Hello S&W forum, I have not posted in a few months because I have been very busy over the sumer and have not gotten any new toys lately..I have been keeping a watchfull eye on here though....At anyrate, I took out my model 642 last week that has been in my wife's night stand for over two years now. Since I was moved to the detective division at my agency I usually only carry a primary duty weapon and not a back up gun...When in uniform I carried a primary nd usually my model 19-4 or 625-3 in my vest...Now I am thinking I want to carry a J frame in a bootlock holster... So I go and test fire the gun before my anual qualifications and to my surprise at 5 yards the gun shoots about 12-18inches high from the point of aim....TOTALLY unacceptable....So I called S&W and let them know...They sent me a shipping label and off to S&W she will go. I hope to have her back in a week or two and we will try it again.

Does anyone else out there have good accuracy with their 642 or are they all that way???

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M.J.Hanna

What ammunition and bullet weight were you using? Mine shoots right on POA with a 6 o'clock hold and 125gr bullets.

Mine from the late '90s is right on with 158 GRN +P LSWCHPs.
What load are you using? (Not that anything should shoot THAT high).
Jim

I used 158 grain FMJ, 125 gr JHP, and 135 grain gold dot hollow point low recoil rounds...I thought the same thing that is why I tried three different rounds thinking that the weight would make a difference....It didn't....

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M.J.Hanna

That's a huge disparity. If the gun used to be accurate -- I'd check the crown -- perhaps it's been dropped.

Another possibility -- you're used to carrying much bigger and heavier guns -- smaller guns change the whole dynamic of the trigger pull. Big hands swallow them up -- almost as if we have too much hand for the gun -- that leads to unintentional movement of the hand during the trigger-pull. Try a few dry fires. Does the small gun move in your hand (flick up right at the end of the trigger-pull)? If so, slow down the whole trigger-pull and use your weak hand to help steady the strong hand through the pull.

Sometimes after shooting my K-frames I start pushing the trigger of my J-frames to the left (2 or 3 inches at 7 yards). I have seen other guys "heel" the smaller guns -- flicking them up -- during rapid fire they can be off paper high.

I'd also consider the possibility of a cracked frame. If that's the case, you'll recieve notification that they are shipping you a new gun. I would suggest a follow up telephone call to insure the replacement doesn't have the Lock.

As a DA training aid for newbies, ya just can't beat the Crimson Trace. When the trainee sees the laser dancing all over the broad side of a barn they realize they're doing something wrong.

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NRA Benefactor

Uniform BUG= a Model 19-4 or a 62642-3--WOW that is a lot of weight!

As the Model 642 shooting 12-18 inches high at 5 yards:
1. Ammo- bullet too heavy
2. Weapon- muzzle crown burr or lead build up or cracked frame
3. Grips are too small for your hand.

Very, very likely shooter induced as three different weight/speed loads should not all hit a foot to a foot and a half high at five yards.

Is this the first time the gun has ever been shot? It concerns me that this has been a nightstand gun and has either never been shot or shoots a foot and a half off the mark at five yards!

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Centennial Every Day

Sorry guys maybe I should explain, I shoot nothing but S&W revolvers...I have J,K,L, and N frame revolvers I am used to shooting all of the different frames...I can tell you I have a model 60 that shoots POA with what ever I put into it. I also have a model 36 that shoots POA with what ever I put in it. I wanted to carry something without a hammer hence me getting a 642...but my wife liked it so she got the gun...Now she has my model 60 and I have the 642....I have never shot the gun until the other week....I do not know if the airweight material makes a difference over the all metal 60 and 36...

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M.J.Hanna

Was this resolved by S&W as an issue with a firearm ? Or something else. Digging up a super old thread, but I've been surfing the web for a couple days now for an exactly same issue. My M&P 340 38 158gn is about a foot hight at 8yards.

J-frame guns are sensitive to firmness of hold. A light hold will cause point of impact to be higher. A consistent firm hold will bring point of impact down. Usually a standard velocity 158 grain bullet will have a point of impact reasonably close to point of aim at most distances, up to 25 yards using a two-handed hold. Shooting Bullseye style with one hand and the point of impact will be a bit higher. I'd try at least two or three ammos, if available, before going further in solving the problem.

You will have to get accustomed to the trench sights and to the weight of the gun.
Focus on fundamentals. Front sight pic, breathe, slow squeeze. You will be on the pie plate.
Get a good shooter to put a round downrange and see where that shot lands. Its all about practice and j frames are great because you can practice all night at home
Edit: just reread your post. 340pd. Ouch. Maybe flinching there buddy

Definitely not a light hold. It is my first snubbie. I know how it sounds, but I've ran many matches with subcompact g27 .40 and lightweight commander .45 and I'm above average shooter. If my grip is not sufficient, i dont know. Not sure if changing ammo could make that much diff at that short of a range. Will have someone else try it in addition to diff ammo, once I find it i guess. Literally have 10 rounds left.

Well I hope in the 10 years since this was first posted the op figured things out .