Shootin' it Straight - Shooting The Fade Away J

The original J Frame Smith & Wesson was introduced in 1950 at the International Association Chiefs of Police convention. The name of the scaled up I Frame was to be voted on at the convention and to the surprise of exactly nobody the voting ended with the new revolver being called the "Chiefs Special". That marked a culmination of years of pocket pistols of varying quality leading up to this masterpiece. It became arguably the definitive pocket gun of the next 75 years. It's taken on numerous variations and has been chambered in a wide array of calibers but its staying power is undisputed. 

 It's become the ubiquitous grab-and-go gun. It accompanies me to every church service, it's been present at funerals, it's rode shotgun through security theater, been down the river with Chris Knight, and literal fishing trips as well. Is it the ultimate defense piece? Bluntly, no! What it is, is likely the piece you'll grab because of familiarity, size, weight, and an outstanding track record. The gun you have with you far outshines the tactical wonder weapon you left in the safe at home. Well-placed hits with a quality 158 grain wadcutter that shoots to point of aim will handle any monkey business one might encounter. While modern problems might indeed be better left to a 19 ready to rattle of rounds til the spare mag leave the weak side pocket it's only the best employee if it shows up for work. That 637 slipped in a Sticky Holster goes completely unnoticed tucked in the right front of a pair of casual-fitting jeans. The abundance of them in the wild makes picking one up a matter of opening one’s eyes. Options abound. It is without doubt the universally accepted defensive revolver. It's safe to bet with a high probability that everyone from your grandmother to your bumbling cousin could operate it efficiently enough to place one behind the bad guy’s ear if need be. 

 The J Frame has never gone away but it's decidedly on a hot streak currently with new versions being released. The mighty snub has become en vogue once more, assuring its place for years to come. If you don't own one I'd recommend curing that issue promptly. Once remedied I'd defer to a group such as Snub Noir to track down training leads. There is a plethora of information available thanks to the lengthy production run of the small Smiths. While I'd never pigeon-hole a person into owning just one firearm the J Frame in some variation should have a home in every proper home.