Les Jones

Guns > It'll Be Awesome, Part 7: Return of the (J)edi, Return of the (K)ing, '(L)ectric Boogaloo, and Revolutio(N)s

The latest proof installment of the Smith &Wesson revolver buying guide. Comments and criticism welcome.

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Frame sizes

Smith &Wesson builds their .357s on four frames sizes. (They have a fifth frame size, the X frame, that's used for the .500 Magnum and .460 Magnum.) These are the frame sizes in increasing size, showing how many rounds of .38/.357 they hold.

Frame	Weight in Steel 2" or 2.5" barrel	Capacity in .357/.38
J	22 ounces	5 shot
K	32 ounces	6 shot
L	35 ounces	6 or 7 shot*
N	??? ounces	6 or 8 shot**

* 686, 681, 586, and 581 are 6 shot, the 386, 686+, 520, 619, and 620 are 7 shot
** The high-priced, occasionally-produced 627 Performance Center guns are 8 shot and are marked .357 Mag 8X on the barrel. Clint Eastwood used a limited-run snubnose version in Blood Work. Performance Center guns are semi-custom models made on a limited basis. The 627 isn't offered in 2006, but several AirLite 327s are available from the Performance Center.

J frames
The Js use a coil spring trigger, and most people find the trigger isn't as smooth as the leaf spring triggers in the larger guns. The sights on fixed sight J frames are also very tiny and hard to see. The light weight also affects practical accuracy, as heavier guns are less affected by shaky hands and hasty trigger pulls. Clearly, these are not target pistols.

What they are is small, lightweight, and handy. That makes these guns favorites for concealed carry, particularly in a 2 inch snubnose. The snubnoses are so popular, in fact, that S&W offers them in a variety of hammer configurations for concealed carry. The snubnoses like the 60, 640, and 649 are great CCW guns. (The 60 is a Chief's Special model with an exposed hammer, the 640 is a Centennial model with a fully-concealed hammer that won't snag on clothes or collect pocket lint, and the 649 is a Bodyguard model with a shrouded hammer that can be cocked.)

There's also the Kit Gun configuration. A Kit Gun in S&W parlance is a J frame with adjustable sights and a three inch or longer barrel. It's meant to be thrown into a backpack or tackle box as part of your kit (in the British sense of "gear"). Kit guns were originally .22s, like the stainless model 63. The Kit Gun 60 is available in 3 inch and 5 inch barrel lengths.

Stainless J frames work great for ankle carry, jacket pocket carry, and any kind of belt holster carry. Most people agree that the steel guns are a bit heavy for routine pocket carry. For pocket carry you may prefer the AirLite guns built with scandium-aluminum alloy frames and titanium cylinders. In snubnose J frames they weigh about 12 ounces. Shooting .357 Magnum rounds in a 12 ounce gun produces impressive recoil, and some people find they don't like it. If possible, shoot one of these guns before buying it. Because of the recoil, lightweight bullets have been known to "jump crimp" (pull out of the cartridges in unfired chambers), which can potentially bind the cylinder. S&W recommends using 125 grain or heavier bullets. The AirLites cost roughly $150-200 more than their steel frame equivalents.

If you want a gun for concealed carry and are OK with .38 Special instead of .357 Magnum, the AirWeight J frames are great picks. In place of the expensive and exotic AirLite materials, the AirWeights use plain aluminum frames and stainless steel cylinders. They're much less expensive, at about $350-400. Weight is about 15 ounces, which is about three ounces more than the AirLites. You have your choice of a Chief's Special (637), Bodyguard (638), and Centennial (642). I chose the model with Crimson Trace LaserGrips to make up for the small fixed sights. Buy one and you, too, can join the ever-growing 642 club.

K and L frame
The K and L are the mid-sized frames, and are probably your best bet for one gun that does everything. The 65 and 66 were Ks. The 681, 686, 619, 620, and 520 are Ls.

The 65, 619, and 681 have fixed sights, those others are adjustable. The fixed sights on these models are more usable than on the J frames, and the adjustable sights are fantastic.

The K frame was once a popular choice in .357 Magnums, but Smith has discontinued them. Legend has it that K frames that were fed a steady diet of many thousands of full-power .357 Magnum loads would "shoot loose." The forcing cone at the breech end of the barrel was also apparently prone to cracking with full-power loads, particularly with lightweight bullets such as 110 grain, which struck the forcing cone with higher velocities. I will note that some people dispute this, and say they haven't had any problems even after firing many thousands of rounds.

At any rate, S&W created the slightly beefier L frame to address the issue. In 2005 they discontinued the last of the K frame .357 Magnums. Some people still prefer the K frames, which are slightly smaller and lighter than the Ls. The 19, 65, and 66 were and are excellent guns. They were very popular in their day, and they're easy to find on the used market. The K frame is still available in .38 Special as the fixed sight 64 and adjustable sight 67. Taking the advice of people who say the 3" round butt K frame is the ultimate fighting revolver, I bought an older version of the 3" 64. It really is a remarkably well-balanced gun in a handy size..

If you want the lightest gun in this size, look no further than the AirLite 386 at 18.5 ounces.

Handles, grips, and butts
The J frame has the smallest handle, and is comfortable even for people with tiny hands. The K and L frame are slightly larger. K and L frame handles are larger, and can share the same grips. The N frame handle is too large for some people's hands. S&W seems to have learned their lesson - even though the X frame is bigger than the N, it has a smaller handle. It's actually the same size as the K and L, and can share grips with them.

One more thing about grips. Older S&Ws have square butt frames. Newer S&Ws have round butt frames, which better accommodate smaller hands. If you're buying aftermarket grips for your gun, make sure you know which butt style your gun has and buy grips to match. Except for a few retro models all new S&Ws have round butts.

Obsolete frame sizes

Armchairgunshow (by SCSW author Jim Supica) has this pictural overview of frame sizes and this description of some obsolete frame sizes.

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