S&W J frame vs. Glock 42

Full Disclosure I own neither handgun and never will unless someone gives one to me.

Of the two it would be a hard decision because I'd prefer the .38 with the possibility of .357 but I'd also prefer a magazine fed weapon for the ease of reloading.

I do own a 43 but I rarely carry it because if I can conceal a 43 I can conceal a 26.

I think I'd pass on both.

I think I would have to be in a position where I had no gun whatsoever and had to choose between one of the two before I would know which I picked
I've been thinkin' more and more about ditching my G42 and carrying the G26.
 
I made the mistake of thinking a Model 60 in 357 wasn’t enough because of short sight radius and lack of capacity and jumped on the baby Glock bandwagon (G27) around 1999 or so. The ammo I was required to carry in the Smith also was possibly suboptimal although I never had any personal experience with it first hand. Optional was the Winchester Silvertip .357, which had its own pluses and minuses. I sold the Model 60 to finance a new Glock 27, which was supposed to be the ultimate blend of stopping power, capacity, and conceal-ability. It wasn’t, as I’ve come to learn. J-frames, despite being five shot capacity, have benefits no semi auto can replace. I’ve since used a mix that included the 27, a 26, an M&P9c, a 43, a 43x, and a P365. The 365 is closest due to its size with the 43 as runner up. The 640 in .38 Special I also run could only be beat by a good airweight. The key to confidence with any handgun is quality training and practicing good training. I submit that someone who practices with and masters a DA action will also shoot semis a bit better. But when it all comes down to it, carry what you’re comfortable with. If it’s down to a G42 or a five shot Smith, train with both of them. And apply a little orange paint to the J-frame front sight and it will be a little bit easier to work with. I went thru a LEOSA qualification last week with a 365 and the 640. Distances out to 25 yards on a course designed for semis but suitable for a six shot revolver. Shot 100 percent with the 640.
 
I've already posted here that I have both but feel more comfortable with the J frame even with two less shots. The why comes down to Walkin trails post above.

52 years carrying and training with a J frame. I have five, all with the same grips and if nothing else once a week I'll shoot one, at least a little.
Familiarity breeds competence. It's grown to be totally instinctive. For decades.

As the department Rangemaster I know for an absolute fact that ND's made a significant leap when the department when to autoloaders. Can it be blamed as a training issue? Yes of course. Mostly. What is the first thing to be cut when it comes to police defunding? Training.

Fifty years ago you had to qualify at 50 yards and in, with a revolver. Around 1990 with autoloaders taking over the police world the basic training was reduced to 25 yards and ten less rounds. WTF is up with that? Look at round count per police involved shootings. Way up.

I'm personally more comfortable carrying a revolver, and a DAO at that. Just sayin' some of us depend on many rounds of experience.
 
I have always liked J-Frame snub revolvers the best. most often I carry two J-Frames. If I felt I needed more I added a Glock 26 or a Springfield XDM. Today I ordered a Taurus 817 38 Special 7 shot Revolver. I’ll probably be carrying the 7 Shooter in my waist and a lightweight 5 shot J in my pocket. Here is a website picture of the 817View attachment 775146
Very nice looking shiny solid bull looking revolver, how heavy is it ?
 
Striker fired gun are more dangerous.

That's provably true. It's a simple mechanics + risk scoring problem. The fixed firing pin on the hammer of a revolver vs. the "floating" sprung firing pin in a semi-automatic is mathematically more safe.

That doesn't match up to real-world applications, though, including the additional safeties often added to striker-fired guns, and the mathematical risk difference is incredibly tiny.

It also doesn't assess the risk encompassing the entire scope of use, e.g. drawing, firing, and people's ability to keep shots on target with the difference in grip, presentation and trigger pull between each. A slightly "less safe" gun is likely also somewhat easier to use, comes with a higher capacity, a lower weight, and a different trigger pull, perhaps making it the less risky choice overall.

People here like to argue minutae... here you go. At the very basic level, considering only the difference in mechanics around the firing pin striking a primer, striker-fired guns are less safe in that and only that context if you really want to argue.
 
Some become quite offended and argumentative if you present them with facts.
Do you somehow think that those of us who own clocks don't know that? There's a reason that when I carry my glock 26 it's in a pocket holster. There is a reason that when I put that gun in my hands I'm very conscious of where my finger is.
 
I've been thinkin' more and more about ditching my G42 and carrying the G26.
I talked about this a lot I normally wear Wrangler cargo pants and a camp shirt over it. When I worked as a security guard I wore black Wrangler cargo pants with my uniform shirt tucked into them and my stylish yellow safety vest that was a size too large over them.

Nobody ever questioned whether or not I was carrying a gun. None of my supervisors ever showed up at my site to do a spot check.

I have to assume that I didn't do anything to give it away.
 
Do you somehow think that those of us who own clocks don't know that? There's a reason that when I carry my glock 26 it's in a pocket holster. There is a reason that when I put that gun in my hands I'm very conscious of where my finger is.
Clocks aren't generally dangerous and I've yet to see one with a safety. However, I don't know if striker-fired gun users know the answer to the question you asked. If they preach how safe the guns are comparatively, good chance they're unaware of the potential danger. Pardon my use of logic; best I can do.
 
Clocks aren't generally dangerous and I've yet to see one with a safety. However, I don't know if striker-fired gun users know the answer to the question you asked. If they preach how safe the guns are comparatively, good chance they're unaware of the potential danger. Pardon my use of logic; best I can do.
I mean if what you were saying was logical I would have some understanding of it. I have no idea what you're trying to communicate
 
I live in Houston (native), and at 62, have had a Texas LTC since 1996, the year the license was 1st available, IIRC. I don't consider myself an expert, but after years of carry and mutli gun comps, I have a good idea of what works for me. I have carried many different handguns, the vast majority of which were autos. S&W, HK, Glock, XDM, 1911/2011, FN, Sig, etc. Like others, I base my EDC on what I'm wearing, what I'm doing, and where I'm doing it. Weekly bank day, for business deposits? I was jugged last year...followed from bank to a retail center, where I found my vehicle burglarized-glass smashed out, and a empty deposit bag gone. I also keep a P226 and a AR in my truck, so I'm glad I didn't catch the idiots in the act. Unfortunately, this type of thing has happened to me several times in the last 5 years or so, and has been more common in general, seemingly everywhere, but especially in blue cities like mine. So, on bank day, I go a bit heavier. Currently, my primary is a P365 Fuse w HST 124s, backed up with a 340PD w Speer 357 SB 135s. Sometimes I wear a (thin) level III vest. Around the house, or exercising around the neighborhood, I pocket carry the 340 PD. I also have a P365 I use when I need more concealment than the P365 Fuse affords. Mountains or backcountry?: FN 510 10mm with hot penetrators. There's a rifle in both of my vehicles: S&W sporter in the Tundra, and a Wilson SB 300 Blackout in the Toyota 86, both with Magpul D60 drums & Aimpoints. Watching vids of thugs walking up behind people and snatching their handguns out of their holsters, I have switched from open to thumb break holsters for strong side carry. I also have a Galco shoulder rig, for a back up or car travel, which I can set up for the P365, 340 PD, and others. Spare mag count ranges from 0-2, depending on my perception of risk.
 
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Never can figure out why Colt is so often left out of the mix when discussing sidearms of this type? Or Ruger for that matter? Indeed for longer than I care to remember and then some, my J frame S&W pistol(s) have been my hands down choice for a straightforward daily carry weapon. For those who just MUST have that 6th round however, Colt (pair of King Cobras shown here) easily fills that slot.
And Ruger’s SP 101is another fine option for a 5 shot platform and GP 100 (not shown here) for the six round crew.
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I mean, keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot?
well, yeah, no kidding. OBVIOUSLY when an AD occurs, somebody did something wrong, but that's beside the point. The salient point here is that striker-fired semi-autos are inherently more prone to ADs than a revolver. I'm not condemning Glocks ( or similar), I've owned them longer than anyone I've ever met ( yeah, seriously). But the design IS inherently riskier, and dismissing it as simply a training issue doesn't change this fact.
 
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