Tale of 2 Airweight J Frames

[JAREDSHS]

I keep a well used 637 in my pocket for the 10 yard event. While I am retreating to grab my Ruger AR556.

 

[JimCunn]

I carry a lightened up titanium cylindered 9mm 637-2 as primary. It is both comfortable and more accurate at a distance than I am.

Thanks for the info, Norman. I'm neither right nor left handed and with the exception of serving in tennis, don't have a preference for which hand I use. I don't think my Dad did either.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

In baseball, a switch hitter...

In golf, ought to carry at least one left-handed club in the bag... Or, vice-versa?

Pretty much exemplifies the definition of ambidextrous: lucky you!

Cheers!

 

[S-W4EVER]

A little honest holster wear adds character. My J Frames are just as accurate as my longer barrel K & N Frames. The limitation is with sight radius, not barrel length. YMMV.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

I enjoy all the long distance snubbie shooting stories but then I remind myself if I shoot at someone that 50-100 feet away, I will likely need a lawyer and that thought brings me back to reality.

Unless (as I opined earlier) you are returning fire...!

Cheers!

P.S. With 5 rounds (and they're ALL in the chambers!) I think the concept of a reload reasonable... Especially at a distance!

 

[Dirtman]

S & W 442 & 642 very handy!

My wife has a 642 and I have a 442. Both are used as car guns and both have Crimson Trace laser sights and loaded with + P ammo.
We like these little revolvers. Our lasers make them pretty accurate within 10 yards. I occasionally slip my 442 in my pocket in a pocket holster and she slips hers in her purse also in a pocket holster for a quick in and out carry situation.

 

[Liquidm17]

Love the character on that 442.

The Js work so well in a pocket for me.

 

[JIMYJAC]

I would be happy with either one. Nice shooting.

 

[scottcolbath]

Well, the girlfriend decided she can't keep the Airweight on her person any more. She does't shoot it well enough. The trigger pull being the primary reason. This is after it's been gone through by Nelson Ford. So it's now parked in my safe, and I got her a Ruger LCP Max. She shoots that much better, and seems happy with it. I'm not thrilled with the .380 being the caliber for protection, but something she can shoot well is better than something she can't shoot well.

S.C.

 

[roo_ster]

So I have two modern manufacture NO LOCK J frames.

A 442 (CYC) and a 642 (DLD) purchased a few years apart. 04/2016 and and 06/2019

I had the 442 worked over by Nelson Ford in 2016 and it has been my carry on and off sharing time with the 19 and bulldog. It has close to 1500 rounds through it.

The 642 I had done by Nelson Ford a month ago. Has 4-500 rounds through it.

They are both great but the 442 is tight while the 642 groupings are a little spread out. and puts them a little left.

I use 135gr speer gold dot +P factory ammo and I train with either 135gr speer gold dot reloads to similar velocity or 130 gr jacketed or lead round nose at the same velocity.

Here is a 10 yard grouping of both. One handed.
442 top 642 bottom.

While that is perfectly acceptable I still carry the 442 because of the tighter groupings. The 442 is wearing a lot from being carried while riding mountainbikes, running, and other activities in an ankle holster that just didn't fit it right which I have changed out. I would like to carry the 642 when I am in wetter climates to protect from corrosion but the groupings make me take pause. Am I being OCD?

Don't worry about it so much, either the 442's wear or the inherent accuracy of either 442 or 642.

WEAR
I have owned a 638 for a long time and it gets carried as a backup to my 1911 or as my primary most every day. Mostly in a horsehide pocket holster where it can get swampy in hot months. It gets a going-over weekly, which may include re-lube. It has developed quite of bit of external finish wear, but I don't mind much. Functionally, it is all there. And it is with me, so no mind. Were the cylinder to start rusting, I would break out the wax and wax the cylinder.

ACCURACY
I do not subscribe to the "Shoot only at close range, 7 yards & 3 rounds dontcha know?" school of thought. I want to know what myself and my tools are capable of at ranges a ways out there. That includes some sand bag work vs paper at considerable distance. This provides an upper bound or standard against which you can compare off-hand or defensive shooting.

While there may be particular trends/averages, etc. to defensive shooting encounters, there is no telling if the defensive situation thrust upon us will conform to the average or be an outlier. And even if it is "standard, 7 yards," who is to say your target will be a generously-sized torso. Maybe they have your wife and you have to shot an orange-sized target at 7 yards? Sure would be nice to know if you can make such a shot consistently.

And besides, long range revolver and snubby shooting is fun and full of lessons to learn. And not that hard once you get the basics down. And doing it with a snubby brutally forces you to concentrate on the basics.

Well, the girlfriend decided she can't keep the Airweight on her person any more. She does't shoot it well enough. The trigger pull being the primary reason. This is after it's been gone through by Nelson Ford. So it's now parked in my safe, and I got her a Ruger LCP Max. She shoots that much better, and seems happy with it. I'm not thrilled with the .380 being the caliber for protection, but something she can shoot well is better than something she can't shoot well.

Use what works for your GF, period.

But I must say I am kinda surprised a good 'smith could not get a snubby to work for her.

I make no gunsmith claims, but I can tinker and learn. Every snubby I own I have dis-assembled, polished a few contact surfaces, and traded out springs to get the lightest possible trigger pull that still reliably sets off ammo I care to shoot. My snubbies were shootable by my then-tiny 12YO daughter and still-tiny wife. Sure, not as nice as a tuned K/L/N frame, but still usable by a relatively weak shooter.

FTR, I default to .38spl target wadcutter for the ladies' snubbies. Better than .380ACP FMJ or JHP (that doesn't open at .380ACP velocities).

 

[HamHands]

Unless (as I opined earlier) you are returning fire...!

Cheers!

P.S. With 5 rounds (and they're ALL in the chambers!) I think the concept of a reload reasonable... Especially at a distance!

AGREED! 100 feet isn't very far... If some "F" is shooting me at that range I'm returning fire with every bit of zeal and focus I've got...

I've easily shot at 3 times that range at 1/2 that of man sized targets with my "Wood's Carry" 3-Inch "Snub" .44 Magnum... and scored hits rather easily in "Steel-Matches" with a little bit more than a modicum of effort! It's not that hard truth be told and "if" someone has it in for you then you better be serious reacting about such intent against you!