642 Pro Series vs. 642 (no lock) vs. 442

[Jimmymac46]

Better Choices

If the revolver will be used only for home defense and not for pocket carry, I would recommend you expand your search to include K, L, and N frame revolvers in .38/.357 with a four inch barrel. Your ammo capacity will increase one to three rounds, and you'll likely shoot more accurately with the larger framed Smiths.

Absolutely correct. I carry, everyday, a model 642 in an ankle holster. Have carried it up to 12 hours straight, often having to check to see if it is still there. When the day is over, it goes into my safe, until the next day.
While I love it for carry, it is somewhat difficult to shoot after the first round, due to it's light weight. It requires diligent effort to shoot rapidly with essential success, especially from a bedroom end table. Will it work, absolutely. Is there a better choice, lots of them. Weight, sighting radius (yes even in the dark), and a good purchase can be had with nearly anything else........medium frame revolver, medium frame auto, or best yet, a shotgun with #8 bird shot. But, if that's all you have, a J frame 642, practice often, avoid the plus p's, and you will be well armed.

 

[regalsc]

I have a 340pd & a 337ti (both no ILS ) I like my j frames as light as they come for all day carry. I like the shrouded ejection rods & TI cylinders but they are expensive. The 337 has +p capability & the 340 is 357mag. I also have a model 60 from 1970 which weighs twice as much. At first they were a little hard to shoot accurately but I got better with practice. I had a little bit of a head start in trigger control with shooting my Kahr mk9 & mk40 that have a light revolver type trigger pull.

 

[AZretired]

A good friend of mine threw me a curveball today in my quest for a good bedside "go to" gun... he has a 5 month old Glock 30S with slightly less than 100 rounds through it. He paid $565 for it new but said he would sell it to me for $400. Seems like a good deal. Anyone have any experience with the Glock 30S? It seems like it would be good for bedside duty and carry and it's .45 acp. This would be my first Glock.

I carried a Glock for years as a duty weapon but for more than half my LE career i carried a revolver. Since I retired a few years ago, all I carry is revolvers. A 642 goes everywhere with me and sits on my nightstand at night. Although I do occasionally switch off to a 638. Since retirement i have slowly been selling off autos (to buy more revolvers) and I am down to my final Glock 26 & 19 that are for sale.

Carry what you like and are comfortable with. Sounds like you should stick with a revolver.

 

[Lobster Picnic]

I like the original idea of a 442 or 642 without the lock. As the OP says, it feels great in his hand, his wife and mother have them and are happy with them, he prefers S&W over other brands, etc. It's a great choice for a bedside gun that may get some light carry around the house or yard.

 

[one eye joe]

I would recommend the no-lock 642.

I would never use moon clips on a gun intended for defense. You can use the pro-series without them, but why pay extra for a cut cylinder and if not using Moonclips, The standard cylinder will be better than one cut.

The frame on both is aluminum alloy, so to me frame finish is not much of an issue, but I very much prefer the rust & corrosion advantage of the 642's stainless steel barrel and cylinder compared to the blued carbon steel of the 442's.

In regards to the flashiness of having to pull a gun out at night, the legally armed civilian shouldn't be worried the bad guy is going to see his gun and most likely would WANT the bad guy to see it. I once asked Massad Ayoob about that and his response was that non-reflective black guns are more likely a concern for those that sneak-up on people and operate from covert positions such as military Spec-Ops etc, whereas if I point or pull a gun on someone in a civilian self-defense situation, I'd want him to be able to see it so he knows the stakes just went up. As a civilian, you want to AVOID shooting someone if at all possible for ethical and legal reasons.

I GOTTA ROLL WITH Daniel W. AND MAS AYOOB ON THIS ONE……….

 

[Hans Gruber]

I am looking to buy a S&W .38 revolver as my bedside gun. My wife owns a 642 (pink grips) and my mom owns a 442 and they each like their respective gun very much. However, I am not a big fan of the internal lock feature (I know it can be removed). And I have also heard that Smith quality control may have slipped a little bit on their wheel guns in recent years. This could be just internet babble... or it could be true. That's what I'm here to find out.

Please, no debates about the effectiveness of the .38 special caliber as a home defense round - I've always heard "go with what you're comfortable with" and "the first rule of a gun fight is to bring a gun." So, the way I look at it, a S&W .38 revolver ready to go by my bedside is better than nothing! Certainly it's better than the Cold Steel Recon 1 knife that's sitting there now I also own 2 M&P 9mm's and a 12 gauge pump which are there if I ever need them.

The revolvers I am considering are the 642 Pro Series, regular 642 with no internal lock and possibly the 442... although that is in last place because I've heard on this forum several times that the 442's show more wear over time than the 642's. On the flip side, I've heard some people say that as a "grab and go" bedside gun or a gun they may carry around their property, they like the 442 better because if they have to pull it out, especially at night, it's not as flashy as a 642... that seems like a valid point!

I am curious if anyone has any experience with the 642 Pro Series and if so, what do you think of the gun? How does it compare to a regular 642? Aside from accepting moon clips, are there any other differences from the regular 642? Is the machining better since it's a Pro Series? Are the tolerances tighter? Lastly, do you HAVE TO use moon clips with the 642 Pro, or can you also load it without the moon clips? I tried to call S&W customer service last night to ask them and I was on hold for 30 minutes (most unusual based on past experience!) and I never got to speak to anyone.

Any help that you folks could offer would be much appreciated and would help me narrow down my choices!

I own a 642-1 PRO that is absolutely FABULOUS! It has never failed to fire. It can accept the "Moon clips" (3 included) and can accept single loaded cartridges just the same.

The gun is the "perfect" compact/concealed carry S&W!!!

 

[MA-double-T]

N300ot to bump and old thread for nothing....

In MHO, speaking as someone that has both, and a couple variations of both, you're not going wrong with either. New, the G30S is high, but, I bought (cash and trade) one used from my neighbor, his 30S for a Beretta 92 and $300. I also have an older 36, 638 and 642. (Though wouldn't do much range time with +P on the 36), practice with the same round in non +P and carry +P in it, no worries. It's flawless. The 638 & 642, I have in glove box or in my pocket and question not their reliability. The 30S, however, would be my go to night stand/carry if none other were available, simply due to the ability to put the tac light on it for after dark engagement. Out of all posts, all are right on, make valid points, etc., but you won't go wrong any direction you drive that car... If I only had one to pick, I'd go with the J frame, simply cause, well, it's a J frame Smith...they've dropped bad guys for decades... If could have 2, I'd carry the J frame, and keep the 30S on the nightstand with the light on it. FWIW