Guidance & Questions new 642/owner

[Samuel P. Morris]

Hello Folks,

Let me start off by saying in advance thank you for any tips and advice.

OK, just got home with my brand new 642, have never own a Smith & Wesson, own a Ruger LCR but sold it and was all set to make the leap to a semi-automatic, in fact I ordered one, but today but when I got to the store after they called me yesterday to come and pick it up I panic and refused delivery. I'm a revolver man and I just did not feel right about learning to run another platform. There are some things that scare me about a semi-automatic and I simply do not feel comfortable. Told the store ship it back.

Drove towards home and stop at another place I've dealt with before and bought my revolver. And I'm feeling safe & secure and very comfortable.
I just got done registering it over at the S&W new gun registration site.

The question I have is, on page 19 of the instruction manual you'll note how they hold the revolver. The picture on the left is how the NRA taught me. Is my hold correct ?

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And finally do I need to periodically check the side plate screws for looseness ?

 

[ginzo]

That's how I hold my J-frames, and it wouldn't hurt to check the screws periodically. (Never been an issue on my 2). Use the PROPER hollow ground screwdrivers ONLY. Also under the top strap near the forcing cone check for any cracks. Rare, very rare, but it can happen.

The biggest issue you may have is bullet "jump". If you don't know, that is usually the last bullet, (#5 or 6) depending on revolver, will jump forward, not completely out of it's casing because of recoil. Crimp is the issue. Some ammo does it, most doesn't, so shoot 4 rounds, take the last 1 out and check, if all looks well then keep going, if it is loose or forward of the crimp, then avoid that brand of ammo.

That's it!! Enjoy, the 642 is a nice platform.

HEY, welcome to the forum, you picked a good one. I'm just a newb myself, A LOT of knowledge here.

BTW, I think that's a Ruger in the picture, an GP100 high back, am I correct?

Lastly, don't be anxious about auto loaders, started with them, THEN went revo. I'd bet my life on it......... the M&P line are VERY dependable.

 

[transit]

You look good to me.

I might try to get that backstrap the tiniest bit deeper into the web of my hand, so that you don't see any of the black rubber stocks. This is easier to do with the Centennial than with an exposed-hammer revolver.

Figure 11 looks fine. Figure 12's "teacup" grip is a bit old-fashioned, but what the hey? If it feels good do it.

The other two seem (properly) concerned with keeping the shooter's fingers away from the front of the cylinder and finding out that Mythbusters was right.

Congrats on your new wheelgun.

 

[Decker]

Your grip, being very close to that shown in Pic #11, is good.

Just note that the reason that the two hand holds that are X'd out is because they put part of the left hand or finger right alongside the front of the cylinder.
When you fire, the blast can/will emanate to the side and do some nasty stuff to any flesh that straight out from and close to the front of the cylinder.

On the other hand, I view that the likely use of a J-frame in real world defensive use would more likely be done by holding it with just one hand.
It is very likely that a person wouldn't even have time to acquire a two hand hold before needing to pull the trigger, so one of the ways that I train is to fire the moment I clear the holster and while the revolver is still at my side, that is, at the soonest split second that I am certain that I have rotated the barrel forward and aimed at the COM target.
I continue to fire AS I bring the pistol more forward and in line with what you normally imagine to be a "conventionally" held weapon where it is out in front of you and you are sighting it as you normally would.
By the time I get it up to my line of sight aiming, I want 3 rounds already in the COM with a slight pause before firing the last two in a more accurate way, but still, without taking the time to acquire a two hand hold.

Yes, those first three are not "aimed" shots, but they sort of are if you train for it.
Keep in mind that a typical defensive shooting will take place within a few feet, so "aiming" isn't as difficult as you might think it would be.
I is likely that it will be much more important to get off those first three shots at least somewhere into the COM of the bad guy rather than to give the bad guy the split second he would need to unload into you that you could give him while you try to acquire a "pretty" two hand hold.

Naturally, I'm talking about real, "life-in-the-balance combat" here, not leisurely range practice.

 

[ContinentalOp]

The nice thing about Centennials is you can grip higher on the backstrap which helps with recoil control during rapid fire.

The grip shown in the left picture is similar to how I grip my 642-1. The only difference is that I put the pad of my left thumb on top of the joint of my right thumb; it looks like my thumbs cross at the joints. A potential problem with the grip in the picture is that the left thumb may interfere with the trigger finger, depending on how you grip the gun, where you place your finger on the trigger, your hand size, and other related factors.

I do a quick daily function check on my gun at the start of the day. I check to make sure the extractor rod, cylinder release latch nut, and the screw that holds the yoke in place (I can't remember the specific name of the screw...it's the one above and forward of the trigger) are tight. I also check the bore to make sure it's unobstructed. I also make sure the screws are tight after range visits, particularly if I've shot a lot of +P ammo.

Definitely check for possible frame cracks under the forcing cone area. My gun has ~1400 rounds through it with no issues, but I still check that area. A strong light and a magnifying glass is helpful for this. It can show up on new guns, usually as the result of the barrel being overtorqued during assembly. If there is a crack, contact S&W customer service and they should take care of it for you.

 

[kthom]

For a two handed hold, you want your hands to be in the position of figure 11. I also like both thumbs down as shown. Your support hand (left?) should provide a very firm grip on your shooting hand (right) and the gun. Your right hand should have a firm grip, but less than convulsive. The left hand should allow complete control of the gun (and your right hand) thoughout the firing sequence. You should not increase your grip with your right hand as you fire, single or double action. Maintain the grip you have with pressure from front to back, not from side to side, and while doing so, manipulate your trigger finger to pull the trigger straight back (toward the hammer/backstrap). Your left hand should provide enough grip to allow you to do this without any noticeable movement of the gun in your hands and little movement of the sights on the target. Apply a slight bit of "push" forward with your right hand and arm, while slightly pulling rearward with your left. This creates a bit of tension (keep your wrists locked) to help steady the gun as you fire and it helps to allow you to hold the gun steady as you press the trigger with ever increasing pressure until the gun fires. Follow through (maintaining your grip and steady hold on the gun and allow it to recoil without breaking your wrists). Release the trigger, prepare to fire again (or not). If you are cocking the hammer for single action firing, raise the thumb of your left hand to do so while maintaining your correct grip with the right hand.

I keep my forefinger on my left hand even with the other three as they wrap around my right fingers as shown in picture 11 rather than slightly forward as shown in the picture with the Ruger. If you must twist your body to aim where you wish to hit, it's better to move your feet until your aiming point is where you want it to be while keeping your arms straight forward and the gun centered on your body, which should be leaning slightly forward with your feet about shoulder width apart, one slightly ahead of the other to provide good balance in your shooting position. If you practice this way, you will begin to assume this firing position automatically after a bit. With the gun centered on your body, you can do a pretty fair job of aiming at your target by facing it. As always, practice makes these things second nature. Just remember that you can learn a bad habit as easily as you can learn a good habit, but bad habits are difficult to overcome! Good luck!!

 

[Samuel P. Morris]

To those above who answered the call,,,Thank You.
The advice was well appreciated and all I needed.

 

[petepeterson]

To those above who answered the call,,,Thank You.
The advice was well appreciated and all I needed.

Stick around, Sam. Lots of nice folks here. Especially the ones that will talk you past your phobia of autoloaders and set you on the proper path- to full safes and poverty!

Enjoy your revolver.

 

[Samuel P. Morris]

Thanks Pete, that was too funny.
You know, it was the 3rd semi-automatic I bought this year, never fired one of them.
Thankfully this one yesterday I didn't lose any money on.

I have the desire, but it's only for quicker reloads. I simply do not trust them to go bang at the critical moment. Part of that comes from getting into firearms later than most and so I lack the confidence and have no desire to build on it because it's doubtful I would ever feel comfortable and the fact is I'd be long gone before I ever did.
This last one (3's the charm they say) is it, no more trying to kid myself. I get all excited and eager until the day I get it home, yesterday's one never even made it that far.

I will definitely be sticking around here on this forum, valuable knowledge and insight and certainly better suited to my needs than some of the gun forums I've seen around.

 

[Arik]

Thanks Pete, that was too funny.
You know, it was the 3rd semi-automatic I bought this year, never fired one of them.
Thankfully this one yesterday I didn't lose any money on.

I have the desire, but it's only for quicker reloads. I simply do not trust them to go bang at the critical moment. Part of that comes from getting into firearms later than most and so I lack the confidence and have no desire to build on it because it's doubtful I would ever feel comfortable and the fact is I'd be long gone before I ever did.
This last one (3's the charm they say) is it, no more trying to kid myself. I get all excited and eager until the day I get it home, yesterday's one never even made it that far.

I will definitely be sticking around here on this forum, valuable knowledge and insight and certainly better suited to my needs than some of the gun forums I've seen around.

Semi autos are like anything else. There are,good ones and bad ones. Generally speaking they all work when needed. If you have the desire check out some torture videos on YouTube. There is one handgun (I'm not going to mention brands so as not to start a argument) that a guy tortures to death and it just keeps on going. He dropped it out of a helicopter, buried it for weeks in mud, never cleaned it...and the thing just keeps on ticking. Another company that tests ammo sent their test gun back to the manufacturer for some new parts after 300,000 rounds.

As always, do your research and I'd suggest with an emphasis on extreme use not just "I shot 200 rounds and not one problem"