You're Gettin' a J Frame....38 or 357...Your Pick??

[HOUSTON RICK]

The 357 gives you the option of both. It is clearly a no brainer.

 

[MetalMan]

For summer carry, my "go to" is the 60-15 in a Milt Sparks VMII and I never feel undergunned. As many posters have stated, it's nice to have the flexibility to carry and shoot .38/.38+p/.357 in a J-frame package.

 

[Newburydave]

Arthritis in my fingers changes everything

Yesterday I went to the range with a new Pachmayr "Compac Professional Grip for S&W "J" Frame Round Butt" on my M638-3 Airweight carry gun. This is an open back-strap, 2 1/2 finger grip without finger ridges. The last time I was at the range I had the same kind of grip on my M36 Steel Chief's Special and I was shooting 5 / 5 in the "Box" (8"x 8") out to 10 yards.

(Self Defense is Pass / Fail you know.)

Long story short, yesterday I couldn't even hit the "Box" reliably from 3 yards. I kept shooting and wondering where my shot went. It turned out that I was pulling most of my shots left and down, with some going high or high and left. I had to aim well to the right of where I wanted to hit to get into the "Box".

It was as if I couldn't hold onto the gun well enough to control it, even with a two handed isosceles grasp. I shot more accurately (3/5 @ 7yds) from a one handed, off hand dueling stance. Go Figure

Cause found: I woke up this morning in Cold Damp NewEngland with pain and swelling in the main joints of my strong hand middle fingers. (Mom had crippling arthritis in her hands toward the end of her life.) One thing I'm noticing is that when my Arthritis flares up I have no strength though the affected joints, knees or fingers.

I had just taken an Ergo, Delta Grip off my M638. It was different than my other pistols and I wasn't hitting as well as I was with my Pachmayr equipped M36.

Looks like I'll have to put the Delta Grip back onto my M638. I carry Golden Saber 125gr 38+P rounds. The wedge shape fills my hand better and puts less stress on my middle finger joints.

Getting old up north is the pits, but survivors adapt. Sooo.... just have to roll with the punches.

If all else fails I'll just hit the bad guys with my cane....

(I guess those little kids call me Grandpa for a reason. Can't wait to get back to Florida where it's warmer.)

 

[Joe Hohmann]

I have a .357, but only shoot .38 (often, at my gun club). I bought the .357 for one reason...resale value.

 

[Hasbeen1945]

My 12 and 20 gauge shotguns both are 3 inch guns. Never shot a 3 inch shell in them. But I have the option if I want to.
357 j frame for me.

 

[Mister X]

J-Frames have their place. I don't have one, but my mother has a 638 that I bought for her, fitted with a Crimson Trace. Its lite weight and has an easy to pull trigger, which she prefers at the age of 79 years old, and sleeps with it under her pillow. She has never been broken into, but lives well out in the country and with the economy being what it is, she's more comfortable. Her sugar jar has a Charter Arms .38 Spl +P as well. She has more, but the 638 is her favorite and being that the longest room in her home is about 14', her 2.5" 638 fitted with a CT, loaded with 130 grain Winchester PDX1 Defenders will more than do the job, should the need ever present itself. All that she needs to do if someone enters uninvited, is paint the red dot, and be in control of the situation before they have a chance to. I have two sisters that have Ruger LCR .38 Spls, and yet another sister that has a 4" Model 57 .41 magnum that I gave her and she just loves. I personally don't take a fancy to J-Frames, but they have their place for good reasons.

My advice is to find what you are most comfortable with, get to know it through practice. I take my mother and sisters out onto my property quarterly to practice. After deer season ends, so as not to mess with fellow hunters, it will be time to take them out again.

Does your mom have any problems pulling the trigger on the 638 in double-action?

 

[shouldazagged]

I looked up "masochist" in the dictionary. There was a picture of a guy shooting full-house .357 Magnum from a gnatweight J-frame.

I'm of the camp that says any advantage gained by shooting .357 from a snubby is offset by the loss of controllability for fast follow-up shots and the titanic flash and blast.

For me .38 Special +P or its equivalent is plenty for what I consider the primary purpose of a snub revolver, which is defense against someone who is uncomfortably close and closing.

 

[jtcarm]

I'm in the same boat. I'm ok now with the TX weather I can carry my K-frames, but I need a pocket gun to carry at home and when the mercury gets above 80.

I'll probably go with some variation of the 40. The 340 looks great but is damned expensive. Probably the steel 640 or the 642.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DevilDog72]

Oldie but goodie..... J Frames. I have a 642-1 nl and like it, light, small, easy to conceal and with 135 gr +P .38 Gold Dots it is more than enough.


that said would really like a 640

 

[okiegtrider]

Oldie but goodie..... J Frames. I have a 642-1 nl and like it, light, small, easy to conceal and with 135 gr +P .38 Gold Dots it is more than enough.


that said would really like a 640

Devildog, I like that holster. What is it?

 

[DevilDog72]

It is made by Front Line. It is a nice rig. I use it every time I carry my 642.

Here is another look.....

 

[stem]

A .38 for me. I read somewhere you aren't gaining much more velocity with the bigger loads out of a 2 inch barrel. With that said, I can get better groups with BuffaloBore +P than anything target.

 

[Rpg]

I have no interest in a 357 j frame.

Not worth the blast and recoil or the larger frame.

A 38 j frame is useable and delivers plenty from a sub 2" barrel.

Much easier to shoot well, and will do what needs to be done just fine.

 

[JohnRippert]

Standard .38 special Model 36 for me. Regular .38's have enough recoil to pull my off hand away when shooting with magnas and a T-grip so I went to my bonded ivory grips to get another finger on it. I have no interest in shooting +P or .357's in a J frame.

 

[momscool]

Bye Bye Ruger LCR

Just traded a Ruger LCR for a 642-1 no lock. I had looked at the 642 before I bought the Ruger, but the LCR was cheaper. Not the first time price was a deciding factor. I'm happy now. A little poorer but happy.

 

[caleb4387]

my 3 Inch 13 draws blood with 357. you couldn't pay me to shoot 357 in a j frame the exception being the watered down speer good dots

 

[BAM-BAM]

There's an old saying..."Just cus you can doesn't mean you should!"

I have one .357 J-frame..... a 60-10 3" micro 686...... it's been "carried" with .357s in Penn's woods.......it gets carried and shot mostly (95%+) with .38s of some flavor.

 

[wrangler5]

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see anybody mention the reason I prefer a 357 J frame - the 1/4" longer ejector rod will almost completely extract a 38 Special case.

As I mentioned in this thread years ago, I have only shot one (1) 357 round out of a J frame and don't intend to do it again. But on the occasions when I practice fast reloads with 38 Specials, I find that my 640's longer ejector rod gives a bit more fully-reliable extraction than my 38-Special-only 638 or 442. The steel 640 is also a more fun to shoot a lot of rounds through at a range session than the lightweights, although that extra weight makes it not work as a pocket gun (for me, in my pockets - YMMV.)

 

[Newburydave]

I would choose a 442 because it's black and scary in a tactical, assault weapon-lookin' way.

For a J Frame carry gun, 38s would be my choice. A heavy +p is all I want to shoot out of one....ever!

I mostly carry the standard pressure Critical Defense in mine.

==============
I haven't seen any of those 158gr Hornady HP rounds in my area.

Based on what I've seen in online Gel tests (I know, not realistic, etc...) the 110gr standard pressure Critical Defense rounds are the heaviest HP slug that will reliably expand out of a Snubbie. (I carry a 638-3 myself, nice gun).

What's your experience / rationalle for using 158gr standard pressure HPs?

 

[Newburydave]

Correction after some experience.

I bought a 638......

Also, I feel that one of the new self defense rounds in 38 special are adequate for close in self defense. That's what I carry. Currently I favor Hornady's Critical Defense 90 grain Hollow point rounds. Since they pass the FBI penetration requirement that's good enough for me.

YMMV

============

Have to correct this based on my reading and experience.

I now carry Remington Golden Saber 125gr +P JHP rounds. The recommendation of seasoned LEO revolver guys is to carry a minimum of 135gr +P JHP rounds, but my old hands can't take that much recoil and still put rounds in the box.

My arthritic fingers are starting to weaken my grip till controlling even these 125gr +Ps is getting tenuous. I may fall back on my wife's choice of 148gr Wadcutters. Not a bad choice it turns out. Cirillo's book on his Gunfighting days in the NYPD indicates that front line LEO's came to prefer Wadcutters in their revolvers over round or conical nosed bullets before Hollow Points came into common use.

In a close in Civilian Self Defense situation I think that hitting with a Standard Pressure WC round would be better than missing with a +P JHP round. IMHO

Hope I never have to find out. Paper is by far the best target.