S&W 642 38 special

R

rgerber

Inactive
Am wondering if anyone has experience with this particular S&W. My bride refuses to shoot it. She carries a Kel-Tec 32 and sometimes a Sig 232. She thinks that it will not be comfotable to shoot and also not be as accurate as the the Sig or Kel-Tec.
Anyone?

Thanks

Rev. Dickie:)
 
She's right. I have a 642. It's painful to shoot. The rear sight is basically non-existent (just a shallow groove in the top strap), making it quite hard to aim. And it has a long trigger pull.

M1911
 
If she enjoys shooting the Kel-Tec .32, and is good with it......I would think the 642 would be even more enjoyable and easier to shoot accurately.

Unless there is something about the grips on yours that make it uncomfortable for her.

I can shoot the K 32 well but have to work harder at it than with a J frame.

Sam
 
My spousal unit had a 642 a few years ago and didn't like the recoil at all & didn't enjoy shooting it (standard loads). I got her a Kel-Tec P-32 for carry and a S&W Model 65 LS for the house. She likes those much better & can shoot them more accurately.
 
i've been carrying a 642 for several years now, but it is a horrible gun (in stock form) to introduce someone to the joys of the wheelgun.

the things that make it such a joy to carry (light weight, small grip) are counter-productive to control; especially with SD ammo.

take your gun to a smith and have the action tuned for a smooth DA pull. also have them smooth and round the trigger and de-horn the cylinder release. add grips that fit/fill her hand (hogue/uncle mike - not the "boot grips")

get comfortable shooting the gun with wad cutters before gradually moving up the power scale. one of the most controllable and yet dependable rounds is the federal (non+p) nyclad 125 gr hp
 
I bought my wife a 642 to carry instead of her P228. She likes it so far. Very light weight, small, and a decent shooter with the rubber grips.
 
I have a couple and love them. A great always gun. They're really quite accurate, way more so than the P32. She might well not shoot it as accurately as the Sig, tho. Re comfort, I don't mind shooting mine even with +P loads, but proper grip is everything in controlling a snubbie and shooting it well. Definitely not a beginner's gun in a lightweight frame like the 642, but not all that difficult to shoot if she's proficient with the other 2. My wife has a Ruger SP 101 to complement her P32. It's a brick, but the weight makes it easy to control, esp. with +P 38's or 110 gr .357's.
 
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Ow!

Oh sorry, just shot my S&W Airweight!

My bride got talked into one by the guy at the gun shop. She hated the pain of shooting it.

She bought a 9mm Ruger p95 and loves it.

I like the snubbie and can shoot very accurately out to 25 yds (never tried farther). Got a full coverage grip and a trigger job that really helps.

My CHL instructor says " The airweight is a carry, self defense gun. Not a shooting gun"

Cheers
 
Coz:

Yes, I've tried a full coverage rubber grip. That reduces felt recoil, but then I can no longer fit it in the pocket of my jeans (yes, I do use a pocket holster). Which defeats the purpose.

Regarding your instructor's statement that "it is a carry gun, not a shooting gun", I think lightweight snubbies like the 642 are hard to shoot quickly and accurately. The only way to be able to do that is to practice often. And you won't practice often with a gun that hurts to shoot....

M1911
 
I think the 642 is a sensible choice. 5 shots of moderate stopping power in a package you can tuck in your pants pocket as easy as a wallet or a set of keys. If you don't like the factory hard rubber grips (I do) buy some Eagle Secret Service hardwood grips. And, I know what the instructor is trying to say, but .... by definition, a carry gun is a shooting gun. Some people will cease their attack at the sight of a gun. Others won't. Watch how your carry gun magically and instantly transforms itself into a shooting gun when some maniac with an iron pipe charges you swinging at your head.
 
1911, SAM et. al.

I think my instructor was trying to say that it's not a gun for sport shooting. He did emphasize learning any carry weapon and shooting it, just not 50 rounds of practice twice a month....

He said something else that I thought was quite interesting. From his experience as an LEO he said that when you are in a situation defending your life or someone else's, that you never notice the sound or the recoil of your weapon.....

Sounds right.....


Cheers
 
I have a 442 (blue version). It's a nice carry piece, but not a target or plinking gun for a day at the range. My wife had the same problem with a Model 38 Airweight. We were practicing with wadcutters that she could handle with no problem. When we ran out, I started using some hollow points I had in the range bag. She fired one shot and handed the gun back to me. The lightweights can/do have a stout recoil. Like I said earlier, these guns are made to carry and not to shoot all day with. Have your wife get used to the wadcutters then keep the gun loaded with defense ammo. If she or you had to ever use the gun in a defense situation (hopefully not), I'm sure you would hardly hear or feel the gun shoot.

Kinda like Deer hunting. When you sight in your rifle at the range, it's always louder and kicks harder. When you are taking a live shot, everything gets tuned out.

Roy
 
Okay, out on a limb time here....I rarely shoot my 442 but carry often (Insert flames here)....the few times I do shoot it, I put them all in the siloutte at a distance more than I will most likely ever need....I think most peole who know guns and shoot them could pick up any snubbie and put 5 rounds on a man sized target at 7 yards...I am not going to give up carrying a perfect pocket gun becuase I don't like to shoot it...much like I won't disconnect my airbag because I know it can hurt your nose when it inflates.....
 
coz said:

"From his experience as an LEO he said that when you are in a situation defending your life or someone else's, that you never notice the sound or the recoil of your weapon."

That's not my concern at all. My concern is that I find the 642 hard to shoot quickly and accurately. The only way for me to be able to do that is to practice with it a lot. But I don't want to do that because it just plain hurts to shoot. 10 rounds and I'm done. So I don't practice much with it. So I'm not very good with it.

I'm the first to agree that a 642 in my pocket beats a M1911 in my safe. But I'm a lot better with my Kahr MK9 than I am with my 642. YMMV.

M1911
 
I agree with Coz (and the instructor). Once you get the funnymentals of double action shooting with any S&W down a J-frame airweight makes great sense for a carry gun. It's not a fun day at the range gun - no pocket gun is. Even a 25 Beretta or Browning is not much fun to shoot for extended periods.

I have a battery of Centennial models that I shoot regularly. A 940, a 342, and several 442s and 642s. All are the same gun except for the weight. The 940, a stainless 9mm gets probably the most work. But the aluminum jobs are for carry. Let the flames begin!
 
I have a 442--the 642's blued brother--as my "Always" gun...Mrs. 3-5-7 carries a 642 "LadySmith" as HER "Always" gun...practice with carry loads is NOT pleasant, but definitely "Do-able" for most "average" handgunners, IMO...I've tried MANY other guns as the "Always" gun, but ALWAYS come back to the 442...best balance of portability, concealability, stopping power and control I've found...FWIW....mikey357
 
I've owned my 642 for a few years. It's my 3rd S&W snubby. Learned how to shoot it with wax loads followed by several thousand reloads. Excellent accuracy, reliability and portability. I tried carrying the 1911, light weight 9mm, PPK, Seecamp .32, .38 derringer, .25 auto and kept going back to the snub. The 642 is more of a "tool" than a "fun" gun. For pure fun, I'll take a 20 ga auto anytime.

... but that KelTec .32 does look interesting .... hmmmmm
 
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