The Last Gun - Revisited

Back in May of this year, I wrote a rather long article about what I would do if I was forced to narrow down my collection to a single firearm. In the end, I chose a Glock 19 and I gave a lot of really good reasons for this choice. Since then, I've been thinking about it more and more. I still really like the Glock 19. I have one in my safe right now, and it is definitely a gun I would hate to see go. However, I think if I had to make the choice today, I would choose differently... maybe.

I thought about an old saying I've heard. The gun you have with you is infinitely more valuable than the one you have at home in the safe. This is very true. If you find yourself in a life and death situation you don't get to call time out and run home to browse your gun safe and pick the best gun for the job. You have to make do with what you have.

I work nights, so a night stand gun is fine and I do have one, but it isn't that big of a deal. Most break ins happen during the night and at night, I'm wide awake and in my office working far away from my bedroom and the full size Glock 17 I keep in my night stand. Therefore, the gun most likely to get used to defend myself and my family is the gun I keep in my office. That gun is a S&W J-frame .38 Special. I carry concealed (legally). I do not leave the house without a gun. When I'm grabbing my wallet and keys and mobile phone I grab my S&W J-frame .38 Special and slip it in my pocket.

If it is good enough to carry concealed and good enough to keep in arm's reach in my office, why should it not be my last gun? I could carry the Glock 19, but it sits in the safe. Why? It's just so easy to slip the little J-frame in my pocket that I never want to deal with the hassle of strapping on a holster and concealing a larger gun.

If you ask most gun professionals (I'm talking cops, P.I.'s, top competitive shooters, firearms instructors, gun magazine writers, etc...) what they have on them if you run into them on the street (off duty in the case of cops) I'd be willing to bet more than 75% of them have a J-frame revolver in their pocket. Why? They work and they are easy and convenient.

Now, I will state that a J-frame is a terrible first gun. Many gun shop commandos will tell new shooters, epecially female new shooters to buy a J-frame revolver for their first gun. Don't listen to them. They are small so they are harder to hold on to. They are light so the felt recoil is a lot more. Most of them have barely adequate sights. They are an expert's gun. They are hard to shoot well without a lot of practice and they aren't much fun to shoot at all.

However, for someone who knows how to shoot and is comfortable with a J-frame, I think it might be the last gun I'd ever give up. I'm still not sure if I ever had to make that choice that I could give up my Glock 19, but if I did it would be to keep my trusty little J-frame.