Model 442 - Ouch

[IslayMalt]

I bought a 442 last weekend as a secondary carry gun when I don't feel like my fullsize 1911. Took it to the range and I couldn't hit anything.... seriously. My hand ached afterwards. At least my wife can shoot it better than I can. She likes her Model 60 and so far hates 1911's; so I wanted to get something she would feel comfortable with as well.

Maybe it's the rear notch sight; I've never used one before. But it's going to take a lot of practice apparantely before I carry it.

 

[natchez]

Yes, Airweights may take some getting used to. When I first tried my 638 same result. They can hurt after about 50 rounds. If it is a new gun, try dry firing it a bunch to work in the action, and practice. You will be fine.

 

[Broker50]

I suspect it's coming from the short, light trigger of the 1911, to the longer, heavier, DA of the S&W that's causing your problem. And the weight difference isn't helping either. You're trying to manipulate a trigger that's three times the weight, on a gun that weighs 1/3 what your 1911 does. Extensive dry firing of the revolver will help more than anything.

 

[6pack]

I like your choices in ccw.

I'm waiting on some leather now for my 5" 1911 so I can do the same.

The 442 is a great carry piece in so many ways.

I must admit that I didn't like it so much after the first range session, either. I've been spoiled by single action triggers.


This little gun is short and light. A tug on the trigger can easily pull it offline.

It takes practice.

And practice.


I've adopted the practice of carrying my 442 with me every range session. I had a decent stockpile of 158gr .38spcl rounds that I'm working through now. I shoot a box each time I go to the range.

I've learned that a firm two-handed grip and a deliberate continuous pull is the way. No stacking of the trigger or any of that mess....just a firm two hand grip and deliberate pull.

Head shots at 5yds are doable with high repeatability, center mass shots are where I tend to practice, though.

I quit trying to make long distance shots with the gun as it seems more well suited for me to use as a snag-free 15oz pocket protector b-u-g or primary in warm weather.

These are guns that require some training and adjustment period. 15oz and capable of shooting a pretty decent defense load, too.

That light weight aspect is a tradeoff, of course, for felt recoil. Even under the most stout loads I've tried, this little gun is very easy to handle and follow up shots are fast. You do know you've taken on a task, though.

Shooting 50 of the 158gr loads I have is a decent workout for the gun and me. There is no pain, it's just 10 cylinders is enough to reach the point where further shooting doesn't yield any better results during that session.


5yds, center mass, rapid follow-up shots, extremely easy to carry and conceal, well built, sweet looking (in my eyes, anyway), highly affordable........what's not to love????

 

[IslayMalt]

Thanks. I figured dry firing would help; maybe with a dime or penny balanced on the top somewhere.

All I could find in the way of speedloaders were HKS. Another member mentioned using Safariland. Not sure how much the difference is diameter-wise. It seems like the HKS' require wedging to get them to line up. Not in the least bit smooth. Maybe I'm too used to magazines. I have a couple of speedstrips which I will try. I'm not sure how well they will work with being a lefty though.

And I picked up a Safariland IWB holster for it... single clip. Between the cylinder and clip it was at least an inch thicker than what I'm used to. Guess I'll have to start spending money on various rigs for this gun. It appears like it would make a decent cross-draw gun. Using my left hand makes that a lot better choice when I'm in the car.

But overall I'm happy with the choice. I think it's going to serve my needs well. If not, then I'll give it to my wife; but she won't carry until Prada starts making carry bags

 

[bobandmikako]

When I first got my 642, I would shoot way left no matter what I did. I stumbled across a video which showed different types of revolver grips, including one specifically for the J-Frame where the thumb of the non-firing hand is placed over the firing hand at the base of the thumb high on the backstrap. I tried it, and it made a world of difference for me. Check out the video (he talks about the J Frame grip about 2 minutes in): Jerry Miculek - Revolver Grip | MyOutdoorTV.com

Bob

 

[scooter123]

I understand your pain. When I first got my CPL many advised that the 442 was a superb choice for carry. So, I rented one at a local range to try out. Thirty rounds had my right wrist so badly "tweaked" that I had to start the car left handed for a week. Age, a slight case of tunnel carpal, and perhaps a touch of arthrytis at the base of the thumb has left me a bit sensitive to recoil. It also didn't help that the grips are IMO "child sized".

I ended up choosing a 40 caliber Sig P239 and I haven't regretted that choice for one second. Fit's like a glove, enjoy shooting it a lot, and with 2700 rounds downrange I've not had one single malfunction with the exception of a dud primer on one round of Federal Champion.

One plus for the P239 is that it brought me back to shooting wheelguns in a roundabout manner. Decocking after every shot got to be a bit inconvenient for mastering the DA trigger on the Sig, so I purchased a 67-1 to master that skill. Now I own more wheelguns than semi's and 2/3 of my range time is devoted to wheelies. However, this time around they are considerably heavier and feature grips suited to full grown hands.

Point is, what works for someone else may NOT be a good fit for you. If you find you just can't master an alloy J frame, move on and find something that fits YOU better.

 

[Farmboy]

442

It helps if you have had double action experience. If not, dry fire until you go blind. Visualize trying to pull the front sight blade through the rear notch. Not hard to do, just takes awhile. Do not believe you have to shoot at 5 yds to hit anything. I usually end my shooting sessions with a cylinder full on a IPSC target at 50 yds. Have no problem with keeping all shots on the target with the J frames of all calibers. I carry the 442 almost daily in the summer. In my right front pants pocket. Perfect for that.

BR

 

[fonejack54]

I'm on my third J-frame (637) because of the triggers. Before I even shot the newest one I dry fired it 1000 times which helps but I went ahead and put in a 14 lb. rebound spring and polished the area where the rebound spring housing rubs the frame and now I have a nice trigger and a gun that's much easier to be accurate with. Takes about an hour and $15 for the springs shipped. Easy to do.

 

[Silver77]

I had a 442 that had a sweet trigger out of the box. Now I have a 642 for three days and I swear it has the worst pull of any gun I've ever had. An Apex XP Firing Pin kit should fix the problem.