A J Frame will not last forever. In early March I sold my BG38 for $200 with full disclosure to someone who will probably never fire it. It had a round count of 11,670 and the laser worked intermittently. It was treated rough and never failed to fire. The cylinder end shake and headspace were at the upper limits. The cylinder throat diameter was slightly over .3585" and accuracy was falling off. I fired a lot of Winchester +P 158g LHP and 200 rounds of Federal 147g +P+ JHP, so that may account for the excessive wear.
I picked up a used BG38 to replace the one I sold. It has a lot of holster wear, but it wasn't fired much and is as tight as a drum. Because of it's worn appearance, I paid $250 for it. The seller threw in some accessories and 2-1/2 boxes of Winchester 158g +P Lead Hollow Point, which I have already fired. I've fired over 500 rounds though it since I bought it and it is noticeably more accurate than the one I sold in March.
If I had an opportunity to buy a new J Frame, I would go with the no-lock.
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