Howdy, folks, and welcome back. Today’s post will be a little shorter than usual, mostly correcting an oversight. I’m not sure why I didn’t make this comparison in an earlier post, but such is the case.
So, today: J vs K:
No, no, no, not those guys! These guys:
Somehow, I hadn’t really compared them directly before, even though they make a nice pairing. Both are all steel guns, both set up with Magna service panel grips and a grip converter to fill the so-called “high sinus,” that irritating space behind the trigger guard that defies all known ergonomics.
The K frame is my old police trade Model 10-6, with a 4” heavy barrel and square butt. Possibly the iconic police service revolver of the mid-20th century. In this configuration, it weighs about 33 oz.
The J-frame is an NYPD-spec Model 36, the Chief’s Special. With its 1 7/8” tapered barrel and round butt, it weighs in at 19.5 oz.
With the two together, it’s striking just how similar they are, and yet also how much smaller the M36 is. Partly because I bought the M10 to replace an even bigger gun, I’ve always thought of it as small. It is, after all, no Dirty Harry monster. But neither is it small, compared to a real compact revolver.
It’s easy to imagine a policeman packing a pair like this. After all, the best reload for a revolver is another revolver.
For a look at some other things an officer might carry, check out my publisher Ian’s recent series on flexible impact weapons. He was a long-time Texas deputy sherriff, so there speaks the voice of experience.
Revolvers are great. Love my 686 S&W
There’s just something nostalgic that touches a dude when he squeezes off a cylinder. I like to shoot my Ks. But when I carry a wheelgun its a J. Size matters.