J-frame Manifesto/ How I set up my J-frames
Hey guys,
I was scouting around for a gun to play with when I realized my old S&W 442 Pro was getting fairly broken in and I no longer had a backup. As my friends on here will recall, I actually believe that the J-frame is the best handgun for non-duty/military carry. Here are the usual reasons I give...
I think the J-frame in airweight format is probably the best all-around gun for the average civillian. Here is why:
1. Very simple. The Revolver has no safety, no movable sights, no dropable magazines, nothing. Just a gun that you can drop in your pocket and go.
2. Intrinsically reliable. While the myth of the unstoppable revolver is BS, it is true that a revovler is more likely to go off when you pull the trigger. Any number of factors from being out of battery due to close contact, empty chamber, jam, missing magazine, etc can curse your autoloader, the J-frame will work in all of the these circumstances--and if the cylinder is empty keep squeezing.
3. Lack of user induced malfunctions. Revolvers are far more tolerant of sloppy handling (train all you want, pressure is pressure).I have seen people induce all manner of malfunctions by either holding their autoloaders with a weak grip, or accidentally riding the slide release lever. Revolvers are far less likely to have problems like this.
4. Reasonable cost. Autoloaders are pricey. A Glock 19 is going to run most folks around $550. You are going to need a rigid holster (at least a fobus) and probably at least another spare mag or two. A J-frame will run you $100-200 cheaper. My last Glock 19 cost $620 (Mos without moon cut) and my latest 442 Pro cost $420
5. You can throw out the price difference buy purchasing a set of crimson trace laser grips. This is, in the words of LAV, a no brainer fro the J-frame. The laser grip is absolutely perfect for this type of gun. You can practice dry-firing, shooting on the move, barrier shots, etc using the crimson trace grips and save a LOT of time and money at the range. This is especially nice for folks who don't have a range where they can practice practical shooting.
6. YOU WILL ACTUALLY CARRY IT. I do agree with those who say that 5 shots is the scary minimum...BUT I do think that the fact that you are much more likely to actually CARRY an ultra-lightweight revolver makes up for a G19x with RMR and 24round magazine in the glove compartment because you didn't feel like putting it back on before you went in the store. Don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about. And the J-frame can be carried in, let's just say, "non-permissive" environments with something as simple as a phone or pair of keys on top to break up the pattern.
7. SAFE. Unlike the safteyless striker guns, there is no real concern that something might get loose in your pocket and push the trigger. There is no real risk that you will actidently pull the trigger while drawing. I nearly shot myself one time drawing my S&W M&P 2.0 Compact. The super tacky grip caught on my shirt and pulled the barrel towards my body during the draw... which caused me to reposition the gun in my hand. Scared the poo out of me. No chance of this with a hammerless J. You could leave a J-frame loose in a purse or glove compartment with no realistic chance of discharge.
8. Simplicity/convenience of carry(again). A J-frame is really all you need. A simple nylon pocket holster is preferable, but not absolutely needed. You can just put it in your coat pocket (and shoot through it if need be). There is no need to keep up with magazines and wait for months for holsters or any of the other doo-hickey's that you collect for autoloaders.
Anyway, that is my reasoning. Here is how I run my J-frame. First, I get a black model. I like the idea of the 642 because of the ease of cleaning (dirt is more visible) but I end up having to paint the top of my guns black to avoid glare. The sights are bad enough without added issues. The 442 Pro and the 442 performance center are my favorites. The current performance center is probably best because you can still see how dirty the cylinder is, and I tend to get rust on my trigger, cylinder and release latches. The 442 Pro fixes this and has a nicer trigger to boot. I currently am running 442 Pros because they lack the Hillary Hole and they are cut for moon clips. The moon clips are mostly useless, but I like keeping my carry ammo in moon clips so empties can easily be ejected.
1. The first thing I do is get a pair of Crimson Trace Laser grips, preferably LG-405. They are expensive, around $235 on amazon, but they are excellent. Not only are they more comfortable than the factory boot grip (they have a padded rear section that is much kinder to the webbing of your hand). Just zero them at the front sight post. You can fine tune them at the range.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e0581926_k.jpgIMG_0674 by stoiclawyer, on Flickr
2. Next I paint the front sight. I LOVE the fact that the J-frame sights are fixed. I can't tell you the number of times I have paid to have night sights installed and later found them drifting (kudos to Beretta for staking theirs on my 92G-SD). This may seem like paranoia, but I have seen it many times over the years. The J-frame sights may be limited, but they don't move. But what they gain in being low-profile and durable they loose in visibility. The best way to fix this is to paint it with Appliance paint, and then follow it up with a bright red or orange band. The appliance paint keeps the fingernail polish paint or whatever from easily flaking off. I learned this trick from the revolver guru Claude Werner...read this amazing post from the professor...https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress....s/#more-190902
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6f068316_k.jpgIMG_0673 by stoiclawyer, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b901e2c0_k.jpgIMG_0688 by stoiclawyer, on Flickr
3. Next get some speed loaders. I prefer the Safariland -Comp 1 models. There about $14 and are super low profile. I usually keep it in the same pocket as the gun below the holster. I don't usually carry speed strips because they are slow. I DO however sometimes carry one with snake shot when I am cutting grass, etc.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0b0963d6_k.jpgIMG_0670 by stoiclawyer, on Flickr
4. Find a good pocket holster. There are tons of great ones but I like the Sticky Holster MD-5 medium. It runs about $30 but I have been running the same one for 5 years. Great piece. Just dump out the sand and grit every once in a while.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...fcf8f3a8_k.jpgIMG_0120 by stoiclawyer, on Flickr
5. Usually I run Gold Dot Short Barrel .38 or HST +P. Both do quite well according the the currently fashionable FBI gel criteria They are easy to find in our local gunshops. I also keep some snake shot around since I live in rattlesnake country.
There you go! Now, if you really want to guild the Lilly you can buy an APEX trigger kit (or similar kits from Wilson, WOLF, etc). The trigger on the J-frame starts quite heavy. The two guns I have are the same model and my 3 year old PRO with thousands of rounds has a trigger that feels to be about 60% as heavy and about 3x shooter. The trigger on a J-frame will eventually wear to mechanical perfection, but you have to put in the work. Or you can just buy a kit. They are reasonably easy to install.
J-frame Manifesto/ How I set up my J-frames
I hate answering recoil questions, as I grew up (like from age 12) shooting a 629-1... with Magnum loads. I’m probably the least recoil sensitive person out there. Whereas people say .380 out of an LCP is bad, no issue for me.
Those 147 grain XTP don’t recoil any harder than the 110 grain Hornady CD loads. To be honest, I actually could say that the 9mm loads recoil less than .38 +P. But again... probably asking the wrong person.
I don’t shoot +P out of it, as I really don’t see a benefit. Standard pressure 9mm is giving me better performance, so why beat the revolver up more than needed?
