Why do people prefer a 642 to a 638?

[spdguns]

Snag free design for concealed carry.

This is the first reason I bought and carry mine.

 

[spdguns]

And many of us don't anticipate a need for single action for self defense.

And this is the second.

 

[AZretired]

I have both but I prefer the 642 for pocket carry and no lock, but I do carry the 638 occasionally and i practice with both.

 

[STCM(SW)]

I find my M638 has a better DA trigger then a 640, 642.
But that's me.
Sold the 640 several years ago.
It was for my wife and she could not do the DA on it.
Now has a Shield 9mm.

 

[BUFF]

The Bodyguard is ugly. If Quasimodo packed heat, it would be a Bodyguard.

 

[sac-gunslinger]

I had a Model 38 back in the late 70's, could not keep the open hammer trough clean. It does not take much to interfere with a hammer blow. Also, I hate the ribbed triggers.

I have a Model 642 for EDC, also have had an M442 Pro. Just like the "stainless look" better. Clean, easy to draw. The double-action pull as delivered is acceptable to me. I have shot factory double-action for decades and it has been easy to master. Light, easy to carry, controllable with standard pressure loads.

What? Not guerrilla-strength +P loads? Nope, 38 Special will do its job if carefully employed. Just enough, no waste. Of course, as always, YMMV.

 

[Targets Guy]

You can shoot the 638 DA or SA. Your choice. Nuff said. Let the criminal's attorney prove I shot his client SA. Wish him luck.

 

[CO_Kid]

For me, the difference was dust and lint getting into the "hump" and being tricky to clean. No such worries with my 442

 

[OMCHamlin]

I've had both, and have absolutely nothing against the M38 design. As it turns out, I have (and carry) an M&P340, a M642, an LCR 357. But, the wife essentially made a 638 (sort of) by adding a set of Bianchi Lightening grips to her M60, which is her car gun, and I do have an Agent with a factory installed shroud, but it pretty much guards the safe interior.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

I own a Model 642, as well as a Model 38-0 and a 638-1. The 642 used to be my EDC until one night when I had to fight off a pair of Boxer dogs at close range. I then switched to the Model 638-1 and 38-0 as my EDC. I still own the 642 and shoot it occasionally. By the way, the wife and daughter both prefer the 642 and 423PD for their lighter trigger pulls and simplicity of use.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Old cop]

I prefer the old humpback too and have owned a Model 38 for years. As to the use of the single action mode I hit a deer many years ago and the only thing I had w/me was my M38. I was glad for the single action b/c it allowed me to make a surgical shot and put down the deer w/o have to get too close (it was thrashing around).

 

[walkin' trails]

Part of the debate over SA vs DA probably depends on one's generational era. My dad trained in LE with revolvers in the 60s, where SA and point shooting were still acceptable practices. He tends to scoff at the idea of a DA-only wheel gun. In the subsequent decades, techniques have evolved. As an instructor, I still have shooters who carry SA/DA semi autos. The poorer shooters, I've noticed, have a tendency to want to cock their pistols even at the most upclose and personal distances to the target during qualification courses (my agency used to allow the SA option when we still shot from the 50 yard line.). Obviously, this is a competency issue, but not having the option takes away at least one bad habit. I was originally trained on DA revolvers myself, have a number of traditional as well as DAO versions, and do not find the DAO a handicap.

 

[diyj98]

I think a lot of it is the old story of pocket lint getting in the action and jamming up the action. That and the fact the the gun writers also tote a 642. I have both and really see the value of being able to cock the hammer when I want.

 

[jeeps]

Leave the thumb cocking to cowboys and play actors, real combat shooters shoot D/A only. No need for S/A for self-defense.

 

[reppans]

Humpbacks for me (own both the 638 and 649) for a few reasons.

- ability to monitor/control hammer during re-holstering.

- although most of my practice is shot DA, I like shooting SA to see how much I can improve upon my DA trigger control.

- as a hiker/backpacker, wild/rabid/feral/aggressive 4-legged creatures are my concern and might warrant a more deliberate SA shot at a distance.

- my gun club has some fun short barreled bullseye contests.

- I live in a safe area and am not allowed to carry in the more [2-legged] dangerous places I go (eg, NYC, traveling/exploring neighboring states), so my SD thoughts probably differ than most.

- if anything, these random mass shootings are what spook me, so I want my most accurate CCW on me, and that's a revolver shooting SA.

 

[Mister X]

-Better double action trigger
-enclosed action
-higher hand grasp and grip versatility
-no realistic need for SA in a close-quarter self-defense weapon.
-ECQ advantages: no exposed hammer to get entangled or blocked

Massad Ayoob: Hammer or

...

 

[Kifaru]

I have a 649 and the trigger is just wonderful. However, it has the older "skinny" sights that are great for deliberate precision shots, but my aging peepers just can't acquire them without dithering for a good while. Though I think it would be OK in the short term, it is also not rated for +P, and I really like the Speer Gold Dot for carry. While not specifically rated for +P, I think a pre-lock 638-2 or a 38-3 with the newer ".357" frame would be just about perfect for my carry needs, but those are pretty hard to come by at any reasonable price, and I don't need another "grail gun." So I carry a 642 and a 442. Though perhaps not my idea of perfect, they work just fine and are easily replaceable.

Finally, I think it's worth noting that a couple of years ago, a number of former LAPD 649 revolvers turned up on the police trade-in market. Oddly, these were all DAO. Why would the LAPD go through the extra expense and trouble of special ordering the 649 converted to DAO when they could have just ordered off-the-shelf 640 models? I have no way of knowing, but my guess is that they liked the hammer for the extra layer of safety during reholstering made possible by putting the thumb against the hammer, and the hammer also makes a rotation check for function possible (if you're down to your BUG, you really need it to go bang). And the DAO was for liability reasons. I guess they figured they get sued enough, so they took at least one complaint (spurious or not) off the table.

 

[diyj98]

Leave the thumb cocking to cowboys and play actors, real combat shooters shoot D/A only. No need for S/A for self-defense.

Sadly many of us aren't ex SEAL expert combat shooters, or even pretending to be on on the net. Several years ago a local fellow pulled his Walther ppk, cocked the hammer, then shot a bad guy in the head holding a lady captive with a gun. I'd say it was a much easier shot to make under stress than that long double action pull.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

... went with the blued version as I didn't want anything shiny for CC

That's why I chose the M&P340.

Although I must admit I used Flitz and Ren wax on the whole gun, and now I have a three-tone: barrel shroud is dull grey to flat black, frame is a brighter flat black, and the ss cylinder looks like a pair of patent leather shoes.

As I've learned on this forum the key to being comfortable (and good) with a DOA is practice, practice, practice.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

I think a lot of it is the old story of pocket lint getting in the action and jamming up the action. That and the fact the the gun writers also tote a 642. I have both and really see the value of being able to cock the hammer when I want.

I've pocket carried a Model 38 and 638 for years, and yes, the "slot" behind the hammer accumulates pocket lint, but I've never had any problems with the function or firing due to pocket lint. (Yes, I always use a holster when pocket carrying.)

I remember hearing of only one incident where a small make-up pencil in a lady's purse got wedged in the hammer "slot" and prevented functioning of the piece, but that is the only incident I'm aware of. I think the pocket lint jamming the action is an unfounded fear.

Regards,

Dave