Just gave my wife a 642 for an Xmas gift. She hikes alot and it was a difficult decision to choose which revolver and cartridge to purchase as she is quite small (5ft. 105 lbs.). Not great bear medicine to be sure, but they are perhaps less worrisome than 2-legged predators. So I figured the .38 SPL. would fit the bill pretty well and that the obvious qualities of the 642 would make her more inclined to reach for it prior to going afield.

i understand the cons of such a lightweight revolver shootin' more than .22LR, but had to draw the line somewhere. Might end up there anyway after our first range trip....we'll see, but trying to circumvent that as best I can.

I bought some 130gr. FMJ (non-+P's) for outdoor work and some 125gr.+P GD's for PD use (no, not prairie dogs....grin). We shoot indoor alot especially this time of the year and am trying to get a hold of some Speer 125gr. TMJ's for indoor practice. I see that the 158gr. Speer TMJ's are readily available, but figured the 125's being lighter will have a bit less recoil......thoughts? Outdoor practice.....what's your thoughts?

Ordered a pair of the PAST shootin' gloves for her to help with as much of the recoil issue as possible. Any experience with them would be appreciated as well.

She has shot handguns before and is comfortable doing so, but these little J frames, whether the perfect answer to many CC situations or not, are not known for their pleasant recoil.

Appreciate any input that you may have....thanks in advance.

Wadcutters to learn on, and for the bulk of practice, followed by 5 defense loads.
Few people can stand to shoot 50 full loads through it. Most beginners who try wind up with a flinch THIS BIG.

I have a new 642 with Crimson Trace grips...love that laser assistance!

I use the Speer 135 +p Gold Dots. I have tried many others but like these Speers the best.

MidwayUSA.com has the above @ decent price...fast delivery.

If she finds the bark as bad as the bite with the range/target ammo, try finding some 148 grain full wad cutter .38 Special's. They typically are loaded down about 10%-15% under FMJ target loads. The glove is a fine idea, my arthritis has forced me into them after 45 years and they do help. Beware that depending on how good you both are, a bullet weight change may cause changes in POI, with lighter bullets usually printing lower. FYI: most fixed sight .38's have their sights regulated based on a 158 grain standard velocity loading. I'll leave it to others to discuss preferred S/D load choices.
I always default to heavy (FBI load or clone) for S/D.

I would start her with 148 gr. target level wadcutters for practice and defense then work up from there. My 85 lb. wife shoots her 3" model 60 better with those than anything.

Try to avoid training with a glove, if possible. Train the way you would fight as far as you are able.

My wife used to have a 642 but the recoil was too much for her even with gloves for normal loads like 130 grain FMJ and 158 lead. We used some Magtech .38 shorts, which felt like .22s, but cost as much as .45 ACP. If you reload, they are reloadable brass so that can cheapen it up a bit.

Great comments and suggestions. Appreciate all of them.

I don't train with gloves either, but thinkin' it's perhaps a more prudent way to go at least initially with my wife and the 642. With more familiarity, I expect the "gloves will come off".

The 130gr. FMJ 38's seemed like a good choice as they're non-+P's and they are as close in weight to the 125gr.+P GD's as I could find. I'm assuming, from several suggestions, that the 148 WC's would be even less recoil than the 130gr. FMJ.....correct? If definitively so, I'll go that way.

Spotteddog - I hear you on the arthritis deal. I've never seen a worst case than my dad had before he passed on a few years back. Every finger looked like they had been broken in 3 or 4 places and healed that way. I have been unlucky enough to follow suit. My left index finger is 90% useless and I'm not able to pull the trigger on even this 642 now. My right index/trigger finger is starting to feel the pangs of the disease as well......that scares the hell out of me.

I'm retired LE so packin' and shootin' are just normal and routine for me, so this hurdle will not be easily handled as I've seen the doc for years and have had lots of shots in those joints, but they don't even help now. To say I'm a bit depressed would be an understatement. I've started to try to grip several of my handguns differently (finger placement, etc.), but I'm a bit like a fish out of water in that regard. I'll continue to work on it, but this stuff doesn't get better so it's a race I'm not winnin' right now. My wife may well need to learn how to handle firearms and shoot better than she can now.....never a bad thing really.

Thanks again to all that responded.....I'm very much up for any other comments or suggestions.

Does the gun have UMB grips?If so try UMC's or the Hogue Monogrip.An uncovered backstrap can hurt!!!

When I gave her the 642 for Xmas I had already switched out the stock grips for the Hogue Bantam grips (#61000). They have a bit of a palm swell that I thought might help with the grip and perhaps help to reduce some recoil as well.

This particular Hogue grip doesn't cover the backstrap however. I'm not aware of the "Monogrip" that you mentioned, but it sounds like it covers the backstrap..........yes?

Good suggestion about grips cowboy. Stock ones, most times, just don't make the grade. Alot like rifle triggers....IMHO.

Damitol, 148 gr. wadcutters are about as light as it gets in a .38. Do you reload?

Putting the CT 305 grips on my wife's 642 has made it more comfortable for her. Plus, the laser is a great tool.
Pachmyer also makes fine grips that cover the backstrap.

I'm a reloadin' fool, have been for 31 years, for a dozen rifles and a .44mag. Just loaded some 1,100 .223's the last few days from a varmint hunt my daughter and I took to to MT. late last Sept. With 11,000+ .223's already loaded and enough components for another 25,000, I'm a little locked in to at least finishing those up. At 56, I'm bettin' on it......hopin' anyway.......grin.

I know where you goin' with this and it's no doubt the way to go, but I'm so involved with shootin', fishin' and travelin' that I would just soon not take on anymore reloadin' chores......I truly do many thousands of rounds each year.

You're right to want to suggest it though....no doubt. I'd be doin' the same thing, especially to seemingly a newbie. Just alot on my plate to try to take on more. Don't get me wrong, I love all that has to do with shootin' and reloadin', but economics aren't as they once were and buyin' needed quantities of less practiced ammo isn't such a burden.......finally. I've learned to never say never however.

I'm gonna give those 148's a go alongside those 130gr. FMJ's and see where the felt recoil wrings out. Not doubting your thoughts, but I've got 5 or 6 boxes of the latter and I like doin' comparisons anyway.....that's the loonie thing.

Thanks to both you and LaP for your comments and thoughts. I may look into the Pachmeyer's if I feel these Hogue's aren't doin' the job for my wife. My brother has the CT's on one of his 442's and loves it. That will be a consideration as well, but I'll borrow my brothers first to see if my wife likes that combination.

Take care all and thanks again. The door is still open BTW..........

BTW,
Great to have you here!
(And YES, the ailment sucks scummy pond water!)
If she likes your Bro's 442 with laser, I just put a set of (C/T) LG405 (covered back strap, with an air chamber in same) on my Wife's 342PD. They're shorter than the original "full size", but longer (and of softer material) than the original "boot grip" model(s) from C/T. I've not had a chance to wring them out royally yet, but they feel promising.
And a Thank You to the Forum members that are trying to teach this old dog, some new tricks by trying them!

Hey Spotteddog - tried to crash, but found myself a bit restless tonight. Good to at least get up to a fine post. And thanks, I've been doing "drive-by's" for awhile here, but finally just took the leap. I'm fairly active (daily when time allows) on another forum havin' to do with huntin', reloadin' and other related aspects of both, but S&W's are by far my favorite revolvers and I find it both rewarding and quite informative when I visit this site. So, I thank you and appreciate being here very much.

Please let me know when you do wring out those LG405's.....it does sound promising! Air chambers, designed properly, have found their place in many a hunting accessory. I am a huge Limbsaver Recoil Pad fan which uses such a design as well. All my rifles wear them, whether light kickers or not. They are so comfortable and fit so well that I find their addition to be beneficial to the entire fit and feel of my rifles as opposed to just reducing recoil.....which they do handily as well. My mother-in-law lives in the same town as where Limbsaver is based, approximately 3 hours from my residence. Great people turnin' out a great product.

Scummy pond water will likely look pristine in a few more years......sorry to say. My buddies make fun of me everytime I point at something with my left index finger 'cuz they say it goes so many directions that they can't possibly go three ways at once! I'd cry if they didn't make me laugh so hard.

Time to go pet the dog for awhile, no joke intended, before goin' back for a second try at sleepin'.

Take care Spotteddog and thank you again for your kind welcome.

Damitol: I have LG-405 Lasergrips on all my carry revolvers, and I've shot with them a lot. They're GREAT grips--in my opinion, the best concealed-carry grips on the market. But they're definitely made for concealment more than comfort. The air chamber helps, but it's very tiny, located at the very top of the backstrap, while much of the backstrap remains uncovered.

If concealment is the primary concern, LG-405's are absolutely the way to go. But if shooting comfort and recoil reduction are the primary concerns, you'd be better off with the larger, softer LG-305.