Quoted: Quoted: I will carry the 340 PD as a main carry gun. Back up is for the PO-PO. A man after my own heart. The S&W 340PD could be the best carry gun ever made. Yeah, it's about personal preference. Some guys must have a 1911. Some need 17+ rounds....and so on. The bottom line to me is ease of carry and stopping power. The 340PD is lighter than some guys wallets. So light it easily can be carried in a front pocket and forgotten. Hell, it could be FIRED from inside a front pocket if needed. It's also a scandium/titanium mix which makes it one of the most corrosion resistant guns ever made. Carrying in FL, sweat can be a factor. Not with the 340PD. I don't think anyone would argue the virtues of the .357 round and likely +P .38's many guys use in 340's as well. The 340PD is easily accurate enough for any self defense situation. I can nail a target the size of a small plate from 25 feet all day long. I make sure I nail that target by using Crimson Trace grips, which, IMO, are an essential accessory. (Ask Larry Vickers how he feels about them if you don't believe me. Larry Vickers On C.T. Grips) Light weight. (likely the lightest weight high power carry gun ever made) Accurate. Powerful. Corrosion resistant. Easy to carry in a variety of ways. Unsurpassed reliability. To call the 340PD a BUG is relegating it to a category it should not be confined to by any experienced shooter. It makes an outstanding primary carry gun.

+1

The 340PD is a fantastic carry gun. Crimson Trace even makes a lasergrip for it that does not diminish its ease of carry.  

Quoted: If you need a BUG then your primary isn't as reliable as it needs to be.

That's just flatly not true.

Even good and reliable weapons can crap the bed on you at the most inopportune times. Good ammo can crap the bed on you at the most inopportune times.

Even with a good weapon and good ammo you can end up with a malfunction that you can't clear in a hurry...and in such cases with someone trying to kill you being able to pull out a second weapon and continue to fight is a GOOD thing.

That is why I carry a a 642. If I need to use more than 5 shots then it's a gunfight I shouldn't have gotten myself in to.

That's probably what that off duty police officer in the Utah mall shooting thought before he ended up having to shoot it out with some nutcase that opened up on him with a shotgun....thankfully the cavalry arrived in time to save him from the guy shooting at him. After all, what were the chances he would need more than the rounds in the gun? Most bad guys run if you even point a gun at them! It's not like he's going to need all that extra ammo!

Nobody....NOBODY....who has survived a gunfight has ever come out on the other end and lamented the fact that they took too big a weapon or too much ammo into the fight. Nobody has ever survived a firefight and complained that they had too much fighting capability going into it.

The point here is that nobody chooses to get into a gunfight. You get into one because yo are responding to a threat that emerged...one that for any number of reasons you can't avoid or flee from. Now you have to fight to survive. In that moment where so much is riding on the line having all the fighting capability you can reasonably have on you is not a bad idea.

ETA: I carry for personal protection, not to save the world from a crazed lunatic in wal-mart.

I don't know why people keep saying stuff like this.

What happens IF/WHEN some lunatic DOES show up at Wal-Mart while you are there and starts shooting the place up? What do you do?

Run away? Smart move, and the best one to ensure your survival....but what if the bad guy is between you and the exit? What if your wife and kids are seperated from you? Or what if they are in the path of the shooter but you have a clear avenue to run? Do you still beat feet and leave them? What if the first person the shooter decides to shoot at is *you*??

The point here is that gunfights are unpredictable, nasty, messy situations in which there are about a million different ways to lose. You have absolutely no way of knowing ahead of time exactly what sort of threat will manifest. Yes, most of the time you may face a bad guy who sees you drawing a firearm and runs away so fast that he laps himself before you can even think about pulling the trigger....

Or you could be sitting in a mall eating when some nutcase whips out a shotgun and opens fire...Or in a college classroom learning French when some malevolent narcissist with a gun opens fire on you...Or if you'll be sitting at home when you hear gunshots and your pregnant wife screaming because there's a nutcase who a "friend" of yours has hired to rob you trying to kill her.

You can't run around every day with a rifle and level IV armor on...but it behooves you to consider all the options and to carry as much defensive capability as you reasonably can because the world is full of unpleasant possibilities, and there's nothing written in stone that says you won't be the guy who has to face them.  

Quoted: Failure to fire drill for a dao revolver? Pull the trigger again! Light weight and small package that just slips into my right front pocket in any clothes I wear. If it prints too much a piece of cardboard slips in front of it. A 5 shot smith 642 loaded with +p's in your pocket beats hell out of a 500 S&W in the safe.

+1.  My primary CCW is a S&W 642 DAO for a variety of reasons - it is light, reasonably powerful, easy to conceal and (most important) leave in the truck if I am entering a prohibited area.

I pocket carry - put it in your pocket to carry it, take it out of your pocket to leave it.  Can't get much simpler than that.  Having to contend with a IWB holster on a daily basis is a massive pain in the ass, especially if you must disarm frequently.  I would rather have a 642 in my pocket than a G19 at home because I didnt feel like messing with it today.

Quoted: BUG carry positions often expose weapons to lots of crud and gunk buildup that can cause function issues in semi-autos. A revolver like the Smith 442 that has its operating mechanism essentially sealed off from such crud is a good idea.

I have to disagree with you on this--and you are one of the people here I don't like to disagree with when the topic is defensive handguns. However, while revolvers have the advantage of not having the semis issues with feeding and ejecting, they are MORE prone to jaming from sand, mud, etc. I'd assume that this also is true for "crud and gunk buildup" from carry as a backup.

Quoted: I have to disagree with you on this--and you are one of the people here I don't like to disagree with when the topic is defensive handguns. However, while revolvers have the advantage of not having the semis issues with feeding and ejecting, they are MORE prone to jaming from sand, mud, etc. I'd assume that this also is true for "crud and gunk buildup" from carry as a backup.

Revolvers can indeed get too gummed up to function, but that's the joy of the concealed hammer design like the 442...it locks most of the mechanism away from entry points for sand and mud and other assorted crud. It helps reduce the likelihood of that (rather unlikely) event.

I've had my 442 in mud, wet sand, and on one particularly embarrassing occasion even bull dung, and nothing ever made it to the inside of the mechanism.

In my case, it's weight.  My 342 weighs 13 ounces loaded.  Hard to find a semi-auto of equivalent power that light.  I do carry a Kel-Tec .32 as backup sometimes.  Nice and light, but substantially less powerful than the .38 Spl.

I carried a M38 (Centennial Bodyguard) and then a M342 AirLite Ti as my primary for quite some time.  Also competed in IDPA BUG class so I didn't become one of those j-frame owners who had guns that were "carried a lot but shot very little".

I'll have to look into the CT grips.  My only complaint about the J-frame is the "trench" rear sight (no night sights either).  Otherwise it was a great little gun.

Quoted: I carried a M38 (Centennial Bodyguard) and then a M342 AirLite Ti as my primary for quite some time.  Also competed in IDPA BUG class so I didn't become one of those j-frame owners who had guns that were "carried a lot but shot very little". I'll have to look into the CT grips.  My only complaint about the J-frame is the "trench" rear sight (no night sights either).  Otherwise it was a great little gun.

I, too, wish that somebody could come up with a better arrangement than those tiny trench sights for these revolvers. They suck ESPECIALLY in the dark.

The CT grips are the heat on J frames.

Because they are light, and they work.   Ever pick up a scandium/titanium revolver?  

Do so and your question will be answered.

It was an old rerun, but on court TV last night there was a security camera video of an off duty LEO who annoyed a bank robber by shooting him in the chest with what appeared to be a .32 or .380 auto.  He only got off one round before experiencing a stoppage that he could not clear before having to dance around with the robber who was trying to shoot him, (with a revolver.)  This story had a happy ending, but I doubt that a small revolver and 5 or 6 .38s would have let the guy down.  Personally, I really like to carry a serious auto, but I will have a 642 in my left pocket no matter what.

Quoted: Because they are light, and they work.   Ever pick up a scandium/titanium revolver?   Do so and your question will be answered.

And the people who carry them aren't trigger happy cowboys, let me tell you....

Because shooting those super-light revolvers with full power loads hurts the shooter almost as much as the shootee....

Quoted: It was an old rerun, but on court TV last night there was a security camera video of an off duty LEO who annoyed a bank robber by shooting him in the chest with what appeared to be a .32 or .380 auto.  He only got off one round before experiencing a stoppage that he could not clear before having to dance around with the robber who was trying to shoot him, (with a revolver.)

I remember seeing that incident a long time ago. I believe the weapon was carried in an ankle holster too...requiring the officer to drop to his back to draw the thing.

Weak weapon: Check
A draw that completely robs you of mobility: Check

That's why I encourage people to take a HARD look at what they carry and how they carry it. Lots of people think one of the cute little auto cartridges is "enough"....but things look mighty different when there is a guy with a ski-mask pointing a handgun at you. Lots of techniques may seem like a good idea when there is nobody shooting at you, but things look different when somebody is. That's why it's important to seek out instructors with a solid real-world background. It's also why I recommend backups...I'm sure that morning when the officer put on his pistol he thought it would work if he needed it.

Handguns in the mousegun calibers earned a reputation as notoriously finicky beasts. While I own several .25, .32, and .380 caliber auto pistols, I wouldn't carry them except as a tertiary weapon.

Quoted: Quoted: Because they are light, and they work.   Ever pick up a scandium/titanium revolver?   Do so and your question will be answered. And the people who carry them aren't trigger happy cowboys, let me tell you.... Because shooting those super-light revolvers with full power loads hurts the shooter almost as much as the shootee....

Some people say that, but they don't seem to bother me.  At any rate, I regularily shoot 50-100 rds of 38+p without any discomfort.  It seems less "snappy" than a .380 Makarov, probably due to grip shape.

Not everybody can be bothered carrying a full combat load everywhere they go.
I would have to be going into a known hostile area to pack a full size, plus 13 mags and a flashlight like you do.  

Quoted: Not everybody can be bothered carrying a full combat load everywhere they go. I would have to be going into a known hostile area to pack a full size, plus 13 mags and a flashlight like you do.

I live in an area a lot of people think is mayberry....but it's full of MS-13ers, a growing Crip franchise, enough redneck meth heads to choke a donkey, and god knows what human flotsam happens to stop in from the interstate.

Because of that, my typical loadout is two handguns (one usually service size and service quality) with at least one reload for each weapon, and a couple of lights. That may sound like a lot, but it isn't.

EDIT -- I don't see how you can think the recoil on a scandium .357 magnum is less "snappy" than a Makarov....Congrats to you if that's how you see it, but if there were a convention of all the guys on the planet who found that to be true you could hold it in a phone booth....

Quoted: Quoted: I'm not a revolver guy, I feel perfectly comfortable with semis, but if I were to use a revolver, it would be as the primary weapon, not a BUG. The first 6 shots you have to fire would be your most important ones, you would want it to go off without a hitch and should use your revolver here. If you need more firepower, THEN you turn to your semi, not the other way around. Agree? No. The reason I pack a S&W 442 as a BUG most of the time is because: 1. It is dead nuts reliable. (The lawyer lock infected Smiths are a little more vulnerable to failure because of unwanted engagement of the lock...) If you need to fire your primary weapon, you need it to work....but brother, if you have to pull out a second handgun you REALLY need it to work. BUG carry positions often expose weapons to lots of crud and gunk buildup that can cause function issues in semi-autos. A revolver like the Smith 442 that has its operating mechanism essentially sealed off from such crud is a good idea. 2. It is that perfect blend of small and light while being just big and powerful enough to offer good performance and reasonable shootability. 3. It offers the best concealability of any handgun out there while still offering that incredible reliability mentioned earlier. The S&W J frame revolvers are the ultimate backup pieces. There's a reason why guys like Ken Hackathorn own and carry them as BUGs and sometimes as primaries. I wouldn't lead off in a gunfight with my 442 over my 1911 for the same reason that I wouldn't lead off in a gunfight with my 1911 rather than my AR.

The guy asked about a backup gun.  I dont see where he needs one in the first place unless he is a PO. Me im a normal joe that should not need no more then 5 shots for a few guys. Sure more ammo the better but the odds are good for me not to need it.

Cause they pocket carry them, and easiest guns to conceal in the pocket are revolvers.

Quoted: Failure to fire drill for a dao revolver? Pull the trigger again! Light weight and small package that just slips into my right front pocket in any clothes I wear. If it prints too much a piece of cardboard slips in front of it. A 5 shot smith 642 loaded with +p's in your pocket beats hell out of a 500 S&W in the safe.

And what is the most common "jam" on a revolver?  Locked cylinder, pulling the trigger again will not fix it.

Quoted: Quoted: I understand your points and while valid, not always practical. In South Florida, much of the year (over 3/4) a light t-shirt, shorts and flip flops are what I wear. The climate restricts carry options significantly. Yes, a loose fitting shirt pulled outside the pants does work on occasion, but frankly when you spend as much time outdoors as I do...it just isn't what gets it done on a daily basis. I have a variety of hand guns, some for carry....others for home defense. As for how I feel carrying my 340PD as a primary much of the time? Very happy with it. I can have it drawn and on target faster than any hand gun I own, and lead on target extremely quickly. The virtues of more than one gun & the virtues of more capacity and so on are all well understood by me....and often utilized. But I never feel vulnerable with my 340...quite the contrary. I do agree that 5 rounds is a restriction that is something of a concern....but not much. The virtues of the 340PD/Crimson Trace grips address all things sufficiently for my peace of mind. Dude, in the hot steamy months of summer here in Virginia when it is T-shirt and shorts, I have no problems concealing a P229.  The whole "to hot for something bigger" just doesn't hold water.   Get a decent compact auto and carry it in a Bianchi, you will wonder why it took you so long to do it.

+1  I can carry a USP and 2 spare mags in the summer months with ease down here.

I suspect these comments are from the people that started carrying and never adjusted their wardobe because of it.  Yes you NEED to buy a bigger pair of pants (for IWB) and adjust your style of shirts etc.

Quoted: Quoted: I will carry the 340 PD as a main carry gun. Back up is for the PO-PO. No, backups are not just for the po-po. Folks, I hate to be the one to break this news to you, but the reality is that police gunfights are with the same sorts of scumbags who will start a fight with ordinary civilians. Ordinary citizens also purchase firearms that are not somehow immune to the phenomenon of malfunctions or parts breakage.... In fact when it comes to reliability police sidearms often have a much better track record than many of the firearms ordinary citizens conceal... Backup guns are a GOOD IDEA for EVERYONE who carries a firearm for personal defense. "Two is one, one is none..."

Too true.   Everyone forget who even invented the idea of backup guns, extra magazines in pouches on body armor and dammit, body armor itself:

Criminals.

If my Google skills werent so crappy I'd put a picture I've seen over and over of a gangster from the 1920's with a steel plate vest with a holster for a pistol attached at the shoulder for a cross-draw and a couple extra magazines for that pistol on the vest, too.

His main gun?   BAR.   His backup for that was a pistol on his hip followed by a last-ditch gun on his armor.

I have no need for a back-up weapon, I carry a Glock.

the ultimate right pocket filler upper  

Quoted: +1  I can carry a USP and 2 spare mags in the summer months with ease down here. I suspect these comments are from the people that started carrying and never adjusted their warrobe because of it.  Yes you NEED to buy a bigger pair of pants (for IWB) and adjust your style of shirts etc.

Just like my argument last night with the cheap holster zealots, some people just don't plan to make it a point to carry anything but a backup gun, even if that backup gun is their primary.

I don't understand people who say it's too hot in Florida to carry larger guns.

Would you guys trust a Taurus for a BUG?  I can't afford a S&W.  What's good model?  I like $400 vs $1000

Quoted: The back up gun is usually the smallest, lightweight uber reliable gun you have ie a .38 snubbie.  If I were to find myself in a fire fight I would rather have my primary gun with a 13 round capacity than a 6 with lower powered ammo.  The back up gun is for when your primary either has a catastrophic failure or you run out of ammo (hopefully you carry spare mags) Also, if you are talking about the first shot being important, a heavy DAO from a snub nosed revolver is the last thing I would want to pull.

+1 If I were in a firefight I'd go from the assault rifle and grenades to the handgun to the backup handgun to the knife.

My everyday gun, 340PD loaded with .38 +P+ rounds and a Milt Sparks pocket holster (not pictured).

I agree with every single post JW777 made in this thread. I carry a 642 for a backup. I've carried it as a primary when I couldn't carry a larger weapon. I did NOT like that.

Quoted: Would you guys trust a Taurus for a BUG?  I can't afford a S&W.  What's good model?  I like $400 vs $1000

You can get the 642 or 442 for around 400. You aren't restricted to one of the super rare alloy revolvers.

Check one out. At the gunshows around here 642s are often sold NIB for 350.

not my favorite store but ill give ya a link

Quoted: The guy asked about a backup gun.  I dont see where he needs one in the first place unless he is a PO.

The point I am trying to make is that the conditions that conspire to make a backup gun a REALLY good idea for police officers also exist among regular citizens. No, you don't have a duty to arrest dangerous bad guys, but dangerous bad guys only get arrested after they have victimized some ordinary joe who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Quoted: Bowen custom has one but its almost as much as the gun. www.bowenclassicarms.com/NEW/SWpackages.htm

ATTENTION SMITH AND WESSON:

THOSE ARE THE KIND OF SIGHTS YOU SHOULD BE PUTTING ON THESE REVOLVERS!!!

That is all.....

Expensive, yes....but frankly if you carry a J frame regularly a sight upgrade like that might be well worth it.

Quoted: Quoted: Bowen custom has one but its almost as much as the gun. www.bowenclassicarms.com/NEW/SWpackages.htm ATTENTION SMITH AND WESSON: THOSE ARE THE KIND OF SIGHTS YOU SHOULD BE PUTTING ON THESE REVOLVERS!!! That is all..... Expensive, yes....but frankly if you carry a J frame regularly a sight upgrade like that might be well worth it.

I agree, I'd love to have some of those on my M342.  But $295 (base job) + $125 (night sights) + shipping (FedEX Priority Overnight) = $420+.  Plus you'd be lacking a gun for X weeks while they work on your gun.

At $229 shipped a set of CT grips is looking better and better ....

I have a S&W 442 that I carry as a backup when dress allows for it.  My reason for a wheelgun, as opposed to a semi for a "last ditch" weapon is that it will fire with a contact shot.

anyone, like your old lady or kid, can shoot it in a pinch and be deadly when needed without all the bells and whistles.

If firepower and even (I dare say) accuracy were my primary concerns, I wouldn't carry a j frame at all.  Most days, I carry only a snubnose, because if I didn't then I wouldn't carry a gun at all.  My Sigs are generally too bulky and not very concealable.  I don't really give a rat's ass if someone sees me printing in Walmart, but I can't haul a full size pistol around with me all day at work.  I ankle carry the j frame.

When I carry a backup gun it's my S&W 325PD in a belt slide on the weak side.  I'll toss a spare full moon clip in my pocket, just in case.  Primary is almost always a 1911 in a strong side IWB.

Quoted: Dude, in the hot steamy months of summer here in Virginia when it is T-shirt and shorts, I have no problems concealing a P229.  The whole "to hot for something bigger" just doesn't hold water.  Get a decent compact auto and carry it in a Bianchi, Milt Sparks or Galco, you will wonder why it took you so long to do it.

Fixed it for you.  In my experience, Bianchi holsters suck goat pecker.

A Milt Sparks Versa-Max II is pure magic, and a Galco Fletch tends to hug the body much better than a Bianchi.  I also used a Galco SOB and it conceals quite well too.

Galco sucks too.

Quoted: Quoted: Bowen custom has one but its almost as much as the gun. www.bowenclassicarms.com/NEW/SWpackages.htm ATTENTION SMITH AND WESSON: THOSE ARE THE KIND OF SIGHTS YOU SHOULD BE PUTTING ON THESE REVOLVERS!!! That is all..... Expensive, yes....but frankly if you carry a J frame regularly a sight upgrade like that might be well worth it.

The sights on mine are fine as is.  In addition to that, contrary to what has been presented in this thread, it works just fine with the lame lawyer lock- still blows holes in what you aim at.  It hits fine, has large adjustable sights, and does not make me not want to practice with it.  I actually rather enjoy shooting it, even with 158 grain HPs.

www.downrange.tv/player.htm

go to CCW demistified

I have a S&W 637 Airweight, bought it for a carry gun for hiking/fishing.  Aluminum frame, SS barrel and cylinder, rated for +P, exposed hammer.  I do not like the hammerless revolvers, I prefer the ability to manually cock it for better accuracy when possible.  Personal preference.  I usually carry it in a Fobus holster, or in a Uncle Mike's nylon holster in a coat pocket.  I can manage ~2" groups at 7 yards most of the time, plenty fine accuracy for close range.  Usually carry Corbon 110 grain JHP +P.  These little pistols have a fair amount of muzzle flip, due to their light weight.

Quoted: ............... it is light, reasonably powerful, easy to conceal and ......... leave in the truck ............Having to contend with a IWB holster on a daily basis is a massive pain in the ass, especially if you must disarm frequently.  I would rather have a 642 in my pocket than a G19 at home because I didnt feel like messing with it today.

Yep,

Right on the money (well except for the G19 - BHP or 1911 me please)

It's always there.  May be in my pockets, my briefcase, whatever but it's always there.  I'm one of those guys that is in places where untucked shirts are a no go and coats are off a lot.  An IWB everyday isn't doable.  If it is an IWB day then the J frame is an easy add-on

To the OP, you can get into the "Airweight" S&W's (aluminum frame, steel cylinder & barrel) for $350 NIB.  Worth every penny.  Personally I'm a fan of the shrouded hammer SA/DA versions.

Quoted: Quoted: I will carry the 340 PD as a main carry gun. Back up is for the PO-PO. No, backups are not just for the po-po. Folks, I hate to be the one to break this news to you, but the reality is that police gunfights are with the same sorts of scumbags who will start a fight with ordinary civilians. Ordinary citizens also purchase firearms that are not somehow immune to the phenomenon of malfunctions or parts breakage.... In fact when it comes to reliability police sidearms often have a much better track record than many of the firearms ordinary citizens conceal... Backup guns are a GOOD IDEA for EVERYONE who carries a firearm for personal defense. "Two is one, one is none..."

+1.

Also, Mr. Wayne forgot:  You might be with a qualified and competent friend when SHTF.  Tossing him your BUG, even if it's a P3AT as I carry, sure beats empty-handed defense.

John

b/c it works; b/c for the small size of the snubs vs similar sized autos, the snubs work, even in the pocket

Quoted: it works just fine with the lame lawyer lock- still blows holes in what you aim at.  It hits fine, has large adjustable sights, and does not make me not want to practice with it.  I actually rather enjoy shooting it, even with 158 grain HPs.

The lawyer locks on the ultra-light S&W revolvers are a concern. There are numerous reports by credible people of experiencing lock engagement under recoil using full power loads.

The sight question is not whether or not they work at all....it's whether or not they are good for using at speed and under stress.

The answer is a big fat NO and frankly instead of inventing new and useless things like lawyer locks I wish S&W would spend some time and money updating the J frame in important areas like better sights.

The J frame is a fantastic little weapon...and with some additions (like CT laser grips) and some engineering improvements from the makers (like better sights) they can be made even better.

Also, police often have partners. And they have backup rapidly available at their fingertips just by making a quick radio call. Most of us don't have that luxury. When the shit goes down, it's fast and dirty. It's you or them. You're playing for keeps. The winner lives on. The loser dies.

It makes plenty of sense for non-LEO to carry BUGs. In fact, non-LEO's probably need them even more for the reasons I mentioned above. You aren't going to have any help. So you better help yourself by using as many advantages as you can stack in your favor. Having two guns is one way to do that.

Someone should link that article I saw on here a couple of days ago about the jewelry store owner who was involved in 4 or 5 up in your face gun battles. He started with a snubby .38. After his first gun battle, he ended up with several revolvers. After his next battles, he eventually ended up with multiple Sig P220 .45 ACPs.

The limitations of S&W sights are something that can be over come. See that nifty little "bump" obstructing the AirLite logo? Correct...CT laser. The factory sites are well sufficient to augment and fully replace the CT in the event of device failure...which is very unlikely.



Were going around in circles at this point. Some people will find the myriad of benefits of the 340PD (and notice I greatly prefer a multi-caliber option to .38 exclusively) to be a very sufficient choice as both a primary as well as a BUG. Some wont.

It's a personal choice.....so if you require your 17 rounds constantly this isn't for you. If you can't imagine NOT carrying your 1911...yup, you guessed it...this isn't for you.

If you're like me, and own a 340PD (or similar model) ..have practiced extensively with it, can get lead on target every single time and at a speed due to the CT grips that can rival anyone, then you're a happy and well prepared camper.

We can all "what if" ourselves to death. What matters is being armed and proficient in a manner practical and realistic with your lifestyle. My lifestyle has at times, embraced the 340PD as not just an acceptable carry gun...but an excellent primary carry gun.

To each their own...and keep in mind, differing opinions on this subject are not necessarily based out of ignorance....despite the asserttions that a 5 shot revolver should NEVER be considered a primary CCW weapon.

My 340PD, with CT grips and .357 short barrel loads will drop anything your 1911 will and statistically, I'll have a couple rounds left over. There are many days when that option is well good enough for me.

Quoted: b/c it works; b/c for the small size of the snubs vs similar sized autos, the snubs work, even in the pocket

I can't believe it took this long to point this out. In the winter my J frame goes in my jacket pocket so I don't have to walk around with the coat undone to access my primary ccw on my belt. I can have my hand on it when talking to someone and if needed draw or fire right through the pocket.
I don't' usually carry a 2 guns but sometimes in the summer when I have to have slacks and a tucked in shirt I'll carry my 649 (pre lock) in my pocket. The key to these little guns is practice, practice, practice. Fire a few cylinders everytime you go to the range.