I don't have as much knowledge with revolvers as I do with most other firearms. I have a few semi's, Glocks, PPKS, Rugers and a few others but mostly into M1's (both Carbines and Garands ) and other vintage firearms especially USGI.

With that being said I LOVE MY NEW FAVORITE FIREARM !! I was able to pick this up NIB at a gunshow last weekend for $369. I thought was a fair price. I'm having issues with Photobucket on my IPad but will try and post a pic or two on my computer in a bit.

I have a few questions about this model and some may relate to any S&W revolver.

I've read some reviews about using Hoppes #9 for cleaning. Mostly they were saying not to use on nickel plated. I don't use hoppes exclusively but probably more than Butches and others. Is this an issue on this model ?

Field strip cleaning. I always completely field strip, inspect, clean and lube prior to my first use but this one I did a quick inspection and lubed lightly. I may be missing something as I'm still trying to find my way around this excellent forum but I can't find that information anywhere. This includes the instructions that came with it.

Is there any upgrades that would be suggested like grips, sights or anything else ?

Thanks for any information and I'll try and get some pics up
Chas

A 442 is not the ideal first revolver to learn on, but with practice ( and maybe a little instruction) you can make it your gun!
Mine has considerable wear from 20 yrs of carry and shooting.

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Science plus Art

That isn't a bad price, you'd have to be patient to get better.

I think the first thing you need to do is get to a range and put a few hundred rounds through it. I had grand ideas of what I was going to do to my 640 until its first range day. After that I just did a fudd trigger job (replaced springs, took a stone to rough edges of parts) after watching a lot of videos and reading up on it. The only grand idea I still toy with is a moonclip conversion but I'm not sold on it yet.

You're pretty limited to sight options, any aftermarket would require machining for installation. My 640 has a fancier, tritium front, but after shooting it a lot it isn't really necessary and I could've gotten a 442 and been just as happy but $300 richer.

As for grips, I like the factory hard rubber but there are plenty of options out there, just google "j frame grips" or search on here.

Have fun!

My 442's my daily carry:


And my favorite at the range:

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Keep on Chooglin'

I think that's a good price for a new 442-1.

As far as I know the issue with Hoppes #9, or any solvent with ammonia, is limited to nickel-plated guns and the the clear coat on the 642-1s and 642-2s. It shouldn't be an issue with the 442. Personally, I'm good with Break Free CLP for cleaning.

Field-stripping is not necessary. For a new revolver owner, I would highly recommend the book The Gun Digest Book of the Revolver by Grant Cunningham. I use his maintenance routine for cleaning my 642. He also has a blog with lots of good info, not just on revolvers but self defense, too. As far as I know the 442s are made with carbon steel components, so there is a possibility for rust to develop unless you wipe the gun down regularly (either a lightly-oiled rag or one of those silicone-treated cloths should work). Some people don't have rust issues with their 442s. YMMV.

Before you consider any "upgrades" or modifications, I'd suggest you get some range time with it first. Training is a good idea, particularly if you can get snub-specific training. I haven't taken their classes but some options worth considering are Michael deBethencourt, Claude Werner, and the Tactical Defense Institute (TDI) in Ohio.

While the 442 is not the ideal gun for learning how to shoot a revolver, it's not the insurmountable obstacle that some think it is, especially if you're already experienced with other handguns. Start with some dry fire practice, then some light loads, and eventually work up to some defensive loads. Ball-and-dummy drills are a great way to develop shooting skills at the range.

Dry fire practice (with snap caps...I like A-Zooms) can be a big help with skill development. And by dry fire practice I don't mean mindlessly pulling the trigger while watching TV. Set up a safe area, with a safe back stop, and do focused dry fire practice. It'll help you get used to the DAO trigger. The trigger will get a little smoother, and your hand muscles will get a little stronger, both of which will help skill-wise, not just with the 442 but with your other handguns, too.

Now, once you've got some significant range time and dry fire practice under your belt, you'll be in a better position to determine if you want to make any modifications. You may end up deciding to keep the gun as is.

Changing sights isn't an option unless you want to have some machining done, which will cost some money. Some people like to paint their front sights a bright color, like fluorescent green, red, or orange. If you go that route, make sure you degrease that front sight well (I've used denatured alcohol for that) and apply a base coat of white before adding the color. From my own experience I've found I prefer plain black sights, so the sights on my 642 are painted black.

Some people like to have trigger jobs done. Some like the Apex Duty trigger kit. The trigger on my 642 is stock, which I think is probably the best approach on a self defense gun. Some people say it'll smooth up with dry fire practice; in my experience the trigger pull does get smoother with use, but I'm not sure it's quite as much of a difference as some people say. YMMV. If I were going to get a trigger job done, and I have thought about it, I would take it to a good gunsmith and have the trigger pull smoothed but keep the factory springs, and make sure the pull weight stays within factory specs. I will add that you would have to do some pretty extreme gunsmithing to get a 642's DAO pull to the point it'd be considered a "hair trigger." Reliability is a big concern, and why I prefer to stick with factory springs.

Grips, like holsters, are a personal matter. What works for one person may not work for another person. The only way to find out is through trial-and-error. My own preference is for Spegel boot grips, but last I heard there was a 1-year backlog on them. Lots of good grips are out there, in many different shapes, materials, and configurations. If you try a set of grips and they don't work, you could always sell them to recoup at least some of your money.

And finally, apologies for the novel.

These VERY savvy posters have left me little to say (Do I hear cheers in the background? ). As to cleaning: a solid cleaning can be done WITHOUT removing the sideplate. The gun will perform well as it stands. Outside of different grips, I do nothing to a revolver.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

What kaaskop49 said - no need to remove the plate. If I'm concerned about finish on a gun, I use Hoppes Elite. S&W recommended it for their 642, which has a fairly sensitive clear coat, and so far I haven't seen it do any damage to any other guns either.

Thanks all for the info !! Typically I get to the range I use 2 to 3 times a month. This time of year not so much. It's not the cold and snow so much but more of its dark around 5 this time of year.

We did go to the range Sunday and it is going to take some getting used to the SA only and also the trigger pull is pretty heavy. I haven't checked it with my gauge but I'm not sure it measures that high LOL !!!

I also need to get the timing down and slow down on consecutive trigger pulls. I noticed that 2 of the cylinders I went through there was one round not fired. I don't think I gave the trigger enough time to reset. I had one revolver previously that was a Rossi snub 38. It was my cousins and she didn't like it so I purchased off of her. I wasn't a fan either so I ended up selling it. I also have an old Iver Johnson 22 (full size 8 rnds) that I used to run trap lines when I was younger. Wow pre teen that was LONG ago LOL.

Again thank you very much for the tips and information ! I really like this and it will make a very nice CCW once I get a little more familiar with it.

Thanks
Chas

The 442 is my favorite. Light weight for the pocket. On my pocket gun I leave the Boot Grips. On the waist band gun I put Hogue Tamers. The Tamers are good for long range sessions and easy grip and draw from the waist. I clean and lube them with Ballistol. I paint the sights with white paint then add green nail polish at the tip after sighting in my carry ammo. When I line up the sights I instantly know where my carry load will go. (Speer Gold Dot 135gr. 38+P)

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Two Handguns every day

Cold? Snow? Good grief! As to your trigger issue, it's not a matter of shooting too fast to let the trigger re-set. My instructor (retired FBI instructor) taught me to keep my finger on the trigger and follow it down to the rest position. He called it "follow-through." The best tip I ever got on shooting. Start out slowly, concentrating on follow-through, dry fire and at the range. You're building consistency shot-to-shot. Accuracy is paramount. Good luck and happy holidays.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

Two identical revolvers, one for the pocket and the second for IWB... Wow! A thinking-man's carry. Different grips for the two carry modes. Super. Gotta get a 3rd 442 so you can juggle them for something to do after finishing the crossword.

Stay safe and happy holidays.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

The reset is one of the most important aspects of shooting DA revolvers quickly. It's one of the reasons I prefer the S&W J-frame to the Ruger LCR, for the stronger reset. In fact, I'd like to try an extra-power rebound spring in my 642 if I could find one.

As Kaaskop49 said, after firing, let the trigger go all the way forward while keeping your finger in contact with the trigger (i.e., no "trigger-slapping"). Concentrate on smooth, consistent trigger pulls AND resets/follow-through (dry fire practice is good for this). With regular practice it won't take long until you get the hang of it and get the timing down. Then you can start speeding up.

If you find it shooting high @ 25 yds , not matching poi , then try lighter weight bullets . I found 110 gr in 38spl worked perfectly in my 642 airweight . 158 gr consistently shot 8-10" high at that distance . My sisters Ruger LCR , also had the same problem till she went to the 110 gr bullets . Then POA=POI , consistently . YMMV , good luck

Congratulations on your 1st revolver! May take a little time to learn how to shoot it though.

I could use my 36 or 37 for that. Good idea.

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Two Handguns every day

From the hammers and grips on your 36 and 37, looks like you also have them set up for pocket and waistband!

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

I've been using Ballistol on my 642 since I got it several years ago; so far no damage to the finish.

A 442 was my daily carry for several years. I have frequently warned new owners to be aware of the carbon steel yoke, which I found would begin to get tiny rust spots after a day of IWB carry if I didn't wipe it down every night with a silicone cloth.

I have switched to other J frames for daily carry, and the 442 has become my "around the house" gun that lives in the sweat pants or fleece pullover I put on when I know I'm not going out any more today. No rust problems there, but I made the mistake of putting the 442 in a Galco pocket holster in the back pocket of my jeans when I was out blowing leaves a few weeks ago. Four hours of what turned out to be fairly sweaty work and I now have a well speckled finish on half of the cylinder of the gun.

If I ever decide to explore a Cerakote finish, the 442 will be the gun that gets it first. The 432 that I carry many days now has the same finish, but I am VERY careful not to put it in a sweaty or humid environment for any length of time. I recommend the same for a 442.

On a more positive note, I have found that a Crimson Trace LG-305 laser grip offers pretty good recoil absorption AND the most effective dry fire training tool I've ever used. With ammo in another room and snap caps in the gun I can sit in front of the TV and during commercials pick the spine of a particular book or corner of a picture frame across the room to let fly with a series of dry fire "shots." You get instant feedback on what is happening to your aim throughout the trigger movement as well as when the hammer drops. You may be shocked at first, as you watch that little dot bounce around the wall. But you can work on tightening up your grip and smooting out the trigger pull with each shot, and see the results each time. You also strengthen your trigger finger, and smooth out the internals of the new gun as you practice, so it's a win-win-win operation.

Laser grips aren't cheap, but if you weigh them against the cost of driving to and from a range plus the cost of practice ammo, then throw in some value for (1) time saved, (2) training feedback, and (3) an adjustable sight on your J frame that can be set to match whatever defensive round you choose to carry, and it's hard to think of them as anything but an incredible value. (CT also will send you a free set of batteries every year for the asking, although the big button cells are available in almost every drug store in the country for a buck or so apiece in case you need spares mid-year.)

This shows how little knowledge I have with wheel guns. To this day I always thought that a SA was that you could only fire one way, by pulling the trigger and that DA was it had 2 ways to fire, pulling the trigger and setting it or by pulling the trigger.

That's pretty basic terminology that I did not know.

Thanks again for the information

Chas

I don't think you're too far off. I was taught that single action meant the trigger had one function to fire the weapon after it was manually cocked. Double action meant the trigger has Two functions to cock the hammer and fire the weapon.

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Two Handguns every day