There is so much BS in this post that I had a hard time thinkin' it was not in jest.
1. For decades LEOs carried J-frames for their primary and only gun. Of all of those that carry revolvers for SD in the present, the majority of them are J-Frames and for the majority of them, it is their primary CWC weapon. Very few civilians feel the need to routinely carry a backup for SD, unless it would be for dangerous game. In that scenario, the option for a first shot in SA would be an advantage.
2. So would the lack of a trigger guard or a front sight. The 1911 and variants off it are a favored SD firearm. Thy have external hammers. Even those pistols like the Glocks and XDs that don't have exposed hammers have notches in the grip frame to accommodate ones hand, similar to a beavertail, that are larger and have more hook to them than a J-Frame hammer. Yet, you never hear of the concern over snagging them. Even those J-Frames without a exposed hammer have humps on them that could possibly hang up on something. For certain holster styles that give exceptional retention for high activity and mobility while using, the exposed hammer helps with that retention.
3. The odds that any of us will ever use our carry gun for SD is miniscule at best. Carry it every day and use it for other options than the one you envision when you go to the grocery store , having the option to shoot SA may appeal to you. I carry my J-Frame when walking my dog......not only am I worried about 2 legged predators, but other dogs, coyotes and other rabid animals as we walk thru the woods are a concern. So it the occasional shot at a 'yote, other 4 legged predator or other small game. SA is nice for those occasions, because of the crisper, lighter and shorter trigger stroke. But then not everyone thinks about using their EDC for anything other than shootin' a BG @ 2'.
4. While the opening in the backstrap may allow a tad more lint and dust into the internals, it also makes it easier to get it out. I've yet to emit enough belly-button lint to foul my 637. If one is concerned about the little bit that gets in the strap from the small hammer opening, what about the trigger opening that's just as large, or the excessive opening around the front and back of the cylinder......or even that big one on the end of the barrel. I've hunted with revolvers for thirty years....in the rain, freezing sleet, snow and while walking thru fields with chaff and weed seeds so thick they filled my pockets before I got to the end. I've yet to have them not work because something fell in behind the hammer. Hard for me to believe the amount of dirt and grit that would make it to a concealed firearm would be near as bad or considered "significant". If you don't regularly clean or maintain your EDC, and it fails to function, odds are the fault will not be the belly-button lint that fell in the hammer slot.
The last part of the post was the only part that really makes sense.......
"You need to do your own analysis of role for the gun."
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A differing viewpoint, experience set, and training do not mean that my analysis is BS. It means it does not fit your world. Note that before you responded, someone else with an LE background agreed wholeheartedly. There is a reason for that. I come from the LE side, and teach legal stuff for LE still. It's mostly operational stuff, and I do a lot of research for that. Included is use of force, a subset of my general area, search and seizure.
1) A J frame is not a good primary fighting gun. On a good day, it is not user friendly - why do so many smart people critique the recommendation of a J frame for women? Just because for many years LEOs did in fact carry only a J frame does not mean it was a good choice. It means that we as a profession did not know better, just as with wearing body armor, getting rid of those silly 2 piece class A uniforms, shiny squeaky stuff, etc.
With modern knowledge and training, we know more about multiple opponents; we know that the farther away we are from the offender, the better we do, and while a J frame is just as capable mechanically as an N frame, it is not ergonomically friendly, etc. There are people who shoot a J frame well - even very well. I am not one of them, and even those folks do better with a real fighting gun. When I worked patrol, my backup was a Glock 33, and I carried a spare mag for it too. Now, it's my EDC. From my background, a J frame is at best a second gun, and I see it advocated by modern trainers as a third - a GOMG (Get Off Me Gun) for contact shots.
2) Since I primarily use pocket (and once in a while ankle) holsters for a J frame (and my G33), snag resistance has a different meaning that it would with a full size fighting gun carried on the belt. Same with my 296 - it is carried mostly in a fanny pack, which from a couple of perspectives is sub-optimal, but at least it is there. It's what I use most for walking the dogs, again, a contact shot scenario if attacked by another dog.
3) The odds only matter when you are on the wrong side of them. I no longer wear a uniform and go looking for trouble. When I did, the rule is that a pistol is a secondary weapon; what you carry when you have no specific reason to expect a problem. If you have reason to think you need a firearm and can't arrange to be elsewhere, your carbine is the first choice. I don't go to stupid places or associate with stupid people, but the only person who gets a vote on when you'll need a defensive firearm is the bad guy.
4) Again, the lint analysis is context driven. If I am using a belt holster, I am not likely to carry a J frame. I have a couple such holsters for J frames (and if you want a good IWB, Lobo's offset clip model is a good choice; good design, and well made), but I would have to think about where they are as I use them so little. The other openings do not matter to me given the carry mode, and are much less likely to result in operational problems anyway.
My background also means that if I am in public, I am almost always wearing the earpiece for my cell phone, a habit forced by our traffic laws. Once I figured out much better everything was with my hands free as much as possible, I broadened the use of the earpiece. I carry at least one high output flashlight (SureFire Fury 500 lumen) all the time, and a good knife most of the time too. They are great for weapon retention and cutting seat belts.
If my analysis does not fit your life, by all means ignore it. That doesn't mean it's BS. I don't run a physics lab, or judge gymnastics - both for good reasons, and I would be hard pressed to critique the performance of one who does.
