And, no, if the frame were stretched as necessary to support this, it wouldn't be a J frame.
Would you buy a 6-shot .38 J-frame
- Thread starter BBMW
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I just bought an M&P 45 Shield M2.0so if I feel the need to carry more than 5 shots I'll carry this one.
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Now, there's a common sense answer for ya!
I have three J's, and I love every one. I also carry two of them from time to time. Great woods guns, or when traveling in places where hazards are low.
For places where the danger is greater, I have a pair of Shield 9's. Like Stalin stated, quantity has a quality all it's own.
Interesting question. I just bought a 7 shot Charter Arms 32 Magnum "professional". I don't know about which profession chose it but it is a decent trail gun. 3" bbl, 7 shot almost D frame cylinder. I didn't care for the green tube sight, the hump in the grip for my right thumb worked much better than it looked. It fit my hand fine and I wear a size XL glove that is too long in the fingers. Price out the door was $398.99. There was nothing gritty inside the plate.
DA pull is no K frame but acceptable. I did have to adjust to technique with it. I shot 90 gr swc, 95 gr wc, 98 and 118 gr swc's through it yesterday. With putting a target just atop the front sight I was 5 inches low at 10 yards. Finding an aiming point that worked I had my rear sight even with the bottom of the 1" target dot and the green dot covering it at 15 yards to be hitting the dot.
Best groups were with 118 gr bullets.. Cylinder throats were .314" on the pin gauges for all 7, all my bullets were sized .313 so I hope to see improvement with a new size die.
So I don't see S&W putting out a new revolver with a suggested retail or less than $600 and consider this their competition.
DA pull is no K frame but acceptable. I did have to adjust to technique with it. I shot 90 gr swc, 95 gr wc, 98 and 118 gr swc's through it yesterday. With putting a target just atop the front sight I was 5 inches low at 10 yards. Finding an aiming point that worked I had my rear sight even with the bottom of the 1" target dot and the green dot covering it at 15 yards to be hitting the dot.
Best groups were with 118 gr bullets.. Cylinder throats were .314" on the pin gauges for all 7, all my bullets were sized .313 so I hope to see improvement with a new size die.
So I don't see S&W putting out a new revolver with a suggested retail or less than $600 and consider this their competition.
Are you sure?
Are you sure a 38+p is more effective than a 327 Magnum?
I’d have interest in a 442 or 342, 360j in 327
Are you sure a 38+p is more effective than a 327 Magnum?
I’d have interest in a 442 or 342, 360j in 327
Note, while it has a short barrel, there's nothing particularly small about that gun. It's much bigger than the original Cobra, and is pretty much the same size as a Glock 19. The original Cobra/Detective Special would be the size target for what I'm thinking about.
I already did. It's called a Colt Cobra.
They've made a few .327s and .32 mags. Surely they remember how.
Well, they still call the J frame that accommodates .357s a "J".
Same with the frame with IL, which also required substantial changes to accomodate the lock, so I think that's been answered already.
I also think this would be a lot easier/cheaper for Smith to do that than develop a new frame size.
The only thing missing, and I might be wrong here, is a real good short barrel load for the .327.
38SPL HV
Member
Spot on...and may I add...just bring back the old six shot S&W Model 31 in 32 S&W Long.
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No, I wouldn't buy one because it would have to be larger and heavier than the five-shot. I can't see anything wrong with the five-shot models.
With help from steelslaver's replies I've thought this through. BBMW, the O.P., is asking for a smaller K frame. To get there requires abandoning a few features that make K frames superior to Colt D or Dick's Special frames. The K frame would have to lose the under barrel front cylinder latch, center pin and gas ring as was done to get .44 Magnums in L frames. The gas ring extends forward under the BC gap to keep fouling out of the center of the cylinder. Lead fouling in there creates a gritty DA pull. steelslaver pointed out that the cylinder ratchet would have to become a smaller gear which would make the DA pull heavier. The K frame's DA pull is what made it the predominant 20th century revolver. It is not worth giving that up to make it a wee bit smaller. Carrying the K frame in a thinner holster can accomplish the same size reduction without losing a great DA pull. I voted NO.
I have a 357 J - the 60-15. Fired five Remington 158gr 357's from it at the range. That was enough. Glad I have it, though, Very accurate shooting 38 +p's. But it's still a J. Small, light, fits my belt if concealed. I have four others, one 637 rated +p, then a 60, 36, and 38 (which I will never shoot). If five isn't enough, I'm not shooting accurately.
HamHands
Member
I voted no... "J" framed (relative sized) 6 shots are Colt "D-Framed" snubbies... That said, I love my 5 shot compact J's for their... well... compactness...
This is and interesting analysis, and I haven't heard about some of this before. My immediate question is how does the J-frame handle these issues? I don't see this as cutting down the K-frame, so much as stretching the J-frame. Basically, make J-frame cylinder big enough to accommodate 6 rounds of, stretch the cylinder gap in the frame to accommodate the bigger cylinder, and may the necessary geometry adjustments to the various mechanisms in gun to accommodate the previously changes. So how the J-frame deals with the issues you talk about would be equivalent on this gun.
Tauruses and CA both run smaller cylinders than S&W. Their chambers are closer to the center. I have a 5 shot 44 specials from all three, plus good sets of calibers and know this is a fact. Alsop both Taurus and CA use a considerable smaller ratchet than any S&W. There hand is therefore closer to the center of the frame. Although they are 5 shot44 and not 6 shot 38s the same principal is at work in order to keep the outside chamber wall thick enough. It is also why CA and Taurus made 5 shot 45 acps and S&W does not. S&W can not and retain their frame and ratchet.
As stated earlier, for S&W to make a 6 shot J frame cylinder (or a 5 shot K frame big bore) they would have to make the ratchet smaller and to operate, it move the hand and its window in on the frame. This also means a skinnier trigger, /hammer as the hand is on the side of the hammer. Then moving the chambers to the center means moving the barrel down in the frame to line up with those chambers, this means a skinnier ejector rod (anyone notice the rod on a CA??) to lower tthe top of the yoke to clear the frame for the lower barrel
IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. no way no how.
I would rather have an alloy 6 shot J frame 327 Federal anyway.
For now I will just keep packing my 325s. Bulkier, but 6 rounds of 45 acp Will get it done for me and it weighs nothing.
As stated earlier, for S&W to make a 6 shot J frame cylinder (or a 5 shot K frame big bore) they would have to make the ratchet smaller and to operate, it move the hand and its window in on the frame. This also means a skinnier trigger, /hammer as the hand is on the side of the hammer. Then moving the chambers to the center means moving the barrel down in the frame to line up with those chambers, this means a skinnier ejector rod (anyone notice the rod on a CA??) to lower tthe top of the yoke to clear the frame for the lower barrel
IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. no way no how.
I would rather have an alloy 6 shot J frame 327 Federal anyway.
For now I will just keep packing my 325s. Bulkier, but 6 rounds of 45 acp Will get it done for me and it weighs nothing.
So what’s the size difference?
So what is the diameter of the cylinder of Taurus and CA 38spl ? I’d think a 5 shot if the cylinder was smaller than a Smith. I haven’t seen a CA in a long time. Never handled a Taurus. I’m suspicious of the quality
