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08-11-2015, 09:05 AM
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"The Centennials" ad from S&W "Model 640 - a tough little .38 rated for +P ammuniti"
The title says it all:
"The Centennials" ad from S&W "Model 640 - a tough little .38 rated for +P ammunition"
I found this image via google search
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2ndshift, 75Vette, adwjc, BAM-BAM, bmcgilvray, Buckoo, Cal44, Dragon 1, fishwishin, H Richard, jughed440, JWintergreen, kaaskop49, Kansasgunner, KLYDE, lrrifleman, M.Cunningham, mclovinuga, mj2008, Moo Moo, old bear, Rick_A, rincar, rubiranch, rwt1405, S-W4EVER, The Gila Bender, transit, willyt12345, Zarr |
08-11-2015, 09:07 AM
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Agreed. I only own three.
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08-11-2015, 09:31 AM
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You just dont see ads like this anymore from S&W. Everything I see on paper and on video are for the M&P line of semi auto handguns and rifles and for their plastic bodyguards. I guess whatever sells and produces the most profit is what they need to be focusing on.
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08-11-2015, 09:40 AM
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That's the only time I've seen the 940 Model 9mm Centennial mentioned in an ad.
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08-11-2015, 12:44 PM
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As an ad man, this warms my heart. Thank you for sharing it.
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08-11-2015, 12:52 PM
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S&W introduced the "reborn Model 640 Centennial" in their 1990 catalog. The catalog states that the 640 is
"rated for +P+ ammunition"....i bet their fidgety liability lawyers didn't like seeing that.
Last edited by jughed440; 08-11-2015 at 12:54 PM.
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03-29-2020, 06:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigG
That's the only time I've seen the 940 Model 9mm Centennial mentioned in an ad.
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That model is my 2nd most favorite Centennial. I have a 442, 642, 40, and the 940. The 442 goes to work with me everyday as a back up gun and the 642 is my go to gun for shooting the "Snubby" matches at my gun club. With the newer and better 9mm ammo, it makes a great carry gun. The full moon clips are a bit of a pain but it's a much better solution than the M-547 used.
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03-29-2020, 09:33 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by m4user
That model is my 2nd most favorite Centennial. I have a 442, 642, 40, and the 940. The 442 goes to work with me everyday as a back up gun and the 642 is my go to gun for shooting the "Snubby" matches at my gun club. With the newer and better 9mm ammo, it makes a great carry gun. The full moon clips are a bit of a pain but it's a much better solution than the M-547 used.
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My favorite Centennial is a 342 Airlite Ti Smith & Wesson Centennial - Wikipedia
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03-29-2020, 09:44 PM
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This is my only Centennial:
I doubt highly that it’ll be my last. I love this thing.
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03-29-2020, 09:52 PM
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I have a couple 442s. One is always in my pocket. I often carry Two.
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Two Handguns every day
Last edited by haywood; 03-30-2020 at 09:00 AM.
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03-29-2020, 10:17 PM
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I like the Centennials also.......
Have a couple more, just haven't taken their pictures yet.
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03-29-2020, 10:25 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by haywood
I have a couple. One is always in my pocket. I often carry Two.
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When you do carry two, where do you keep the second?
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03-30-2020, 12:00 AM
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I just have two, both from 1996.
640-1 .357 Magnum with Goncalo Alves Combat grips.
This was the first pistol that I ever bought.
It was "unfired" when I bought it in 2008 from my brother.
And my 642-1 .38 SPL +P Airweight.
This has been my EDC for about 6 years now.
My brother carried it as his backup until he retired from LE.
I carry speed strips in my pocket and I've bought a bunch of these Zeta6 Speedloader to keep in my vehicles.
I find them a lot easier to use that the Safariland style speedloader and they are quite inexpensive.
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03-30-2020, 06:37 AM
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I love the 640 .38 Special. The ad says that all were available with a 3" barrel. So, did S&W make a 640 .38 Special (not .357) with a 3 inch barrel? What does it look like?
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03-30-2020, 09:04 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KSDrifter
When you do carry two, where do you keep the second?
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I always carry Two Snubs. One 442 is always in my pocket. A second Snub, 442, 3” 36, or 7 shot 357 is in my belt at around the 2: o’clock position
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03-30-2020, 09:26 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by otis24
I love the 640 .38 Special. The ad says that all were available with a 3" barrel. So, did S&W make a 640 .38 Special (not .357) with a 3 inch barrel? What does it look like?
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The 3" barrel was discontinued in 1993.
From what I've read when the 640 .38 Spl +P was introduced in 1989 it was offered with either a 1-7/8" or 3" barrel.
In 1996 it was changed to .357 in the J-Magnum frame, 640-1.
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03-30-2020, 11:01 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jughed440
The catalog states that the 640 is"rated for +P+ ammunition"....i bet their fidgety liability lawyers didn't like seeing that.
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I wonder about that. I have a M60 Talo .38 Special, and a M60 .357. The cylinders are identical. I have often wondered if S&W simply grabbed a bunch of cylinders from the M60 bucket and chambered them for the .38? In which case it would take a lot of stupidity to over dose the gun with any .38 ammo.
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03-30-2020, 11:37 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TMan51
I wonder about that. I have a M60 Talo .38 Special, and a M60 .357. The cylinders are identical. I have often wondered if S&W simply grabbed a bunch of cylinders from the M60 bucket and chambered them for the .38? In which case it would take a lot of stupidity to over dose the gun with any .38 ammo.
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Old thread. I guess we're all spending more time surfing these days!
I've opined on this here before, and that's definitely all it is, I have no inside knowledge.
At the time S&W first fielded these guns, the "latest and greatest" ammunition for the .38 Special was the Federal 38HS2G. That was the 147 grain Hydra-Shok. It was the FBI's last .38 load and had been designed to meet their then new and developing penetration/expansion models.
It was rated by Federal as +P+.
The loading was not especially hot, but that's how they listed it. Maybe because that was still the era of, "For Law Enforcement Use Only" and the +P+ went along with that. Who knows?
My belief is that the, "Rated for +P+" on those early M640s was directly related to the 147g Hydra-Shok.
S&W could not field a brand new, law enforcement oriented revolver, that couldn't handle the then-current FBI load.
Soon thereafter, the FBI (and everyone else in law enforcement) moved on, and Smith dropped the +P+ markings to avoid sanctioning something that had no true definition anyway.
Last edited by transit; 03-30-2020 at 11:47 AM.
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03-30-2020, 07:00 PM
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Here is how those early revolvers were marked. I believe that it was only the ones with the CEN serial number prefix that received the +P+ marking before the factory stopped marking in that way. I have a Model 640 that was made in 1994. I think it is one of the top 10 CCW guns ever made.
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03-30-2020, 09:58 PM
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I have two M640's one is marked "Tested for +P+", CEN serial number.Also have two M442's. One is in my pocket always, sometimes carry two. My favorite carry guns.
De Oppresso Liber
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03-31-2020, 06:07 PM
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640 3"
Quote:
Originally Posted by otis24
I love the 640 .38 Special. The ad says that all were available with a 3" barrel. So, did S&W make a 640 .38 Special (not .357) with a 3 inch barrel? What does it look like?
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The 640 3" is in this photo. It is 38 only! I have a couple more for the picture but have not got them all out lately! My favorite one is the 640 Pro (lower left). The banana grips tame the 357s to a tolerable level and I love full moon clips of all size and shapes!
jcelect
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03-31-2020, 07:49 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by otis24
I love the 640 .38 Special. The ad says that all were available with a 3" barrel. So, did S&W make a 640 .38 Special (not .357) with a 3 inch barrel? What does it look like?
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Here is what one looks like up close.
Russ
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06-06-2021, 04:28 PM
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640 3 inch stainless
Quote:
Originally Posted by otis24
I love the 640 .38 Special. The ad says that all were available with a 3" barrel. So, did S&W make a 640 .38 Special (not .357) with a 3 inch barrel? What does it look like?
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i'm sitting here looking at my 640 .38 cal 3 inch barrel, stainless centennial, box and original papers. I may sell it. serial number BKK8525(1991?) . Fired 25 rounds only.
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06-06-2021, 06:06 PM
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My 640 is the CEN serial number production run Rated foe +P+. My other is a Model 042 which is a non cataloged Airweight model. I like them both and I have carried them a lot.
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06-06-2021, 06:54 PM
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The Airweight and the AirLite II are great guns for carry. Shooting them a lot especially with arthritis in your had is not a fun thing. Something akin to punishment, at least for me.
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06-06-2021, 10:07 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AJ
The Airweight and the AirLite II are great guns for carry. Shooting them a lot especially with arthritis in your had is not a fun thing. Something akin to punishment, at least for me.
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I have the all steel 640 and had to go to a Hogue Tamer grip. I originally had factory wood w/a grip adapter. It doesn't conceal as well, but like you, my arthritis was talking to me.
The soft rubber helps.
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06-07-2021, 12:35 AM
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Great thread.
With the possible exception of the Model 60, all of the stainless pre J magnum/38 only J frames are very underrated.
Those .38 640s are sweethearts. Even as a younger revolver guy, I hate firing .357 ammo in small frame revolvers, and love special only models. Perhaps they will make a comeback one day, but I am not holding my breath. The great versatility argument always seems to win out now.
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06-07-2021, 01:33 AM
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640-1 (PRO series) Never leave home without it!
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06-07-2021, 01:33 AM
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Most of my J Frames are Centennials. In addition to my 36, 649 and 317, I have my 940, 442, 642, 340PD, 43C, and 351C.
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06-07-2021, 07:00 AM
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My Dad was a Police officer for 39years 1938-77. The last new gun he ever bought was a 1st year 640. He saw mine and asked if I could get him one! First gun he'd bought since a Model 41 in 1961.
Thou he did manage to long term borrow my round butted 686 no dash.....
Last edited by BAM-BAM; 06-07-2021 at 07:07 AM.
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06-08-2021, 04:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jcelect
The 640 3" is in this photo. It is 38 only! I have a couple more for the picture but have not got them all out lately! My favorite one is the 640 Pro (lower left). The banana grips tame the 357s to a tolerable level and I love full moon clips of all size and shapes!
jcelect
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I love the 640 PRO too!
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06-08-2021, 05:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by otis24
I love the 640 PRO too!
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Nice looking collection!
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