The S&W Bodyguard 38 is a new venture for Smith in their revolver product line.  No doubt it was influenced heavily by the Ruger LCR.  I guess what I find most interesting right now is that Smith seems to be a little behind on the development of new things.  The Bodyguard and the Governor are both following other manufactures ideas.  One might argue that it is better to be late if your product is better in quality, but I have not shot the...

If you are interested in getting your a Ruger SP101, S&W J-Frame, or Taurus trigger job, there are a few things to keep in mind: Cutting coils isn’t always the way to go.  Cutting the coils on a factory spring may sound like a great idea, but it isn’t always the way to go.  I was taught, and still believe, that replacement springs are a better option.  With Wolff manufacturing some great spring kits, you can achieve reliable...

I spent all day Friday working on revolver trigger jobs.  I mentioned the S&W J-Frame last week.  On Friday the day was spent working on a Taurus Hammerless and a Charter Arms UC Lite.   While I have been familiar with Taurus for a long time, I have never owned a Charter, and this was my first time to do a trigger job for one. While they are comparable in price (cheaper than a S&W), the similarities end there.  The Charter came to me...

Snubbies, like the S&W J-frame used to be talked about as sub standard to other defensive tools.  One of the main reasons had to do with the loss of velocity from their shorter barrels. Here’s the skinny.  Bullets get better velocity from a longer barrel, because the pressure has longer to build up velocity.  Shorter barrel = shorter velocity.  Luckily for all of us time has allowed  us to progress. Speer has developed a short...

The J-Frame sized revolvers have become more popular as more people are carrying for CCW.  One of the configurations that people like is the Double Action Only.  I carried one of these guns in a backup role while serving as a sworn LEO.  It rode very comfortably on my ankle and required very little maintenance. Those are the great things about these guns.  The bad is that they kick harder than Bruce Lee, they are hard to hold with a solid grip,...