Would you buy a 6-shot .38 J-frame

Would you by a 6-shot .38 Spl J-frame?

  • Yes

    Votes: 200 55.2%

  • No

    Votes: 132 36.5%

  • Undecided

    Votes: 30 8.3%
  • Total voters
    362
B

BBMW

Member
Joined
May 15, 2005
Messages
92
Reaction score
68
The title is somewhat self explanatory. If Smith started making new 6-shot .38 Spl, or even .357 Magnum, small framed short barreled revolvers, would you buy one? Let's say something as similar as possible to a 442 and/or 642, but with a 6 shot cylinder. And, yes the frame would have to be stretched as necessary to support this.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Register to hide this ad
S & W tried to go the small frame, 6-round .38 Special direction (perhaps because of the Detective Special?) with the C frame. About 5000 were made but nearly all destroyed (perhaps a few dozen exist today).

If you were SWCA members, you may have been able to handle one at a past annual gathering. :)
 
I voted yes because I do have a 6 shot J frame. And it's not a .22:D

But it is not a .38 either:rolleyes:

No way they can cram a 6 shot .38 spl cylinder into a J frame.:rolleyes:

And even if they did. I would not buy one.

So I guess my answer to your(real) question is no.
 
Last edited:
Injunbro said:
Not in .38, in .22 it works fine.
Click to expand...
It even works in the I Frame


63%20small.jpg


34ls.jpg
 
murphydog said:
S & W tried to go the small frame, 6-round .38 Special direction (perhaps because of the Detective Special?) with the C frame. About 5000 were made but nearly all destroyed (perhaps a few dozen exist today).

If you were SWCA members, you may have been able to handle one at a past annual gathering. :)
Click to expand...

Now there us a piece if Smith history i did not know. Thanks for bringing it up.
 
BBMW said:
The title is somewhat self explanatory. If Smith started making new 6-shot .38 Spl, or even .357 Magnum, small framed short barreled revolvers, would you buy one? Let's say something as similar as possible to a 442 and/or 642, but with a 6 shot cylinder. And, yes the frame would have to be stretched as necessary to support this.
Click to expand...


I'd have to see what they came up with but I'd probably buy one.

Kimber kind of did what you are saying with the K6. Bigger than a J but smaller than a K. Six shots.

Its a nice gun but ugly. I own one and like it but am a Smith guy at my core.
 
Why can Taurus make a 6 shot light frame 38+p (856 UL) and S&W can't?
That also goes for the Colt Cobra 6 shot 38+p revolver. Sold my 642 and 360j and got both. Shame on S&W.
Don't get me wrong. I've owned 16 S&W guns over the last 50 years and enjoyed them all. Just Sayen.

Be SAFE and Shoot Often!
 
Last edited:
No.
Because I have no use for one or the desire to own one. :eek:
I have 3 - 5-shot J-frames and I'm happy with two of them. ;)
I've never shot the third one. :rolleyes:

I just bought an M&P 45 Shield M2.0 :eek: so if I feel the need to carry more than 5 shots I'll carry this one. :D.
 
Execpro said:
Why can Taurus make a 6 shot light frame 38+p (856 UL) and S&W can't?
That also goes for the Colt Cobra 6 shot 38+p revolver. Sold my 642 and 360j and got both. Shame on S&W.
Don't get me wrong. I've owned 16 S&W guns over the last 50 years and enjoyed them all. Just Sayen.

Be SAFE and Shoot Often!
Click to expand...
Rossi too - their model 461 is a 6-shot 357 that is pretty much the size of a Colt Detective Special.

If Colt, Taurus, and Rossi can all do it, why not S&W?
 
Here is my 6 shot J frame. A 431PD in 32 H&R Mag.

Pretty much equivalent to 38 sp+P

Below it is a picture of my 242TI. It's a 7 shot 38 Special. But it's an L frame so bigger than a J frame. But with a Titanium Cylinder in an Aluminum frame, it's no heavier (19 oz).

attachment.php


attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • 431pd carry.jpg
    431pd carry.jpg
    53.4 KB · Views: 2,498
  • 242-ahrends.jpg
    242-ahrends.jpg
    152.7 KB · Views: 2,515
Last edited:
Absolutely!
There are examples out there that work quite well. Taurus model 856, Rossi 461/462, and of course, the Colt Detective Special and related models are in that size class. Yep, they aren't exactly like a J-frame - I had a D-Special in the late 70s, an 856 the first time Taurus brought them out several years ago, and currently have a 462, a dam nice little gun, by the way, and they are a little bigger. I don't see that as a problem, however.
I realize S&W tried the C-frame Model 73 and it didn't work due to the placement of the cylinder stop and notch. I'm kind of surprised that they built it the way they did with an offset that they didn't use on any other frame. Interesting, though, that the Rossi design internals are essentially cloned from S&W, and they made the 6-shot revolver work, putting the notch where S&W "should" have placed it.
{If anyone has some history behind the C-frame design, I for one would love to read about it.}
Since I buy guns these days because I want to and not because of any other reason, I would certainly grab a J (or C) size S&W 6-shooter.
 
I didn't have all of that history but I answered yes just because I would - if S&W can''t make a 6 shot J frame then they can call it something else if necessary but it would definitely get my attention.

This is a very old Colt Cobra - to me it feels like a 6 shot J frame - and yes, I know it's weird with Hogue stocks but they're way better than the original Colt stocks and I have happily carried this gun with these Hogues on there - but it's not a pocket gun set up this way:

iscs-yoda-albums-other-brands-revolvers-picture13789-colt-cobra-w-hogues.jpg
 
Don't see how you could get 6 .38 Spl. rounds in a conventional sized J Frame. In order to do that you would have to make the cylinder a larger diameter and that in turn would hurt its concealability.

You could do it with smaller caliber rounds but that would hurt effectiveness of the revolver's stopping power.
 
For carry I wouldn't buy anything bigger than my 638.
I would love to have a 2 inch J frame 22 with adjustable sights, but not for the price they want. I have a 4 inch and love it.
 

Attachments

  • grip1.jpg
    grip1.jpg
    84.9 KB · Views: 51
While I was searching for my 640Pro, I ran across a 632Pro. Passed on it as I was not looking for another caliber to load.:eek:
Given the chance again, I won't hesitate.
Maybe someone out there that did not miss the chance will show us theirs & opine upon it's virtues???:confused:
 
The .327 Federal pushes a 115 grain HP at nearly 1300 fps out of a short barrel which is about all the recoil most could handle in an airweight J-frame and the 6 shot would be nice. You can also shoot .32 H&R Mag, .32 long, .32 short, and I believe even .32 acp out of it but with .38 ammo being much cheaper and readily available the idea never really took off. I don't reload and am done with buying guns that take expensive, hard to get ammo.
 
Last edited:
I have an older 649, and I enjoy shooting it. I carry it when I don't want to leave brass on the ground. I don't see a need for one extra round.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
J Frame 32 H&R Magnum for Deep Concealment
2
Replies
39
Views
2K
Sgt. Buzzard
S
Dump1567
The Great .38
Replies
12
Views
1K
heeter3
H
M
Let's talk 1970s K frame magnums
2
Replies
47
Views
4K
Riposte1
R
N
SDR 357 Pleasant Surprise
Replies
3
Views
769
No Quarter
N
jacksonbrowne
Ti cylinder in '69 SS model 60 1 7/8"
Replies
3
Views
329
steelslaver
steelslaver

Latest posts

Back
Top