What defense ammo are you using?
S&W Custom Shop 642 Ideas
- Thread starter TheHobbyist
- Start date
Hope the questions and concern didn't make you feel peeled; my apologies if it did.I will try to get better info before I go ahead and have the work done, and will let everyone know how it went and provide specific details and photos. Then, you can all proceed to tell me all the mistakes I made and how I should've done so and so and such and such.
If it's a useful data point for you, I pocket carry moon clips regularly and haven't had a bend yet. I agree it's a concern and check and run them regularly, but so far they've proven durable.
No problem, it's just hard for me to take advice when I don't understand what anyone is talking about.
All I know is I want my new 642's trigger to stop pinching me and be more like my LCR's.
Federal Hydrashok 110 grain. Practice mostly with WWB 130 grain FMJ.
How do those Fed's handle in a snubbie as far as recoil goes. Better then the WWB 130gr?
Well, it's good to know that they are tough. I suppose my reservation about them in that application stems from my experience with my 625. Long story, short, I ordered 100 moon clips from Old Sarge's and they wouldn't work in my gun at all. The cylinder was difficult to close and was impossible to rotate in either DA or SA mode, rendering the gun useless. I did a bit of checking and discovered that the clips from OS's were 0.050" thick. I ordered some "proper" ones, that measured 0.040" thick, from The Revolver Supply company. They work great with no problems at all.
The moral of my story is: 0.010" difference isn't much, but it made a huge difference in my gun. It wouldn't take much of a "bend" (probably not even noticeable to the naked eye) to make that little 0.010" difference in head space making the gun inoperable with the reload. I only carry one reload for my CCW revolvers, and granted, I'd probably never need it, but with my luck, if and when I ever did, that would be the one time that it had gotten tweaked just enough to tie up my gun. While the moon clips do make for slick and quick reloads, I'll trade that speed for the reliability of my speed strips, or even a speed loader. It's just an experience and personal comfort thing I guess, but if I were to carry moon clips for SD purposes I'd only do so if I had a belt mounted carrier that protected them from damage. YMMV
Less recoil and muzzle flip with the Feds. With a good grip recoil's not so bad with the WWB's either.
hotrod150
Member
Do yourself a favor and google up the "yoda trigger job" video by nutnfancy on youtube. It is kinda long but worth watching, as he video's a professional gunsmith performing a trigger job on a S&W 442.
If you have a couple tools -- properly-sized screwdriver(s), rebound slide tool, and arkansas stone-- it is a pretty easy and fun do-it-yourself project. Even if you don't want to DIY, it gives you an idea of just what is involved. Unfortunately the guy doing the filming kinda falls down on the job when the hammer & trigger are being stoned- he doesn't give you a very good view of the work, and he's running his mouth instead of letting the gunsmith describe what he's doing.
Personally I would recommend against stoning the trigger/hammer surfaces yourself anyway (unless you already know what you're doing) as it's pretty easy to goober them up, but smoothing out the rebound slide & the surrounding surfaces and installing new spring(s) is easy. I've done this plus rounded off and smoothed the narrow serated trigger on all my vintage j-frames, and bobbed the hammer on two of them. Just remember that a dremel is kinda like a loaded gun in that if you f*** up you don't get a do-over.
Dirtman
Member
My wife and I carry a 642 (hers) and a 442 (mine). The only change I made to them was putting Crimson Trace Laser grips on them. Perfect carry guns in most situations.
bostonterrier
Member
I own a 642-2 power port and a 340PD. I have had both of them worked on as far as trigger and it made a big difference. The 642-2 power port is one super little revolver. The only thing I have considered is adding a Crimson Trace. I dont know which model would be best. Essentially all you need on these little revolvers is a nice smoothed out trigger job. The trigger job on the 642-2 was done by Yoda and that should speak for itself.
what I did with mine was to change out the springs with wolf springs to lighten the pull [can't remember poundage] and put on a good set of Crimson Trace Laser grips. it was hard to put out the $$ for the grips but was well worth it. I am very happy with those mods and don't see the need for anything else.
I have a set of LG-405's on my 640-1, and a set of LG-105's on my 638. I like them. It's a personal choice thing but, having owned both, if I had it to do over again I would most likely opt for 405's on both guns.
williamlayton
Member
AHEM!!!
Just my cup of tea. Let your mind wander to what you want to look at.
New cylinder without the scallops?
Two tone?
hard Chrome and something else?
Sexy--bullish---sweet---Lordy look at some of what the custom boys offer and suggest.
I am going to have two M28's worked on this year and some of Mr Browns shoes.
I like BBQ Guns.
Make it yours.
Blessings
Just my cup of tea. Let your mind wander to what you want to look at.
New cylinder without the scallops?
Two tone?
hard Chrome and something else?
Sexy--bullish---sweet---Lordy look at some of what the custom boys offer and suggest.
I am going to have two M28's worked on this year and some of Mr Browns shoes.
I like BBQ Guns.
Make it yours.
Blessings
Agreed. The Hogue Monogrip covers the backstrap and eases the recoil some.
kilroy2721
Member
Look at Gemini Customs website https://www.geminicustoms.com/sw-revolvers/ They do very good custom work on S&W and Ruger revolvers.
642
Been carrying one for 3 years now in a DeSantis pocket holster. Only change I made was the addition of Crimson Trace lasergrips. Makes a dumb bomb into a JDAM
Been carrying one for 3 years now in a DeSantis pocket holster. Only change I made was the addition of Crimson Trace lasergrips. Makes a dumb bomb into a JDAM
superfluities
Member
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Link to trigger job video mentioned by Hotrod150.
Great video as he shows how all the triggering parts work together not just the mechanics of doing a trigger job.
S&W Airweight Trigger Job: "The Yoda G Mod" - YouTube
I looked up what it would cost to buy the tools from Brownells to do this it was within $20-$30 bucks of having it done at most places so If you only are going to do one job it really isn't worth it. I already had the Akansas stone and made the other tools and following this video I did a trigger job on my 360PD and was amazed how much smoother it was and it wasn't bad from the factory.
Great video as he shows how all the triggering parts work together not just the mechanics of doing a trigger job.
S&W Airweight Trigger Job: "The Yoda G Mod" - YouTube
I looked up what it would cost to buy the tools from Brownells to do this it was within $20-$30 bucks of having it done at most places so If you only are going to do one job it really isn't worth it. I already had the Akansas stone and made the other tools and following this video I did a trigger job on my 360PD and was amazed how much smoother it was and it wasn't bad from the factory.
hotrod150
Member
Who exactly is "yoda"-- is that the name of the gunsmith (or shop) in the youtube video? I thought it was some sort of play on words on the Star Wars character, didn't know it was the 'smiths name (if that's the case).
Postalnut25
Member
Just my two cents.
I carry a 642 as my BUG at work. It's a great starter, but not perfect. I got some different grips from Hogue, and that helped with controlability. I also had some APEX Duty/Carry parts put in, and that really helped the trigger. Now it is a much better gun. Those upgrades were under $100 total.
I carry a 642 as my BUG at work. It's a great starter, but not perfect. I got some different grips from Hogue, and that helped with controlability. I also had some APEX Duty/Carry parts put in, and that really helped the trigger. Now it is a much better gun. Those upgrades were under $100 total.
