Okay. Summertime J frame revolver solved

D

Doug.38PR

Moderator
Over the past few months I've come to the realization that carrying my Official Police 4 inch in the summer time is going to get quite difficult if I'm not able to wear a coat or jacket.
So. I've been considering getting either a .38 Colt Dectective Special, Cobra or Agent or a Smith & Wesson .38 5 shot as a backup gun and a pocket gun for summer carry.
I don't want to spend a boatload of money on this. I want 6 shots not five. I want a gun that is realitively easy to get repaired. Colt snubbies have 6 shots but are hard to repair and can be expensive. S&W are easy to get repaired but have 5 shots and can also be expensive. Sooooo, I have come to the perfect solution.

This weekend I'm going to a gun and knife show over in Pasadena Texas and am going to try to find S&W's latest J frame revolver. The Model 431 PD .32 Magnum with 6 shots. It has everything I'm looking for. 6 shots, easy repair (I'm told S&W has a lifetime warranty), and quite cheap (less than $400) and it's .32 mangum shot comes fairly close to the power of a .38 special.

I've handled the gun in person and like it. Nice as you see in on S&W website. So what do y'all think http://www.firearms.smith-wesson.com/store/index.php3?cat=293597&item=1033876&sw_activeTab=1
 
If they just made it in a stainless/alloy package instead of the blue/alloy.

I'd like to see S&W build a snubbie with a slightly smaller frame than the "J" frame. It would still be 5 shots, but in a slight smaller package than the 38's.
 
If they just made it in a stainless/alloy package instead of the blue/alloy.
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That's okay for me. Personally I like the blue rather than stainless steel. Stainless steel just isn't my taste, besides it stands out more than blue finishes when holstered under your coat.

You can't get much smaller than J frame can you? I mean, any less gun and I would think the gun would fly out of your hand if you had any less grip than on those.
 
I'd like to see S&W build a snubbie with a slightly smaller frame than the "J" frame.
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They've been there and done that. Going back in time, they had the I frame which they built their 32 and 22 snubbies on. Then there was the older J frame that was smaller and lighter than todays J magnum production. I personally like the older (20 oz) steel J's the best.
 
Interesting idea...Trading a bit of punch for an extra round of firepower is something to consider. I have a 2-1/8" S&W 60-4 that I really like; just had it at the range today as a matter of fact and I shoot it DA better than my 6" revos. But it is my first J-frame and I'm still not real comfortable with only 5 shots for CCW. Five sounds much smaller now that you can stuff 7 or 8 rounds in larger frames in the same caliber. I think I could settle for six, but will have to do some reading on .32 mag.
 
I recently shifted my pocket gun from a 442 in .38 Spl to a 432PD in .32 Mag. Same manual of arms; all I had to do was shift the CTC Lasergrips from one gun to the other and sight them in. Granted, .32 Mag is less powerful than .38 Spl, but neither is exactly the hammer of Thor. Georgia Arms 100gr SJHP's are a lot more controllable and pleasant to shoot in the .32 than any +P load in the .38. More controllable and more pleasant means more practice. The 100gr .32 has better SD than any available .38 loading, short of 158gr projectiles, and the sixth shot is a nice bonus, too.
 
I love my 332--now discontinued. It is a stainless/alloy Centennial with 6 shots of .32 H&R Mag. I just wish practice ammo was as cheap as the .38 Special.
 
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