Airweight J Frame Durability

[RLS1851]

I have only shot about 400 rounds through my 642 that I got in May of this year. I have shot about 100 rounds of +p reloads, 250 rounds of regular loads, and about 50 rounds of +p mixed Winchester and Gold dot. I generally only shoot between 30 and 50 rounds a session because of wanting to shoot my other pistol (Glock's) also. I am more accurate with the G26 but getting better with the 642. For me it takes more practice to shoot accurately with the 642 as opposed to the G26 even though I grew up with the S&W Mod 10. I have not noticed any degradation to the finish or functioning as of yet. Look forward to many years of service from my little 642.

 

[RLS1851]

BTW - I have left the orginal boot grips on mine. I think I would like to get some after market grips either some Spiegels or grips from Esmeralda.

 

[aterry33]

How do you all like the stock factory grips on the 642 and other j frames with the same grips? Have any of you tried other aftermarket grips that work better (less pain/more comfortable), and still keep the gun easily concealable?

Here is my 642 (finish is Black-T) wearing precision gun specialties hideout grips. These are their textured grips without finger grooves. For me, they conceal just as well as the boot grips while providing a full grip with the shooting hand. I've tried EVERYTHING else and these are my favorite thus far.

 

[majortoo]

I have an older but pristine Model 37 Airweight, and wrote Smith and Wesson about the use of +P ammunition. They were very clear about not using +P ammunition in this little J frame. Accordingly, I am staying with 158 grain Buffalo Bore hollow point ammunition, which is specifically designed for short barrels and standard pressures.

 

[M3Stuart]

+1 on the other comments.

I've carried my 642 pro for a long time and put several hundred rounds of standard-reloaded .38's through it and some hotter stuff occasionally. My hand usually poops out around 50ish rounds of standard .38.

On the other hand...my 60-9 is just fine with +P and light .357 reloads.

 

[mbliss57]

Ditto on many posts. I uses several J frames from a 649-3 to a 638.
I shoot a few cylinders of +P every other range trip or so. To much pop and too expensive to do more and I am confident with the gun and round. The rest are ball ammo .38 specials..usually the least expensive I can find. They hone the muscle memory. I doubt you will crack a J frame by using too much +P but if you do it gets replaced.
+P is for self defense only.. get familiar with it... then practice alot with .38 spl std loads. That's my opinion based on what I do. Same goes fro my .357 mag J frames. I shoot a cylinder o 2 every outing or 2 just to know I can handle it then practice with .38 spl for form.

 

[gatchelguy]

Don't worry about wearing the gun out. The gun will wear you out.

 

[wrangler5]

I just blew the dust off of my .38 reloading stuff, and am ready to put together some wadcutter loads for the 642. Dale 53, do the CT 305 grips you put on your 642 add much to the height of the gun? I just put a Hogue monogrip that I had from years ago on my j frame, and although shooting the gun will be easier to manage, the butt end of the grip gets hung up on pocket linings pretty easily because of the increased height. Maybe I'll try the new CT 405 (shorter, but extra cushioning) out in the store to see how it feels.

I bought the CT 405 grip for my 442, and it does have a bit of cushioning on the backstrap. But it's not much, and the grip itself is very thin. It fits flush with the bottom of the grip frame, so adds no height to the gun. I don't find it any more comfortable to shoot than the stock boot grip, but of course it does offer the laser.

On my 638 I have the CT 305, and I find it MUCH more comfortable to shoot. It's a bit fatter than the 405, which spreads the recoil out more. But it IS taller - has to be to offer a place for your pinky finger. I almost always carry in a belt holster and it conceals nicely there, but the grip is a bit too big for any of MY pants pockets. (Frankly, so is the 442 with a 405 grip - I need to lose a lot of weight ) Works OK in mosts of my jackets, though.

 

[David R]

I have a 637. It has had a few hundred rounds through it, some really +P 110 grain and some 158 +P. The rest are standard pressure 150 to 168 grain lead. NO signs of loosening up.

The stock grip that came with the gun is perfect for me and I have big hands. It just fits me. Last night I bought a CT 105 grip and installed it. Shooting the gun today, so far I much prefer the stock grip, so I will no better this afternoon.

I HAD a BG 38 for a few months. It got loose really fast. I sent it in, they replaced the cylinder on warranty. It loosened up again in a few hundred rounds so I traded it for the 637, a much better gun. The BG 38 was the easiest gun to shoot with +P of my 4 J frames if you call the BG 38 a J frame. It was easier on the hands than model 36 in a direct comparison.

Enjoy your gun and shoot the heck out of it!

I don't shoot 100 rounds a week out of my 637, but do shoot it every week.

David

 

[Gearhead Jim]

I carry a 340PD every day in my front pocket, loaded wit Speer 135 gr +P. Original Hogue "Bantam" grips.

Practice can be a bitch, and I think it would be easy to have permanent hand damage after a while.

My solution:
Most of my practice is with a S&W 43-C, same as the 340 but in .22 LR. Cheap and easy on the hand.
A moderate amount of practice is with 130 gr FMJ from Win, Fed, or PMC. Enough recoil to sting and require a firm grip, but no injuries after 50 rds.
A small amount of practice is with the Speer 135, but usually only 10 rds at a time at the end of a session.

A firm grip is mandatory for both control and for minimal pain. I use a foam rubber (no coiled steel springs) grip exerciser, twice per day. That helps a lot.

That's what works for me, YMMV.

 

[skud_dusty]

This was the post that made me end up with a 642:

Project: Break my J frame.

He's just recently (4/6) broke the 5k round mark. Another poster in the same thread broke 2k with his 637. I highly doubt one could wear out a modern j-frame aside from flat out abuse. If you do, I'm sure S&W would gladly fix what's wrong with it.

 

[sac-gunslinger]

I have a 642 for everyday carry. I load it with a standard pressure load. I have carried my airweights that way since the late 70's. Maintaining control of your gun so you hit your target is what counts. Flinching every time you pull the trigger is not good control. I use Hogue grips and they afford comfort and control.

Many shooters practice with heavier guns regularly then run a cylinder full through the airweights every month or so for familiarity. Although I have never heard of an airweight wearing out.

 

[S&W Fan]

Well since we're dragging up a 5 yr old thread I'll play too haha. For me the air weights (I recently got a 442) fall into that "carry a lot, shoot a little" category.

I carry mine with the Gold Dot 135gr load designed for short barrels. I don't shoot more than 50 rds through mine when I hit the range. Those rounds though are run in drills simulating as much as possible a real world situation.

My range has targets that can turn and run on timers so I start at 5 feet and go out to 15. So for me I practice self defense use with my 442, have others I use for longer, more fun range time.

 

[Rex Goliath]

I have a 637. It has had a few hundred rounds through it, some really +P 110 grain and some 158 +P. The rest are standard pressure 150 to 168 grain lead. NO signs of loosening up.

The stock grip that came with the gun is perfect for me and I have big hands. It just fits me. Last night I bought a CT 105 grip and installed it. Shooting the gun today, so far I much prefer the stock grip, so I will no better this afternoon.

I HAD a BG 38 for a few months. It got loose really fast. I sent it in, they replaced the cylinder on warranty. It loosened up again in a few hundred rounds so I traded it for the 637, a much better gun. The BG 38 was the easiest gun to shoot with +P of my 4 J frames if you call the BG 38 a J frame. It was easier on the hands than model 36 in a direct comparison.

Enjoy your gun and shoot the heck out of it!

I don't shoot 100 rounds a week out of my 637, but do shoot it every week.

David

Sent Using Tapatalk

 

[skrazo]

Rex: Thanks for the 'recoil anticipation chart'. I saved it for future reference...........James

 

[Rex Goliath]

Your welcome James.
I use it regularly.

I posted one of my own targets on the thread Getting accurate with Airweights.


Sent Using Tapatalk

 

[unclejhim]

I just joined the J-frame club yesterday. Picked up a used/virtually new 637, only had 20 rnds. thru it. Fella bought it for his wife and she didn't like it.
Question I have is. Does anybody have a hand load using power pistol and 158 gr. jhp.? This is the only pistol powder I have and pistol power remains hard to find. I have a bunch of the 158 gr, bullets so I'd like to try them.
All input is welcome.

 

[S&W Rover]

I just joined the J-frame club yesterday. Picked up a used/virtually new 637, only had 20 rnds. thru it. Fella bought it for his wife and she didn't like it.
Question I have is. Does anybody have a hand load using power pistol and 158 gr. jhp.? This is the only pistol powder I have and pistol power remains hard to find. I have a bunch of the 158 gr, bullets so I'd like to try them.
All input is welcome.

I'm on the same quest. Working on the theory that a lighter bullet (all other things being equal) generates less recoil to achieve the same velocity as a heavier bullet, so am leaning towards 125 Grain JHPs (just bought 100 Hornady XTPs from Midway). I have five or six .75 lbs bottles of Trail Boss so will start with that. IMR's web page mentions a 3.0 grain start load. I'm looking for a practice round that will be tolerable to shoot 25-30 times, followed by five +P rounds to finish off a practice session.

 

[stantheman86]

My Dads vintage Airweight Bodyguard with stock panels is no fun to shoot with anything , it's a carry gun for sure, not a range gun.

Lots of people buy new Airweights because of the price and then realize they are painful to shoot....

 

[wrangler5]

My Dads vintage Airweight Bodyguard with stock panels is no fun to shoot with anything , it's a carry gun for sure, not a range gun.

Lots of people buy new Airweights because of the price and then realize they are painful to shoot....

Factory stock grip panels are probably chosen for small size and low cost, which are not the characteristics one usually puts at the top of the list when searching for comfortable-to-shoot-with grips.

While an airweight J will almost never be as comfortable to shoot as a steel K or L frame using the same ammo, regardless of the grip chosen, there are so many (relatively) comfortable J frame grip options that there's little excuse for not practicing a fair bit with one. Even expensive grips only cost a few boxes of ammo