I bought the wrong gun, now what?
- Thread starter Shootingfish
- Start date
dpast32
Member
I guess I too will chip in here. Be advised that are still numerous S&W Models available for your consideration. Firsty, if you are willing to move up only 1" in barrel length, you will soon learn what many others have discovered over the years, an 3" barreled Revolver is much, much more controllable, & therefore accurate than its 2" counterpart. ( Also providing an upgrade in power, somewhat. ) As I'm not aware of your overall financial position, I can't determine if you need to keep within a specific price bracket ? There are some perhaps older, now discontinued S&W Models available, but they will of course run for somewhat higher prices. ( As in S&W's Alloy type K/L Frames, perhaps even the older Model 12's, in 2" - 4", although lightweight, their Frame size lends to better control, especially so when 'proper' Grips are fitted, along with 'proper ammunition choices'. ) And, just to throw this out there, IMHO, the Ruger LCR-X 3" Barrel, .38 Special+P Alloy Framed 5 rd Revolver offers an exceptional useful weapon to someone who wishes an easy to carry, reasonably accurate, reasonably controllable 'daily carry' Revolver.
AND in the Automatic Pistol arena, your overall choices are seemingly unlimited, although there are certain caveats one should always remember. Just briefly, stay 9x19mm, not .380 ACP. I won't immediately go into the Auto's, not unless / until I'm sure you are also considering them. If so, I will gladly provide you my particular likes, dislikes, & overall opinion, along with of course my personal choices. For what it's worth, one of my very, very frequently carried 'constant companions' is, & has been since circa 1995 or so is my KAHR, Model PM-9, in 9x19. That, along with my other, 'constant companion', my S&W M-642, 2" .38 Special+P remain my trusted choices for as long as I can remember. And yes, I do have numerous other choices, albeit for specific, very infrequently occurring circumstances should any such circumstances arise. But, for everyday local errands, business, & or similar 'routines' they both serve admirably well, & will continue to do so. ( Unless of course I happene to break down & purchase one of those River 3", LCR-X Models, as currently, S&W doesn't appear to produce anything similar ? Well, O/P, I hope my brief overview helps you out at least a little. Good Luck !!
Best, Dom P. / 'dpast32'
AND in the Automatic Pistol arena, your overall choices are seemingly unlimited, although there are certain caveats one should always remember. Just briefly, stay 9x19mm, not .380 ACP. I won't immediately go into the Auto's, not unless / until I'm sure you are also considering them. If so, I will gladly provide you my particular likes, dislikes, & overall opinion, along with of course my personal choices. For what it's worth, one of my very, very frequently carried 'constant companions' is, & has been since circa 1995 or so is my KAHR, Model PM-9, in 9x19. That, along with my other, 'constant companion', my S&W M-642, 2" .38 Special+P remain my trusted choices for as long as I can remember. And yes, I do have numerous other choices, albeit for specific, very infrequently occurring circumstances should any such circumstances arise. But, for everyday local errands, business, & or similar 'routines' they both serve admirably well, & will continue to do so. ( Unless of course I happene to break down & purchase one of those River 3", LCR-X Models, as currently, S&W doesn't appear to produce anything similar ? Well, O/P, I hope my brief overview helps you out at least a little. Good Luck !!
Best, Dom P. / 'dpast32'
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This ^ right here...
The OP's post points up something I've been saying forever about these lightweight revolvers: If you don't enjoy shooting it, or if it's painful to shoot, you'll never become proficient with it.
skwchock
US Veteran
GOOD COMMENTS. I agree with most of them. Most important, carry something that you feel comfortable with. It is better to have something on you that you "like" and would shoot. A good "carry" is better than a "great" gun at home.
1. Hogue soft rubber combat grips
2. Factory 148 grain wadcutters
3. Install Wolf mainspring and trigger return spring.
2. Factory 148 grain wadcutters
3. Install Wolf mainspring and trigger return spring.
cowboy4evr
Member
Shootingfish , I don't think you bought the wrong gun , you just need to learn how to shoot it . You have received some good advice and a lot of , well " spend money for this , spend money for that " ? Before you spend more money , trying this and trying that . Let's try this , at NO cost !
I bet that you are holding it , arms straight out in front of you like 2 stiff boards , trying to hold it steady , right ?
Relax , relax you arms , allow a slight bend in your elbows and grasp the pistol firmly , hands tight only . Allow the recoil to come back through your arms and whole body . It should make a world of difference in your comfort . Don't try to absorb all the recoil with just your hands , let your whole body work for you . You can practice this at home , getting used to the technique . Stop thinking about the shot , only think about the target . Good luck , just my .02cts worth . Regards Paul
I bet that you are holding it , arms straight out in front of you like 2 stiff boards , trying to hold it steady , right ?
Relax , relax you arms , allow a slight bend in your elbows and grasp the pistol firmly , hands tight only . Allow the recoil to come back through your arms and whole body . It should make a world of difference in your comfort . Don't try to absorb all the recoil with just your hands , let your whole body work for you . You can practice this at home , getting used to the technique . Stop thinking about the shot , only think about the target . Good luck , just my .02cts worth . Regards Paul
Marshal Tom
Member
Shootingfish, There are several Youtube folks, ladies ( She equips herself) for one, who specialize in women's carry methods/dress etc. As several of us have said, I prefer on body carry methods for a number of reasons. Also see if there is a ( Girl and a Gun) group in your area and consider joining it. It is a ladies only national group who work specifically with women shooters in areas of self defense/home defense, carry methods, shooting techniques and the like. They do seminars,classes and range sessions as well as meeting in small groups to watch video's provided by the organization. Our local group is very active and growing rapidly.
My wife seems to like the Glock 43 she stole from me. They now have the 43X (I think) that you can get a metal magazine for that ups the round count to up to 10 or so. It's purse gun size and weight. She can pull the slide and she has difficulty with slide pull on many guns.
I personally think you made a good choice so before you rush look to another pistol or revolver, try a set of Pachmayr "Compact" grips on your 642. I'll bet you can find some on Ebay for short money. One of the best traits of a revolver is being able to change the stocks (or grips) to suit your hand size. Back in the day when police departments carried revolvers, I saw scores go up 10 to 20 points just by changing to grips that fit the shooter better especially when shooting S&W J frames.
SteedGun
Member
I have trained a number of females in my life to shoot. Here are the guns they ended up keeping for carry.
Sig Sauer P938 9mm
Sig Sauer P238 380
Smith & Wesson Shield 9mm
STI Elektra 9mm
Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm
Dan Wesson Guardian 9mm
To date none of my females picked revolvers. I have plenty for them to shoot but I think the magazine capacity and magazine change tends to favor the pistol vs. the revolver for my group. Also, some of these like the Smith & Wesson Shield are very slim when compared to a revolver.
Sig Sauer P938 9mm
Sig Sauer P238 380
Smith & Wesson Shield 9mm
STI Elektra 9mm
Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm
Dan Wesson Guardian 9mm
To date none of my females picked revolvers. I have plenty for them to shoot but I think the magazine capacity and magazine change tends to favor the pistol vs. the revolver for my group. Also, some of these like the Smith & Wesson Shield are very slim when compared to a revolver.
Ammo?
Are you practicing with the ammo you intend to carry? If so, get some quality time with a lighter load. Getting comfortable with your carry gun needs repetition and if it hurts that's going to suffer. Once you feel confident shooting the firearm, you won't notice the recoil when you begin to carry and, God forbid, you need to use it for self defense. Adrenalin will tale over. IMHO.
Are you practicing with the ammo you intend to carry? If so, get some quality time with a lighter load. Getting comfortable with your carry gun needs repetition and if it hurts that's going to suffer. Once you feel confident shooting the firearm, you won't notice the recoil when you begin to carry and, God forbid, you need to use it for self defense. Adrenalin will tale over. IMHO.
X2.
My wife never liked the 642, even after installing Hogue grips and the Wollf spring kit. Whereas I thought it tamed it well, cannot think of a more difficult handgun to shoot well.
After trying out various handguns, wife settled on a 3" all steel Taurus .38 with rubber grips. Easy recoil and highly accurate with 148 wadcutters.
Suggest a trip back to the gun shop you bought the 642 at and trade it in on credit, then handle a couple of .22 revolvers, see if you can handle the stiffer springs they use...if you can aim and squeeze the trigger without too much effort, buy one, and pick up some CCI Stinger ammo.
If the trigger action is just too much, handle some 3" all steel .38's, make sure it has a Hogue grip on it, and go home with one and a couple of box's of 148 gr wadcutters.
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Shootingfish,
You are just shooting the wrong ammo. My last job was doing wound ballistic workshops for a major ammo maker. I was also a firearms examiner in my former life and have seen more than a few folks that have been properly "rehabilitated". One of the things I found pretty remarkable is how well a 148 grain hollow base wadcutter, penetrates out of a 2" J frame revolver. I have seen at least one guy put on a slab by that round and know of several more. We seem to get reliable penetration of about 16" in 10% ballistic gelatin out of the short barreled revolvers. This more than adequate and I can't think of a single bad guy that would want to get shot with one. What's really great is the lack of recoil. It's very manageable in the snubbies and doesn't hurt you hand. My wife carries a 642 as well, and I have zero qualms about her carrying it full of factory wadcutters.
At 21 yards you are not in danger unless being fired at !!
At 20 feet, we have a problem !!
Bag carry is ok...............
if you know and practice how to get to your gun in time to STOP
the bad guy, before he reaches you.
Raising your skirt to get to a revolver is sexy but...........
Good luck.
It sounds like you are a experienced and confident revolver shooter with the 686, so I would think the platform and caliber are not the issue, but the 14.4 ounce weight of the 642 and greater felt recoil make it difficult to shoot well. I would recommend one of 2 other (all stainless steel) J frame revolvers that I own and have experience with as options to consider. The model 640 pro series that has excellent high visibility night sights and weighs 22 oz., or the model 60 3 inch that adds a hammer and adjustable sights at 24 oz. IMHO either would be a good choice. Personally I carry the 640 Pro Series.
Although they are both capable of shooting .357 magnum, I carry them with 38+P ammunition and I find they are concealable, controllable and much more pleasant to shoot than the 642, which I have owned as well.
Although they are both capable of shooting .357 magnum, I carry them with 38+P ammunition and I find they are concealable, controllable and much more pleasant to shoot than the 642, which I have owned as well.
dsf
Member
At the risk of going "off brand" my Ruger SP101 is a heck of a lot easier to shoot with 110 or 125 JHP than the 158s, even in 357 Magnum. Pachmayr rubber compact grips help a lot. And the Kahr PM9 while striker fired requires a long DA pull to bring the FP spring from "at rest" to going bang.
AJ
US Veteran
Try all the handguns that you can until you find what feels good in your hand and shoots well for you. The practice with it both at the range and in the presentation of the weapon.
Had a 642 (with CT laser) as a CCW and got rid of it for the same reason you mentioned and because it only had a 5 round capacity. I had only carried pistols to that point and didn’t try it out as a rental gun before purchase.
I found that steel guns that weigh 24oz or more with a grip that covers the back strap and had a 6 round capacity were easy to carry/conceal with less
felt recoil and met my needs much better.
The new Colt 38 that came out a couple of years ago was a joy to shoot. They are a bit pricy at around $700 but with the front night site and 6 shot capacity it was well worth the money.
Have owned 7 Smith revolvers over the years, so I like S&W, but they don’t make a 24oz-6round revolver. I also had a Taurus 856.
I am not recoil sensitive per say but I would challenge just about anyone to shoot 30 rounds of +P ammo in a 642 and tell me they had a good time.
Just Sayen.
You shouldn’t have any problems selling the 642 but any replacement gun could be hard to find at this time.
The suggestion of a rubber grip that covers the back strap and shooting non +P ammo is what I (like mentioned above) would suggest first. It is far more cost affective that buying a new gun.
If you are really recoil sensitive and want a revolver, you could consider a Taurus 942 - 8 shot 22 magnum 3” bbl revolver with Speer Gold Dot defense ammo. It meets the FBI penetration requirements and bullet travels at over 1200 fps and bullet expands to a 30 caliber. It has almost the same power as a standard 38 and cost $350 plus tax at my LGS.
My current CCW guns (I carry AIWB) are a S&W 9mmEZ and a S&W M&P 380 Bodyguard (( a revolver in a pistol body ( with double strike capability)). The ammo I carry in the 380 is Precision One 90gr with XTP bullet. Both with Talon grips in Vedder kydex holsters. First 2 pics are the 380 and the third is the 9mm.
Left target is with 380. Right target with 9mmEZ. Both offhand and rapid fire. Best of luck to you
I found that steel guns that weigh 24oz or more with a grip that covers the back strap and had a 6 round capacity were easy to carry/conceal with less
felt recoil and met my needs much better.
The new Colt 38 that came out a couple of years ago was a joy to shoot. They are a bit pricy at around $700 but with the front night site and 6 shot capacity it was well worth the money.
Have owned 7 Smith revolvers over the years, so I like S&W, but they don’t make a 24oz-6round revolver. I also had a Taurus 856.
I am not recoil sensitive per say but I would challenge just about anyone to shoot 30 rounds of +P ammo in a 642 and tell me they had a good time.
Just Sayen.
You shouldn’t have any problems selling the 642 but any replacement gun could be hard to find at this time.
The suggestion of a rubber grip that covers the back strap and shooting non +P ammo is what I (like mentioned above) would suggest first. It is far more cost affective that buying a new gun.
If you are really recoil sensitive and want a revolver, you could consider a Taurus 942 - 8 shot 22 magnum 3” bbl revolver with Speer Gold Dot defense ammo. It meets the FBI penetration requirements and bullet travels at over 1200 fps and bullet expands to a 30 caliber. It has almost the same power as a standard 38 and cost $350 plus tax at my LGS.
My current CCW guns (I carry AIWB) are a S&W 9mmEZ and a S&W M&P 380 Bodyguard (( a revolver in a pistol body ( with double strike capability)). The ammo I carry in the 380 is Precision One 90gr with XTP bullet. Both with Talon grips in Vedder kydex holsters. First 2 pics are the 380 and the third is the 9mm.
Left target is with 380. Right target with 9mmEZ. Both offhand and rapid fire. Best of luck to you
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I also have the 686 7 round. Only I bought it in the 3" barrel for concealed carry. The revolver is to uncomfortable to carry IWB so I only carry it OWB. I went with the 3" instead of the 4" because I was afraid the longer barrel would show past whatever I was wearing. Don't wear many tuck in shirts these days. Not because of concealed carry but because of age and girth.
However I do have to agree that the gun is a noticeable weight when carrying it concealed.
Because both guns are similar, both being revolvers in the same basic configuration I would consider practicing long term with the 686 and at the end fire off a few rounds with the 642. Remember that if you were ever to need a CCW for use it wouldn't be a long drawn out engagement. You would only be firing off a few rounds at best. As long as both guns are so similar practice shooting with what yo enjoy, don't abuse yourself at the range. As long as you're not trying to CCW the 686 your 642 will feel normal to you.
However I do have to agree that the gun is a noticeable weight when carrying it concealed.
Because both guns are similar, both being revolvers in the same basic configuration I would consider practicing long term with the 686 and at the end fire off a few rounds with the 642. Remember that if you were ever to need a CCW for use it wouldn't be a long drawn out engagement. You would only be firing off a few rounds at best. As long as both guns are so similar practice shooting with what yo enjoy, don't abuse yourself at the range. As long as you're not trying to CCW the 686 your 642 will feel normal to you.
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