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Posted: 8/14/2026 8:30:09 AM EDT
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I like carrying a super lightweight j frame around the house and when I'm out and about, and carried a 351pd for over a year. It's a 22 magnum J frame with a hammer. Practiced in both single and double action, and while the hammer snagged my shirt a few times it was seldom enough to be a huge problem. I wanted a "real" caliber and traded into a 340PD. Shoots great (very spicy with 357) and is really nice to carry. I have the chance to trade the 351pd into a 360 this weekend and I'm likely going to do that so I can compare/contrast both. So poll time, for a revolver that does not get pocket carried (on the hip, usually IWB, sometimes OWB) do you go with a hammer or not? Hammered gun: can shoot single action if you have the time but fine in double, sometimes can snag with carry Hammerless gun, no snags, less room for junk to work it's way into the gun, but can't shoot single action no matter what. |
"every exercise is a low back exercise if you do it wrong enough"
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Hammerless J frame and swap in a 9lb spring kit. I pocket carry mine in my front pocket. Chances are if I'm shooting it (and not at a range) I'm probably drawing it in a hurry as fast as I can and not worrying about setting a hammer  ETA: sorry, just read that it's in a holster. Maybe go with a hammer? I dunno, If I'm holstering a revolver, then I'd probably go with something a little larger with a hammer. |
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I primarily pocket carry. I have both hammered and DAO guns, and with the hammer guns snagging on the draw could be a problem under stress. I have trained myself to cover the hammer spur with my thumb on the draw eliminating it as an issue. I prefer the looks and capability overall of a hammer gun but am also realistic to the DAO being the better choice for deep cover use. With proper training and lots of practice ( extensive practice is something most J frame carriers never do) having SA capability is a moot point. In the days when PPC competition was more popular with cops, guns shot in these matches ( over 1/3 of the shots fired in a PPC match are shot from the 50 yard line!) were often custom guns with the hammer spurs removed and shot DA only. |
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I like having both, but my first choice is internal hammer. I haven't really found where I'd carry a hammered gun over the internal, other than my hammer gun is .357 vs. my internal is a .38 spl. Both weigh somewhere around 11-12 oz. Attached File Attached File |
never underestimate the stupidity of other people
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Originally Posted By 10mmillie: I prefer hammer less because I like pocket carry be it front pants or coat during winter. The hammerless can still be fired from the pocket reliably while the hammer may catch and prevent you from defending yourself. I live in Georgia and seldom have occasion to wear pants let alone a jacket. The hammerless does make sense for that though, less to get caught while firing through a pocket or something. I plan on getting a 386 sometime soon to be a woods/adventure carry gun and not doing a DAO conversion or anything. |
"every exercise is a low back exercise if you do it wrong enough"
@MacManus
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I love my mid 90’s pre-Hillary Hole S&W 638 Airweight Bodyguard. It’s the best of both worlds in your hammer/hammer less debate. It was my warm weather, slob carry pocket gun for many years. Over the years I’ve moved on to the newer micro .380 trend -LCP >LCP Max > Bodyguard 2.0. But I still love that revolver and will never get rid of it. |
never underestimate the stupidity of other people
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Attached File Got it. Let’s see how she shoots this week. Probably spicy like the other |
"every exercise is a low back exercise if you do it wrong enough"
@MacManus
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For the J frames, carry purposes, I think the internal hammer model is the way to go. There's really no reason you're going to cock the thing and shoot single action, so what's the benefit of having an exposed hammer? It's also another area for dirt/link/pocket junk to get into compared to the internal hammer model. Plus the internal hammer model looks cooler. If you have the time, you can stage the trigger where you've pulled back and done most of the work (cylinder moved, locked in, and just a bit longer of a pull releases the hammer). It's pretty easy to practice and get to where you can feel that staging point, then it's 1.25 action instead of the full double action. I have the 351 that has the internal hammer, and my usual carry gun is a 640. I'd recommend that over the 340. The extra 10 oz isn't going to weigh you down and give you a back ache, but will make shooting it far, far easier. I use mid power .357 Mag loads like the Remington 125 gr Golden Saber, and it's putting out more power than a 9mm, but still OK to shoot. |
never underestimate the stupidity of other people
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Originally Posted By sandboxmedic: I'd have kept the 351, they're just cool and I think it's a decent choice for how you used it around the house. That said, I like both styles, but generally prefer an exposed hammer, especially on anything larger than a J frame. @sandboxmedic I liked the 351pd, too, but found myself going out more and more into the world with it on. Started thinking about going through car windshields, carrying better snake shot taking my kids fishing in the south, that kind of thing, and wanted to get into a slightly more significant caliber. Originally Posted By 1stID: The extra 10 oz isn't going to weigh you down and give you a back ache, but will make shooting it far, far easier. @1stID the extra 10 ounces is the difference between being able to carry this in gym shorts and without a belt (my typical dress around the house and neighborhood) vs needing an actual carry set up. Plus when you get to ~24 ounces there are tons of options that have significant additional features than a smaller snub., |
"every exercise is a low back exercise if you do it wrong enough"
@MacManus
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Originally Posted By Steiner43: I love my mid 90’s pre-Hillary Hole S&W 638 Airweight Bodyguard. It’s the best of both worlds in your hammer/hammer less debate. It was my warm weather, slob carry pocket gun for many years. Over the years I’ve moved on to the newer micro .380 trend -LCP >LCP Max > Bodyguard 2.0. But I still love that revolver and will never get rid of it. This. The 638 is the perfect combination of both. I swapped in a titanium cylinder and built my dream carry revolver. |
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My thought is that in time of stress we tend to do like we trained. Mess about with single action shooting of a revolver and when the SHTF you might find yourself messing around with the hammer. Train with double action shooting (with a decent gun) and it does everything asked of it. I am not saying my way is the only way , everyone needs to work these things out and decide what is their path. I also have given up on the 357 light snubbbies . I can stand the pain but I shoot them poorly (slower than a 38 and less accurate ) . If I shot them ok I would dig up the extra money for one but the run of the mill model 642 is my choice |
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Personally, I now prefer hammerless on a j-frame 38/357. Practice enough and you may be surprised at how well one can be shot - and as I age, I prefer it always be the same motion for similar sized handguns. And on a j-frame, the size and weight is not exactly conducive to considerable accuracy improvement in sa. For a light belt revolver, a little larger, get a 386, smith is making them again. Then you can use sa, if needed. I still have one K/L frame size that is hammerless, but it is an oddball smith 296. The rest are all da/sa. |
never underestimate the stupidity of other people
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Originally Posted By tgmr05: Personally, I now prefer hammerless on a j-frame 38/357. Practice enough and you may be surprised at how well one can be shot - and as I age, I prefer it always be the same motion for similar sized handguns. And on a j-frame, the size and weight is not exactly conducive to considerable accuracy improvement in sa. For a light belt revolver, a little larger, get a 386, smith is making them again. Then you can use sa, if needed. I still have one K/L frame size that is hammerless, but it is an oddball smith 296. The rest are all da/sa. I really want a 386 but haven’t seen one in real life since they were announced. I would likely sell one of the 340/360 to offset some of the cost. Part of me likes the idea of the 360 and 386 so both actions are the same and whatnot, part of me loves the 340 for how easy it is to carry, and part of me says put big grips on the 360 and pretend it’s a 386 to save the money. |
"every exercise is a low back exercise if you do it wrong enough"
@MacManus
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never underestimate the stupidity of other people
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Originally Posted By sandboxmedic: I would definitely sell my 360 for a 386, I've got other J frames. I have yet to see one in real life either. I thought you had a 3” 360? That seems to me like it would do most of the same stuff as a 386, at a lower weight. |
"every exercise is a low back exercise if you do it wrong enough"
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Originally Posted By steviesterno16: I thought you had a 3” 360? That seems to me like it would do most of the same stuff as a 386, at a lower weight. Originally Posted By steviesterno16: Originally Posted By sandboxmedic: I would definitely sell my 360 for a 386, I've got other J frames. I have yet to see one in real life either. I thought you had a 3” 360? That seems to me like it would do most of the same stuff as a 386, at a lower weight. Yeah but 7>5 |
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I said no hammer, but I really do like this one. Attached File I might look into bobbing the hammer on my SDR. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By 03RN: Yeah but 7>5 Originally Posted By 03RN: Originally Posted By steviesterno16: Originally Posted By sandboxmedic: I would definitely sell my 360 for a 386, I've got other J frames. I have yet to see one in real life either. I thought you had a 3” 360? That seems to me like it would do most of the same stuff as a 386, at a lower weight. Yeah but 7>5 I do and it will, but I like the K and L frame guns better. The 360 does work well for what I got it for, and I still carry it some, but I carry a Model 19 hunting and about half the time I'm on a tractor or the bulldozer so I'd probably swap to the lighter gun with more rounds, just because. You'll never hear me claim to make the best decisions in life, my track record serves as evidence to this. Honesty, I really like the 360 and even though I don't carry it as much as I thought I would (typical) I don't want of get rid of it and if I ever found a 386 in stock that I could hold and inspect before purchasing, there's a good chance I'd just break out the credit card and buy it. 
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never underestimate the stupidity of other people
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Originally Posted By 03RN: Yeah but 7>5 true but ~25 ounces is heavier than 11.... Originally Posted By sandboxmedic: I do and it will, but I like the K and L frame guns better. The 360 does work well for what I got it for, and I still carry it some, but I carry a Model 19 hunting and about half the time I'm on a tractor or the bulldozer so I'd probably swap to the lighter gun with more rounds, just because. You'll never hear me claim to make the best decisions in life, my track record serves as evidence to this. Honesty, I really like the 360 and even though I don't carry it as much as I thought I would (typical) I don't want of get rid of it and if I ever found a 386 in stock that I could hold and inspect before purchasing, there's a good chance I'd just break out the credit card and buy it. I haven't been able to get hands on a 386. I want to check the quality in person before transfer since I've heard some stories, but I would likely add one to my line up as soon as I could. |
"every exercise is a low back exercise if you do it wrong enough"
@MacManus
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| I am very skinny. I’ve never been able to effectively pocket carry except in a heavy jacket pocket. I 4:30 carry. The tiny holsters for the j-frame don’t really keep the hammer from digging into you. Even I can carry a 642 comfortably and discretely. The most I pocket carry is a flat speed strip. |
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Originally Posted By Malhass: Voted no hammer .. that's what I'm carrying now. I've owned them both for a few weeks now, and I find myself grabbing the hammerless for anything except OWB carry or if I'm going to the range, as it's much more comfy to shoot in single action with the longer grips. Might more the hammered version on towards the 386 I want since if I'm carrying OWB and a longer grip, I may as well have more rounds and barrel length... |
"every exercise is a low back exercise if you do it wrong enough"
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When I do carry a snubby it's normally my ancient S&W Model 38 "Bodyguard." I also have a Charter Arms "Undercover" with a bobbed hammer near the front door. That means I'm not involved in the 340/360 debate. I started shooting handguns in double-action mode so I'm comfortable with them. |
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