I've returned to the 642 for my pocket ccw needs. Why do I keep chasing the small pocket auto's. My latest was the LC9 which I bought and sold within a month. I think I've finally learned that the snubnose revolver is the perfect pocket gun. Simple and boringly reliable. No more extra magazines to buy, ammo to test, ftf's to figure out why etc.

Any one else keep chasing the pocket auto only to return to ol' reliable.

I'm sure there is autos in existence that have thousands of rounds through them without a single FTF. If, in a must work situation the rare FTF occurs you have to do something. You must take your eyes off of the target and look at the gun. Is it a stovepipe, fail to feed or a bad cartridge?. Then take action to correct the problem.

With a revolver you only need to pull the trigger again.

I favor revolvers for several reasons. As you say "simply and boringly reliable". I did a lot of reading before I settled on a light weight 5 shot .38 Spl. A mid sized fully loaded auto weighs nearly twice what my revolver does. I have a couple of speed loaders in case I ever change my mind and start packing.

Guilty of the same malady. Can't beat a J-frame for pocket carry. Still have a PM9 however but rarely carry it.

There is NOTHING, like the J-Frame for pocket carry!... NOTHING! God Bless the J-Frame!

I dont think anything will replace my 442 as a pocket carry. Tried the PPK once boy was that a mistake I think i will just enjoy those in the Bond movies.

mines a 442 also. i do have an lcp and the diamondback db9. both great little guns. am i a trained professional with limitless ammo and range time at my disposal? no. if i was i would consider either of the little autos good. am i proficient with my 442, yes. so it wins the arms race. trust it to go bang, if it does not, pull the trigger until it does. +p ammo is powerful enough to get the job done.

I alternate between a Chief of some kind and a PM9/CM9. In the hottest weather, sometimes even resort to a plastic mini-.380.

I prefer the Chief, but I am bit leery of reloading in a stressful situation. The auto would be a lot more positive, for me. I also realize the chance of needing to reload is likely very small.

In general, I like the guns mentioned about equally. The .380 is a considerable step below the other two, in my opinion.

Usually. But I have to tell you what happened to a J-frame S&W redolver that I once owned - and have long since sold: It was an all steel J-frame (I forget which model) . I got off one shot at the range and the cylinder jammed. (It had nothing to do with the internal lock - which had been totally removed.) I could not get the cylinder to turn for love or money. My local gunsmith was able to correct the problem in less than a minute, but had that happened in a defensive situation, I would have been screwed.

With a semi auto, a FFT or a FFE can be cleared up in seconds... if you know what to do and practice the routine.

I do not mean to cast aspersions, but in my opinion only, anyone who carries a cheap pocket auto and/or anyone who carries any pocket auto and fails to practice the "tap... rack... BANG!" routine is simply asking for trouble.

I carry a Kahr P380 in my pocket. It weighs 10 ounces (empty); holds a total of 7 rounds, and conceals in my pocket MUCH better than any J-frame ever could. But I am thin. My buddy, who is rather chunky (to be kind) ALWAYS carries a S&W 340PD in his pocket and you'd never know it.

So... here are some reasons to carry a QUALITY semi-auto as a pocket gun:
1. light weight
2. easy to conceal - even in a front pocket when wearing jeans
3. Two extra rounds (which is important for the "spray and pray crowd."

When it comes right down to it, the best gun to carry is the one that makes you feel good about carrying it. If you have to justify your reasons for carrying it, you are carrying the wrong gun.

The advantages of the CC auto over the revolver have been discussed on about every gun forum in debth, and I also have a PM9 which is probably the best of the bunch, but all it took was one misfire with a certain type of ammo and I am back to the old reliable J frame. 100% confidence is a must.

I like my LCP, but I love my 642(and 649). Those five 158gr SWCHPs give me a warm and fuzzy that the heaviest 380 can't do.

The question is: What is more important to YOU?

The weight and bulk of your carry gun, or the weight and bulk of the bullet you may have to send toward some *** that wants to harm you or your family.

If you want small AND reliable it's hard to be a J-Frame.

__________________
S&W M642-2,
ATI 1911a1, 4.25"

I have carried PPK's, Mauser HSC, and I return to J frame Smith's. Not near as much to think about short of pulling the trigger and like Forrest Gump says "Thats all I'm gonna say bout that".



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James

I chased a small, reliable semi-auto for a while. The last one I tried, a PF-9, left a really bad taste in my mouth. I traded it and went back to my 642.

To quote someone else "Its not supposed to be comfortable, its supposed to be comforting." I carry a J-frame because its idiot proof, which what I would probably become if I ever needed to use it. JMHO

99% of my pocket carry is a j-frame 442 or 340sc. If I really need the deepest concealment in hot weather with light clothing the Kel-Tec P32 is my choice although in a pinch the Thunderwear holster solves that problem and allows .357 or .38+P power at your disposal.

I love my J frames like nothing else. I will go to all lengths to try to conceal one in my front pocket. I'm comfortable with them, they feel so natural it's almost like an extension of my hand; I know them and trust them.

But since I've retired I've become a minimalist in all things possible, especially clothing. I wore wool suits every day for 40 years and I got good and sick of it. So now, especially given my haunts are GA and FL, I wear fairly thin khaki shorts every day possible. And by possible I'm not talking about the weather; I could care less about the temperature, winter or not. If my wife gets me to put on blue jeans it's likely a formal occasion. With a little shirttail help I can get by front-pocketing a J-frame in a Mika holster by far most of the time.

But having said the above, once in a blue moon for some reason I can't get by with my beloved J-frame. So what am I going to do, go naked? Not me; out comes the Seecamp. It weighs the same 14 oz. loaded as does my 340PD, but it's flat and tiny and all but disappears.

For me, when there is no other choice, something is better than nothing at all...