A trip to Alaska is sure to be one you won’t soon forget. The most important thing you’ll do is prepare for the trip and ensure that you show up in the right place, at the right time, with the right gear. 

Alaska hunting and fishing bring a lot of people to this area of the country and this guide should help you narrow down the criteria of a perfect trip.  

Choosing Your Destination

One decision you’ll have to make before even considering an Alaskan adventure is where you plan to hunt and fish. Are you going to trek it North into the tundra in search of caribou, elk, and moose? Or, are you more interested in staying closer to the water for smaller game, waterfowl, and bears? 

All the locals will recommend that you take to the saltwater along the southeast portion of the state. This is where the best hunting and fishing is and it’s home to some of the best salmon fishing on this side of the hemisphere. 

Now, if bear hunting is what brings you to the area, to track the bears, you want to track the salmon. To do this, you’ll have to understand the migratory pattern of the salmon. They move from the freshwater as a juvenile and travel out into the open water where they feed and grow before retreating back to the river to spawn as adults. There are a variety of factors that come into play here.

The number one factor is the migration of the baitfish that they feed on. The number of baitfish in each location determines which ones are more favorable than others. Three of the top places to fish in Southeast Alaska are Juneau, Sitka, and Prince of Wales Island.  

Planning the Trip 

As you’re thinking about the location in Alaska that you want to fish and hunt, you’ll want to prepare yourself for the trip by bringing along the most essential gear. Bear hunting season runs during the Spring and Fall so if you’re looking to kill two birds with one stone, you’ll want to come during those times. 

That said, depending on what species of salmon you’re trying to catch, you’ll want to cater to the peak season. Coho Salmon season is better during the fall while Chinook Salmon season is better during the spring and summer. Regardless of what season you come, you’ll be able to find fish either way so I would recommend planning around bear hunting season first. 

Now let’s talk about gear. 

If you’re traveling on an unguided hunting trip the first two essential pieces of equipment are a framed backpack and a folding saw with a bone blade. These are required for all unguided hunters. 

Hip boots, binoculars, knives, flashlights, and plenty of backup clothes are necessary as well. If you’re hunting with a .357 magnum, keep in mind that your shot needs to be right on the money to take down a grizzly. Always keep in mind that just because you see experts take down grizzlies with a .357 magnum, doesn’t mean you’ll have the same luck. If possible, you might want to step up to a .44 if you find yourself out there with a handgun.

I also recommend bringing a separate fishing backpack because you won’t want to carry all your fishing gear in the same framed backpack with your hunting equipment. If you’re traveling with another person, one of you can carry each bag. 

For fishing, you’ll want to bring a portable rod, some casting spoons, flies, and diving plugs. If you can find salmon eggs, they make the best bait for Chinook Salmon. 

Where to Fish

As I said earlier, there are three areas in the southeast section of Alaska where you’ll clean up best. Juneau, Sitka, and Prince of Wales. These are the three top locations but your chances of success differ based on the season you fish and what you’re targeting. 

Juneau 

The top fish to catch in Juneau is the Coho Salmon. You’ll have the best chance of catching these in the late summer and early fall months between August-September. In fact, Alaska has the highest catch rates of Silver Coho Salmon. The regulations for catching these fish have not changed in quite some time and there are no annual limits; just a six per day per person restriction. 

Sitka 

Chinook King Salmon are the target here and this is one of the most sought-after places to fish anywhere on the planet. The record for Chinook Salmon is 126 pounds and that record has stood since 1949. If you’ve ever wanted to add something to your bucket list, this is it. 

Prince of Wales 

This area is one of the southernmost portions of Alaska and it brings about great halibut fishing. They’re great tasting, they grow to unbelievable sizes, and they’re not that hard to catch if you can understand the regulations. 

Where to Hunt 

If you’re targeting brown bears you’ll be able to find them anywhere but Prince of Wales. They’re classified the same as grizzly bears so when we say “brown” we mean “grizzly.” 

Keep in mind that season dates change dramatically by location but for the most part, you can hunt bears from early fall all the way through to early summer. There are also restrictions based on your location that limit how many bears you can kill each year. 

In the event that you are in danger, you are allowed to shoot and kill a bear if you feel that your life is threatened. 

There are many different rules and regulations that apply and they vary based on what type of bear you’re after and where you’re hunting so be sure to read up on all the finer details. 

If a life-changing Alaska hunting and fishing trip has been sitting on your bucket list for a while, it’s time to finally cross it out. As you trek through the majestic landscape that is the last frontier, keep your gun handy, and your trigger finger ready.

By Syd

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times… No, wait — wrong story. I bought a Smith & Wesson Model 60-15 for a practice gun. This is their 3 barrel .357 Magnum version of the Model 60 in stainless steel. Its a nice gun, with a full-length grip and adjustable sights. Not being content to leave a pretty good gun alone, I decided to install a Wolff reduced power spring kit in it. The reduced power kit includes two springs: the rebound spring and the hammer spring.

Why do this? The springs in a handgun force the various parts against each other, insuring a firm and positive engagement of the critical elements of the action: trigger, sear, and hammer. Without adequate pressure, these parts may not function properly and the gun may even become dangerous or malfunction. On the other hand, the manufacturer will always err on the side of caution and build too much pressure into the action for liability and reliability reasons. This inevitably results in a rough and heavy trigger. So, a judicious reduction of spring pressure can improve the trigger without compromising function. There are two ways to improve the trigger in any handgun: polish the action interfaces and reduce spring pressure. But if you do too much of either, the gun will become dangerous and unreliable. This is why smart people take their guns to someone who knows what they are doing to get their triggers smoothed and lightened.

Smith & Wesson revolvers have something called a rebound slide which is powered by a spring. The function of the rebound slide is to push the trigger back into the ready position after the trigger is pulled. It resets the action for the next shot. The energy for this operation is provided by a strong spring which resides inside of the rebound slide. The rebound slide sits in a channel in the frame just behind the trigger. It is held in place by a post which extends from the side of the frame. Getting this little demon from hell in and out is the worst part about working on a Smith & Wesson revolver. Brownells makes a tool which helps somewhat in getting the rebound spring back in, but its still a PITA.

One resource I consider indispensable to this operation is Kuhnhausens S&W Revolver, A Shop Manual. In fact, I will state this in terms of an imperative: Do not attempt this operation without the Kuhnhausen manual. Kuhnhausen walks you through the disassembly process and the elements of lightening a trigger.

Once inside the Model 60, I did some polishing on the sear interfaces and the area where the rebound slide moves inside the frame and makes contact with the trigger. I polished the rebound slide itself. I am a very gentle polisher. I use red jewelers rouge and a variable power Dremel with a felt polishing bit. I also have a couple of Arkansas white whetstones that I use for smoothing and rounding over edges. I almost never grind or cut metal, especially on sears. Many of the action parts in guns these days are Metal Injection Molded (MIM). Their surfaces are hard, but they are thin. The metal inside MIM parts is somewhat softer, and if you grind through the hard surface into the soft interior metal you will ruin the part and leave it non-functional. Grinding or cutting may also change the sear interface angles and this can result in a dangerous and/or unreliable gun. Anything more than a gentle polish and lubrication of these interfaces should only be done by a certified gunsmith. I polished and lubed with Mil-Comm and put the gun back together. I was very pleased with the results. The trigger is a little bit lighter but not a whole lot, but it is very smooth.

Following my stunning success with changing out the spring set in the Model 60, I decided that I’d take on the Airweight. Should be all the same, right? Wrong. I took it all apart, cleaned out eight years worth of crud, polished and lubed. I installed the same springs I used in the Model 60 the 8 lb. hammer spring and the 14 lb. rebound spring. No matter what I did, the rebound slide wouldn’t work right with the Wolff spring in it. It would buck up in the front instead of moving straight back when the trigger was pulled. I took the thing in and out so many times that my thumb got raw from putting the rebound spring back in. Then to make matters worse, I pulled the cylinder hand off of the trigger, not realizing that there was a little spring hidden in the body of the trigger. Of course, when I put it back together, it didn’t work right. Research project. Oh, there’s a little spring somewhere. Miracle of miracles, I managed to find the spring among the dust bunnies and I had no idea of how it went back in. Spent some time searching the Smith & Wesson forum and found some instructions for how to get the little child of Satan back in. (Its also in the Kuhnhausen manual, but I didnt know that at the time.) Getting the spring back in wasn’t too terribly hard. The rebound slide bucking was another thing, however. Nothing I did would make it work. I finally put the stock rebound spring back in and everything was Jake.

It’s fairly smooth now (although it was pretty good before), but it left me with the impression that not all j-frames are created equal. I cant say Im completely happy with the job on the Airweight. It also left me with the realization of how delicately tuned and balanced the components of revolvers are, and changing springs and such in and out of them is more perilous than analogous operations on bottom feeders.

The last thing that needs to be said about this relatively simple operation is that it’s a far cry from a full action job that you would get from one of the revolver action masters like Teddy Jacobson. A full action job would include truing up the sear faces, adjusting the let-out of the double action sear, checking the cylinder yoke for straightness, eliminating end shake in the cylinder, and other elegant pieces of voodoo that only those guys know. Such things are way beyond the scope of this article, at least for now. Just be aware that there is much more to a full action job in a revolver than just switching out the springs. In some respects, the action of the revolver is far more complex and esoteric than a semi-auto action. The interaction of the parts is delicately balanced, not unlike a watch, and the inner workings of the lockwork are less intuitive to understand, requiring serious study to master. A simple “keep you out of trouble” rule would be, “If you don’t know the answer, don’t do the operation.”

By John Taffin

Mention Smith & Wesson and most shooters will immediately think of one of two things, either big bore Magnum sixguns, or state-of-the-art semi-automatic pistols. As a writer I’ve spread a lot of ink discussing both of these types and as a shooter I’ve run thousands of bullets down the barrels of slick shootin’ Smith sixguns and fast-firing defensive pistols. But there are other Smith & Wessons such as the Model 41 .22 target pistol and the epitome of target guns from a few decades ago, the K-38 .38 Special and the K-22 .22 Long rifle, the famous Masterpiece revolvers.

All of these handguns are guns that I would label high exposure. They are seen at target ranges, in the hunting field, worn openly on the belt of peace officers, as well as campers, hikers, fisherman, in fact, all types of sportsmen. Chambered in .22 they are used not only for target shooting but by thousands upon thousands of families enjoying the great sport of plinking together. Larger calibers are carried for more serious purposes such as hunting and law enforcement.

There is another whole class of Smith & Wesson handguns, a group of revolvers rarely ever seen. These are the guns carried concealed by civilians and peace officers alike. These are the guns kept in countless bedside stands, under store counters, in tackle boxes, and day packs. These lightweight easily concealable handguns are the J-frames. Smith & Wesson has long utilized the alphabet to distinguish their revolvers: the N-frames, the largest .41 and .44 Magnum, .45 Colt, .45 ACP, and even .357 Magnum; the middle-sized K-frames, the .357 “Combat Magnum” and earlier mentioned Masterpiece revolvers; the L-frame, the newest intermediate sized .357 Magnum; and finally the diminutive J-frames chambered in .38 Special, .32 Magnum, .22 Long Rifle, and .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire.

History of the J-Frame

The first small frame double action Smith & Wesson, a .38, was built in 1880. This was not the famous .38 Special which would come later, but the less powerful .38 S&W. The first .38 DA weighed 18 ounces and would go through five design changes, thirty-one years of production, and number more than one-half million examples of top-break design. These were followed by the Perfected Model .38 with a solid frame/trigger guard combination , but still of the top break design, that led the way for the solid frame, swing out cylinder revolvers to come.

At the same time that the top-break .38’s were being made, the same basic design was offered in .32 S&W caliber with nearly 300,000 of the smaller caliber being made. Shortly after production began on the .38 and .32 Smith & Wesson Double Action Models, D.B. Wesson worked with son Joseph to develop a completely different style of revolver. Lucian Cary, a well known gun writer of forty years ago relates the following legend.

“When Daniel Wesson read a newspaper story about a child who had shot himself with the family revolver, his conscience hurt. He told his wife that he would make a revolver that could be safely kept in the bureau drawer. It was his custom to receive his grandchildren every Sunday. No doubt it was tough on the grandchildren. Daniel Wesson must have been a fearsome man, with his thick body, his great beard, and his virtue (Cary obviously did not understand grandfathers and grand children and the bond between them!) But on one occasion it was his young grandchild who put it over.

The Safety Hammerless

Daniel Wesson made a revolver he thought no child could fire. He gave it to his grandson, Harold Wesson, now president of Smith & Wesson (this was in the 1950’s) and challenged him to fire it. Harold was only eight years old but he knew that his grandfather expected him to fail. Maybe that gave him a shot in the arm. Harold tugged at the trigger with all his strength and fired the gun. His grandfather went sadly back to his shop–not that day, of course, which was Sunday, but on the following Monday. Some weeks later he again presented a revolver to Harold and asked him to pull the trigger. Harold did his best. But he failed.

The gun the boy couldn’t fire was the New Departure, also known as the safety hammerless. It had a bar in the back of the grip supported by a spring. You had to squeeze the grip hard enough to depress the spring and pull the double action trigger at the same time in order to fire the gun. No child of eight had the strength to do both at once. The New Departure was an uncommonly safe bureau drawer revolver.”

The Safety Hammerless, so designated by the fact that the hammer was completely enclosed by the revolver frame, became the first really practical pocket gun. Five hundred thousand of these were made in .32 and .38 caliber from 1886 until 1940.

With the advent of the I-frame Smith & Wessons in 1894, the basic design was changed from top break to a solid frame, swing-out cylinder style of revolver. Over the years from before the turn of the Century until 1960, the I-frame was offered in .32 Hand Ejector, .22/32 Hand Ejector, which became the .22 Kit Gun, .32 Regulation Police, .38 Regulation Police, and .38 Terrier.

The Chief’s Special

In 1950, one of the most famous of the Smith & Wesson revolvers arrived. A five-shot, compact revolver to fire the more powerful .38 Special instead of the .38 S&W was introduced at the Conference of the International Association of Chief’s of Police in Colorado Springs, Colorado and has been officially and lovingly known as the Chief’s Special ever since. This was the first J-frame revolver and was larger than the I-frames and chambered in .22, .32 S&W Long, and .38 S&W. In 1960, all I-frames became J-frames.

The Chief’s Special has been offered in a number of versions along the way: the standard Model 36 in both round and square butt versions, the Airweight Model 37, the Model 38 Bodyguard which had an extended frame that protected the hammer and exposed only enough of the tip to allow for cocking. The Number “39” was used for Smith’s new double action 9MM Semi-automatic in the 1950’s, but the J-frames resumed with the Model 40 Centennial, a J-frame “Safety Hammerless”.

In 1965, a most significant J-frame variation appeared. One that was to have far reaching consequences throughout the firearms industry as the Model 36 Chief’s Special was offered as the Stainless Steel Model 60. Instantly popular with peace officers and outdoorsman alike, the first stainless steel revolver revolutionized firearms and stainless steel revolvers are now a major part of the handgun industry. Stainless is so much a part of the handgun market, and especially with the small frame concealable firearms that are carried closest to the body, that of the five J-frames I have been testing, four are stainless, and the fifth has been custom finished to look like stainless.

Metalife was applied to a Smith & Wesson Chief’s Special, a two-inch Model 36 .38 Special. Depending upon the weather, it has been carried in an inside the pants holster, in an ankle holster, in a boot top, and in the pocket of insulated coveralls. This particular revolver has been further customized by sending it to Teddy Jacobsen. Jacobsen is an ex-cop now in the gun smithing business and he did one of his famous action jobs on the little Chief’s Special along with polishing the trigger smooth, de-horning the hammer spur, and also jewelling both hammer and trigger. When combined with the Metalife finish, these modifications make the Model 36 into a near-perfect pocket pistol.

The only thing left to do to finish off the round butt Chief’s Special was to fit it with custom grips. I just happened to be carrying this little gun when I visited Herrett’s. I soon had a pair of Detective stocks for the Chief’s!

The modification makes the little Chief’s into a beautiful close range double action defensive pistol and the hammer can still be cocked for a longer deliberate single action shot by starting the trigger back and catching the hammer with the thumb to finish the cocking procedure.

As a companion piece to the 20 ounce Chief’s Special, I have been testing the same basic gun, in this case a Model 60 Stainless Steel “Chief’s Special”. Friend and gun writer Terry Murbach certainly deserves at least some of the credit for suggesting the .38 Special Stainless Steel that Murbach feels should be known as “The Trail Masterpiece”. This little 23 ounce, round butted .38 sports a three inch full under-lug barrel and fully adjustable sights. The sights are exactly the way they should be, black both fore and aft. Yes, even though the newest Model 60 is stainless, the rear sight assembly is black and the front sight blade is quick draw style, plain black and pinned to the stainless steel ramp.

Anyone who has read many of my articles know that my usual forte is the big and bold, the Magnum and beyond sixguns and the big bore semi-automatics. But I have definitely found a place in my collection for this little five-shooter. A Plus P five shooter I might add as Smith & Wesson does classify this little .38 as one that is able to handle the hotter loads. No little strength certainly comes from the fact that the Model 60 carries a full length cylinder with very little barrel protruding through the frame unsupported. The cylinder also, being a five shot, has the bolt cuts between chambers rather than under them.

J-Frame Variations

When the J-frame Smith & Wessons came in, I went to the local gun shop, Shapel & Son’s, and found three dusty old boxes down behind the counter containing long-out-of-production Jay Scott Gunfighter J-frame stocks. At the present time they ride unaltered on three J-frames but all will receive extensive customizing in the future which will see the removal of the finger grooves and the checkering that adorns two pair.

The Model 60 Trail Masterpiece wears plain walnut Gunfighter grips that will clean up very nicely as time and ambition permit making the Trail Masterpiece an even more desirable little fivegun for hiking, fishing, camping, etc. And with the right loads, the three-inch barreled .38 will make a fine little close range varmint and small game gun.

I can only find one fault with the Model 60 Trail Masterpiece and that is strictly the result of my own preference for smooth triggers. All other test J-frames came through with smooth triggers but the this three-inch .38 boasts a grooved trigger that you can bet will become a smooth trigger in the future as it will be sent to Jacobsen for one of his action jobs after a check to Smith & Wesson makes it mine.

Chic Gaylord, New York leather worker and the father of the modern concealment holster, was a real fan of the three-inch .38 Special and promoted a “Metropolitan Special Adaptation” of the Colt Police Positive consisting of three-inch barrel, ramp front sight, nickel finish, bird’s head butt, grip adapter, and trigger shoe. Another favorite of his was the three-inch Chief’s Special with Fitz Gunfighter grips. He would have loved the Trail Masterpiece.

The firing tests of the Model 60 .38 Special Trail Masterpiece gave quite pleasant results. Considering the short sight radius the three-inch barrel affords, and also considering that the test groups were fired at 25 yards, and especially when one considers that the groups were fired by my hand and eye combination, some groups border on the phenomenal. The two-inch .38 Special Chief’s Special was fired double action only on combat targets and not for group size. It proved to be quite capable as a defensive revolver.

SMITH & WESSON J-FRAMES

CALIBER: .38 SPECIAL TEMPERATURE: 60 DEGREES

CHRONOGRAPH: OEHLER MODEL 35P GROUPS: 5 SHOTS @ 25 YDS.

MODEL 060 3″ HB – – – MODEL 36 2″

LOAD – MV – GROUP – MV

RCBS #35-150 /6.0 UNIQUE – 975 – 2 1/2″ – 961

LYMAN #358156GC /5.0 UNIQUE – 716 – 3″ – 691

LYMAN #358429 /5.0 UNIQUE – 758 – 1 5/8″ – 720

158 SPEER SWC /5.0 UNIQUE – 750 – 2 5/8″ – 735

BULL-X 158 SWC /5.0 UNIQUE – 782 – 3 1/2″ – 708

LYMAN #358429 /6.6 AA#5 – 890 – 3 1/8″ – 815

158 SPEER SWC /6.6 AA#5 – 830 – 3 1/2″ – 795

BULL-X 158 SWC /6.6 AA#5 – 821 – 3″ – 785

BULL-X 148 WC /6.0 AA#5 – 861 – 2 3/8″ – 841

SIERRA 110 JHP /8.8 AA#5 – 1067 – 2 3/4″ – 1017

SPEER 140 JHP /6.0 UNIQUE – 934 – 1 5/8″ – 913

CCI LAWMAN 125 JHP +P – 1019 – 2 1/2″ – 932

BLACK HILLS 125 JHP – 864 – 3 1/4″ – 792

The .32 Magnum, heretofore offered in medium framed sixguns like the Ruger Bisley and Single-Six, the Dan Wesson double action, and the Smith & Wesson heavy underlugged barrel K-Masterpiece, is a natural for the little J-frame revolvers. Unlike the five shot .38 Special J-frames, the .32 Magnum is a six-shooter. My original request for test guns from Smith & Wesson was for a .32 Magnum and a .32 S&W Long J-frame, but both guns came through as .32 Magnums. One is a “Kit Gun”, a four inch barreled, adjustable sighted, easy packin’ Kit Gun. The other is quite the opposite, a three-inch Centennial Airweight .32 Magnum. The latter is a 16 ounce concealed hammer sixgun, a very easily concealed and even more easily packed aluminum framed revolver.

The four-inch, 23 ounce Model 631 Kit Gun is meant for the woods loafer, fisherman, camper, while the totally dehorned and no-sharp-corners, double action only Model 632 is the concealment counterpart. A defensive gun designed for the shooter who wants a powerful weapon without objectionable recoil. A .32 that can be shot well is certainly much better than a poorly handled lightweight .38 Special; a gun that is easily carried is certainly better than a heavy gun that is left behind. And even at its one pound weight, the .32 Airweight handles very pleasantly and pokes nice little groups double action style at 10 yards.

The adjustable sighted four-inch .32 Magnum is a two to three -inch gun at 25 yards. Load development may help reduce these groups in the future. A load that would be capable of head shooting squirrels, rabbits, and grouse at reasonable ranges would make the little .32 into a real gem.

SMITH & WESSON J-FRAMES

CALIBER: .32 MAGNUM TEMPERATURE: 60 DEGREES

CHRONOGRAPH: OEHLER MODEL 35P GROUPS: SIX SHOTS @ 25 YDS.

MODEL 631 4″ – – – MODEL 632 3″

LOAD – MV – GROUP – MV

FEDERAL 95 LEAD – 941 – 2 5/8″ – 895

FEDERAL 85 JHP – 1020 – 2 1/2″ – 954

NEI 100.313 /8.3 #2400 – 1131 – 2 3/8″ – 1043

NEI 100.313 /5.5 AA#5 – 1122 – 2 3/8″ – 1027

HORNADY 85 XTP /8.3 #2400 – 1044 – 3″ – 942

HORNADY 85 XTP /5.5 AA#5 – 1074 – 2 3/8″ – 924

SIERRA 90 JHP /8.3 #2400 – 1100 – 3″ – 952

SIERRA 90 JHP /5.5 AA#5 – 1070 – 2 7/8″ – 885

The final J-frame tested is one of Elmer Keith’s favorite guns resurrected for 1991. Elmer is best known for his work with the .44 Special from 1927 to 1955 and the .44 Magnum thereafter. But Elmer also used other guns and one of his favorites was the Smith & Wesson Kit Gun chambered for the .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire.

J-Frames and Handgun Hunting

Elmer writing in 1961 in the second edition of his famous book SIXGUNS BY KEITH had this to say about the .22 Kit Gun: “Last winter Jack Nancolas, our local Government hunter killed three treed cougar and ten bobcats with my K model S.& W. .22 rim fire magnum and this winter he killed fifteen bob cats and two cougar with my 3 1/2″ barrel S.& W. kit gun for the same .22 R.F. Magnum load. The last cougar, a big one, jumped out over Jack’s head as he approached the tree in the hope of a brain shot. As it was getting late and he had trailed the big cat all day, he simply took a fast double action snap shot at the brute as he sailed over his head. The tiny soft-point slug hit the big cat square in the chest, penetrating his heart and thence the spine; and he folded up in the air like a duck stricken by a dose of no. 6 shot. His head sagged on his chest and his tail carried nearly vertical, he dropped to the horizontal and rolled into a ball before he ever hit the ground. Jack ran down the mountain and poured two more into his skull to be sure he would not hurt the dogs but he was already dead and they were not needed.”

The latest edition of the .22 WMR Kit Gun, the Model 651-1 is a four-inch, adjustable sighted, stainless steel, square butted, 26 ounce .22 sixgun. The rear sight is fully adjustable and plain black, very good, but the front sight is stainless steel with a red insert, not so good for my eyes in bright light. The front sight is also much too tall for my eyes and shooting style requiring the rear sight to be raised clear out of its mortise to sight the Kit Gun in at 25 yards. Since this .22 WMR is a keeper, the front sight will be replaced with a plain black post that will be filed to the right height to allow it to be sighted in at 25 yards with the rear sight all the way down.

While the Model 651-1 is a sixgun, it works much better as a five gun with five chambers able to put five shots in less that one inch at 25 yards. I will carry it fully loaded with six shots but with the best five coming up first. Probably the most practical of all the J-frames for the outdoorsman, with the right load and chamber selection, this little .22 is definitely capable of head shooting small game and varmints, and even putting the coup-de-grace on downed big game.

SMITH & WESSON MODEL 651

CALIBER: .22WMR BARREL LENGTH: 4″

CHRONOGRAPH: OEHLER MODEL 35P TEMPERATURE: 60 DEGREES

LOAD – MV – 6 SHOTS/25 YDS.

CCI .22 MAXI-MAG – 1335 – 2″

CCI MAXI-MAG HP – 1355 – 2 1/8″

CCI MAXI-MAG +V – 1608 – 2 3/8″

FEDERAL FMJ – 1240 – 3 1/4″

FEDERAL JHP – 1046 – 1 5/8″

WINCHESTER FMC – 130 – 1 5/8″

WINCHESTER JHP – 1258 – 2 7/8″

The Lady Smith

Smith & Wesson J-frames are not only naturals for hikers, campers, fisherman, and even as packin’ pistols by rifle hunters, but they are also quite often picked as defensive pistols by women. In fact, Smith & Wesson has gotten quite a bit of mileage out of its Lady Smith program which began in the last century with a .22 designed to be carried by ladies for protection as they rode their bicycles. The story is that this gun was dropped from production when Joseph Wesson discovered it was being carried less by ladies on bicycles and more by ladies of the night.

A few years back the Lady Smith was resurrected as a variation of the Model 36/60 .38 Special and later as a Model 39 9MM variation. The latest Lady Smiths have been excellent sellers and not only to women. Men who wanted a lightweight, smoothed over concealable weapon have also gone to the modern Lady Smith.

To go along with the J-frames, I requested samples of the wares of

Feminine Protection by Sarah. Sarah uses a very catchy name to offer a serious product, namely purses and belt bags that double as holsters. The handbags and J-frame guns are naturals together and both the Patriot and Classic leather bags supplied accept readily accessible J-frame Smith & Wesson revolvers, and still leave room for all the other stuff that women seem to carry in their handbags.

Both bags open on the front edge to allow instant access to the concealed weapon that many women are going to legally as more and more states are providing licensing systems. The closure system consists of both snaps and Velcro, but they do open instantly when the two halves are parted.

Along with the leather bags came two belt bags or fanny packs. I’m not quite sure I’m ready for a fanny pack but I also remember how difficult it was to carry a concealed weapon last summer during our heat wave. Both belt bags supplied easily carry two- or three-inch .38 Special J-frames. I’m sure my wife and daughter will have something to say about whether these test bags are returned or purchased.

J-Frames and Concealed Carry

In recent years, semi-automatics have stolen the limelight from S&W J-frame revolvers. People often say that semi-automatics are fast, sexy, and common. They hold more rounds than a revolver ever could. Revolvers are old school, clunky, hard to shoot, and slow to reload. However, the J-frame should not be discounted for certain applications, particularly concealed carry.

First, consider a J-frame such as a .38 Special for concealed carry. The gun is small, light, and easy to stow in a waistband, ankle holster, pocket, purse, or bag. Accidental discharge is unheard of in a concealed carry scenario. Cops have an affinity for the revolver when it comes to deep cover since it’s harder to spot than a semi-auto. The bad guys will be used to checking for a Glock or 9mm. Likewise, the J-frame is ideal for civilians carrying on the down-low.

Some people scoff at the thought of carrying a revolver. They may be old school but still offer the best reliability in a handgun. Revolvers seldom jam. If they do, it’s because the shooter has chosen the wrong, or poorly made, ammunition. Revolvers can indeed be harder to fire because of the double-action trigger. Range practice takes care of that unless you have insufficient grip strength to shoot. J-frames are easier to shoot than K-frame revolvers because of a light recoil. This makes them easy to use for beginners and novices.

A short sight radius gives shooters the impression that snubbies are only worthwhile in close proximity. Not true. Although the accuracy is best at 20-25 feet, an article by a retired detective claims he could easily hit his target up to 25 yards. In a self-defense situation, 25 yards is more than sufficient. You don’t even need to pull your gun if the perp is that far away.

The revolver holds less ammo than a semi-auto magazine but considering that the average self-defense scenario requires three shots or less, you should be okay.

Top J-Frame Revolvers for Concealed Carry

Despite popular opinion, not all snub nose revolvers are the same. Here are my top picks for the top J-frames for concealed carry:

Colt Cobra

The Colt Cobra reared its lethal head at the 2019 SHOT Show. This snubby holds six rounds of ammo, has a 2-inch barrel with stainless steel finish, and a fiber optic, high-visibility front sight. The Hogue Overmolded grips helps to cut down on recoil when using +P loads.

Ruger SP 101

The Ruger SP 101 is on the large side for a J-frame but still worth mentioning. This .357 Magnum has a 2.25-inch barrel and a comfortable grip for those that want extra power over a .38 Special.

Ruger LCR

The Ruger LCR is a lightweight handgun that is sleek, stylish, and affordable. The DAO trigger has a predictable, smooth pull. The LCR is available in many styles and offers choices in .22 LR, .22 WMR, .357 Magnum, .327 Federal Magnum.38 Special, and 9mm. Users can opt for 5, 6, or  8 round capacity.

S&W Bodyguard

S&W Bodyguard is the top choice among law enforcement for backup. The semi-polymer frame makes this model a true modern revolver. It’s available with a built-in integral defensive laser for shooting in low light or awkward shooting positions.

S&W 638

The S&W 638 is the original Bodyguard revolver. It’s not easy to find but worth the hunt. It has a shrouded hammer with a thumb tab that allows you to cock the hammer into single-action mode. It’s a great benefit to have although decocking a gun isn’t something for everyone. Still, it’s easy to conceal.

Final Thoughts

After thirty-five plus years of shooting N- and K-frame revolvers, it is quite enjoyable to add J-frames to my shooting battery. The .38 Special three-inch Trail Masterpiece and the four-inch .22 WMR Kit Gun are destined to experience a lot of use in the future and my wife already has her eye on the .32 Centennial. Oh, well we can get ahead next month.

Article used by permission of the author
http://www.sixguns.com/range/jframes.htm

By John Taffin

Bellygun is a term you don’t hear much any more, but from the time of the Civil War up to very recently, that’s what short-barreled revolvers were called. Some people in the gun business tried to gloss over the genre of small, concealable handguns, but the snubnosed bellygun is the most important type of all firearms because it is made for self-defense.

Bellyguns were first offered in the seven-shot single-action .22 rimfire by Smith & Wesson in the 1850s. It was favored as a hideout weapon on both sides of the Civil War. In the first half of the 20th century, every little store had a punchboard with one of the main prizes being a nickel-plated pocket pistol. No forms to fill out, no instant check, no waiting period. You hit the board, you won a gun.

Even in my family, which was certainly not part of the gun culture, I found such a little pocket pistol, an Iver Johnson, among my grandfather’s effects after his death. Today the media has picked up on what was originally a racist term of derision, Saturday Night Special. There are no such guns. Saturday Night Specials are certain people with a certain mindset, not an inanimate object such as a life-savin’ bellygun.

Smith & Wesson’s first double-action bellygun was the break-top of 1880, chambered in .38 S&W. In 1882, S&W brought forth the “lemon-squeezer,” a hammerless double-action with a grip safety. These guns featured not only a grip safety, but also an extra heavy DA-only trigger pull to make it that much more difficult for a child to operate. These guns were very popular as pocket pistols since there was no hammer to catch in the clothing.

I lucked onto one of these in excellent shape in a strange way. My daughter moved into an old house and, while she was cleaning it, she noticed a loose board in the back of a closet. She pulled it out and found a 1 lb. candy tin. Inside she discovered a 1935 championship high school ring, a box of .32 S&W and a .32 lemon squeezer. The rubber grips are perfect, while the rest of the gun is 98 percent with very minor nickel flaking. It works just as well today as it did more than 100 years ago when it left the Springfield factory.

In the 1890s Smith brought forth their first solid frame, swing-out cylinder gun, the I-frame. The little gun was beginning to take on the profile that is so recognizable today. These little I-frames were chambered in .32 S&W, .38 S&W and, in 1911, thanks to a gun dealer by the name of Bekeart, in .22 rimfire. The .22 would evolve into that grandest of all little sixguns, the .22/32 Kit Gun in 1936.

The late Col. Rex Applegate was often involved in clandestine operations from his early days with an outfit known as the OSS in World War II through his commissioning as a general in the Mexican Army. One of his favorite pocket pistols was the .38 S&W. At least until he found himself emptying it to stop an attacker.

More power was needed in pocket pistols. Colt had chopped the barrel of their Police Positive to 2″ before World War II and called it the Detective Special. It was a start in the right direction, but with its six-shot cylinder, it was a mite big for a pocket pistol.

The answer was soon forthcoming. Smith & Wesson engineers had been working to improve the I-frame by slightly enlarging it to take five rounds of .38 Special. In addition to a larger frame, the new revolver, dubbed the J-frame, used a coil mainspring. It was very much like the .38 S&W I-frame except for the extra long cylinder, filling the J-frame window.

To introduce the new pocket pistol, the J-frame was taken to the 1950 annual meeting of the conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, You are probably now ahead of me and can see the name coming. The police chiefs voted on a new name and the first I-frame was appropriately given the name of .38 Chief’s Special.

It is altogether fitting that the police chiefs should knight the new five-gun, as it became immensely popular with peace officers as a second or backup gun that slipped easily into a uniform pocket or as a very easily concealed and carried off-duty weapon. For 40 years, until the revolution of sorts in semiautomatic weapons, it was the pocket pistol by which all others were judged.

Not only was the J-frame .38 Chief’s Special a near perfect pocket gun, but also it was extremely strong. The bolt cuts came between the cylinder chambers and the cylinder itself to fill the frame, with no unsupported portion of the barrel sticking back through the main frame as found on the .357 Magnum and .44 Special Smith & Wessons of the time.

How strong are these little pocket revolvers? Elmer Keith reported in 1955 that both of them would perfectly handle the .38/44 and other high speed .38 Special ammunition, as he ran 500 rounds through a Chief’s Special with no ill effects. At the time of Keith’s writing the .38/44 was a +P loading, the forerunner of the .357 Magnum, rated at 1,150 fps from a 5″ Smith & Wesson .38 Heavy Duty sixgun.

I’ve gone even further with my little Chief’s Special. In the pre-.357 Magnum days of the early 1930s, Keith came up with a heavy .38 Special loading for his sixguns that does 1,400+ fps from an 8 3/8″ S&W .357 Magnum. Using this load in a Chief’s Special, the recoil is stout, with a muzzle velocity of 1,150 fps with a 168 gr. bullet from a 2″ barrel. This is not something I recommend and I do not shoot loads like those very often, but it is great to know that option is mine should I need it.

The .38 Special Chief’s became the Model 36 in 1957, the Centennial became the Model 40, while the number 37 was attached to the Airweight Chief’s Special. In 1965, a revolution of sorts arrived in handgun manufacturing when Smith used the Model 36 as the platform for the same gun in stainless steel. This of course is the Model 60.

A favorite little sixgun of hikers, backpackers and fishermen is the six-shot .22 Kit Gun on the J-frame platform. The Model 34 with either a 2′ or 4′ barrel was produced from 1953 to 1991. It then became a stainless steel sixgun, the Model 63, and was subsequently joined by the Model 651, the .22 Magnum version, and the very rare (only offered in 1990) .32 Magnum Kit Gun, the Model 631.

These diminutive sixguns make fine companion guns for the hunter who does not want to pack any more weight than necessary, but can still be prepared to take a grouse, squirrel or rabbit for the camp cooking pot.

The 1990s brought major changes in the J-frame series. All of the older .38 Specials are gone. Today’s J-frame is slightly larger with a 2 1/8″ barrel and chambered in .357 Magnum. In the mid-1930s, a heavy duty, large framed .357 Magnum was looked upon as the ultimate sixgun. Now we have the .357 Magnum chambered in a 24 oz. five-shot pocket pistol. Firing full house 158 gr. .357 Magnums in one of thee little J-frames is a real attention getter. On both ends.

My wife carries Smith & Wesson J-frames. In her fanny pack is a blued Airweight with a 2″ barrel while her purse gun is a 3″ stainless steel Airweight. Both of these are the Bodyguard models with no hammers exposed. From blued to airweight to stainless to titanium, the J-frames keep evolving. Loaded with 125 gr. JHP, I can think of no better carry gun for wife, mother or daughter than these.

By George Hill

I have never really been a fan of Ruger firearms. They have never struck me as being quite right in my hands, and being more of a S&W fan, they just came across as being the second fiddle. My first handgun was a Ruger, a .22 caliber Single Six. And I loved it. It was a great gun that taught me many valuable lessons about firearms ownership. I’ve never really cared for any Ruger arm or even really enjoyed shooting any Ruger since then.

Until recently when we had a little gathering of friends in Utah. One fellow, Ben, brought in a small but impressive collection of some fine Ruger revolvers. Usually when I thought of Ruger Revolvers, I would think of either that little Single Six, or huge hunting hand cannons. My mental image of Ruger wheel-guns was realized in three of the four guns. Large and heavy hand cannons with long barrels suitable for taking down charging rhinoceroses. At first, I had no real interest in them… but for one of the revolvers he had. The one gun that I really took to was Ben’s little bobbed SP101 in .357 Magnum.

This example of the SP101 family sported a nice trigger job that made the pull feel much lighter than it actually was, and soft Hogue rubber grips. These two things made firing the little magnum a real hoot. Even when firing off some of Ben’s custom made hand loads. Lots of power in such a small package is generally unpleasant, but the SP101 delivered all the power without any trouble and put it right where I wanted it. The hammer spur was bobbed making for a perfectly snag free gun suitable for concealed carry in just about any way one would think of packing it. With such a hammer one can not thumb cock the gun to make your shot single action, but the trigger being so smooth accurate shooting wasn’t effected at all.

I had always known Ruger wheelguns for being incredibly strong. During my police academy training, I was introduced to the Ruger GP100 by witnessing one (unloaded) being thrown up into the air, against a brick wall, and even it being run over with a police Impala and parking a front tire on it and turning the steering wheel lock to lock. The gun was scratched and dinged up and had lost the rear sight, sure. But it still worked and fired and reloaded with no problem. If that isn’t a testimony of strength, I don’t know what is. I had never really considered them to be anything more than just Rugged as hell. I was incorrect. With a little trigger work a Ruger can become quite a fine shooter. Thank you, Ben for changing my opinion of Ruger revolvers!

There are a lot of snub nosed revolvers out there to choose from, but out of them all the Ruger is unique. It is arguably one of the strongest of the breed of small framed snubbies. Strength is important even in a small gun. But with that strength comes a little extra weight. Trust me, this is a good thing. Have you had the chance to fire off one of these ultra-air-light-feather weight pocket revolvers? Using a full house .357 Magnum load? If you haven’t, do this; put your Concealed Carry Magazine down, stand up, walk outside to your car or truck and open the hood… and then slam it down on your firing hand. Quite unpleasant. The SP101 is made of good old fashioned honest to goodness stainless steel, not something NASA mills space sprockets out of. The SP101 feels like a real gun when you pick it up, and when you fire it, it isn’t going to punish you for doing it. You can actually enjoy going through a whole box of ammo in one shooting session. Amazing. The SP101 isn’t even what I would call heavy. The two and a quarter inch barreled example weighs only twenty five and a half ounces. Not enough to displace your spine from wearing it on your hip all day, or pulling a shoulder out of socket if you carry it in your purse; but enough to give you courage when you hear your door being pounded on after midnight.

I’ve overheard Gun shop Commandos say things like Revolvers are only for Old Guys. And that snub nosed revolvers are chick guns. These statements while I’ve heard at different times in different gun shops in different states, are just not true. Sure, lots of ladies buy them. Lots of Old Guys appreciate them and still buy them too… but let’s look at those Old Guys for just a second. These are cats that have been there and done that, and with their age, experience, and wisdom, they still select a Magnum Snubbie? That tells me something. These guns work.

The biggest fallacy about short barreled guns is that they are not accurate. This is not true. It has been proven many times that barrel length has little effect on accuracy. This is why Thompson Center Contenders in rifle calibers are popular… because they are indeed accurate while being a fraction of the length of a rifle in the same caliber. Sometimes more so. Where the fallacy comes from is because short barrels mean for a short sight radius, and this makes accurate shooting more of a challenge.

Another bit from my police academy training regarding short revolvers. When I was getting geared up to go, the gun I elected to take was a short barreled S&W Model 10, commemorative of the California Highway Patrol. Sure it garnered some chuckles from the other police cadets in the class when I drew it out for the first time on the firing line. All the others were using Glocks and SIGs and Berettas, here is a snub nosed revolver? He’s going for Detective a little early! The snickering turning to respect when I outshot the entire class with it. The snub forced me to concentrate on the basic shooting fundamentals and focus very hard on that front sight post. That was the difference. That’s also why so many people say these guns are inaccurate. Truth is, if you can’t shoot one of these well, you can’t shoot well. Face it. No, stop crying about it, suck it up, and go out and practice harder. The SP101 is indeed a very accurate little gun. At about 10 yards I was able to keep all five shots almost within the same hole. You can’t tell me that isn’t good enough for a snubbie… or any handgun.

The SP101 is still relatively new to the world. Sturm Ruger rolled them out in 1993, so in Gun Years they are still just puppies. What with guns like the 1911 out there, and the Single Action Army, and the P35 all still very popular; the SP101 is going to be around for a very long time to come. As long as it isn’t sentenced to an early death by either some corporate suit at Ruger or some liberal Senator finally passing an asinine piece of garbage he/she calls legislation.

One of the reasons the SP101 is going to be around for so long is that it gives you a lot of options. You can get your own SP101 in a number of different barrel lengths, 2 inches out to 4. Different calibers; .22, .32H&R Magnum, .38 Special, 9MM, and of course .357 Magnum. Fixed or adjustable sights. These options give you guns suitable for a wide variety of tasks. Of course with all these options you still have two solid facts. 1. You still have a small 5 shot revolver. 2. You don’t have to dig out your old chemistry class book to look at the periodic table to know what the gun is made out of. Uh, the .22 and .32 guns are 6 shots, not five… oh never mind.

One of the things I like about the Ruger double actions is the latch mechanism to unlock the cylinder. Most double action revolvers use a push forward type latch like what S&W uses. I’ve had small magnums using this type of mechanism unlock on accident during recoil when the latch met my firing hand’s thumb. Colts use just the opposite and you pull it backwards to unlock the cylinder. Ruger uses a push in (not forward) latch that is easier to use in my opinion. I also like the looks of the frame and the way the barrel and shroud is contoured to match. Very clean lines. They give the small powerful little gun an almost elegant look.

If you want serious horsepower in your gun, Ruger has a new snubbie out now, the Super Redhawk Alaskan in .454 Casull and .480 Ruger. Perfect for those living in areas where they might be mugged by a polar bear. I can’t image what touching off a super powerful .454 Casull out of 2.5 inches of barrel… I think I’ll go slam my hand with the hood of my truck to see what that might feel like.

For the rest of us living in the lower 48, I think a .357 magnum would fit the bill just fine. .357 Magnum has held for a long time a solid reputation as being a potent fight stopper. Some would argue that fact, but you can’t really argue against a .357 Magnum. Well, you could but you would end up bleeding a lot. There are still a number of police who opt to carry a magnum revolver over a new fangled ottermatic. Accuracy and reliability are advantages often debated in many a gun forum and gun shop.

Ammunition flexibility is one thing that you can not debate. Just take a look at all the ammo options that you can fire through a .357 Mag revolver. Super light target loads, shot shells, heavy hunting loads using bullet shapes and types of all sorts… you just can’t shoot this kind of stuff out with an automatic and have the gun actually cycle as it should. A revolver just doesn’t care about any of that. You can even fire primer powered wax bullet loads and they wont effect reliability. This is why revolvers remain the favorite sidearms of most serious outdoorsmen today. Of course for the majority of Concealed Carry Magazine readers, such specialized ammunition is not the concern. But trusting that your defensive weapon will work at that dire moment when you need it… that is the concern. Everything else is a secondary consideration. You want something that is accurate, concealable, and as rugged and reliable as possible? Then consider a Ruger SP101.
This article is used by permission of madOgre

By Stephen A. Camp

Revolvers continue to be popular in the age of the autoloader and one that seems to garner good reports far and wide is the Ruger SP101. It is currently offered in .22, .32 Magnum, .38 Special, as well as .357 Magnum. Barrel lengths run from 2 1/4″ to 4″ and the revolver is available with fixed or adjustable sights. The one I purchased was in .357 Magnum with the 3 1/16″ barrel and fixed sights.

The .357 Magnum chambering is probably the most common and I suspect that it is sold more often than not in the 2 1/4″ barrel length with fixed sights. Of course, .38 Specials can be fired in the .357 guns. These little magnums are five-shooters rather than six and the swing-out cylinder is used. As the gun comes from the factory, stocks are of rubber with plastic inserts snapped in and retained by the grip screw.

The SP101 is a bit smaller than the S&W K-frame but beefier than the same company’s compact J-frame, some models of which can be had in .357 Magnum.

Specifications:

Weight: 27 ounces
Length: 8″ (with 3 1/16″ bbl)
Height: 4.5″
Cylinder Width: 1.349″
Frame Width at Barrel: 0.774″
Top Strap Width: 0.602″
Top Strap Thickness: 0.204″
Trigger: smooth
Action: Conventional double/single action revolver
Cylinder Rotation: counterclockwise
Sights: Fixed or adjustable (front sight pinned to bbl)
Twist: 1:18 3/4″ (.38/. 357)
Safety: Internal transfer bar allows for firing only when the trigger is pressed all the way rearward. The revolver is safe to carry fully loaded.

Ruger SP101 Comparison to S&W J & K-frame Revolvers

Measurement (in.) – Ruger SP101 – S&W K-frame – S&W J-frame

Cylinder Width – 1.349 – 1.47 – 1.34

Frame Width at bbl – 0.744 – 0.823 – 0.697

Top Strap Width – 0.602 – 0.654 – 0.546

Top Strap Thickness – 0.204 – 0.233 – 0.168

Forcing Cone Thickness – 0.086 – 0.086 – 0.066

The table shows that the SP101 might be thought of as a J-frame on steroids, a compact revolver that has been beefed up in critical areas. Note also that the forcing cone on the SP101 is equivalent to that on the K-frame rather than the J.

Having been in constant production in .357 for over a decade now, complaints on the SP101 being fragile have been few and far between. Why is this? The K-frame from S&W has been associated with some parts breakage when a constant diet of magnums have been used, but the K-frame is a bit larger than the SP101. That means there is more steel around the .357’s SAAMI-rated 35K CUP pressure limit each time a round is fired. What’s the deal here? SP101’s are regularly described as being “built like a bank vault” and praised for their ability to digest huge amounts of full-power magnum ammunition.

I think the answer is two-fold. It has been my observation that most .357 factory ammunition is simply not loaded as hot as it was a few decades ago. Years ago it was not uncommon to honestly break 1450 ft/sec with various makers’ 125-gr. magnum loads from 4″ barrels. Now, chronographed velocities are closer to 100 ft/sec slower. Since the hot 125-gr seemed the culprit in most cracked forcing cones and flame cutting, this slight reduction in muzzle velocity probably alleviated the problem. Combine with that the reduction in size of .357 Magnum revolvers in recent times. These guns are certainly easier to carry concealed than the K, L, and N-frames of years past, but one pays for it in increased felt recoil. I strongly suspect that most owners of the compact magnum revolvers shoot a few full-power loads through them, but do the bulk of their practice with the considerably milder .38 Special. I believe that this includes SP101 shooters, but they are shooting a gun is probably a bit more rugged than the J-frame. Hence, we get the comments on the Ruger’s durability. I am neither a gunsmith nor a mechanical engineer so I cannot honestly say whether the internal parts on the Ruger are stronger than the S&W, or give bold statements on which system is better. It does appear that both work quite well, but there seems to be fewer complaints of the small Ruger having problems than the small S&W when either is heavily used.

There is an area where the S&W usually beats the Ruger: trigger pull and smoothness of action. I believe that S&W is almost always the winner here. Using full-power springs in the SP101 compared to the S&W will almost always result in a noticeably smoother action in the latter. Both the Ruger and the S&W use coiled springs to power their hammers. The SP101 spring is rated at 14 pounds, the S&W at 8.5. The trigger return spring on the SP comes in at 10 pounds while the rebound spring on the S&W is 18 pounds at factory standard. It seems like the Ruger should have the lighter smoother trigger pull, but such is usually not the case. Some folks reduce the trigger return spring a bit to smooth up the Ruger, but if a person opts to do this, make absolutely sure that the trigger doesn’t have a sluggish return for the next shot.

I suspect that S&W perfected the double-action pull many years ago and that we’d have to look long and hard to find better ones on out of the box guns. That does not mean that the RUGER SP101 necessarily has a terrible trigger pull or that they cannot be smoothed up very nicely for they certainly can.

The trigger pull on the SP101 used in this evaluation was smooth, but stiff, and certainly nothing special. It has proven imminently useable however. As it came from the box, it did have sharp edges. These were taken care of using 400-grit sandpaper and a little elbow grease. Others have commented on similar experiences and applied similar corrections. Total time spent was less than 15 minutes. Other than that slight “modification”, the SP101 used was as it came from the box.

Shooting:

I fired the SP101 at 7 and 15 yards. The revolver was fired in double-action at a combat-type target at the closer distance. At 15 yards, the revolver was fired single-action and from a sitting position with wrists braced. Unfortunately, I only had two types of .357 Magnum ammunition available so I included quite an array of .38 Special also.

The chronograph data is based on 10 shots fired approximately 10′ from the chronograph screens.

Ruger SP101 w/3 1/16″ Bbl Chronograph Results

Load: – Average Velocity (ft/sec) – Extreme Spread (ft/sec) – Std. Deviation (ft/sec)

38 Corbon 110-gr. DPX – 1141 – 44 – 18

38 Corbon 115-gr. +P+ – 1342 – 62 – 24

38 Rem 130-gr. FMJ – 821 – 28 – 11

38 Federal 147-gr. HS +P+ – 963 – 35 – 13

38 Remington 158-gr. LSWCHP +P – 906 – 23 – 9

357 Remington 125-gr. GS* – 1189 – 57 – 22

357 Winchester 145-gr. STHP – 1207 – 39 – 18

*Mid-range load.

The SP101 used for testing had fixed sights. Nothing fancy to be sure, but they worked fine and provided a very usable sight picture.

15 Yards:

Observations:

Neither the double or single-action trigger pulls on my SP101 were as smooth or light as on my J or K-frame S&W revolvers. It is slightly heavier but has smoothed up a bit after roughly 400 shots, about half of which were .357 Magnum handloads and factory ammunition. The gun does appear to have its fixed sights regulated toward the heavier end of the .357 bullet spectrum although POI was perfectly satisfactory at 15 yards with the slightly attenuated Remington Golden Saber load.

The 145-gr. Silvertip was right on the edge of becoming uncontrollable in rapid-fire when using two hands. Using one hand, as might occur in a defense scenario, it was not at all easy to handle. For that reason, I will be using the Remington 125-gr. Golden Saber in this gun for now. Other potential defensive .357 ammunition will be looked at as time permits, but the Golden Saber is it for now.

I found the revolver more comfortable than expected when firing magnum rounds. No doubt the heavy barrel and its shroud putting more weight up front to reduce muzzle flip were factors, but I think there’s also much to be said for the grips on this revolver. I found them extremely comfortable and have no plans to replace them.

There were no malfunctions of any kind. Primer strikes were plenty reliable and well centered. Case ejection was positive and there were no incidents of “sticking” cases.

I find the SP101 a little gem. It might be a bit of a “diamond in the rough,” but not by much. I will use this revolver and report back any problems that might crop up. Frankly, I expect none from what I’ve read and now, seen.

Some will opine that 5 shots are not enough for a serious defense arm. I suggest that it depends on the type scenario envisioned. I believe that for me, it is adequate in my now tame orbits. I no longer am involved in police service and my days of kicking in a door to a room full of crack heads are long over. That said, if you do not feel comfortable with but five rounds before a reload, the SP101 might not be your best choice as a primary defense gun. A nice fact is that the SP101 uses the same speed loaders as the J-frame S&W revolvers. A fellow could have the SP101 on his belt and an Airweight J-frame in a pocket holster and use the same speed loader(s) for both. (Obviously, the speed loader would contain 38 Special ammo if the pocket gun were so chambered.)

Some complain about a handgun of this weight for carry. I agree that it is heavier than many revolvers intended for concealed carry. I also find it too large for pocket use, but as a compact belt gun, it is just fine and carries comfortably. Its weight is appreciated when firing magnum ammunition.

Frankly, I cannot see limiting this revolver to “just” self-protection. Though its stainless steel construction makes it heavier than various lighter framed revolvers, that emphatically does not mean that these are hard to tote. Given a proper belt and decent holster, just the opposite has proven true for me. I think they would be a heck of a fine sidearm for hiking, camping, fishing, or just knocking about in the woods.

The gun has no removable side plate. The gun is easily disassembled for cleaning via very good instructions provided in Ruger’s paperwork accompanying the revolver. Some suggest that the frame is stronger as it has no removable side plate as do S&W revolvers. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but do think that these are tough little guns that should easily last a lifetime, even with regular use over the long term. The barrel’s bore cleaned about as easily as a Smith so I assume smoothness is similar.

Though I am not about to divest myself of S&W revolvers, neither am I going to ignore Ruger wheelguns. They have a lot going for them and I remain very favorably impressed with this example.

Best

.44 Magnum is probably not the first caliber that comes to mind when one thinks of snubnose revolvers. After looking at these beauties, you may change your mind. And, after all, if you’ve only got six shots, why not make it a howitzer?

The Model 629 is the stainless version of the Model 29 .44 Magnum. Usually, when a Smith & Wesson model starts with a “6” it means that it’s a stainless version of a model. Introduced in 1955, the Model 29 achieved legendary status as Dirty Harry’s “Make my day” gun in the Dirty Harry series of movies. All of those great scenes like, “I know what you’re thinking. “Did he fire six shots or only five?” Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you’ve got to ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk? “ were shot with a Model 29. For nearly fifty years, the Model 29 retained its crown as “the most powerful handgun in the world.”

The stainless model 629 was introduced in 1979 with a 6″ barrel. There are rare 5″ and 8 3/8″ prototypes built at that time, but the 5″ and 8 3/8″ versions didn’t go into production until 1981. The 3″ barreled snubnose version was begun in 1985 as the Model 629-1 Combat Magnum. A special run of 5,000 was done for Lew Horton Distributing. Unfortunately, they are no longer in regular production, but they can still be special ordered from Smith & Wesson’s Performance Center, but they don’t even quote a price on their web site if that tells you anything.

The Model 629 weighs 39 ounces empty, the same weight as a Government Model .45 automatic. It’s a large, beautiful N-frame revolver. When you fill your hand with one of these, you know you have a serious revolver in your hand. If the .44 Magnum is too much of a load for regular shooting, you can also run .44 Special through these guns. I am of the opinion that the .44 Special is an under-appreciated self-defense round. Its ballistics are very close to the .45 ACP.

The Model 629 gives up one of the great assets of the standard snubnose: the lightweight conceal-ability of the j-frame and similar snubs. In doing so, it gains the formidable stopping power of the .44 Magnum that will easily deal with a bear or wild pig. Stoked with .44 Special hollowpoint ammunition, it becomes a highly effective personal defense handgun.

By Dan Smith – genitron.com

I’m relatively new to revolvers. Being a semi-automatic man for many years, I only have one revolver in my gun collection. That’s been a Smith & Wesson Model 66 .357 Magnum service revolver. Not a small gun, and with reasonable weight, this gun has none-the-less been a joy to shoot at the range, being quite capable of absorbing the power of a .357 Magnum round. This would be a nice home defense gun, and would be a reliable piece to have for camping or hiking. But, I wouldn’t consider it a good concealed carry weapon for self-defense. It’s just too big.

And my focus here is on self-defense. I’m not a hunter, so you won’t see me reviewing the likes of the Smith & Wesson Model 500 for instance. Nor will I probably ever review a .480 Ruger or .454 Casull model. These are big hunting guns, and I’ll let others review those models. So, for my first review of a revolver for self-defense, I jumped right into it and acquired the Smith & Wesson Airweight 360PD super-lightweight revolver.

Introduced in 2002, this small, lightweight revolver is built from Smith & Wesson’s “J” frame design which has a lineage that goes all the way back to 1950 with the introduction of their Model 36 “Chiefs Special”. The key feature of this “J” frame model is the use of exotic alloys in its frame and cylinder construction, producing one of the lightest revolvers on the market.

Specifications –

Caliber: .357 Magnum, .38 Special +P, .38 Special

Action: revolving chamber

Length: 6.375 in

Width: 1.312 in

Height: 4.25 in

Cylinder Capacity: 5 rounds

Barrel Length: 1.875 in

Rifling: 5-grooves, RH twist

Trigger: double-action

Sights: red ramp front, fixed notch rear

Weight Empty: 11.3 oz

Weight Loaded: 13.7oz

Features –
Titanium cylinder.
Scandium/aluminum alloy frame.
Black anodized finish.
Stainless steel barrel tube.
Hogue Bantam Monogrip.

Click HERE to see the full line of Smith & Wesson revolvers.

Design Notes –

The frame of the 360PD is constructed from a scandium reinforced aluminum alloy. Scandium, a novel alloying element for aluminum, is mined and processed in Zhovti Vody, Ukraine, the only primary scandium mine in operation in the world. The key properties of this alloy are light weight, superior strength and good resistance to corrosion. The frame is topped off with a smooth black anodized finish.

The titanium cylinder weighs just 60% of what a similar stainless steel cylinder weighs and yet is able to withstand the same operating pressures. As with all “J” frame designs, this is a swing-out cylinder with an axial pin driven star extractor. The extractor pin rests in a slot in the bottom of the barrel shroud when the cylinder is closed.

The barrel is a hybrid construction consisting of a scandium/aluminum alloy shroud keyed into the frame with a metal tab, and a stainless steel barrel tube which is screwed into the frame with a special tool, holding the shroud in place.

The grip is a Hogue Bantam Monogrip, a one-piece wrap-around construction that is held into place by being pressed into a stock pin that extrudes from both sides of the frame near the base of the butt.

The Caliber –

The .38 Special cartridge was developed by Smith & Wesson and was introduced with its Military & Police Model revolver in 1899. It is considered one of the best-balanced, all-round handgun cartridges ever designed. It is also one of the most accurate and very widely used for match shooting. This subsonic round is available with bullet weights ranging from 95 to 200 grains.

The .357 Magnum cartridge was introduced in 1935 by Smith & Wesson for its heavy-frame revolver. Ammunition was developed by Winchester in cooperation with Smith & Wesson using a lengthened and strengthened version of the .38 Special case. While it has less power than .44 Magnum, it compares favorably to the .45 ACP, but with better armor penetration. Today factories offer over fifty different loadings in this caliber. Bullet weights range from 110 to 200 grains with an average muzzle energy exceeding 500 ft-lbs.

The following data set is based on standard factory loaded cartridges fired from a 4″ barrel, listed by weight, brand, type and muzzle velocity. This is only a very small sample of what is available.

.38 Special

123 grain Norma FMJ : 886 Feet Per Second
132 grain PMC FMJ : 841 Feet Per Second
158 grain MagTech SJHP : 890 Feet Per Second
125 grain Federal JSP+P : 900 Feet Per Second
158 grain CCI-Speer FMJ+P : 900 Feet Per Second

.357 Magnum

125 grain Remington JHP : 1220 Feet Per Second
158 grain Norma FMJ : 1214 Feet Per Second
180 grain Winchester JHP : 1180 Feet Per Second

Handgun Observations –

I should first note that in the description of the .357 Magnum cartridge above I mention a bullet weight range that goes as low as 110 grains. You will notice that engraved on the right side of the 360PD barrel is the statement “NO LESS THAN 120 GR BULLET”. This statement refers to .357 Magnum rounds only, not .38 Special rounds, and there is an interesting reason for this restriction. Magnum bullets that weigh less than 120 grains will exit their cartridge before the cartridge charge has a chance to completely burn. This charge will leak out onto the cylinder and frame while still burning, causing damaging oxidation to the gun’s exotic materials over time.

My initial observation of the 360PD was that the grip was obviously too small. But, I based this observation on my experience with many sub-compact semi-automatics whose standard grips are usually just shortened. Those grips are typically fat and straight as they house the gun’s ammo, and the grip stance usually leaves the little finger hanging. The grip on the 360PD though, has a small diameter and is ergonomically curved to fit deep within the palm of the hand. All of your fingers wrap fully around the grip and make good contact, including the little finger.

The 360PD’s sister, the 340PD, is basically the same revolver but with a spurless hammer, making the 340PD a double-action-only revolver. I chose the 360PD for its ability to fire in both double-action and single-action modes. Although the spurless hammer was designed to minimize snagging while being carried concealed, after a month of carrying the 360PD in-the-waistband I found no problems with the exposed hammer spur. In fact, when drawing the gun I found my thumb falling naturally next to the hammer spur, not only protecting it from snags but also staging my thumb for quick cocking during the draw for single-action firing.

I was surprisingly pleased with this with this little 5-round revolver. In my opinion it is quite adequate as a self-defense weapon. Having carried it for a full month, I am very comfortable with it, and now include it in my cache of weapons that I regularly use for concealed carry. I have a new appreciation for revolvers.

One note about cleaning Although the black anodized frame cleans easily, as well as the stainless steel barrel, I found it extremely difficult to remove gunshot residue from the somewhat porous surface of the titanium cylinder. I tried every gun solvent and cleaner I had with no success. What finally worked for me came from my car cleaning supplies. A small dab of magnesium and aluminum rim polish lifted the stains right off the cylinder.

Shooting –

With a barrel length under two inches and a sight radius under four inches, it was difficult for me to even hit a small target at 25 yards. Those with a more steady hand and sharper vision my have better luck than I had. But from my perspective, I consider this gun a short range weapon, and I limited my range tests to only 7 yards. Although the gun is rated for .357 Magnum rounds, after shooting just one box of fifty 125 grain rounds through the 360PD, the .357 Magnum recoil left me with a very sore wrist. Surprisingly, my palm and grip remained unaffected, which says a lot about the small Hogue Bantam grip. Firing .38 Special standard and +P rounds through the 360PD, on the other hand was quite an enjoyable experience. I have opted to stay with .38 Special+P rounds when carrying this weapon.

In double-action mode the trigger pull reaches a peak of 15.5 pounds at the mid point of its 3/4 inch of travel. It then drops to 4.5 pounds where it breaks to fire during the last 1/8 inch of travel. Short of the at-rest hammer block there is no other safety. In single-action mode when the hammer is drawn, the trigger moves all the way back to that final 1/8 inch of travel, where it sets, requiring just a slight 4.5 pound pull to fire the weapon.

Often I found I was able to pull through the 15.5 pound double-action travel, and then stop just short of the 4.5 pound break, holding to take aim just before firing. But occasionally I would un-intentionally pull through, prematurely firing the gun. Trying to pull straight through the 15.5 pound travel non-stop to fire the gun brought the worst results. In practice I found that the best control and accuracy for me resulted from drawing the hammer manually to single-action mode before firing.

This article is used by permission of the author
Visit his site. It’s a wealth of information

By Stephen A. Camp

I recently traded into a couple of S&W revolvers. One is considerably older than the other but the newer one (subject of this thread) has neither MIM parts nor that darned lock. It still has the recognizable Smith & Wesson “look” that I prefer.

The Gun

It is a vanilla little thing chambered for .38 Special. It is a Model 64-3. “Why buy the darned thing in .38 when you can get it in .357 in the Model 65?” is commonly asked about now
and it’s a reasonable question. My answer is three-fold and hopefully reasonable:

1. I still believe that with placement and “good” ammunition, the .38 is capable of doing what needs to be done in a self-protection scenario.

2. Fun is way toward the top of my list in shooting. The .38 Model 64 provides that.

3. Price; it was right.

Looking at the ratchet, hand, and area around the firing pin hole, the gun does not appear to have been fired much at all. The action was smooth and timing was more than satisfactory. The gun has no dings or scratches and looked new…although it had been fired a small amount.

The revolver was cleaned and something told me to remove the side plate. I’m glad I did as there was a large amount of black grease in the gun. All of the internals came out and were cleaned. A tiny bit of careful polishing here and there and a once over with Militec and I reassembled. The action was smoother and more importantly, the gun was clean.

Shooting

I fired 250 rounds of assorted factory .38 Special ammunition through the little S&W. Distances were 7, 10, 15, and 25 yards for groups and a bit farther (35 yards or so) at fired shotgun hulls on the berm.

The two high shots out of the group were my fault. My eyes simply don’t see the light-colored stainless front sight and if I’m not careful, I unconsciously keep raising it to make it more visible.

I also fired a few of my usual “carry load” through this revolver which does not appear rated for +P use. It will be shot some with it now and again, but will be shot mainly with standard velocity/standard pressure ammo, be it factory or handload.

Ammunition

I also fired the gun over the chronograph with what .38 ammo I could lay my hands on quickly. Each average velocity listed as well as other data is based on ten shots fired approximately 10′ from the chronograph screens.

*Corbon 115-gr. JHP +P+:
Average Velocity: 1349 ft/sec
Extreme Spread: 111 ft/sec
Std. Deviation: 39 ft/sec

*This ammunition is no longer produced by Corbon. It uses a Sierra 9mm 115-gr. Power Jacket Hollow Point. This load hits nearly 1200 ft/sec from my Model 642 and I personally consider it too hot for alloy J-frame use. Concerned for cracked forcing cones, I do not shoot it in J-frames at all.

Magtech 125-gr. Guardian Gold +P:
Average Velocity: 927
Extreme Spread: 48
Std. Deviation: 14

Federal American Eagle 130-gr. FMJ:
Average Velocity: 802
Extreme Spread: 50
Std. Deviation: 15

Federal 147-gr. Hydrashok +P+:
Average Velocity: 911
Extreme Spread: 50
Std. Deviation: 14

Remington 158-gr. LSWCHP +P:
Average Velocity: 883
Extreme Spread: 18
Std. Deviation: 9

Observations

I like it even though it might not be a majority’s choice. It is extremely easy to shoot with each load fired today. None had what I’d call excessive recoil; part of that may be due to my usually shooting my Model 642. I was pleased to see that the extra barrel length enhanced the velocity of my favored LSWCHP load by approximately 10% over my J-frame’s 1 7/8″ barrel; that gun averages right at 800 ft/sec using the same ammunition (same lot #).

One-handed shooting was not difficult at all and shooting falling plates at 10 yards was just plain fun. The previously-mentioned shotgun shells were knocked all over the berm about 4 times out of each six shots; I’ll shoot the little thing until that average is better. I still believe “placement is power” for “serious” matters and think it’s more fun to hit than to miss.

For a carry gun, I still prefer the Model 642 as I normally use a pocket holster. That said, this one will be loaded from now on and serve as a house gun, and as a belt gun now and then.

It’s a neat little .38 and a revolver that can often be had at considerable savings over the .357 in the same condition if buying used.

Best.

By Jim March

So you’re buying a revolver. New, used, doesn’t matter, you want a good one, right?

How do check one over without firing it, right at the dealer’s counter or gun show table?

This is how. All of this works with DA or SA wheelguns…”close the action” on most DAs means swing the cylinder in, on SA types, close the loading gate, on break-opens, close ’em. UNLOADED.

WARNING: most of these tests require violation of the “finger off trigger” rule. Therefore, be extremely careful about safe muzzle direction and making sure the gun is unloaded ahead of time, PERSONALLY, as you begin handling it.

Note: bring a small flashlight, something small and concentrated. A Photon or similar high-powered LED light is perfect. You also want feeler gauges if you’re not used to eyeballing cylinder gaps; at a minimum, bring a .002″, .004″ and .006″.

Note 2: no dry firing is required or desired at any point. It just pisses off the gun’s current owner.

Cylinder Play

1) With the gun UNLOADED (check for yourself!), close the action.

2) Thumb the hammer back, and while pulling the trigger, gently lower the hammer all the way down while keeping the trigger back – and KEEP holding the trigger once the hammer is down. (You’ve now put the gun in “full lockup” – keep it there for this and most other tests.)

3) With the trigger still back all the way, check for cylinder wiggle. Front/back is particularly undesirable; a bit of side to side is OK but it’s a bad thing if you can wiggle it one way, let go, and then spin it the other way a fraction of an inch and it stays there too. At the very least, it should “want” to stop in just one place (later, we’ll see if that place is any good). The ultimate is a “welded to the frame” feeling.

Cylinder Gap

4) Still holding the trigger at full lockup, look sideways through the barrel/cylinder gap. If you can get a credit card in there, that ain’t good…velocity drops rapidly as the gap increases. Too tight isn’t good either, because burnt powder crud will “fill the gap” and start making the cylinder spin funky. My personal .38 snubbie is set at .002, usually considered the minimum…after about 40 shots at the range, I have to give the front of the cylinder a quick wipe so it spins free again. I consider that a reasonable tradeoff for the increased velocity because in a real fight, I ain’t gonna’ crank 40 rounds out of a 5-shot snub.

If you’re eyeballing it, you’ll have to hold it up sideways against an overhead light source.

SAFETY WARNING: This step in particular is where you MUST watch your muzzle direction. Look, part of what’s happening here is that you’re convincing the seller you know your poop. It helps the haggling process. If you do anything unsafe, that impression comes completely unglued.

Timing

5) You really, REALLY want an unloaded gun for this one. This is where the light comes in. With the gun STILL held in full lockup, trigger back after lowering the hammer by thumb, you want to shine a light right into the area at the rear of the cylinder near the firing pin. You then look down the barrel. You’re looking to make sure the cylinder bore lines up with the barrel. Check every cylinder – that means putting the gun in full lockup for each cylinder before lighting it up.

You’re looking for the cylinder and barrel holes to line up perfectly, it’s easy to eyeball if there’s even a faint light source at the very rear of both bores. And with no rounds present, it’s generally easy to get some light in past where the rims would be.

Bore

(We’re finally done with that “full lockup” crap, so rest your trigger finger.)

6) Swing the cylinder open, or with most SAs pull the cylinder. Use the small flashlight to scope the bore out. This part’s easy – you want to avoid pitting, worn-out rifling, bulges of any sort. You want more light on the subject than just what creeps in from the rear of the cylinder on the timing check.

You also want to check each cylinder bore, in this case with the light coming in from the FRONT of each hole, you looking in from the back where the primers would be. You’re looking for wear at the “restrictions” at the front of each cylinder bore. That’s the “forcing cone” area and it can wear rapidly with some Magnum loads. (Special thanks to Salvo below for this bit!)

Trigger

7) To test a trigger without dry-firing it, use a plastic pen in front of the hammer to “catch” it with the off hand, especially if it’s a “firing pin on the hammer” type. Or see if the seller has any snap-caps, that’s the best solution. Flat-faced hammers as found in transfer-bar guns (Ruger, etc) can be caught with the off-hand without too much pain.

SA triggers (or of course a DA with the hammer cocked) should feel “like a glass rod breaking”. A tiny amount of take-up slack is tolerable, and is common on anything with a transfer bar or hammer block safety.

DA triggers are subjective. Some people like a dead-smooth feel from beginning of stroke to the end, with no “warning” that it’s about to fire. Others (myself included) actually prefer a slight “hitch” right at the end, so we know when it’s about to go. With that sort of trigger, you can actually “hold it” right at the “about to fire” point and do a short light stroke from there that rivals an SA shot for accuracy. Takes a lot of practice though. Either way, you don’t want “grinding” through the length of the stroke, and the final stack-up at the end (if any) shouldn’t be overly pronounced.

Detecting Bad Gunsmithing:

8. OK, so it’s got a rock-solid cylinder, a .002″ or .003″ gap, and the trigger feels great. Odds are vastly in favor of it being tuned after leaving the factory.

So was the gunsmith any good?

First, cock it, then grab the hammer and “wiggle it around” a bit. Not too hard, don’t bang on it, but give it a bit of up/down, left/right and circular action with finger off trigger and WATCH your muzzle direction.

You don’t want that hammer slipping off an overly polished sear. You REALLY don’t want that. It can be fixed by installing factory parts but that’ll take modest money (more for installation than hardware costs) and it’ll be big time unsafe until you do.

The other thing that commonly goes wrong is somebody will trim the spring, especially coil springs. You can spot that if you pull the grip panels, see if the spring was trimmed with wire cutters. If they get too wild with it, you’ll get ignition failures on harder primers. But the good news is, replacement factory or Wolf springs are cheap both to buy and have installed.

There’s also the legal problems Ayoob frequently describes regarding light triggers. If that’s a concern, you can either swap back to stock springs, or since you bought it used there’s no way to prove you knew it was modified at all.

In Perspective:

Timing (test #5) is very critical…if that’s off, the gun may not even be safe to test-fire. And naturally, a crappy barrel means a relatively pricey fix.

Cylinder gap is particularly critical on short-barreled and/or marginal caliber guns. If you need every possible ounce of energy, a tight gap helps. Some factory gaps will run as high as .006″; Taurus considers .007″ “still in spec” (sigh). You’ll be hard-pressed to find any new pieces under .004″ – probably because the makers realize some people don’t clean ’em often (or very well) and might complain about the cylinder binding up if they sell ’em at .002″.

The guns in a dealer’s “used pile” are often of unknown origin, from estate sales or whatever. Dealers don’t have time to check every piece, and often don’t know their history. These tests, especially cyliner gap and play, can spot a gun that’s been sent off for professional tuning…like my snubbie, the best $180 I ever spent.

As long as the gun is otherwise sound (no cracks, etc) a gunsmith can fix any of this. So these tests can help you pick a particularly good new specimen, or find a good used gun, or help haggle the price down on something that’ll need a bit of work.

Hope this helps.