having been eyeballing 242Ti's for a while now, but recently found a 4" barrel model 12 airweight at a LGS in nice condition.

model 12's seem to have a small but very loyal following from what I can see on the forum.

other than the obvious 6 round vs 7 round capacity, any opinions on the two?

am wondering if I could be just as happy with a nice model 12 for the price difference?

My 2 Cents.

The 12-2 is an older model version of the M12 with a narrow frame. It will not use standard K Frame Grips.
It is Not +P Rated, and it is a 4" which also is not the best choice for concealed carry. The 4" is also less desirable than a 2".

The 242 Ti is an Airweight L Frame Snub. It is +P rated.
It is a hair bigger than a model 12. It is a neat design, and pretty much state of the art for a Shootable 38 concealed carry revolver.

I would go with the 242 if you can afford it.

I have both a 315NG which is a K Frame) and A 310NG which is an N Frame. I have no problem at all conceal carrying either. Your 242 Ti Seven Shooter L Frame will be smack in the middle size wise betwen my Night Guards. It should carry fine in a good pancake holster.

Down the road collectors value should always be higher on the 242 Ti.

Bob

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ICORE MO2908

Bob,
Just curious. How did you determine that the 2" is more desirable? The 4" round butt seems to be the hardest to find and at least in my area commands a higher price.

Are you looking to carry or collect? I searched for two years to find a NIB 242 for CCW purposes, and I found one here on the Forum a while back. It is an outstanding CCW revolver.

Anything with a 4" barrel is tough to carry, if that's your intention. The 12 is a nice revolver, and I'd choose to target shoot or pad my S&W collection of older pre-lock models.

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I'm with the banned ...

I live in a hot climate where shorts and a T shirt are the norm so prefer a snub length barrel for CCW but the 4" Model 12 usually brings a premium over the snub version in high condition because less are out there .
On the other hand the 4" IMO is less desirable in shooter grade condition as airweights are better suited for CCW.

Unless having a 6th round is more important to you than easy of concealment the smaller J frame airweight models are considerably smaller than the K frame Airweights so my preference is the J frame Airweight over the K Airweight for that purpose.

While it is true the 12-3 and older K grips do not fit the steel models the steel K frame grips can be thinned to fit the airweights.

While one of our members torture tested a Model 12 a few years back with thousands of .38 +P rounds IMO for extensive shooting I would choose a steel or SS frame gun over an airweight for added durability .

This is a toughie! Some very savvy folks ahead of me and nobody is really wrong. I would disagree in one tiny area: a 4" 12 can be concealed IWB behind the hip without too much difficulty. It's a pencil barrel, very lightweight.

The 242 (hadda look it up to see what it is or was) was produced for only a short while. I don't understand the larger L frame in a lightweight snub gun. This larger frame would seem to be harder to conceal than the K-frame, and more uncomfortable, even though it is lightweight. But, for every Jack, there's a Jill and some of us prefer the 242. To me, it's neither fish nor fowl.

With these 2 inferior (to me) options, I would reluctantly go with the 12.

My 242 rides in a Lobo horsehide prototype OWB rig, and feels virtually weightless and invisible. I have often forgot it's on my belt ... as much as any J-frame ... that's how well it carries and conceals. As with all the Airlite models, it is subject to finish durability, but that's not a concern for me as my 242 is a worker not a looker.

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I'm with the banned ...

thanks for the insight.

To answer some questions, a 640 either IWB or pocket, backed up by a 642 in the left front pocket is my preferred CC method.

On occasion, a 3" 66 or 686 plus, carried OWB, replaces the 640.

I like the J frames from a comfort and convenience standpoint but I shoot the K and L frames a bit better.

I was eyeballing the 242 to replace the 66 and 686 only to reduce weight, thinking I would be more inclined to carry it more often than the steel guns.

Not too hung up on the 6 or 7 capacity difference between the 242 and 12 since I will always have the 642 as a back up.

Whatever I choose would definitely be a tool, not a collector.