I have decided to buy a 642 to pocket carry. My 60 will continue to serve IWB carry.

My 60 doesn't lock up tight. But, to be fair it is over 12 years old and has been fired a few times.

All of the 642's, both with and without lock, in my area have as much or more play, slop, whatever you call it, than my 12 year old model 60.

I have a guy in a local shop willing to order a 642-1 from RSR when I give him the word. What if it comes in with a loose lock-up? Would I send it back to the factory or consider it normal?

I have decided to buy a 642 to pocket carry. My 60 will continue to serve IWB carry.

My 60 doesn't lock up tight. But, to be fair it is over 12 years old and has been fired a few times.

All of the 642's, both with and without lock, in my area have as much or more play, slop, whatever you call it, than my 12 year old model 60.

I have a guy in a local shop willing to order a 642-1 from RSR when I give him the word. What if it comes in with a loose lock-up? Would I send it back to the factory or consider it normal?

A bit of play is required for reliability. Normal in most cases.

To test lock-up, pull hammer back all the way to cock and now see how much play it has.

My 642-2 with C/T grips has alittle play...so does my brother-in-law's NEW 642-01. Get one you'll love it!!

Thanks for the responses everyone. My method for checking full lock up is the same as in the article on the Snubnose Files website. I think the article is by a man named Jim March.

http://www.snubnose.info/docs/checkout.htm

ArkHog, how'd you enjoy that football game this weekend???

The way I test for lockup is to cock the hammer and then, manually decock the hammer while keeping the trigger depressed. Then, with the trigger still depressed, check the cylinder. If all is well there likely will be a small bit of side to side play (not a lot). Front to back play should be fairly minimal, and in some instances, virtually non-existent. Occasionally, I'll find a gun where the cylinder literally doesn't move front to back when I'm checking it, but most of the time there's still a little play. My experience is that a little bit of play doesn't appear to affect timing or accuracy.

Firehouse,

That is cruel and unusual.

Roll Tide!!!!

By the way, my new 642-1 has a little play, but no more than I have on my two 686-4s and my Ruger GP100.

I shot it for the first time this weekend and had no problems at all other than the heavy trigger pull. Need to work on that and also my accuracy.

WJR

Please note it is a 642 Centennial?

I've looked at perhaps 2 dozen new 642's at the local gun shows. I noticed that virtually all of them showed some degree of slop...side to side play in the cylinder. Not excessive perhaps, but noticeably more than you would find in S&W guns of a couple of decades ago.

What stevieboy said is the proper way to check for play.

__________________
S&W factory revolver armorer

I felt sorry for the Arkansas players. Thanks to Nick Saban for calling off the dogs. If Bama had played lights out to the end who knows what the score would have been. Ouch!

Match10 is right. It is the 642 with cylinder play that I am asking about. I can't hold the trigger back and lower the hammer.

Arkhog,
Actually, it's not a problem, the proper way to check is to have the gun be in "battery", in other words, as it would be when shooting. Make sure the gun is unloaded, and pull the trigger all the way through the trigger stroke, and continue to hold the trigger back (as if just fired), then check for cylinder play. Checking while "cocked" isn't really the best way to check, many guns will have a different amount of play when cocked versus in battery, which is where it's an issue anyway.

So, no worries that it has no external hammer, just ensure it's unloaded when checking.... might not be pleasant if you put a hole in the floor....