New 642 snub nose carry

[koz5614]

Cocked & Locked - How old are those Herretts? Gotta get me a set of those.

 

[ek609]

I have carried the 642 for many years and it is a perfect little self-defense gun. I carried it as a back up to my duty HK for years in an ankle holster and because of its light weight, it never came out of the holster while running. Set it up with the special S&W laser grips from Crimnson Trace and you will have a perfect little gun.

 

[exdetsgt]

When I was a deputy sheriff working on the California/Mexico border we worked many cases that required us to go into Mexicali and the Mexican cops knew who we were. Mostly they simply waved to us but on occasion they would pull us over and ask if we had any guns. We always said of course and we would reach under the seat and hand them the throw-away gun we had taken out of the pile at the office. Mostly old H&R top break revolvers, Llama 1911's that didn't work, etc.
They took whatever we had to offer, winked, and said have a nice day, and left us to continue on.

Sadly, those days are long gone.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

Cocked & Locked - How old are those Herretts? Gotta get me a set of those.

I don't know how old they are. I have three sets of them for J-frames and really like them. They are Herrett's Shooting Ace grips. I found one set on S&W forum classifieds "wanted" section. The other two I got on Ebay.

They add a little in length, cover the back strap of the frame, but they are thin and not bulky.

I think you can still order them directly from Herrett.

 

[MARSHALDILLIONDODGECITY]

I agree. I much prefer a Model 36 but they're heavy and I didn't know a 442 existed. Now I'll have to find one.

I carry a model 36 as a backup, very concealable and with the right load it is adequate. I prefer the 36 over the air weights mainly because I'm partial to it for personal reasons.

 

[exdetsgt]

Me too, when I was an LEO I initially carried an airweight lemon squeezer which hurt my hand. Finally got a Model 36 that was much nicer to the hand. A personal reason if there ever was one.

 

[jimmyshot]

Hi, I've never carried before but I'm trained and efficient with all types of guns. I chose the 642 airweight because is light and can handle +p loads. Another reason I like it is because its safe to carry in the front pocket because of the long trigger pull. Just wondering besides this being an awesome looking gun why others might choose this as their carry gun.

The .38 spl. will not always stop someone. The lightweight .357 magnum is a much better choice, and weights only 11 oz.
JS

 

[DEFENDER88]

I am S&W all the way - Carry, competiton, etc
Pistols, ARs, etc even knives.
So when it came to my wife - she cannot cycle the slide on a semi-auto so got her one of these.
Great for Purse Carry - Hammerless design better for Purse Draw. Plus heavier trigger better for Purse draw.

 

[alcycle]

Black 442 snubby

I too have a black airweight 442 for 'CC'. I use a DeSantis 02 pocket holster & have replaced the S/W grip with an ERGO grip. I also painted a 'flat neon yellow' stripe on the front ramp sight ...The 'yellow ' really helps me with aiming this revolver. It is small & powerful for carry! The only way to get any smaller is with a Beretta 22cal. Bobcat....which I own & use for 'CC' during the hot summer, when I dress very lightly....(swim suit/shorts & Tees)

 

[Jon's 500 Smith]

Greetings new 642 snub nose carry guy- I have two Smith 38 snubnoses. One pre-64, (A.K.A. "Detective Special") the other is a newer feather weight with Crimson Trace Lazer. I carry and love them both. The Featherweight is amazingly light and agile. The D.S. is solid as a rock. They have great frames and power, both are extremely accurate for snubbys and they are as simple as you can get. I have other Glocks, Smiths and a Derringer that is fun, too. Enjoy your new addition. Treat it well and it will give back all the reliability and security you could want in a carry weapon. Happy Holidays....

 

[Swengen]

I carrying my 640 Pro in a snap on OWB and never notice the weight but it makes a big difference shooting full power 357s.

Hi yankee2500, I like your 640 Pro. Will have to look into one of those. For now, my 642 or the Rohrbaugh with your magazine extension will have to do!

 

[chuckfw]

I love my little scandium Smith and Wesson 340 but I have to admit I rarely carry it because I prefer either a magnum load or the additional capacity and bullet weight of a 45. it's also nice to have more than 5 rounds available. frankly, I don't think you really get The effect of a magnum round from a barrel as short as 2 inches. carrying A good 38 special round such as the hornady Critical Duty ammunition is probably just as effective in a snub nose gun. that should start an argument or two!

No argument here, just a clarification. Hornady does not make critical duty in .38, just critical defense. Critical defense will usually do the job. A magnum round will give a little more velocity, but not enough to warrant the extra recoil, IMHO.

 

[chuckfw]

Don't have a 642 but carry the 442 daily around the place. Fits in all pockets. Heard wad cutters are good in snubbies so I've got winchester silver box 148 grain in it. Told they are good in short barrel revolvers. Any opinions or recommendations appreciated

I agree, a hard cast 148gr. wad cutter really is a very good load to carry in a snub .38. Rather than using factory wad cutters (which are usually swaged pure lead), find someone who casts and reloads the 148 wad cutters in a hard mixture and use that. Soft lead and hollow base wad cutters are ok for range practice, but slip in the solid hard cast for carry. The softer pure lead will deform easily and not penetrate as far into the vital areas that are usually desired. The wad cutter will clip tissue and leave a good blood leak hole behind it, that's good. To force the loss of blood faster, you've got to first hit them somewhere that bleeds a lot, and then maybe shoot again. Hypovolemia...blood loss shock is your goal. Please be aware though, while wad cutters are good to carry in the cylinder as a first five, do not carry them in any type of loader as they don't reload very fast because of lining up the flat nose with the cylinder holes. I recommend carrying the Hornady Critical Defense 110 +Ps as a reload option. Hope this answers your inquiry and helps some in your decision of what to carry.

 

[TNelson1]

S&W 649

Bought a 649 a few months back and love it. Perfect pocket carry, even has clip handle.

 

[snubbyfan]

Snubbbyfan, what kind of knife is that?
I like it!

It's a no name assisted opening knife I found at a Pawn Shop for $10.

 

[GCF]

Also in waistband in a Remora holster

http://smith-wessonforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=173072&stc=1&d=1415914284

Details on these grips??

 

[adams484]

Just wondering besides this being an awesome looking gun why others might choose this as their carry gun.

Personally I carry a 645 because it is heavy and big. Heavy to handle recoil and get back on target quicker. Big for the long sight radius and tighter groupings at longer ranges.

But to answer your question those little revolvers make a great backup gun and can be stuffed in places that a backup needs to go. But as a primary carry it would not be my first choice.

 

[Friggs]

Dang, I hate to see a grown man cry. After all those years of grief, and before you kick yourself one more time, you should make amends and treat yourself to another one.

I hope to. Just waiting on the money to show up from somewhere. As soon as it does I will be searching for one. Not sure if I want to go with a 637 or a 642 though. Well I have time to decide.