Part 2: So why CCW a J Frame?
So, say you’re looking at carrying a J-Frame revolver. I was for this project. It was a platform I had carried on and off for over 30 years. Many will ask, quite legitimately, why go with an antiquated system with limited capacity that’s so difficult to reload. All are valid arguments which I will try to explain.
First off, I’ll admit to being a fan of revolvers. For several reasons I mention below, they are great for CCW. They are also something I have a bit of nostalgia for; as a revolver was the first handgun I bought for myself to carry off-duty and as a backup in my 30+ year time in law enforcement.
Remember, guns are tools, and these in particular fit a specific niche.
Not for Everyone…Maybe Even Not for Most
I must add one caveat. As many gun-tubers and gun experts will say, the J-frame is an advanced shooter’s gun. This is not for the beginner; it’s for the experienced or skilled shooter who would carry a revolver (usually a J Frame or similar). There was a time when people at gun stores would push the little J Frame as a first gun. (Back when most people carried revolvers or had revolvers at home, this made sense.).
But today, very few people have exposure to a revolver, and mastering the trigger pull on one takes time. Remember these generally have a long double action, some getting to 12 lb. pulls or more. Additionally, the diminutive size of the gun and its light weight can make for punishing recoil, to put it nicely. The lack of a good sight picture like we’re used to on most semi autos just adds to the challenges. (Most small revolvers for CCW have a small front sight with a trough rear sight.)
To carry one for CCW, you should already be an experienced shooter; ready to work through the above issues with training and practice. Even then, weapon choice and some minor modifications might be in order to get the most out of these. For instance, I’d stay away from the ultra-light .357 Magnum revolvers using scandium and titanium. They’re outstanding pieces of workmanship, but the cost is over double of the lightweight aluminum .38 Special guns, and you only save a couple of ounces. On top of that, while these scandium / titanium guns are chambered for .357 magnum, the guns in that caliber are the only ones I’ve seen make a man bleed. It’s just brutal for recoil which means it takes a lot longer to get back on target for follow up shots. As a last note, reloading is much, MUCH slower than a semi auto.
Finally, the accuracy of these is not near what a micro 9 is. The gun itself is mechanically capable of great accuracy, but the combination of trigger pull and sights make revolvers like the S&W J-Frame a close-in defensive pistol.
So why would anyone try these for carry?
With everything I said above, you’re probably asking why you would ever bother carrying these as a CCW option? As a friend of mine (and later my Captain) used to ask, “is the juice worth the squeeze?”
If you can maneuver the above downsides, the revolver has some very attractive aspects. First off, the .38 Special Aluminum J Frame (the Airweight models) are as light as 14.6 ounces, with the scandium – insanity models going down to 11.8 ounces. The light weight makes them easy to carry, and not notice. By comparison, my Sig P365 fully loaded is almost 24 ounces.
The revolver’s non-linear shape aids in concealment. A semi-auto has straight lines that I have found print a little more easily through clothing. The revolver with a sub 1-inch frame and its cylinder break up its outline, and really make it blend in. They can also be carried safely in a pocket with a good holster. (I even know some who don’t bother with the holster, but for safety reasons I don’t advise it.)
One aspect that used to be touted on the revolver was its simplicity and reliability. Back when I started in the early 1990’s, semi-autos were cautiously trusted, and a revolver’s system of operation was seen as more reliable. Today, most modern semi-auto pistols are far more reliable than earlier weapons, and this is much less of a concern…except in one aspect. If a semi auto’s slide is pushed out of battery, it will not fire. So, in a close in fight with an assailant if the slide of your gun makes contact with their body, it can get pushed out of battery, and I could end up with a dead trigger. With a revolver, I can do a contact shot against the person trying to kill me and pull the trigger, repeatedly, until they stopped what they were doing. It can also fire from inside a pocket reliably, and until it is empty. In this aspect, I valued my revolver above all else as a backup gun when I drove a patrol car.
Mindset…
One thing I go back to are the words of the sage officer back in 1991. The revolver keeps me in a position where I don’t get myself over-confident with my firearm. (And we should never go there, regardless of what firearm you carry.). The .38 loads I carry are effective, but they are not something I’m going to a war zone with. My five shots mean I’m purposeful, and very conscious of every shot I make, because I only have 5. Even with larger revolvers you’ll get as many as 6 to 8 rounds…but that’s it.
I need to consider, as a civilian (retired LEO), my mindset needs to be a little different than it used to be. As much as it pains me, I need to dial back my posture. I am no longer hunting for the criminal element, I am scanning for deadly force threats that are after me, and my loved ones. Will I come to the aid of others, of course when possible – but I’m not the one chasing bad guys for a shoplifting call anymore.
I also live in the most litigious, bluest of blue states. It has gone kicking and screaming into the shall-issue CCW space (sort of). As a result, one thought is that the image of a self defense shooting using the J-Frame versus a tricked out full-size gun will run differently for the DA. It shouldn’t make a difference, but it will here. Please take this as one individual’s perspective with the 30+ years of experience behind it. At the end of the day, you will need to do what you believe is right, and what’s best for you.
As I said before, these guns should be considered a specific niche – as a CCW. If I have a full gamut of pistols to carry, the revolver is the gun I carry when I don’t think I’ll need one, or if concealment / light weight is paramount. To be frank, a J-Frame or similar revolver is part of a CCW system, but may not be acceptable to be your “whole system”, depending on the threat environment you are in. For home defense a compact to full size semi auto, or even a full sized revolver is a much better choice.
With all this said, off to the test…how did I fare being revolver only for a week…