Should I buy a used S&W 642?

[Halican]

Local gun shop has it for sale, it appears to be old, too. How reliable is a used 642?

It doesn't have "+P" marked on the barrel which I did some reading online, and that was something that S&W started doing in the early 2000s. So it's safe to assume that it's from the 90's.

I'm just worried about potentially buying one, and then it shoots to the left or something, requiring a trip to Smith. This particular gun shop has new air weight Smith's for only $100 more.

Another thing to note on the used 642 is that it has some really nice case hardening on the trigger. There's a few scratches on the frame of the gun, and the factory stock grips as well. Compared side by with a new Smith, it seems to exude higher quality, although I am still concerned about it shooting poorly.

I've also seen a video on YouTube of a guy who owned several 642s saying that old Smith's were better. "Hand fitted trigger" and not MIM, according to him.

Verdict?

 

[haywood]

I have bought several 442s used and Two 642s. Never had a problem. I like the finish on the 442 better so I sold the 642s. As for +P I practice with standard 38s sight in a few +Ps and carry +P. If I buy a new J-Frame I make sure it's a no internal lock.

 

[Rpg]

I've never had a problem with a used j frame.

 

[Markdad2]

Buy it!!!

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[gr7070]

If it's for carrying and at only $100 savings I'm buying a new one.

Most Smith's, even those only modestly cared for, are reliable for many decades.

 

[kaaskop49]

If it's for carrying and at only $100 savings I'm buying a new one.

Most Smith's, even those only modestly cared for, are reliable for many decades.

^^^^What he said. IMO, too expensive for a used gun in a LGS commonly available new. A private sale might be another matter.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[Rpg]

$100.00 buys a lot of ammo.

A new j frame is not worth $100 more than a used one: often, the used is worth more than the new.

 

[GA_Sheepdog]

It depends on the price. Although a 642 isn't cheap by any means, a 642 is a reasonably priced firearm for what it is. They can be found brand new for a good price if you look around. I'd also rather have one that is +p rated. I purchased a new 642, no lock, a couple weeks ago and love it.

 

[ContinentalOp]

That's a tough call. The older guns were generally put together better.

However, I'm not sure I'd get it. No matter how well made, alloy-framed snubs will probably wear out sooner than steel-framed snubs given the same treatment. For the price you're talking about it would have to be practically NIB for me to be interested. I would want to know more about the gun, like how many rounds have been fired, any repair/custom work done, how it was treated, etc. As I mentioned in a similar thread, it would have to be a screaming deal for me to be interested in a used 442/642, but the fact it's a no-dash (from the lack of a +P marking) would make me a little more interested.

FYI, newer guns can have issues, too.

Just my opinion.

 

[Kanewpadle]

Most J frame 642/442 don't get shot much. If it locks up tight and isn't beat to hell, I would buy it. A $100 is $100. Then there's tax if applicable.

 

[BUFF]

S&W may or may not honor the lifetime warranty on a used gun. That alone would make a new one preferable to me. It all depends on your finances. A used 642 is certainly much better than no 642 at all.

My first 642 developed the dreaded aluminum J frame crack after 20 years and several thousand rounds of use, most of it Plus P. S&W replaced it with a new 642 Pro for free under warranty. Twenty years' use, $100 is only $5 a year or less than a dime a week. I already had a spare 642, which I gave to my brother when I retired and now carry the Pro.

These are very reliable guns, and other than the odd but fatal frame crack, rarely develop problems with use. If it is in good repair now, it will probably be in good repair for the rest of the time you have it.

 

[mmn]

I'd try to negotiate a better price - one that's low enough that I felt very comfortable buying used over new. If I couldn't get there, I'd buy new, but not there if they wouldn't negotiate!

Regards
Michael

 

[MichiganScott]

I'd buy the new one for the warranty. It's the cheapest gun in the S&W line, so used ones generally are not a very good deal. Your LGS wants too much.

 

[CajunBass]

Well, I can't shoot a J-frame for beans, so I wouldn't buy it in the first place, (I have owned them, that's how I know I don't shoot them well) but I wouldn't hesitate to buy a used one if I wanted one. To be honest, I very rarely look at new guns.

Afraid it will shoot left? Look at the sights. Are they lined up straight? If they are you're probably good to go. If they're not, you should be able to tell it.

If it looks like it's been well taken care of, it probably has been. Or it hasn't been used much at all.

 

[reppans]

I would pay $100 for their warranty and +p

 

[S&W Fan]

So a new one can be found for around $360-$375, sometimes more. Does this mean you can get the used for $100 off those prices? If it checks out ok then I'd grab it and like mentioned by Rpg that $100 is a bunch of ammo. Good luck with what ever you decide, airweight Js are great guns.

 

[Frank V]

Local gun shop has it for sale, it appears to be old, too. How reliable is a used 642?

It doesn't have "+P" marked on the barrel which I did some reading online, and that was something that S&W started doing in the early 2000s. So it's safe to assume that it's from the 90's.

I'm just worried about potentially buying one, and then it shoots to the left or something, requiring a trip to Smith. This particular gun shop has new air weight Smith's for only $100 more.

Another thing to note on the used 642 is that it has some really nice case hardening on the trigger. There's a few scratches on the frame of the gun, and the factory stock grips as well. Compared side by with a new Smith, it seems to exude higher quality, although I am still concerned about it shooting poorly.

I've also seen a video on YouTube of a guy who owned several 642s saying that old Smith's were better. "Hand fitted trigger" and not MIM, according to him.

Verdict?

My opinion is that I'll buy used, especially since I can get a nice used one for less money (sometimes a lot less money) than a new one & I can usually find one without the lock buying used. To me it's a no brainer, save money dodge the lock.

 

[5Wire]

New @ $400 here

MSRP $469.


I haven't got much of a track on the 642, not worth posting. However, of all the J-Frames, the 642 has appreciated the least in what I've seen. I have a 642-1 (CDY8145 Feb 2000) and it is a totally reliable revolver. The current No Internal Lock version is identical to the 642-1, S&W may even stamp it as such. For even as much as $100 difference, I'd go with a factory new one just for the unquestionable 1-year warranty and lifetime service policy. Because the dash one is available, I would buy that revision: no internal lock zit.

 

[Halican]

For what it's worth, I'm in California, guns are naturally overpriced here, not to mention scarce, and buying one online to be shipped to an FFL is probably out of the question. Every FFL here has either shut down from being swamped with orders or there is a very, very long waiting list, that's even assuming that whoever I buy the gun from online will ship here.

Basically whatever I see in a gun shop is what I have available, and they go very, very quickly. This local gun shop has extremely hard to find firearms for where I am (bay area) and they managed to get me a Sub 2000, a P238, and a CZ75PCR, all of which are basically nonexistent around here, so I don't mind giving them my business and overpaying a little bit. They do a lot of work finding me guns that are hard to come by.

The price has no bearing to me, I was more concerned with if the used Smith will be higher quality than new Smith's. Hand fitted and all of that. I could easily afford a new one, but is it possible to get one without a lock in California?
If getting a new one is a smarter decision than I will get a new one. The older ones can handle +P just fine, it just wasn't marked on the barrel until the 2000s.

 

[ContinentalOp]

With the additional info you provided, I'm going to update my response. If I were in your position, I would probably get the used 642, presuming the gun itself is in good shape. Pay particular attention to the area of the frame under the forcing cone. That area can crack in airweight snubs.

Where I live I can get new no-lock 642-1 snubs without difficulty. I presume it would be much more difficult, at best, to get one in CA.