Opinions on the S&W Model 649 .357 magnum revolver

[mg357]

I'm looking for opinions about the S&W Model 649 .357 magnum revolver.
I want to hear everything you have to say about this revolver good bad and ugly. please don't hold anything back and please don't sugar coat it either.

 

[kaaskop49]

If you are looking for a close-range, self-defense revolver in .357 with a steel frame, it is hard to do better. It will serve admirably either in IWB and OWB carry. IMO, it is too heavy for pocket carry, although it could do so in a pinch.

The steel frame allows one to use .357 loads in relative comfort. Please note I said "relative." It can be a handful and requires dedicated practice to master. While some may disagree, I believe this gun should be fired with Magnum ammunition, although it can fire .38 Special loads. If you are going to limit yourself to .38 ammo for carry, one of the lighter aluminum frame guns in this caliber (M-638) will serve you better.

It has the round-butt (RB) grip frame, for which there are many different grips available, both rubber and wood. I have it's stainless steel "sister," the Model 60 LadySmith, and I have found nothing to complain about.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[DCWilson]

Terrific revolver. You either like the shape or you don't. I do.

.357 can be a slammin' load in a J-frame, but if you have arms like Popeye the muscle mass will probably help you with muzzle rise. You can of course shoot .38 Special loads for a less bruising experience. Or you can get some variety of big hand-filling rubber grips that will give you something to hang on to even as they tame recoil.

These aren't target revolvers, but sights should still be considered. I found the standard ribbed ramp hopeless even when I brightened it with color or liquid paper. I eventually swapped out the factory ramp for a Tritium Big Dot. Couldn't be happier.

The stocks on this one are aftermarket ebony. I got them several years ago when I wanted to dress the gun up. Shooting it led me to think that I probably needed a grip configuration that was a little shorter but thicker, with huge palm swell on either side. I would add some wood up front, too, so that my middle finger landed more underneath the rear of the trigger guard rather than behind it. If you ever look at the way guys with big hands hold small-frame revolvers, you will see them often wrap their ring and little fingers around the grip, then fold their middle finger over the ring finger in a way the keeps it out under the middle of the trigger guard. That strikes me as an accommodation that should never, ever be necessary. If your hand can't grip the gun comfortably, the stocks aren't right.

 

[Macinaw]

J frames I currently have: M&P 340; 340 PD; 632 Pro and 63 .

My next J frame will be a Model 649!

 

[pmosley]

One might be better served by a factory DAO SP101.

I had a 640-1 - my teeth felt like a tuning fork after shooting a cylinder full of 357 in it.

 

[S&W Rover]

I've got its brother, the 640, with the same 2.125" barrel. That extra quarter inch of barrel over the 442/642 helps the .357 round along a little bit, but these guns still don't get the full measure from the .357 round -- and thus there tends to be a lot of blast in that caliber.

If you like J frames, the 640 and 649 are great exemplars of the type. At 23 ounces, they are heavier than the 15 ounce 442/642, and that dampens recoil a bit. That extra weight can make them a little heavy for pocket carry -- something to consider.

The hammer on the 649 gives you SA, which is missing from the 640 (and 442/642). Some will argue the SA capability of the 649 is wasted in a gun intended for close-in use, but it might be of value in some situations.

I've always wondered if the 649 accumulates dirt and pocket lint in the open channel above the hammer. Someone who has one might comment.

And the 649 is iconic -- it was shown in perhaps the most famous picture of the Vietnam war, in which General Loan used one to shoot a Viet Cong prisoner who had just butchered the family of one of Loan's officers (Feb. 1, 1968). That picture did a lot to discredit the South Vietnamese, our allies, although summary execution of an illegal combatant is allowed by the Geneva Convention (but that's another story for another thread).
Saigon execution: Murder of a Vietcong by Saigon Police Chief, 1968 Opinions on its appearance (the hump) varies, I guess, but I'd take one in a minute.

 

[smithman 10]

Buddy of mine has a 649. We each fired 5 rounds of .357 through it about 10 years ago.

.38 Special is all it's seen ever since! It may weigh 23 ounces but full power .357 will beat up your hand.

 

[SmithMarine]

I'm a big guy, 6'4" and 300#. I carry it n a front jean pocket in a Galco horsehide pocket holster no problem. I prefer it to my 638 because weight handles recoil better. My carry ammo is Winchester Silvertip 145 gr HP .357mag. It cronos out of my gun at average exact 1100 fps. I use a Altmont wood checkered longer grip. Recoil not a problem for me. Have carried for a living since 1980 so guess just a recoil gluten. It actually pocket carries better than a 640 or 642 because the hump makes it stand upright in the pocket better without rocking forward. the hump also helps in control with both 649 and 638 because you can ride up on the grip higher and the gun does not roll back as easy with the hump there. Hey if I have to use it under stress, I'm worried about control, not a recoil ouchy. I know from experience, when you have a gun pointed at you, your not worried about a sore hand.

 

[CoMF]

To tell you the truth, my Magnum Bodyguard has kind of grown on me. It has a rather pleasing heft and balance to it compared to the more muzzle-light .38-only J's, but is a bit on the heavy side for pocket carry. I'd opine that it truly finds its calling as a "belt gun." An added plus is that the front sight is pinned in place and, thus, can be changed to something more to your liking.

As far as minuses go, it has the same stiff, short trigger stroke inherent to all J-frames that requires lots of practice to master. The added weight is also not as much of a benefit when firing magnum loads. I stick to shooting .38 Special +P in mine.

Here's my personally owned 649-3. I bought it with the SDM hood ornament already installed and replaced the factory Uncle Mike's combats with Delta Ergo stocks. It's a J-frame only a mother could love, but it points like second nature.

 

[wrangler5]

I'm old and my wrists took too many 44 Magnums when I was younger, so I only fired one (1) 357 round out of my 649 - just to say I'd done it. Even with a Pachmayr Decelerator grip and a shooting glove - it still hurts. It became a 38 Special-only gun thereafter.

I too like the humpbacks. I use 'em single action when I want to knock down steel plates beyond 25 yards - they're amazingly accurate once you figure out where to hold the sights. And I prefer the steel guns over the lightweights because they're easier to shoot during long range sessions. I only belt carry, so the extra ounces don't bother me. And I prefer the magnum models for the 1/4 inch longer ejector rod, which I think gives slightly better extraction of 38 Special cases (it almost pulls 'em all the way out.)

I've never had a problem with crud accumulating in the hammer cutout to any distressing extent. That space does accumulate dust/fibers from cover garments, but you just blow it out occasionally - it's a cosmetic, not a mechanical, problem. And you can NOT fit a dime behind the hammer in any way that it will get wedged in place and block the action, so if you've heard that myth you can disregard it.

 

[STCM(SW)]

I have an older M49 with T grip. +P 38's are more then enough for me and only CC in a IWB holster.



For pocket carry in the summer, It's my M638 with grips I can control it with and it is right on.

 

[kaaskop49]

I have an older M49 with T grip. +P 38's are more then enough for me and only CC in a IWB holster.



For pocket carry in the summer, It's my M638 with grips I can control it with and it is right on.

Is this cool or what? One Bodyguard for the winter and a second for the summer! I like the way this poster thinks. Your J-hound membership card is on the way.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

P.S. Wish they would make a 338 lightweight, in .357. Hot dog!

 

[Shorty 45 MK2]

If I was to own only one J frame it would be a 649 in .357 as it covers the most bases, granted a 640 in .357 is a very close second.

Steel J's can be pocket carried but tend to be the upper limit of what most like. (The Airweight's are nicer for that.) Super easy for a IWB gun though.

 

[Old cop]

Mine is a Model 38 flat latch from around 1962. I got it second hand in the early '70s as a back up to my duty Model 15 four inch. It still gets carried and shot often, great little self defense weapons. As to a J frame magnum, steel or otherwise, it's just too much for me to get accurate follow up shots with, but maybe I'm getting old.

 

[kaaskop49]

Mine is a Model 38 flat latch from around 1962. I got it second hand in the early '70s as a back up to my duty Model 15 four inch. It still gets carried and shot often, great little self defense weapons. As to a J frame magnum, steel or otherwise, it's just too much for me to get accurate follow up shots with, but maybe I'm getting old.

No, that's not it. When you use a certain item for literally decades, whether it be a BUG, a pocket knife, a wallet, a watch, an old jacket, etc., it is no longer an object; it becomes, in effect, a friend. In slang terms, you're going home with the person you brought to the dance. Getting uglier out there. Retired or active, stay safe, partner.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[ridgewalker]

I'm looking for opinions about the S&W Model 649 .357 magnum revolver.
I want to hear everything you have to say about this revolver good bad and ugly. please don't hold anything back and please don't sugar coat it either.

Somethings to add to the good info already provided by others:

When I shot my 649 head to head against my 60 with 3 inch barrel, the 649 was more accurate. I sure didn't expect that. Mine has a pretty nice trigger. Maybe there is something with the internal geometry of the shrouded hammer that contributes to this.

It's a cool classic gun with a cool name, Bodyguard. I'm still mad at S&W for recycling its name to the polymer aberration it came out with more recently.

Pocket carry. Really? Anything heavier than an Airweight and my pants are slipping down to my feet. No one wears suspenders around here and I don't want to be a fashion setter. Maybe you young bucks with slim waists can keep your pants from sliding down but you more mature guys have to tell me your secret.

I always shoot it DA. Sure it is SA capable but what would be the point.

I like the way it looks.

 

[Rick_A]

I'm a fan. Mine's a 2013. The double action is smooth, the single is a crisp 3lbs, and it shoots directly to point of aim.

I use it as an IWB and occasional pocket carry.

The ugly grip makes it comfortable to shoot and carry. My current load is 125gr Magnums though I'll probably try 158's next time around.

20150312_104857 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr

It's always partnered up with this little guy and both are capable of decent shooting at speed.
20150901_103050_LLS by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr

 

[claudel]

I like mine although as I get older it seems to get bigger & heavier in the pocket.

It shoots straight & just works ( even though it's not an Apple :^) )

Old eyes like the Big Dot, even without glasses...

I shoot an occasional cyl of .357 but generally keep it loaded with BB Low Flash .38,
mainly because I don't want to destroy what remains of my hearing if I need to use it without ear protection...