, like many J's, was in excellent shooting condition. Probably not shot a lot. But it was carried many a mile as it has wear few bright spots where the blueing has worn through.

No scratches or rust on the cylinder or barrel.

 

[Cal44]

Here is another one.

My 31-1 in 32 S&W Long.

I like it also for the square butt. Plus it's very accurate.

I've carried it in the past with Buffalo Bore 100gr wadcutters.

The guy I bought it from said it was unfired. I didn't believe him, but bought it anyway. Now it's been fired a lot.

BTW, in addition to shooting it with 32 S&W Long ammo, I put a box of 32 acp through it. Shot fine with good accuracy, no misfires or light strikes, and the empty cases all extracted.

But, for some reason, where I live 32 acp is harder to find than 32 long so I haven't shot 32 acp much.

 

[The Norseman]

Small and Classy

I like my S&W 637 38Spl 1-7/8"Bbl. I also like the 38Spl cartridge.

The S&W 637, J-Frame is nice and small, toy gun weight, safe
operation, straight forward operation, has SA/DA trigger, easy
to conceal. Definitely a 10 yard gun.

When shot with my Lead Double Ended Wadcutters reloads it is
devastating.

 

[pmosley]

Several years ago because of this forum, I recognized an early CEN serial number, +P+ marked 640 in a pawn shop I stop by from time-to-time. In fact, it was among the first 50 ever made, if stamped sequentially.

That led to a factory DAO 649-2 and then a no-lock 342PD.

Later, opportunistically I found a like new 60-4.

I've had a 60 no dash, 49, nickel 38 and a 36 and 37, but these current ones, I believe have me covered and I won't likely be adding any (probably not selling any either)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Pizza Bob]

My tastes run toward the other end of the spectrum with an abundance of N-frames, but I do have a couple.

My 638-3 with Ergo Delta grips. I used to work for another firearms manufacturer and they preferred we be armed. Our "uniform" was a branded polo shirt and khakis - mot many places to hide a gun - so I carried this in an ankle holster.

Not a J-frame, but its predecessor, an improved I-frame, Model of 1953 .22/.32 Kit Gun (pre-34). My father bought this new in the mid-50's I added the bananas since he was a southpaw and made himself a nice set of left-handed grips (shown below)

I also have the original box, docs and tools for the kit gun. Here are Dad's grips...

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[MetalMan]

I only have 5 but always on the hunt for more....like that elusive 640ND in .38pl.

Shown - 2 x 36ND, 2 x 60ND, 1 x 60-15

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I got some.

 

[JH1951]

I have several lurking in the safe or on my belt. Normal carry piece is a 649 which I enjoy having along with me because it just doesn't get in the way.
Also have a 49 which pretty much stays in the box these days.

Here they are together....

And then there is the Chiefs Special (Baby) from 1951 that joined the family....

 

[crazyphil]

Why do I love my S&W 642-1? I guess it has been my most frequent
daily carry gun for going on twenty years. I carry it OWB about 4'O Clock.
I prefer an open top (speed scabbard). If, and when, you need your gun,
you need it quick. The concealed hammer eliminates the possibility of a
hang up or snag on the draw. The gun comes out smoothly every time.
Being DAO eliminates any chance of a hair trigger discharge, that could be
experienced with a hammer. I practice with standard pressure ammo and
carry +P.

Here, on the left, my 642-1 wearing Hogue's Blue Lava grips. The knife
is a Piranha.

2nd from left, one of it's favorite holsters, a Chic Gaylord speed scabbard.

3rd from left, another favorite, Safariland's model 16 holster.

 

[HamHands]

My favorite "J's"... I carry NY Style in the winter a lot around the
semi-deep suburbs in/around Highlands NC... The Nickel J36 @ 4pm and the blued J36 in my right front pocket in a DeSantis "Nemesis" pocket holster... with 1 spare 6 count speed strips filled with Gold Dots. The M36's are filled with Underwood hard casts "Keith Pills" that push 900fps... even out of the 1 7/8th-inch barrels for carry...

"Edit to add" below,
As to the "Why" part of KS-Drifter's question...

***We carry, and train with our "J"s because they conceal so well on me even (2) at a time... They are utterly reliable, compact, and, "A 38.Special "J" frame punches well above their weight!" I know 2 ex beat cops,.. 1 from Jersey, 1 from New York. And they both swear by 1 7/8th inch barreled J's loaded with
150 Grain-Full-Wad-Cutters loaded to 875fps from a snubbie's barrel... My grand father used to run a liquor store after rotating back from Europe and Korea and it's what he carried too. The "J-Frame" snubbie with similar loads saved his life twice as well. And finally, the wife and I both, practice shooting full power .38Special snubbie J's into both paper and steel silhouette's (Pelvis-Shots as fast as possible) at 10 meters with 80% hits every time. Its a fantastically effective and formidable gun with a flat Meplate in either semi-wads or full wad-cutters loaded to 875fps plus from the muzzle. This platform and aforementioned loads are surprisingly easy to train females to load/unload, operate, & become confident and highly lethal with. The aforementioned points are our reasons for choosing to shoot, train, and carry "J-Frame" snubbies in suburban environments. We even carry our J Snubbies as back-ups to our 3" barreled .44Special and .44Magnum "Woods-Guns". YMMV***

This is the wifey's "J" frame coupled with a Tyler T and some Vintage Magna's... She shoots it and carries it with full-powered Buffalo Bore and Underwood 150 grain Soft Cast Full-Wads that push a "C" hair under 900fps... She wears her in a Bianchi @ 4:30...

These are my go to J's... Carry the nickel in town almost every day at least... and I carry both when out at night.

And these are the rest of the "J's" and one "D" frame that are in the carry rotation as well.