New used revolver day: 637

[ABPOS]

Sooooo.... While my 442 is back at the mothership I decided I couldn't live without a carry j frame and found one at the gun store 5 minutes from my house.

I paid $350. Maybe that's high, but around here it doesn't seem like it. It's dated 2017.

First I'll say the things I don't like about it. After shooting 60 rounds it got all tight and sounded like it was all dry. I took it home and opened it up and cleaned it and now it's back to what it was. I think it just needed a cleaning and some clp in the guts.

I prefer the darker frames for looking at the sights. This one feels like they were harder to get a crisp front sight. Strangely though I had white paint on the front sight of my 442. But I still feel like I saw it all better. But whatever. I was indoors and I always see the sights better outdoors. So I'll have to see what I think of them outside. I might prefer them outside. They are lighter and easier to pick up I think. Just harder to make the front sight crisp.

Shell casings from spent rounds seemed to be more sticky in the cylinder than my 442.

It didn't seem to like Remington 130 grain UMC. I was not good at all with it.

BUT, I had some 158 grain LRN and it seemed to like those a lot more. I think I shot it a hair better than the last time I shot my 442. And this gun was just with the factory boot grips. Whereas my 442 has hogue tamers on it.

The trigger "feels" light but when I test it with my scale it is 13# plus. But once it gets moving it feels light. It feels lighter than my 442 but my gauge is telling me it's not. So..... I shot it well enough that I don't mind.

All shooting was double action. I did not shoot 1 round single action. The guy in the lane next to me did though. LOL. I let him shoot 5 rounds because he was looking at buying this gun before I came in.

I noticed a few times the takedown lever seemed sticky. But I think it just needs some working in. I don't think it had a lot of rounds through it yet. But not really sure.

It needs a 6 oclock hold with the 158 grainers but the 130's not so much. But I'll be sticking with 158 for this gun. My 442 liked the 130 grainers better.

So I bought some Hornady Custom XTP 158's to carry in this gun.

I put the pachmyr grips on it for now once I got it home because they feel good. But I'll be looking for a replacement. I tried to get my LGS to swap the rubber factory combat grips they had on a 640 over to my gun but they wouldn't. The factory shows them out of stock. The pachmyrs print easier and for summer I'm not going to like them. The boot grips weren't bad. But I do have to adjust grip sometimes from it moving. Not all the time but sometimes.

I shot my 6" Model 19 after I was done shooting the 637 and it felt like I was shooting a Cadillac. LOL. I shot it really fast at 7 yards and was fairly accurate with it. I'm not sure I was that much more accurate at 25 yards though. But I shot the 637 fast at 7 yards and I really didn't do bad at all with it that way.

Strange thing about the 19 is it favors the lighter grained rounds. Seems to like 130's but not the 158's.

 

[GeoJelly]

Good looking revolver and good pictures, sir. I feel your pain with trying to locate better grips - in my case for a newly-acquired 642. I also found the rubber combats out of stock at S&W. I put a want to buy up here yesterday and found several people still have the (better in my opinion) Uncle Mike's rubber combats sitting around. I do like the S&W logo on their 'banana' rubber grips but the UM's just feel better. Edited to add - the standard/stock rubber boot grips are near worthless for me.

 

[ABPOS]

Ooooo, do you have any names of people that had any UM's? I'd be interested in buying some.

My inbox is full here so you could email me at [email protected] if you have any info.....

Thank you for the compliments. How do you like your 642?

 

[yep380]

Nice pickup. That'll do ya! Congrats on the nice jframe. Be a great backup for ya.

 

[max503]

My 638 cost $50 more, new. What's wrong with those grips? I love the stock grips on the 638.
Those little airweight Smith's shoot like target revolvers if you can hold them. They're amazing accuracy-wise.

 

[ABPOS]

The boot grips on the J frames are just a bit too small for me to get a tight grip on the gun during recoil. Plus, my right thumb gets in the way of my trigger finger sometimes. So when I use the boot grips I actually wraps 3 or 4 fat rubber bands around it to give my right thumb some room.

The pachmyr grips I have on there are kind of big and print easier than other grips. I really want to try the factory combat grips. I think they're a hair smaller than Hogue Tamers which are smaller than the pachmyrs.

I feel like there is a lack of "in between" size grips when it comes to J frames.

The Pachmyrs FEEL really good though. I didn't shoot my 442 very well with them on though. But I may have just been having a bad day. Cuz I only shot with them once on my 442. I'll try them on this gun, but I'm likely going to find something else. I should probably just put the factory boot grips on because I shot well with them. I don't draw as well with them though either.

 

[shouldazagged]

I've pocket-carried a J-frame with Pachmayr Compacs for nineteen years without anyone but one cop noticing. The cop just nodded, because I'm old and look like easy pickings.

I think concern about printing is overworked. Few people pay that much attention unless you're carrying OWB and your cover garment slips. The 642 and 637 are ideal pocket guns. Most passersby will be too engrossed in their errands and/or smart phones to look at your pockets, and a lump in your strong side front pocket could be a pair of socks or some rolled-up Slim Jims.

I don't worry about it.

The Pachmayr's aren't pretty, but they are wonderful to shoot with.

 

[haywood]

I use Pachmayr Compacts and Hogue Tamers on my 442s for shooting. I like the Boot Grips for my pocket. I switch them around depending on what gun I carry in the pocket and waist. Lately the Pachmayr Compacts are on my Bobbed 37 in my waist and a 442 with Uncle Mikes Boots is in my pocket. These are the carry guns I rotate.

 

[JimCunn]

I like the 637-2 well enough that I have 3 of them.
I like the feel of the Altamont combat grips.
I converted all three to titanium 9mm cylinders and shoot 147gr JHP.
Triggers are very smooth, averaging 4 lbs DA and 1.5 lbs SA.

 

[ABPOS]

I've pocket-carried a J-frame with Pachmayr Compacs for nineteen years without anyone but one cop noticing. The cop just nodded, because I'm old and look like easy pickings.

I think concern about printing is overworked. Few people pay that much attention unless you're carrying OWB and your cover garment slips. The 642 and 637 are ideal pocket guns. Most passersby will be too engrossed in their errands and/or smart phones to look at your pockets, and a lump in your strong side front pocket could be a pair of socks or some rolled-up Slim Jims.


I don't worry about it.

The Pachmayr's aren't pretty, but they are wonderful to shoot with.

I hear ya. For some reason that lump in my gut annoys me though. I carry AIWB. I don't really plan to carry another way. I have a tuckable holster that works well enough for church and a regular Galco for when I don't tuck. And to me this is the ideal way to carry. Especially a snubby.

But there may be times I want to carry 2 guns and I might leave one with boot grips to put in the pocket. My issue is I usually have so many things that need to go in my pockets, I have to put that stuff somewhere else when I do pocket carry.

I think I'll try the pachmyrs again next time I go to the range. But I really think I'd like the factory rubber combats. I have handled them and they feel just right. But then again, the pachmyrs feel good too. But the factory combats are definitely thinner.

I do believe hogue makes tamers for the hammered frames too. So I probably would be good with them since I like them on my 442. Other then the fact that when I use those the thumbpiece bangs up my thumb pretty good. So then I filed down the thumpiece. But I think the fact that your hand is a bit lower on the hammered frames might mitigate that happening.

The primer strikes were definitely deeper than the 442's and I think that was because the hammer stud pin was either busted or not quite right. Which is why it went back. It completely sheered off when I took it apart. So I'm happy with these primer strikes on the 637 and they seem more centered too.

.

 

[ABPOS]

4 pounds for a DA trigger? Wow. Too light for me. I don't even like my Single action guns that light.

 

[JimCunn]

To each his own. I like SA triggers to be between 1.5 and 2.0 pounds.

 

[Valmet]

Congrats OP- one can never have too many J-frames.

 

[Bill In Texas]

Congratulations ABPOS! I hope you like your 637 as much as I like mine. I think we may be in the minority. Most folks go with the 642. For my hand the UM's are the way to go. Does a good job with the recoil and just wide enough to fit my hand well.

 

[ShivasIrons]

I carry a 637. I love the Pachmayr Compacs as well, but find them too big for pocket carry. I use the Compac Pro and really like them. They are my favorite J Frame Grip for concealability.

 

[ABPOS]

Congratulations ABPOS! I hope you like your 637 as much as I like mine. I think we may be in the minority. Most folks go with the 642. For my hand the UM's are the way to go. Does a good job with the recoil and just wide enough to fit my hand well.

I can't really explain it but I like having the hammer a lot. I like it for holstering. I think there is a chance it may aid in harder primer strikes. I also think it looks better. LOL. Why? Not sure. I guess I just feel like a revolver looks better with a hammer. And honestly, if you had to try to take a longer shot and be real accurate, I don't see the harm. I just haven't planned on really practicing that way yet. I'm trying to get better at double action.

But yes, I can say so far I actually prefer it. I was a little worried about the fact that it's a hair lighter than the 442 (probably not enough to matter) and your hand is a bit lower on the frame. I thought that would create more felt recoil or muzzle rise. And maybe it did but I didn't really feel like it did. It felt pretty much the same to me. And actually I prefer the lower position because then my right thumb isn't getting dinged by the thumbpiece and drawing blood.

A nice gentlemen on this forum said he was sending me some old beat up Uncle Mikes, the combat style. I will try them out. I might by the Hogue tamer type for hammered guns. I saw them on midway. Or somewhere. Not sure what I'll like better. I'm thinking about getting the purple or pink ones because I have a daughter that likes to shoot with me and this might coax her into shooting a centerfire revolver. She has only shot .22 and is worried about the recoil. Which I can see but I was thinking about picking up some of those half sized .38 rounds for her.

 

[ABPOS]

 

[dr. mordo]

Nice pic! Those are the grips I have on my 637 PC, and I love them. I pulled off the Altamont wood grips that came on it and traded them off.

 

[ABPOS]

They fit my hand pretty well too.

Thank you about the photo.

 

[Bill In Texas]

The rubber bands work pretty well. I've done that before, I think with the same grips. Also, with a little sanding, that left side grip can be made to accommodate a speedloader.