If we have to march off into the next world, let us walk there on the bodies of our enemies.
I also have fairly short fingers vs my palm size. When I go to buy gloves, they have to fit my palm and I usually have room in the fingertips left over.
That said, I shot Glocks for a number of years and am currently shooting my 92G quite a bit more recently. I’ve shot SIGs in the past. With the Glocks I got used to essentially using less finger on the trigger. A shorter reach trigger like the ones made by Overwatch Precision help though. With my 92, I find the LTT grips, oversized mag release, and Wilson short reach trigger make that platform just about perfect for me. With my P229, I had the short reach trigger and was toying with the idea of the G10 grips and those were about perfect for me as well.
You can get away with fitting yourself to the gun and do good work, but if you can fit the gun to you, that’s going to work out better all around. Especially in the long term.
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Lots of good information here. One of the reasons I like this forum. Something for everybody.
I have a few S&W's. I've own or have owned J's, K's, L's and N's. K's fit my hand the best with OEM stocks. The frame size seems to be perfect.
I don't shoot 357's anymore in revolvers although I've loaded thousands and shot them for many years in both revolvers and carbines. Probably the most versatile revolver cartridge ever conceived. They can be loaded up or down thru a wide range of bullets and powders. I've even made loads for rats and vermin using 7 1/2 shot that will fit very well in a 38 Spl. because the case without a bullet fits a 38 spl. chamber. I'm surprised an ammo mfg. hasn't figured out how to load those using a wad and roll crimp. Lots of info. on YT on how to build those. They chew up rats pretty well at short range and are safer than using .22.
I don't have any L frames now but had a few in the past. I think I have everything else. I carry a 60's model 36.
J's and K's are a bit light for 357 factory ammo but still useful.
I like everything S&W made up until about 1990. I'll pass on the newer ones.
Last edited by Borderland; 04-24-2019 at 11:28 AM.
This might be a dumb question but are K and L frame the same size grip? On the VZ grips sights, it looks like they have one model for K/L and a separate for N.
Further thoughts, with more detail:
Have you tried the G43x/G48?
My wife has small hands, and does not enjoy boisterous recoil. Double stack nines are almost universally impossible to use. The G43 fits in every way, but recoil is too energetic. Other single stack nines fit less well, and/or recoil is too energetic. DA triggers are obnoxious. The G42 is her Goldilocks gun: weight and dimensions fit and she will actually carry it, trigger pull is manageable and recoil is pleasant so she will actually shoot it.
I bought 2 G42s. One is hers, one has replaced my 642 for most things I would use a 642 for.
Well everyone has pretty much covered frame sizes so here’s my .02 worth:
I have briefly owned one J frame and one L frame.
My substantial accumulation are all K and N frames.
I appendix-carry a 3” M-64 all day long in comfort. I’ve never seen any need for a J-frame. Plus I don’t like their triggers.
If I ever join a gym that allows carry, I’ll probably invest in a little lightweight. But I don’t know that I spend enough time in the gym to matter[emoji51]
I had a 6” 586 once. It was ok. But whatever uses I have for a long-barreled .357 are easily handled by my Ruger OMBH.
I’ve not had a problem with K-frame .357s. Most of my magnum shooting is with a 66-7, which has a full forcing cone. Plus I shoot heavy cast boolits. It’s the lightweights that are hard on them.
So I haven’t felt a need for a 4” L-frame, either.
Now if they were to make a 10mm or .41 magnum gun 6-shot L-frame, I’d be all over it (though I haven’t spent enough time with the 10mm yet to decide if it does anything a .357 won’t.). I’d have to take a 686 to the gunsmith and have them grind half of that ugly full lug off, though.
N-frames: the best all-round field gun, IMO, is a 4 or 5” N frame .44 or bigger. It doesn’t have to be a magnum, in fact I like the non-magnums. A big, fat, flat-nosed boolit at 900-1000 FPS will handle pretty much anything on two or more legs. I like the .44 Special and .45 auto rim for that purpose.