Which Do You Prefer- K or L Frames?

[kamloops67]

i thought i prefered k frames until this sunday past. i shot a borrowed 686-3 6'' barrel at our club's annual fun shoot . the full underlug barrel helps to dampen my coffee shake,and the front sight is, i think ,slightly more narrow than either of my k frames. i shot second place with virtually no practice time...for me,well now im shopping for a 686-3 with 6" barrel.
-im still keeping my 17-5 and 14-4.

 

[44wheelman]

I like 44 special, so not much of decision there...

Is an L frame chambered for anything other than .44 spl or .357 ? (excluding the contract over-run 586 in .38)

 

[MP1518]

My department only lets me carry SPEED Gold Dots 38+P or Hydra Shocks 147 +P+ in my revovlers.

I like K frame three inch revolvers with fixed sights.

I have my favorite model 65 three inch from ealry 80's.

IDEAL guns for me would three inch model 10 and/or 64

 

[gr7070]

Sight type >>> frame size

Give me the one with the better sights. For the OP's specific question give me the L-frame, because of the sights.

 

[hsmith9491]

67 K Frame with 38 rounds most often
681 L Frame with 357 rounds

 

[M3Stuart]

Great thread!

To the OP's question: K's - no doubt.

My collection of S&W has clearly gravitated toward the K frames. I have 2 J's (60-9 & 34-1 4"), 1 L (686-4+ RB), and 4 K's (64-5 4", 10-5 4", 10-4 3" & 66-4 2.5"). I shoot the K's, especially the 64-5, more than any of the others.

In my case, I shoot all the K's listed above about equally accurate out to about 50'. Now that I think about it, I shoot all of them, including the J's and L, about equally accurate to 50'. I get about a 3"-4" group at that range.

I used to have a 686-1 6" that I traded for the 686-4 4". Both were/are equally accurate at 75' - which is not that great. For me, the little circle on the target is kind of fuzzy at that range. So I think the limiting factor is my eyesight. My 64-5 is only slightly less accurate at 75' owing, I think, to the sights.

Here's a couple pics. The 36 had finish issues and got traded against the Model 60-9.

Right now, I cannot honestly think of another S&W, or barrel length that I 'have to have'. Although I will note that everybody tells me to add an N frame. Also, I'm thinking a 3" 64, 65 or 66 might be nice (but pricey). And a 67 might be nice too. You can never have enough of these!

 

[Invictus357]

My dad had a model 64 many years ago. It was a delight and I find K frames ideal for .38s.

 

[Parker357]

K Frame or Bust

The K Frame is the perfect matchup for the 38 Special Ammo, you have barrel balance, recoil suppression and ergonomics that give optimal performance for most male and female hand grips.

You cannot go wrong with the K frame. I have the J (M60), K (M19), L (M686), and N ( M28) frames and the K is the best fit for my average sized hands.

Additionally, there are more abundant supplies of 38 Special loads than 357 to shoot with.

 

[Sparrowbird]

I am in the minority but I'll go with my L frame. I have 4. My favorite is the 3 inch CS-1. Not for sale though.

 

[Dave T]

Sparrow, you're not alone. I don't own a K-frame but lately have been accumulating L-frames. The fact that I am only loading 38/44s (think Buffalo Bore's "Heavy +P 38 Special") has a lot to do with my choice of the L-frames. Of the 4 I now have I can't pick a favorite yet. Guess I need to do more shooting. (smile)

Dave