New Backup, 640 .38 Sp.

[bcj128]

I am heading back to patrol from a 4-year rotation in Detectives. I needed another revolver for a backup and found something on the internet that fit the bill. A gently used 640 in .38 special, it's just like the one I bought as I came out of the academy almost 20 years ago. (no magnum, no dash, no lock...just stainless steel goodness.)

I'm going to clean it up a little, but leave it pretty much stock. Trigger is sweet, and there does not seem to be much wear or any flame cutting. Timing feels solid as well.

So, are there any other owners of the old 640 .38's? What say you of these little pistols.

 

[luis]

I love mine (no dash) and I have never had a problem with it. The only thing I changed was to slightly larger grips.

 

[valkyriekl]

I like my 640 no-dash a lot. It had a bit of character when I bought it, and it's taken on a bit more since it's become my primary CCW. It came wearing a set of real S&W J-frame smooth Magna grips; with the addition of a Tyler T-grip, it is perfect.

 

[Club Gun Fan]

I carry a 640, in .357 Mag, as a backup.
I hate ankle holsters, chased a perp and kicked my backup into the bushes! Perp laughed so hard he stopped running. I told him upon capture "I meant to do that."

 

[st regis]

My back-up is an older 640 as well....one of the CEN serial numbered guns...loaded with the 158 L SWCHP +Ps

 

[otis24]

I have a magnum that I love, but would prefer to own a .38 spcl like yours. I think it would be a great concealed carry/pocket carry revolver.

 

[younggun456]

I have a 640-1 that I carry sometimes and I love it.

 

[cg267]

I love my no dash 640 as well. The only change to mine has been the grips.

 

[HEADKNOCKER]

Congrats The 640 should serve you well..
Hope you never have to use it..

I don't have a 640 but my 940 is very close..
The solid weight of them makes them a joy to shoot..
Gary/Hk

 

[PMRet]

My back-up is an older 640 as well....one of the CEN serial numbered guns...

Same here.

 

[NZshooter]

Got a 640 Carry Comp... love it. IIRC, it was made in '93, not sure if that qualifies as "old."

 

[TNDave]

I carry this one every day in a Kramer pocket holster. It is a little heavier than an AirWeight but it shoots like a K frame. The 38 Special 640 is the best of the centennial breed.

 

[linde]

Never cared much for the safety hammerless variety but truly enjoy the redesigned model 640 Centennial in 38 Special.

Had Ray at Lobo Gun Leather make me one of his enhanced pancake holsters. If you have the luxury of OWB carry they are so comfortable you truly don't know it's there.

Liked the 640 so much I have one in a 3" heavy barrel as well as the 2" standard.

Russ

 

[Speedo2]

Here's mine; an occasional carry, mostly in an ankle-holster during the colder months. Fortunately, I do a lot more sitting than running these days, so very little danger of it getting kicked into some bushes. Added the CT's, but it was pretty darned nice as it came originally. I think that a 640 in 357 mag would be a bit much to handle; 38-spl is just about perfect for a j-frame, IMHO. -S2

 

[semperfi71]

If'n I was going to carry concealed I suspect the M640 would be one of the best.

 

[silvercn]

WOW I have never been a revolver guy... those are sweet little guns!!!
I can see myself carrying one of those... now to convince the wife.
yea right 2 guns in 1 year.... i am already on thin ice....

 

[edw794]

CEN serial number model 640 38. special. purchased new in the early 1990's and hardly fired. a pair of spegel panama cocobolo boot grips is on the gun. sorry for the dark pics as i should have waited until daylight.

 

[JamesArthur60]

640-1 conceal carry here because I like the magnum option. Never handled the .38 only 640 model. I wonder how much they vary in weight?

 

[valkyriekl]

640-1 conceal carry here because I like the magnum option. Never handled the .38 only 640 model. I wonder how much they vary in weight?

A little bit; the 640-1 and later are built on the slightly longer J-Magnum frame and have a shroud over the ejector rod. These two would make the .357 Magnum-firing 640s a tad bit heavier, though probably not noticeably so, since they're all full-steel.

 

[Gearhead Jim]

Couple of years ago i weighed my guns on an electronic scale, all guns had the Hogue Bantam lightweight rubber grips, no ammo:

340PD: 11.3 oz
340 M&P: 13.3 oz
640 no dash: 20.7 oz
640-3: 21.6 oz

For me, I don't even notice the 340PD in my pocket. But the 640 no dash feels like a brick when I'm standing still, like an angry tomcat trying to escape from my pocket when i run. I'm hard pressed to tell the difference between the 640 and the 640-3 in my pocket. For me, the steel guns are not pocket guns. Great to shoot, though.