I’ve been a fan of the five-shot compact revolver for years. They’re small, reliable and potent. They don’t throw brass all over the place and they work especially great from a pocket or a purse, capable of creating a priceless look of surprise from a criminal predator trying to take the room temperature challenge.
While I’m typically kitted out with a 9mm, on some occasions I’ve run errands with little more than a .38 snubbie in a jacket or coat pocket. Or stuffed in my pants. And I (used to) carry one in the console of my car for my “extra” piece.
Not any more and I’ll tell you why: it surely seems like a sole attacker today is the exception, not the rule.
Put another way: bad guys often run in packs today.
These days, brazen bad guys in cities seem to love rolling up in a (stolen) SUV, three or four deep, hop out and announce a robbery or carjacking. They’ll even boldly rob groups of three, four and more. So much for safety in numbers!
What’s more, these young teens today value the currency of violence, not life. They have no respect for life. Being a “nice guy” is seen to them as weakness. Jobs are for suckers.
Meanwhile, shooting someone only enhances their reputation among their peers. Shoot a bunch of people and they become a rock star among their fellow scumbags.
Not only that, but full-auto drop-in sears for Glocks from Wish.com seem increasingly common even in downstate communities in Illinois. Unless you have nerves of steel, facing down a full-auto pistol with a five-shot revolver seems somewhere between foolhardy and suicidal.
Even if you’ve got two (or more on your person), you’re still undergunned.
Many, many years ago, when I took coursework from John Farnam and Massad Ayoob, both mentioned that ammo is like bubblegum. You better have enough to go around or you’re going to be in trouble.
If, Heaven forbid, I see two, three or four sets of eyeballs staring intently at me as they’re approaching me on foot or in a car with evil in their hearts, I certainly want to have enough bubblegum to go around. That means plenty for seconds, thirds and more for those who need extra therapy.
While I can’t say I’ll never have a J-frame wheelgun in my jacket pocket in the future, I can guarantee if I do, it won’t be the only firearm on my person.
If you’re old school, carrying a little J-frame revolver (or a single-stack .380 pistol), I’d urge you to consider upgrading to a larger-capacity bubblegum dispenser.
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