Straying Away Fom the J Frame Snubs

[rodfac]

I'd be interested in seeing actual chrono'd results of .380 defensive rounds fired from a pocket sized auto. I doubt that they're any faster, than a .38 Special +P.

The pic below shows the results of some defensive rounds fired from my wife's 1-7/8" barreled S&W 637. Bullets were shot into and recovered from a swimming pool and the chrono'd velocities were the average of 5 shots.

I'd say that you're not underguned even with a .38 Special with good modern ammunition, but would be surprised if a .380 could do as well. The LSWC on the left is a practice handload which duplicates the "felt" recoil of our standard carry load, the Remington +P Golden Saber also shown. I'd be comfortable carrying with any of them, except maybe the 158 gr LSWC...penetration with it might be better, but those big mushroomed JHP's look a lot better.

Best Regards, Rod

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

he main reason is they are just not the easiest guns to shoot accurately. With alot of practice I became pretty proficient with them, but I still shoot just about any semi better than a snub. Next there is the limited capacity. If I only have 5 shots they better be accurate shots, and with the J frames I just couldn't pull of the degree of accuracy needed to feel safe with only 5 shots.

At social distances, a little practice goes a long way. And if anyone needs >5-rounds, he bit off more than he can chew.

I frequently carry a M36 in a pocket holster when I can't carry anything else and am happy to have it.

 

[chaim]

I've thought about the same thing myself, moving from J-frames to autos.

A small J-frame snub is not the easiest gun to shoot well, and with defensive loads you really feel the recoil (especially with the lightweight aluminum and other alloys). They only hold 5 rounds yet aren't all that small compared to some autos. My Ruger LCP is much smaller than my small framed snubs and is much lighter than my 442, yet instead of 5 rounds of .38+P it holds 6+1 rounds of .380ACP. While I do trust .38+P more than I do .380, the LCP makes up a bit for it by holding 2 extra rounds (1 more in the mag plus one in the pipe) and it is a bit more comfortable to shoot than the 442 making for quicker follow up shots. I recently bought a Kel Tec PF-9 which holds 8+1 rounds of much more powerful 9mm ammo, and while overall a similar size to the J-frame, it is much more narrow and it is lighter. I have a SIG P290 which is likely to become one of my primary carry guns, it is about the same weight as a steel J-frame, it is a tad smaller (similar, but a bit shorter in height and length and narrower), and it holds 6+1 rounds of 9mm in the flush mag or 8+1 rounds with the extended mag (which makes is closer to the J-frame in height).

Still, right now while sitting at home typing on my computer, guess what I have on my belt...I'm sitting in my bedroom so concealment is unimportant, I could easily carry my N-frame if I wanted (or have it sitting next to me if I didn't want the bigger gun on my belt). Yet, I am wearing my Taurus 85CH. It is comfortable to carry, and I trust 5 rounds of .38+P Speer Gold Dots to easily allow me to fight my way to my gun safe where I can get my shotgun or AR if I was the victim of a home invasion. Of course, out and about where I can't get to other guns, the higher capacity and/or greater power of one of the small 9mm's or higher cap of the LCP would be more of a consideration I suppose.

As for reliability, I am in the revolvers are more reliable camp. I have had autos hiccup, including some that put them out of commission until some serious work was done. Revolvers, one spits lead and needs that fixed (after 5-10K rounds some needed maintenance isn't too surprising, and it doesn't take it out of commission if needed), and one has an issue with cylinder binding when shooting magnums (a real issue if I was using .357mag for defense in this gun, though even this gun, which never sees my CCW or HD rotation yet, has been 100% when shooting .38spl and .38+P). However, any gun can fail, so any gun should be tested at the range before you trust it to defend your life. I can trust any well made gun that has been tested by me at the range (though I do put more rounds through a new auto before I trust it than through a new revolver), and I trust both autos and revolvers for self defense.