New to revolvers & just bought S&W 642- I have 1 question

[JackGordon]

I've shot semi-autos my whole life, but never revolvers. I wanted something accessible when I'm out walking & dressed like an Eskimo here in the north, something I can CC in a coat pocket holster; I don't like really small pistols like the LCP for pocket carry, a matter of personal preference. So today I bought a S&W 642 because it seems perfect for what I want. The hammer's shrouded, and thus I can't see anything...which leads to my question: What kind of built-in protection is there against an AD if the firearm is dropped? Someone told me there's a hammer block, but didn't seem to know how it worked (which led me to think perhaps he didn't really know a lot about the revolver in question!). My guess is that old hands with wheel guns know the proper answer.

 

[OKFC05]

Relax...you can throw it off the balcony onto the sidewalk and it cannot fire. You have to pull the trigger to get the hammer block out of the way on a S&W revolver. There aren't any ADs with S&W revolvers, just NDs by people who put their booger hook on the bang switch and pull.

 

[JackGordon]

Thanks

I knew someone with experience would know about this. So the 642's trigger not only cocks the hammer but at the same time lowers a physical barrier between the hammer & firing pin? That sounds pretty safe to me. I knew a gun that's been around this long had to be bug free. Thanks again.

 

[mattallamerican]

its safe as it gets

 

[quinn]

First, welcome to the forum. Second, welcome to the world of wheel guns. I hope this is the first of many for you. I might add to the above comment, the 642 is a DAO model, so you need a trigger pull to cock and remove the block. Probably some more technical explanations will be along shortly. I carry the scandium alloy version of the same gun in a Mike's pocket liner... and have for years. I can't tell you how many times I dropped the gun moving it from one place to another. No AD's.

 

[armorer951]

There is no hammer block in the 642. (or any "shrouded" hammer model) There is no pin on the rebound slide to drive a traditional, separate hammer block.

The primary safety in these shrouded j-frame revolvers is the same as it is in all of the S&W revolvers. The position of the rebound seat on the bottom of the hammer, over the hammer seat on the rebound. At rest, contact between these surfaces holds the hammer away from the firing pin, (or the hammer nose from entering the rear of the breechface) and, prevents the gun from discharging unless the trigger is pulled. No hammer block is needed in these models because of the absence of the exposed hammer spur. This is one of the many reasons why the rebound spring should not be compromised, as it has a critical role in this primary internal safety mechanism.

Photo is of the relationship of the hammer and rebound seats while the action is at rest. (k-frame in photo)

 

[deyomatic]

I have a 442... The small aluminum snubby takes a lot of patience and practice. If you lose the patience, PLEASE do not let that sour you on the revolver experience. Good luck with it.