Smith and Wesson J frame revolvers

A J-frame is NOT a range gun. It takes many practice rounds to become profficient. I am merely adequate after owning one for years, but am quite comfortable and confident carrying one daily.

If you have your heart set on a small frame, have you looked at a 640? It's sort of an oversized J-frame. Barrel is 1/4" longer, 10 to 12 oz heavier to tame recoil, cylinder is longer, and the frame is 'slightly' larger. It is chambered for .357/.38.

See if you can find one to try.
 
Steve - Don't let anybody talk you out of buying a new gun, especially a J-frame. LenS is right - in .357 the recoil is brutal and you don't get full .357 velocity out of a short barrel, anyway. The Scandium guns in .38 aren't quite as painful to shoot - just to pay for. They are a lot more $ than the Airweights, and they only weigh a few ounces less.
The steel guns are great, and there are plenty of old ones around. My new favorite is my Airweight 642-1, one of the last S&W revolvers without the stupid lock. Also available in black finish as the 442-1. Great carry guns and more accurate than people think.
Next time you're in Mike's shop ask if he has an old K-frame like the police used to carry. In .38 or .357 they often have tight actions and great triggers, in spite of the finish wear and dings and scratches. Not a pocket gun, but also not as heavy as the 686 size.
 
Woodstock said:
Steve - Don't let anybody talk you out of buying a new gun, especially a J-frame. LenS is right - in .357 the recoil is brutal and you don't get full .357 velocity out of a short barrel, anyway. The Scandium guns in .38 aren't quite as painful to shoot - just to pay for. They are a lot more $ than the Airweights, and they only weigh a few ounces less.
The steel guns are great, and there are plenty of old ones around. My new favorite is my Airweight 642-1, one of the last S&W revolvers without the stupid lock. Also available in black finish as the 442-1. Great carry guns and more accurate than people think.
Next time you're in Mike's shop ask if he has an old K-frame like the police used to carry. In .38 or .357 they often have tight actions and great triggers, in spite of the finish wear and dings and scratches. Not a pocket gun, but also not as heavy as the 686 size.
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I think he has a an old M65...... and I think he has a 640... I prefer the 60, I like the option of having the hammer for single action. I also have the 638, which has the shrouded hammer, but still enough of a hammer to cock and shoot single action. Another good model is a Model 10, nice if you can find one in a snubby or 3".. got a couple of them and really enjoy shooting them when I can. Actually been a while since I had any of my revolvers out... been on a 1911 kick lately, think I'll have to load up the range bag with some 38 and 357 ammo .... work the J and K's... [grin]
 
You can get new 442 and 642's without the lock, I believe those are the only two that S&W offers without it. Just FYI if that helps your decision on which J-frame to get.
 
I don't find J frames particularly comfortable or fun to shoot personally. Mine is a backup gun, not a range toy. If you want a range toy something K frame or bigger would be more fun IMHO.

Or get an X frame and shoot with the manly men. [wink]
 
vellnueve said:
There are no downsides to an S&W J-Frame.
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Well, I disagree.

For me, an airweight J-frame like a 642 is purely a pocket gun. The sights suck. The trigger pull is long and hard. Among S&W revolvers, the J-frame trigger is perhaps the worst. The sight radius is short. The extractor is not full stroke. The grip is small. The only advantages of something like a 642 is that it fits in your pocket. But it is hard to shoot quickly and accurately.

A J-frame makes a lousy belt gun. If you are going to carry a gun on your belt, you can carry a bigger gun that is easier to shoot.

A J-frame makes a lousy home defense gun. If you are keeping it at home, you can keep a bigger gun that is easier to shoot.

A J-frame makes a lousy range gun. If you are taking it to the range, you can take a bigger gun that is easier to shoot.

I compete in IDPA with my S&W model 66. I own a bunch of revolvers, including three J-frames. For me, J-frames fulfill a very specific purpose. Outside of that purpose, there are other guns that do a better job.
 
Sold mine. Couldn't hit anything with it at the range at 25 feet. Ended up with a KAHR PM9. They are both are concealable carry guns but the the KAHR was almost twice as much
 
OK I'll play as well.

I love J frames. But this I think an answer to your question (If I had to find something wrong with it)

The shell ejector is not long enough to positively extract the cases. The shooter needs to rely on gravity or inertia to finish the extraction.
 
I'll join the chorus. I love my 442 for deep concealment and 'lazy carry'. I never shoot it for fun. I do practice with it semi-regularly, but it's definitely not a fun range gun. If you can't carry and want a revolver, get a K or L frame in 38/357.
 
jar said:
I'll join the chorus. I love my 442 for deep concealment and 'lazy carry'. I never shoot it for fun. I do practice with it semi-regularly, but it's definitely not a fun range gun. If you can't carry and want a revolver, get a K or L frame in 38/357.
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Exactly. I love 4" K-frames. They are great range and home guns, and can even be pressed into service on your belt as a carry gun.

I have a 3" Model 60 J-frame that I bought for teaching people with smaller hands. Unless you have small hands, there is nothing that Model 60 can do that a K-frame can't do better.
 
To me the J Frame is a very specific weapon.... not a fun range gun, not particularly accurate. But totally reliable, and will carry in a pant or coat pocket exceptionally well. Will shoot through the coat pocket with no danger of slide catching causing a jam.... would highly recommend one.
 
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JohnnyC said:
To me the J Frame is a very specific weapon.... not a fun range gun, not particularly accurate. But totally reliable, and will carry in a pant or coat pocket exceptionally well. Will shoot through the coat pocket with no danger of slide catching causing a jam.... would highly recommend one.
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Most j-frames are actually extremely accurate, just extremely hard to shoot accurately.
 
Check out Zero Hour Arms in Easton. There was a full case today of revolvers. Lots of steel J & K-frames, both 2" and 4" were plentiful.
 
Unless you like recoil, and mean lots of recoil, shooting a .357 mag J-frame is not fun. After 50 full power magnum rounds through my S&W 340, my hand was somewhat numb and tingling. It sounds cool, though. I thoroughly enjoy shooting my 638 however, especially since it allows single action shooting. I teach firearms classes and always recommend the 638 as a first carry gun.
 
Garys said:
The downside, compared to the Model 60s I've owned, is the trigger pull. There is a thread on this forum that I started about that. I'm still mulling my options on fixing that, but other than that, there are no drawbacks for concealed carry for self defense. As drgrant said, if you aren't planning on concealed carry, then get something bigger.
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Apex J frame kit
 
After looking at a Colt Agent .38 - 6shot... I pulled the trigger at Guns and Gun Parts.. pretty little gun, like a J frame with 6 shots... If it wasn't for this thread, I probably would have looked so closely at it.. nice pocket gun with a bobbed hammer. Lets face it guys, these J frame guns are really bellie guns and not much more. We aren't taking them to the range for extended shooting, if we were to use them in SD situation, it ain't gonna be from 15 yards... it's gonna be up close and personal. The site radius is not gonna matter the kick is not gonna matter, it'll most likely be a point and shoot!!
Happy Holidays
 
jar said:
Most j-frames are actually extremely accurate, just extremely hard to shoot accurately.
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Bingo! Accuracy is much less forgiving to shooter error. The only problem I have with my model 60 .357 is the hammer diggs into my side in certian positions IWB. If I was thinner it probably wouldn't be a problem.
 
Jbarila said:
Apex J frame kit
Click to expand...

That certainly helps, but in my experience, a J-frame with a trigger job can't match a K-frame with a trigger job. The K-frame trigger is just a lot smoother. The only thing the K-frame can't do is fit in your pocket, and that's the niche that the J-frame fills for me.
 
I have a custom Model 60 by Mike LaRocca in Worcester. A good action job does absolute wonders on a J frame's trigger pull. If you do get a S&W snubbie, I highly recommend you like Mike give it a once-over.

Otherwise, everyone has covered the basics: J frames can be a challenge to shoot and require lots of practice to be proficient, and capacity is limited, but they're a wonderful firearm.
 
M1911 said:
That certainly helps, but in my experience, a J-frame with a trigger job can't match a K-frame with a trigger job. The K-frame trigger is just a lot smoother. The only thing the K-frame can't do is fit in your pocket, and that's the niche that the J-frame fills for me.
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My K frames are all a lot smoother than my 442. When I had a 60, it was smoother than the 442. My Model 34 is smoother than the 442. I think my issue is with my particular firearm. I'm still exploring options to do something about that. It's a very nice carry gun when I want something very low profile, but it's a pain to shoot.
 
I have three J-frames, a super minty late 70's vintage #36 which was my dads gun before he passed away. I did shoot it once or twice about 20 years ago, but this one never leaves the safe now.
I also have a 1980 vintage #60 which I carry daily in the colder months when I'm wearing a jacket. I carry it in a high-ride belt slide holster above the beltline which doesn't dig into the seat while I'm driving.
My third is a 4" model #63, which is my favorite of the bunch to shoot, but being a .22 it's not what I consider a carry gun.

I really like the look of the new Pro Series model #60, with the flat side barrel, but it's a lot more than I care to spend, and I haven't seen any used ones out there.

8602d1259462877-any-fans-3-m60-357-magnum-img_31732.jpg
 
I picked up one of the Pro 60's... great gun, stumbled onto it on S-W forum for $450.... had to buy it at that price. Had the custom wood grips on it, amazing shooter.
 

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