Can't get the hang of my 442

M

marca

New member
I need advice on improving my technique with my S&W 442.

I've been practicing at distances from about 16 to 25 feet. My shots end up all over the place. I consider myself a pretty good shot. I shoot very well with my Glock 26 and also do well with my other revolvers (S&W 686, Taurus 617)shooting both single and double action. I attribute a lot of my problems to the extreme difference in weight between the 442 and the 686 and 617. The action on the 442 is very smooth. I've tried ammo in 125 and 130 grain. Got a set of Houge grips but they add too much to the footprint of the gun. I'd like to be able to shoot well using the original grips (or better replacement grips of the same size).

I know a lot of people use the 442 and like it. I want to like it too! I'm open to any and all suggestions.

Thanks!
 
All I can suggest is practice. They are hard to shoot. They've got a long trigger pull, a tiny front sight, the rear sight is a shallow gutter, and the sight radius is very short.

Accept that you will never be as accurate with a 442 as you are with a 686. But practice and dry fire a lot.

M1911
 
like he said

M1911 is spot on. J-frames are tough to shoot compared to guns with full size grips, decent sights, and short triggers. That being said, they are worth learning for ease of carry. I would only add to make sure you are getting the web of your hand as high as possible on the backstrap, or groups will be more like patterns. You might try a few different grip configurations, especially bigger (longer) grips if concealability is not affected for you.
 
The Airweight DAO Smiths are an acquired taste and just take more trigger time to get proficient with. It's well worth the time and money invested, however. Learn to pull straight back on the trigger. :D
 
With double action revolvers, some people just line up the sights and pull the action through. That has never worked well for me. Here is a little trick that a combat veteran taught to me when I first started shooting S&W revolvers double action. The S&W action has distinct stages as the revolvers parts cycle getting ready to fire. If your revolver is properly timed, and a lot of J-frames are not, you will hear two distinct clicks as the action cycles. Don't try to hold tightly on target until the clicks have finished. It sounds complicated, but it is not. As you SLOWLY pull the trigger you should hear: click, click, ...then make your final sight correction...., boom! It works for me. Watch-Six
 
They take a lot of practice, and often a good bit of effort to work out the best grip. Do lots of dryfire, with eyes both open and closed. With them open, are the sights steady until the hammer falls, or wandering all over thru-out the trigger stroke? If thru-out the stroke, you prob need to re-arrange your grip until things steady up, and work on manipulating the trigger in one long, smooth movement rather than trying to stage it. If at the end of the stroke, are your fingers or hand getting bunched up or interfering with one another just before the gun fires? You may need to alter finger placement on the trigger or otherwise move your hand around. With your eyes closed, pay attention as to whether you are able to manipulate the trigger smoothly thru-out the entire stroke, are getting cramped up, etc. Also, a strong grip with the middle, ring and pinkie fingers of the strong hand are esp. important, as there's little room for the support hand on the grip itself for most people.
 
Dry-fire, dry-fire, dry-fire.

Do it with a coin balanced atop the gun.

Do it until your finger blisters.

Do it some more.

See the gun. Be the gun.

(Sorry, just had to throw in some sports psychology BS at the end. ;) )
 
I have done well following Tamara's advice, while watching tv or listening to music.

As a followup to her admonition to "be the gun", accept the fact that you will not ever enjoy shooting this little gun. It is strictly for business and small and light enough to always be "there" when you need it.
 
There are several things that can help your proficiency with the
really small, lightweight revolvers...
-a FIRM grip...just a lil' LESS than a "death grip", but REALLY FIRM
-FORCE the index finger of your weak hand up underneath the
trigger guard...should be UNCOMFORTABLE the first few times
you try it, or you're not doing it right...kinda' like Mas Ayoob's
"Stressfire" grip, IIRC...
-use stocks that FIT YOUR HAND
-as Tamara said...dryfire, dryfire, dryfire...
-Focus on the FRONT SIGHT
-Follow-thru...Follow-thru...Follow-thru...
-FWIW, whether the gun is large an' heavy, or small an' light,
I PERSONALLY get the best results using a STRAIGHT-THRU
trigger-pull...if necessary, start out slow...smoothness is more
important than speed, at first...be SMOOTH, and speed WILL
come...
....mikey357
 
Thanks!..and grips?

Lot's of great advice. Thanks!
A couple of replies refer to replacing grips. Anyone have suggestions for grooved grips that are roughly the same size as the stock grips? As I mentioned, I tried a set of Houge grips but they're about the size as grips for a model 60. Easy to hang on too but too large for my purpose. Seems to me that part of my problem is handing onto the stock grips, simply because they're smooth. I'm guessing I might have a bit more control, and get a more constant hold on the gun with grooved grips. I also think I'll solve much of the jumping around by raising my grip on the backstrap, as suggested.
 
being able to shoot good groups with my 642 is one of my prouder accomplishments...it is an aquired skill through MANY repetitions during dry fire. i also use a straight through pull because of the short action. three things you might try:

1. use the hogue grips that extend below the frame... yes they are too big for carry, but you're trying to learn to control your trigger first. after you've mastered the trigger, i recommend the UM boot grip or the hogue batam...both are rubber copies of the craig seigal (sp?) grips

2. load with 148gr WC target loads while practicing, remember you're still learning the trigger...the trigger pull is transferable when you move up to SD loads

3. i also "cheat". i had my action tuned (cylinder spins like it is on ballbearings), main spring lightened (not that light, still reliable for hundreds of rounds...federal and CCI) and the trigger face smoothed and rounded (prevents pinching)
 
I have had a 442 for about 6 yrs now. I use the stock grips and it is one of the few guns I have never been into. IMHO it is probably the best pocket gun ever made. I shoot it with some frequency as it is my hot weather companion.

I use a very basic revolver technique all the time in my practice routine--'ball and dummy' in which I place 3 rounds in the gun (2 together, one across). In a six shot gun of course this give 50% live rounds and 50% dry fires, and it provides you a constant check on the quality of your trigger control and any tendency to flinch. In the 5 shot guns of course you modify this--you can even put in just one live round if you want to. In the alloy frame guns I make sure to have fired cases in the other chambers to absorb the hammer fall. (On steel guns I don't bother) This keeps you pretty honest.

The 442 is not an easy or fun gun to shoot, but it is a worthwhile gun to master. Keep at it.

Oh, and--BE THE GUN.
 
For maximum accuracy, I agree with Watch-Six. If you pull the trigger about 80% of the way (and he's right, there are two audible clicks that I hadn't noticed before, but pull the trigger just a little past the second click), there's kind of a subtle "resting place" in the action. When you reach that point, obviously keeping the gun on target the entire time, you can finalize the "zeroing-in" and pull the trigger the rest of the way. This approach may not be practical when you don't have a lot of time to react, but it's worth checking out sometime when you're punching paper.
 
Lots of good advice here, but you might want to try some different ammunition as well. I was a long time getting to acceptable results with my 442, and I discovered that I couldn't hit squat with light bullets. everything 130 and lighter printed way low, and the light +p's seemed to make the gun move in my grip more than the heavier stuff. Now it's 158 jhp and good accuracy.
 
Marca, do a search for "Don't shoot it's me". I think she has posted her little 442 several times. She has grips like you describe. They are called Hideout grips from PGS-precision gun specialities. Brownell's has them for 15.00. They come smooth or textured, with fingergrooves or without! One small note- I bought a pair of rubber grips from cdnn for 3.99. These helped me tremendously as I was able to comfortably shoot my J frame. The grips are thin, rubber, fingergrooves, cover the backstrap. Goodluck.
 
I think that the Lazergrips from Crimson Trace are an excellent training aid.

You can easily see your point of aim move while you are pulling the trigger.

When you can pull through on the trigger without your point-of-aim moving very much, you will have it mastered.

I often use 148 grain target wadcutters for practice.
I fire enough carry ammunition so that I am good with it.
 
I started with a S&W-337, and now have a S&W-360. I changed to the Uncle Mike's Combat grips, I practiced, practiced, practiced,etc,etc,etc, and now I can shoot(double-action) just as accurate with my S&W-360 as I can with my S&W-686. One more thing, do not antiicipate the recoil.

Oh ya, "See the gun. Be the gun."
 
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