Thoughts on 642?

[Bob O]

Try a DoubleTap derringer, now that's a painful gun to shoot. I didn't notice anything harsh about shooting my 642 with +P ammo.

I got 15 5/8" of penetration into Clear Ballistics gel with Critical Defense. Maybe try a grip that covers the frame for a more comfortable experience.

Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk

 

[Brasso4]

They make awesome pocket and ankle guns. I've had mine for about 4 years. No finish issues. Not sure which -model it is off the top of my head. No lock. Wear it on the ankle almost every day as a backup.

 

[Njanear]

I have been eyeballing the 642/442s too but have a question: is the Pro model any better than the non-Pro (other than the fact that it uses clips for speedloads)? Does it get any more special attention to the action for the extra money?

 

[GaryS]

A 442/642 in a Mike Holster is a great pocket gun. Light, easy to shoot, pretty accurate for a pocket pistol, and reliable.

The only thing I did to mine was to put in a lighter rebound spring and main spring. Easy modification to make and it lightens the trigger pull nicely.

I like mine with Ergo Delta Grips, but some people don't like the looks of them. To each his own.

 

[ADP3]

+1 on the 442-1 over a 642-1, Again its the more durable finish and darker backstrap in case your pocket blouses open while someone beside you is looking down In line for flu shots a few years back the gentleman in front of me revealed his Colt Mustang accidentally that way. It led to a verrrry interesting conversation. He was a Czech who had fought with the partisans against the Nazis, been pressed into the Eastern Bloc air force, defected to the US,and taught our pilots counter measures to use against the North Vietnamese.

The only strike against current 442's and 642's is the grips. They handle recoil well but it takes some finagling in order to use a speed loader. The Safariland's work easier than the HKS version. The older Uncle Mike's boot grips were fine but the new version slowwwws down a speed load considerably. All of my 442's have the old Magna service grips on them as a result. If you want the 442-1 w/o lock it's SKU: 150544; the 642-1 w/o lock is 103810.

Best Regards,
ADP3

 

[haywood]

+1 on the 442-1 over a 642-1, Again its the more durable finish and darker backstrap in case your pocket blouses open while someone beside you is looking down In line for flu shots a few years back the gentleman in front of me revealed his Colt Mustang accidentally that way. It led to a verrrry interesting conversation. He was a Czech who had fought with the partisans against the Nazis, been pressed into the Eastern Bloc air force, defected to the US,and taught our pilots counter measures to use against the North Vietnamese.

The only strike against current 442's and 642's is the grips. They handle recoil well but it takes some finagling in order to use a speed loader. The Safariland's work easier than the HKS version. The older Uncle Mike's boot grips were fine but the new version slowwwws down a speed load considerably. All of my 442's have the old Magna service grips on them as a result. If you want the 442-1 w/o lock it's SKU: 150544; the 642-1 w/o lock is 103810.

Best Regards,
ADP3

I ground my grips so Loaders work

 

[ContinentalOp]

My 642-1 has pretty much only worn Spegel boot grips, which, if I'm being honest, have spoiled me. No issues whatsoever with my speedloaders, Safariland Comp Is.

I have a 642 no-dash that I've been experimenting with in terms of grips. They had Eagle Secret Service grips, but they interfered with my Comp Is. I tried the current S&W OEM grips. They worked better, but there was still the occasional hang-up on reloads. Right now it has a set of PGS Hideout grips that I modified. The grips block speedloaders when unmodified, so I ground away that portion of the grips. Unfortunately, I don't have a Dremel tool, which probably would've enabled me to complete the work in 15 minutes. I used a mix of files and sandpaper, which took A LOT longer. It's not the most professional looking job, but Comp Is drop their ammo and fall away nice and clean now.

 

[Edmo]

642 Pros & Cons...

I've owned two different 642-1s and the one shown below is still in my rotation. Here are what I would say are the Pros & Cons of the 642...

Pros
- Light, small, and snag-free on the draw. My choice for pocket carry.
- 95% reliable. (My second 642's trigger pivot pin broke).
- Reference the failure above, S&W's warranty will cover breakages.
- Chambered in a readily available and effective defensive caliber.
- Still available without the lock.

Cons
- Snappy recoil, especially with +P loads.
- HEAVY trigger pull.
- Very limited capacity with slow reloads.
- Minimalistic sights and short sight radius.

Because of the above cons, the 642 isn't a fun range gun nor the gun I recommend for an inexperienced shooter. However, it is light, effective, and my choice when I want to carry a pocket gun.

Edmo

 

[armorer951]

I have been eyeballing the 642/442s too but have a question: is the Pro model any better than the non-Pro (other than the fact that it uses clips for speedloads)? Does it get any more special attention to the action for the extra money?

No 'special attention' paid to the Pro Series models, either inside or outside. With the exception of the moon clip modification, they are the same as the normal production Airweight models. As a matter of fact, some are not marked "Pro Series" as advertised, but have the regular "Airweight" logo on the sideplate.

 

[kaaskop49]

642 grip options

The S&W knockoffs of the UM boot grip are fine for shooting. They are NOT fine for reloading with the HKS speedloader. The knockoffs will cause an awful jam with an HKS if you try to reload with them in place. Some posters have mentioned removing some material from the side of the grip to allow clearance for an HKS. I agree with this; an X-acto knife will do the trick.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[blues7]

The S&W knockoffs of the UM boot grip are fine for shooting. They are NOT fine for reloading with the HKS speedloader. The knockoffs will cause an awful jam with an HKS if you try to reload with them in place. Some posters have mentioned removing some material from the side of the grip to allow clearance for an HKS. I agree with this; an X-acto knife will do the trick.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

Are the knockoffs you are referring to the current OEM rubber grips that are supplied with the 642-1? (Mine is a fall 2016 manufacture.)

I happen to like those grips quite a bit. They are comfortable for grip and shooting and work well with my holsters whether in the pocket or AIWB.

I only ask because I don't own any speed loaders. (I'm a speed strip kinda guy but you never know if I may cave one of these days just because...)

Thanks.

 

[automan71]

I've owned a few over the last 8-9 years. I have one I've been carrying daily for about the last two years. Don't leave home without it. Mine is a no lock 642. Finish hasn't flaked, but has a good bit of wear to it. Just like I like it. Over the years I've had them with the lock and never had a problem, but I prefer em without. I have a 442 (w/ lock) in the safe as a backup. It was my dads. He didn't like it, but I wasn't letting him get rid of it, so I bought it from him. Lol. I think they are a "must have"....just too easy to carry, and a load of fun to shoot with mild wadcutter loads.

 

[Njanear]

No 'special attention' paid to the Pro Series models, either inside or outside. With the exception of the moon clip modification, they are the same as the normal production Airweight models. As a matter of fact, some are not marked "Pro Series" as advertised, but have the regular "Airweight" logo on the sideplate.

Thank you for that information. It sounds like a regular 442 or 642 might serve me just as well.

 

[Njanear]

Thank you for that information. It sounds like a regular 442 or 642 might serve me just as well.

Well, Brownell's just pushed me over the edge. They have the 642-2 (I think - with lock) listed at $299.99 today. I tossed in a $0.49 spring to push the order over $300 and then used a code to ultimately get it down to $280.48 to my FFL. After the $20 transfer, I will be set. Hoping it is a good one...

 

[alexrex20]

Damn, I was about to order one, but they're sold out.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

 

[Triggernosis]

Well, Brownell's just pushed me over the edge. They have the 642-2 (I think - with lock) listed at $299.99 today. I tossed in a $0.49 spring to push the order over $300 and then used a code to ultimately get it down to $280.48 to my FFL. After the $20 transfer, I will be set. Hoping it is a good one...

Brownell's sells guns? I didn't know that.

 

[Old cop]

I've been carrying some sort of J frame for well over 40 years and for my money you just can't do better. They are an expert's gun and learning to shoot them well is a perishable skill so practice often.

 

[warrconn]

J Frames

I had a 442 that I really liked, so I decided to get a 642. I bought this gun new, and it has never been fired. Dry fired maybe 800 times or more with snap caps. recently I was fry firing it and the upper left hand screw in the side plate flew out. I managed to find it and screw it back in. But, the screw starts to back out after only about 20 dry fires or so. I can actually see it turning. Should this be sent back to S & W?

 

[daddy bear]

Banana grips help distribute recoil. Hogue or Pachmayer rubbers work fine for no grip safety models. The light weight bullets help as well.

Mine is the older 42 version, banana grip. I have a DeSantis, for belt, and IWB holsters, but usually just slip it into my RF pocket, naked.

Jack

 

[alexrex20]

I had a 442 that I really liked, so I decided to get a 642. I bought this gun new, and it has never been fired. Dry fired maybe 800 times or more with snap caps. recently I was fry firing it and the upper left hand screw in the side plate flew out. I managed to find it and screw it back in. But, the screw starts to back out after only about 20 dry fires or so. I can actually see it turning. Should this be sent back to S & W?

Tighten it more. Maybe put a drop of blue Loctite. S&W will accept it as a warranty because it might be an out if spec receiver but it's probably just not tightened enough. Don't go gorilla on it but tighten it more than you did last time. Simple as that.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk