Should I get the 442 Pro Series, Standard 442, or 642?

[M3Stuart]

I got the 642 pro series (no lock, cut for moonclips). But then, I prefer stainless. You can't go wrong with any you listed. And it sounds like your mind is made up on the 442 Pro - so just go with that.

You WILL LOVE the moonclip option. It makes for fast reloads. Lightning fast reloads.

Really you can't go wrong with any of them.

 

[Mtwoodson]

If you can't decide, get one of each.

 

[haywood]

I liked the looks of the 442. I have had several of them and no rust. Today I have the 442 in my pocket and a LCR357 In the waist. Can't beat Snubs.

 

[Freedomfirst]

I carry a S&W M&P 642 DAO loaded with Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 135 gr JHP's in a pocket holster or on my belt. I feel confident that this will take care of business if (God forbid) I ever have to use it for self defense.

 

[mrrick]

I like my 442, carry in pocket in pocket holster, goes everywhere with me.
No rust problems, just wipe it down occasionally. Trigger improves with use. I carry it with 4 X 148 gr. wad cutters and one flying ashtray +P for last round.

 

[russp1]

I carry a 442 OWB but the grips are against the bare skin under my shirt and after two years, the only rust was on the grip screw which I replaced with a stainless from Home Depot. The wife carries a 642 with pink grips purely for cosmetic reasons!

 

[ek609]

IF you are going to carry it only in your pocket, the 442 with proper care will work. However, if you carry it in an ankle hoster or in the middle of your back, get the 642 because no matter how good of care you take, the 442 will rust and pit if you sweat on it at all. Trust me here as I had the 442 as a backup for years but went to the 642 for that very reason.

 

[LarryC213]

I have a model 442, without the lock. I have carried it in a leather pocket holster for about ~four years now and I have not seen any signs of rust. I live in North Carolina and our summers here tend to be hot with high humidity. But so far, no sign of any rust anywhere. I did install an aftermarket spring kit that was mentioned on the Massad Ayoob podcast. I checked it with a variety of ammo and it has proven to still be 100% reliable.

 

[PJS50]

340PD here. It's in my pocket right now in a DeSantis Nemisis pocket holster. Mine has the black frame with the matte stainless cylinder.
I also did the APEX J-Frame trigger upgrade kit which made the gun twice as accurate due to the huge improvement in trigger pull smoothness.

Now, I have to ask you all what is the huge aversion to the guns with the internal locks??? Granted, it looks stupid and isn't traditional, but have the internal locks EVER failed or more correctly turned "on" when they weren't expected to???
I've owned this gun from new since Smith first released this model, and I've never used or even put the key into the internal lock once. I've also never had a problem with it in maybe 300-400 rounds fired of all different loads (from regular .38's to +P's to full-house Corbon .357 loads-OUCH!). So, if the lock isn't a problem mechanically, then is it just the look/aesthetics that you guys don't like??? As long as the gun goes "BOOM" when you want it to EVERY time, does it really matter besides looks?? These aren't collectors items, they are defensive pieces where function is MUCH more important than form, right?

Anyone? Bueller....? Bueller...?

 

[Budnjax]

take a look at the 640 Pro Series

SS 38/357......what a gun!

 

[CTI1USNRET]

... The M10 is a good size to learn proper control and then translate those new skills to your snubbie.

But don't be surprised if you end up carrying the Model 10. It's an excellent carry gun.

 

[Elliott41]

The alloy frame of my 642-1, circa 2000, is painted silver, it's not clear-coated. The cylinder release has worn through the paint; when it looks bad enough the frame will be hard anodized, which is a much more durable finish. The most cost effective thing you can do to either a 442 or 642 is send it to S&W for its "J-frame trigger action package". It cost me $80 plus shipping, and it's worth every penny because it smoothed out the action enough that the perceived trigger pull is much less than before. Also, it doesn't void S&W's lifetime warranty. I don't recommend an after-market spring kit because of the liability of "modifying the gun to have a hair trigger" in the words of the plaintiff's attorney. Yeah, I know I'm paranoid, but it's a fail-safe state of mind.

 

[Model 15-4ever]

I have a 442 and a 642, both no lock. I also had an original 042, pre-442. My 642 is also the original model.

You gotta remember this is a carry piece - if you want something to look pristine 5 years from now, leave it in the safe in a soft oily rag and don't carry it. ANY weapon you carry on regular basis, and I mean any, is going to get roachly looking after awhile. Accept it.

Having said that, unless you are a sweat factory AND refuse to do any regular maintenance on the gun, get the 442. When the aluminum and blued finishes start to wear, or after you drop the gun a few times, you can touch them up with aluminum black, a felt-tip permanent marker, or cold blue. The 642 cannot be touched up without ending up with shiny spots all over it, which are not desirable in a carry gun in addition to looking amateur awful. Also, the sight picture with the all-white finish 642 is not so good.

I carried my 442 in my front pocket just about every day for 3-4 years. No rust at all. But I also spent a whole 3 minutes a week on a light cleaning and oiling.

The Pro model is a waste of money. Moon clips in a small 5-shot hideout gun? Crazy. You are buying this for compactness, and loaded moon clips are anything but that. Get the regular .38 Special and carry spare ammo in a neoprene speed strip. If you want to stash a speedloader somewhere, you're not giving up anything significant in speed to the moon clip. On top of which, you can't "top-off" your revolver after firing 2-3 rounds if you have the moon clip gun, you are forced to eject the entire load and lose 2-3 rounds. Moon clips were designed as an accommodation to rimless pistol rounds in a revolver - you don't have that problem so leave the moon clips to the gamesmen.

 

[m4user]

I started with a M-36 thirty odd years ago which has evolved through M-60, M-940, M-442 and now is a M-642 Pro Series with the ported barrel. Since you plan on taking care of it, the finish is probably a secondary consideration. I would be more concerned with finding a set of grips which will let you shoot it to the best of your ability and a holster which is comfortable for pocket carry. Just my opinion.

 

[Marshal Tom]

I carry an M&P 340 daily. It is blue with a big dot front sight. I like it a bunch. I carry it loose in my pocket every day, all day. It does have some slight wear on the edges now but not that much considering and no rust. It is a bit heavier than the 642 and 442 but not very much. I got it for the night sight.

Tom

 

[hotrod150]

I had & carried a 442-2 for a while. I really liked the matte black finish and it seemed to hold up OK. I emailed S&W & asked them what it was & whether they could refinish one of my old model 36's with it. I got back a one-word answer: no.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Well, I must admit that I don't spend a whole lot of time wiping down my guns every day so maybe worrying about a little rust is important. I carried a blued Beretta Jetfire/950 BS for nearly 25 years, every day, and it fared pretty well up until the last couple of years of routine pocket holster/pocket carry. The holster is an Uncle Mike's pocket holster, a thin piece of what I think they call "Laminate" - it's Kydex-like but not Kydex. Anyway, whilst I carried it daily without paying attention, it did get pitted. So, one has to presume you can do that to any "blued"/carbon steel handgun carried for long periods of time in your pocket. But, if you wipe it down every night, that shouldn't happen. I never bother, I admit it, so my little gun paid the price.

Then, a few years ago, I switched to a 642 (okay, it has an infernal lock - sue me!) and while the cylinder shows some honest holster wear there sure ain't no pitting! But I think the leather holster I now use would have been better for that little Beretta, anyway; but that's a whole nuthuh smoke for a different thread.

You can't go wrong with a 642, lock or no lock, for pocket carry. Someone wrote (I read this on some gun website last week - might have been here, but maybe not) that the original, no lock 642 was the best pocket carry gun ever made. Trust me, the one I carry is equally as good.

Some folks worry that the lock will turn and lock up the gun while it is being fired. Some folks claim that has happened. I have yet to see it and I don't worry about the lock. That lock has never been used, of course. Useless appendage, like your appendix! (The actual name for the appendix is "worm-like appendage" which is what it is, a little, useless worm - the anatomical name is vermiform appendix...but I digress.....).

Sidebar:

Quote:
Originally Posted by sac-gunslinger View Post
... The M10 is a good size to learn proper control and then translate those new skills to your snubbie.

But don't be surprised if you end up carrying the Model 10. It's an excellent carry gun.

Indeed, it is an excellent carry gun, but not so much if you plan to drop it into a pocket. Way too big for that; I have 4 or 5 snubnosed M10s - trust me on this point!. The J-frames are ideal for it - which is why I have several of those, too.

***GRJ***

 

[Dixiejack]

With J frame guns I prefer chrome first and SS second. In a close encounter where your CCW has to be pulled, the "big shiney gun" factor comes into play and a shooting could be avoided. Seriously, a bright and flashy gun looks more menacing, especially in an area of low light.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

This is amazing - I thought I was "alone":

With J frame guns I prefer chrome first and SS second. In a close encounter where your CCW has to be pulled, the "big shiney gun" factor comes into play and a shooting could be avoided. Seriously, a bright and flashy gun looks more menacing, especially in an area of low light.

I used to keep a 2" nickel plated Model 15 in my truck for this precise reason. Sadly, it was stolen but not through any fault of my own - long story for another time. But I always thought, if I pull this out, day or night, ain't NOBODY gonna not know it's a danged GUN! I never thought of it as menacing as much as a clear cut statement of my intentions but menacing might be true as well.

BTW, this thread originally started as a discussion of a J frame as a backup gun. It should be noted that many, dare I saw most?, of us carry J frames as primary guns. I do not carry two guns routinely. I won't say I never do that but not as a routine matter.

***GRJ***

 

[gazzmann]

I don't go anywhere without my 442. I've carried it 20+ years and would not carry anything else. It shows some holster wear but not a speck of rust. Love it.