Can my 442 Pro shoot 9mm?

[hudsonvalley]

Just wondering...my 442 Pro has the cylinder cut to accept moon clips for .38 S&W Special....with a 9mm moon clip...?(dot,dot,dot,question mark) To those that know more than me....yes or no.

 

[M2MikeGolf]

No, you would have to get the chambers re-bored as the dimensions are different and then you would not be able to fire .38 Spl through it. Some people get a new cylinder and re-bore it and then you have a convertible. Not a bad idea, got plans to do that with a Model 64 myself.

 

[SgtSam]

Do you get a additional cylinder and crane? Where do you get them? What is the approximate cost to do that. I've got a nice M64, pencil barrel, to which I wouldn't mind making this conversion. Basically, what all is entailed in doing it?

 

[snubbiefan]

I think there was some "debate" in the reloading forum concerning firing 9MM bullets (slugs) from a 38-special....as in loading the smaller diameter bullets in 38-special cases. I think the 9MM is a .356 and there were some posts that indicated it should not be done as it would lead very badly, accuracy would suffer....etc. Someone asked the question as to what the stock barrel diameter was for a convertible.....never got an answer. I would imagine it's a .357.

There never was a complete resolution of the question, but I often use 9mm slugs in my 38-special reloads because I have access to just about all the free 9mm cast bullets that I want. I don't shoot enough to really have any serious concern for leading anyway and I use them mostly for plinking.

I guess I am just tossing this in for consideration in going to the cost to "build" your own convertible.

 

[TSQUARED]

With lead bullets you can get away with using those designed for 9mm. With jacketed bullets it's iffy. Most 9mm bullets are 0.355" although some are 0.356". I loaded some 124 gr. Montana Gold JHP 0.355" in 38 Special cases and they produced 2 inch groups at 50 ft. from a S&W 327PC. The only difficulty I encountered was providing sufficient neck tension to hold the smaller diameter bullets in the 38 Special case.

 

[snubbiefan]

I don't do it as a "purposeful" effort. My neighbor cast 9mm wheel weight slugs for several of the guys around that shoot 9mm autos.....so...I just get a free handful now and then. We cast 38 slugs just as well. I had just asked the question in the reloading section of the forum and got answers that ranged from "never do it" all the way up to "sure...I do it all the time".

 

[hdguy]

With regards to building a convertible. Just how difficult is it to swap cylinders anyway. The only converibles I've ever seen has been on single action revolvers. On those it's easy, takes less than a minute. Double action I have no idea. I know that I was told elsewhere in the forum that it required precise hand fitting but it seems odd that S&W would be building pistols that were so labor intensive.

 

[snubbiefan]

I've had Smith tell me the same such things concerning cylinder changes. I've called and talked to one rep that would tell you one thing and the next time call another that insisted it had to be sent home for fitment.

It's a matter of shims in some cases, or trimming in other cases to get the end-shake set...or it may take nothing at all, but a cylinder. I don't own a convertible, but it seems to me that one could get (or fit themselves) a separate crane for it customized for that particular cylinder. Seems to me the quickest way would be to have a crane and guts set-up for each one and just swap the entire kit as opposed to having to remove the cylinder from the crane each time. That may be over kill, but if you had end-shake issues with either cylinder...that seems like what you would have to do.

 

[JJ_BPK]

Just wondering...my 442 Pro has the cylinder cut to accept moon clips for .38 S&W Special....with a 9mm moon clip...?(dot,dot,dot,question mark) To those that know more than me....yes or no.

For a cylinder..

Look for a model 940-1 9mm cylinder. Then get a competent smith to fit it. You will need a complete crane setup and the OAL of the cylinder must match the current cylinder.

Or used what you have. Your full moon clips may/should accept both 9mm & .38.

The .355 slug in a .357 cylinder and barrel is not going to offer any accuracy improvements, may lead the barrel, and you may need to set your 9mm sizing die to accept a stretched case?? but that may be incidental to the cheep shooting??

In either scenario, you may find the speed and ease of loading the shorter 9mm in the cylinder more advantages for personal defense.

My $00.0002..

 

[WC145]

The 940 cylinder won't fit, it's made for the old j-frame so it's too short. The 442 Pro is made on the j-magnum frame, it has a larger cylinder window, there'd be a huge gap between the end of the cylinder and the barrel if you tried to put a 940 cylinder in there.

 

[colt_saa]

The 940-2 was built on the J-Magnum frame

None of my 940s are the -2 engineering revision, so I am not sure if they used a longer cylinder or let the forcing cone extend farther into the window.

Mark at Pinnacle will re-chamber a 442 cylinder for you. On the 442 I would probably go 38 Super. This will allow the use of 38 Super, 9MM or 380 ACP all fired from the 9MM moon clips.

 

[WC145]

I don't know anyone that's ever seen a 940-2 or even a 940-2 cylinder.

When Pinnacle rechambers they cut them to 9x23 dimensions, you don't have any choice.