Hickok45 Tests N-Frame vs K/L-Frame Revolvers for Daily Carry

The Smith & Wesson N-frame revolver, epitomized by the classic Model 28 Highway Patrolman, has been a benchmark for full-size defensive and duty revolvers for decades — but a new video from Hickok45 argues its days as a practical everyday carry gun are effectively over. If you've been holding onto a big N-frame wheelgun as your primary carry piece, or you're shopping for one now, this comparison is worth your time before you commit to carrying that much steel.

The short version

In the video, Hickok45 puts the Smith & Wesson Model 28 Highway Patrolman — a large-frame N-frame revolver historically prized for its size, weight, and heavy-duty construction — up against smaller K-frame and L-frame revolvers to see whether the bigger gun still earns its keep as a carry option. His conclusion, as the source states it, is that modern mid-size revolvers deliver comparable shootability and control with noticeably less bulk and often better capacity, which makes them the more sensible daily-carry choice for most people today.

He doesn't dismiss the N-frame outright. Hickok45 concedes that the platform still has a real job to do: hunting, woods carry, and dedicated handgun hunting applications where raw power, sight radius, and durability matter more than concealability or all-day comfort. The video's overall takeaway is that the N-frame remains an excellent shooting platform in absolute terms, but its practical role has shifted from "gun you carry on your hip every day" to "specialized tool for specific outdoor and hunting use."

Key points

• Model compared: The centerpiece of the comparison is the Smith & Wesson Model 28 Highway Patrolman, a large N-frame revolver long associated with law enforcement duty use.
• Frame sizes tested: Hickok45 evaluates the N-frame against K-frame and L-frame Smith & Wesson revolvers to illustrate the tradeoffs between size, weight, and shootability.
• Weight versus control: The video argues that the added heft of the N-frame does not translate into a meaningful shooting advantage over the lighter K-frame and L-frame guns for defensive use.
• Capacity consideration: According to the source, some of the smaller-framed revolvers compared can match or exceed the N-frame's practical capacity while being easier to carry.
• Where the N-frame still wins: Hickok45 says the N-frame's size and power still make sense for hunting, woods carry, and handgun hunting scenarios where concealment isn't the priority.
• Overall verdict: The video's conclusion is that the N-frame is still a great-shooting platform, just one whose primary purpose has moved away from everyday carry.

Bottom line

If your priority is a revolver you can comfortably carry concealed all day, this video makes a straightforward, practical case for looking at K-frame or L-frame guns instead of a full-size N-frame like the Model 28 Highway Patrolman — you'll likely get similar performance with less weight on your belt. If your priority is hunting, woods carry, or a dedicated big-bore field gun, the N-frame's size and power stop being drawbacks and start being exactly what you want.

Summary by Firearm Discounts. Watch the full video from hickok45 on YouTube.