642 Club Part Deux

I checked his site - I don't believe the S&W Accessories site is any more - and you get a warranty. They had the 642LS grips, too - and you betcha everything they sell fits!

Of course, I view the 642/442 as a minimal investment, as it will never be a 'plinker' or a 'barbeque' gun. It is what it is - an effective and dependable close-support CCW. Perhaps worthy of a laser grip - but spend moola on practice ammo first. "A man's gotta know his limitations!".

Stainz

First Shots

Hi Guys,

Hoping you will let me in your exclusive club!!!

After taking possession of my 340PD with Crimson Trace LG-405's 2 weeks ago, I finally got some range time in!!!

After reading all of the horror stories for the past several months I wasn't sure what to expect. I had probably over 100,000 rounds under my belt in autos and full size revolvers, but this was my fist snubby experience.

I started with good old remington .38 Special FMJ and then moved to a box of .38 Special +P JHP's. After I established a good idea of POA and made a couple very minor adjustments to the windage of the CT, I went ahead and tested my proposed carry ammo.

Two cylinders of .38 Special Cor-Bon DPX and two cylinders of Cor-Bon .357 DPX. Neither was bad and POA was pretty much dead on.

This has solidified my idea that I will be carrying a mixed cylinder of .38 and .357 DPX for daily carry.

The recoil, while not pleasant, was not nearly enough to deter me from carrying .357 on a daily basis. While I am not a "recoil lover", I found 98% of the horror stories that I have read on numerous boards are complete bunk.

Now just have to wait for my Kramer Pocket holster to get here!!!

Shoot straight!!

Ben

I've been lurking on the 642 Club thread for several weeks now. I'll become a member on Friday when the California waiting period ends for my 642. I have several questions about the Centennial model, which I'll start with:

Does the 442/642 contain all the same internal lock mechanisms (e.g. - the flag) that the exposed hammer models have? Does the 442/642 contain all the trigger/sear etc. mechanisms necessary for single action shooting that the exposed hammer models have? Obviously, a couple of close-up internal pictures would be great...

Vista

Does anyone have any experience with the S&W 940?

I would like to have a revolver and pistol in 9mm. I'm looking at the S&W j-frame 940 9mm.

Will the 442 & 642 get jealous?

I found this one for $650

Benjam and Vista, welcome in.

G'man, back when I owned a 9mm (Kahr K9),
I looked at the 940 thinking it'd be an interesting addition.

Then, of course, I saw the light, and realized that bottom feeders are,
well, bottom feeders and replaced the K9 w/ a 642.

If I felt a need to own a 9mm, that 940 would be high on my list.

As it is, I feel I'm well served by an x42, 65 and 1894C in
.38 spl +p, .38 spl/.357 mag, and .38 spl/.357 mag, respectively.

It's an interesting concept, though: 9 mm revolver.
Keep us posted about what you learn.

Nem

Wow. Is it really 1:10 am on Monday?
Where does the time go?

from Vista-

Does the 442/642 contain all the same internal lock mechanisms (e.g. - the flag) that the exposed hammer models have? Does the 442/642 contain all the trigger/sear etc. mechanisms necessary for single action shooting that the exposed hammer models have? Obviously, a couple of close-up internal pictures would be great...

Click to expand...

Vista-

Welcome, though I am not official greeter.

Responding to your two questions:

1. Short answer: Yes, in reference to the ILS only.

Lock Arm (aka the "flag") says "Locked" even though it's internal. I just removed it and left everything else alone. This is probably not necessary but I did it for peace of mind, if nothing else. Removing the Lock Arm alone disables the entire ILS.

But there's no hammer block as in older J-frames (there's an internal firing pin with the newer ones).

The ILS is more of a storage device, in my view. It is certainly not a manual safety, but is engaged to avoid unauthorized use-like 'kids' or 'criminals'.

I'm not expert or a gunsmith but if you drop the gun without the ILS engaged there are other safety mechanisms to protect from a AD in spite of no hammer block.

The trigger must be pulled fully to the rear in order to fire. The ILS only prevents one from pulling the trigger in the first place.
Perhaps someone can give you a more detailed answer than I. I do know that the rebound slide locks the hammer and keeps it stationary unless trigger is pulled. There's more to it, I believe. Help!


2. No, sort of. It's not relevant because there is no way you can shoot it single action, even with the sideplate off, AFAIK. So forget 'poor boy's trigger job' or cocking the weapon.

With your Centennial, you can 'stage the trigger' once you've smoothed it out. Some people do not think that's a good practice.

For future reference with respect to exposed hammer DA and SA revolvers - "poor boys trigger job": http://www.gunblast.com/Poorboy.htm. (I've only done the first step of the procedure, and have found it quite helpful even with semi-autos that have exposed hammers and can fire SA, or DA/SA. Follow his caution about not overdoing it. It could result in push-off, though he does not specifically state that).

Anyway, I am not a gunsmith. Best to you!

642 accuracy...

Took the 642 to the range today and got some awesome results! I mainly stuck to targets at 7 yards (21 feet), and I was doing 5 shot groups. My first group of the day was 5 shots in the same hole! Literally, the 5 shots made one big 1" hole on the bullseye nonetheless! Needless to say I was more than satisfied. I shot through 50 rounds with my worst group being about a 4" spread. I am confident I could pop an attacker just fine from 7 yards, no problem. This 642 is quickly becoming my favorite sidekick.

I saw Ted at the Spectrum (Philly) in 1977.
The Scorpions and AC/DC opened up for him.

I guess I'm a member...

We have two 642s in my family. The first one I bought for my wife this past Valentine's day as a "purse gun." It's the one with the Crimson Trace grips. I bought the other one just yesterday as a secondary carry pistol. I normally carry a Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry II in a Galco Royal Guard IWB holster, but as a new business owner, I'm finding myself increasingly in situations where my attire doesn't really permit that kind of carry. So I bought the new 642 and a Desantis "Nemesis" pocket holster for it, and it carries quite well with a speed loader in my other pocket.

Honestly, I'm still more comfortable with the Kimber's greater firepower plus 2 extra mags, but the 642, stoked with 125 grain +P Golden Sabers will certainly do the job in a pinch.

Got a pair of smooth Goncalvo Alves grips in the mail yesterday. Changes the look of my little, finish-worn 642 a lot!

I'll try to get a picture soon.

Annoyed, welcome in.
125's are pretty hot
for the little mule.
Hold on tight.

I like the 135's best.

Sixgunner, look forward to pics of the Alves.

Found this encyclopedia article on Ted.
I don't agree with all his views or politics.
But dam*, the man can play guitar.

Speaking of guitar, anybody heard from JT?

Will the 442 & 642 get jealous?

Click to expand...

Not if you tell them that you might put that 940 cylinder in them.
A 940 is nice with the steel frame and the lightweights recognize this very well.

Nematocyst said:

Annoyed, welcome in.
125's are pretty hot
for the little mule.
Hold on tight.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the welcome. How hot is hot? I do understand that recoil will be very noticeable and that muzzle blast will also be significant; but I also own a 5" Model 29 Classic and I'm quite used to shooting .44 magnum loads with fairly heavy recoil and noise.

Here's the rational that went into my decision to carry that round, and if I'm off base, somebody can let me know....

1. I'm left handed. The cylinder release button is on the wrong side of the pistol for me. This means that a reload involves switching hands, reloading, then switching hands again to bring the gun back into play.

2. I realize that, in the majority of civilian shootings, the shooter seldom fires more than a couple of shots. However, since I am somewhat limited in my ability to reload quickly if the need arose (see #1), I felt I ought to compensate for that by making sure that the initial 5 rounds to which I am essentially restricted are real hell raisers.

3. My other two carry pistols are chambered in .45 ACP, and .40 S&W, neither of which are pussycats. I carry +P 230 grain JHPs in my 3" Kimber, and they produce noticeably more recoil than the regular pressure loads. And the .40 S&W cartridge is known for having a sharpness to it's recoil compared to the .45 - more snappy and sharper. Even though it isn't any more painful to shoot, I do find the .40 S&W more difficult to shoot than the .45.

4. As mentioned above, I also practice with some degree of regularity with a .44 magnum revolver - not as a defense pistol, but just because it's a hoot to shoot. This, plus #3 mean that I am reasonably used to pistols that recoil a lot. That is why I didn't let the 125 grain +P load for the 642 worry me to much - however, I'm willing to admit that I might have made a mistake as I haven't had a chance to actually shoot that load at a range yet. I have shot the Federal 110 grain Hyro-Shoks out of my wife's 642, and it seemed pretty mild to me.

On the downside, an acquaintance of mine who is the reloading guru at the local Cabela's in Fort Worth told me that the 642 can be downright painful to shoot hot loads out of. He also said to be sure and take a stone to any of the sharp edges on the trigger and metal of the trigger guard and the butt. He said that he bought a 642 for his wife - who is an NRA certified pistol instructor, so she knows her stuff - and after a few rounds the pistol felt slippery in her hands. On inspection, she realized that it was because her hand was bleeding. So, before I go to the range this Saturday, I will inspect the pistol for rough edges and smooth them out.

By the way, here is a picture of the Smith Family...

...which is ironic, because my last name really is "Smith."

Top: my Model 29 Classic 5".
Middle: my wifes 642 Crimson Trace, purchased a couple of days before this past Valentine's Day.
Bottom: my brand new 642, purchased a couple of days ago.

The 642 has all the attributes of a great little carry pistol, but I've got to be honest and say that its big brother (top) is what really gets my juices flowing.

Traveling to exciting places, Meeting interesting people, and...

I am currently running a few errands for Uncle that have demanded my full attention, finally got a day of downtime, hope to be back in a few weeks or so, really missing my X42's, but Uncle has provided me with a few other items for my protection...

Wayne11 - I use standard pistol primers in once fired .38 special brass with no problems. I don't see the need to modify for shotgun primers, with wax bullets the standard primers work well for me. Waiting for your report.

wjh2657, skoro, warp_foo, brockgl, david_the_greek, mjsull, lloydo123, BMRisko, benjam8291, Vista, The Annoyed Man - Welcome to the 642 Club. We are happy to have all of you here with us at the clubhouse, come on in. Now that your here I invite you to go back to the beginning and read...time well spent and the best X42 database available anywhere. .

SAG0282 - Welcome back, how was basic? Thanks for your service, it is appreciated!

lloydo123 - A picture would really help us with your wear problem, it sounds like it may just be a fit/finish issue and a quick trip back to S&W will make it right if it is bad enough to warrant repair. I have a spot on one of mine that took the clearcoat off in about the same place but it's not bad enough to worry about (it did bother me at first, but since it didn't get any worse I'm OK with it now). So let's see it.

BMRisko - I had the same idea, use the 642 as a BU for my compact 1911 (Detonics), The bottomfeeder now lives in the safe and my 642 is indeed a BU, to my 442 .

The Annoyed Man - You should also consider the 158gr LSWCHP, IMO this is the most effective round available, especially the standard pressure or +P offerings from Buff Bore, the +P (20A) is my carry round. The Speer Gold Dot 135gr +P short barrel would be my second choice.

vista said:

...a couple of close-up internal pictures would be great...

Click to expand...

From the 642 Club archives:

just got my 4th J frame! I am so excited!

Annoyed Man, welcome to the club! You might also check out the original 642 Club part one if you have a couple of extra days to look at the 5k posts!

I tried the 125 gr Golden Sabres, Hydra-Shocks, and plain old Remington JHP. I found I kept coming back to the Gold Dot 135+p. While they certainly have stout recoil, I found it was certainly controllable and I find I shoot it really well. I like the BB 158gr LSWCHP rounds as well.

Cheers!

jt1, Thank you for the picture, I'm using it as my screen background. I have never taken my side plate off and it was nice to see what’s going on in there, a lot more than what I thought. If you could make a video of the trigger slowly being pulled and post it that would be great.

Exciting

places indeed.

I was at CCAFS/NASA yesterday showing Uncle some new product variations.





On the pad is STS-124 and it is the 123rd shuttle flight, the 35th flight for Discovery and the 26th flight to the international space station. Scheduled for a May 31 launch.

And dodging fires. The fresh blackened Mahi sandwiches were excellent.

There were lots of people with firearms but we weren't one of them.

JT1,

Thanks for the warm welcome. I will take a pic and post it so I can get others' opinions regarding the frame wear. Your "it did bother me at first" comment is right on. After all, this is a new "precision instrument" where you would figure the design tolerances should prevent contact between the cylinder and the frame.

Welcome back, how was basic? Thanks for your service, it is appreciated!

Click to expand...

It was sadly abbreviated....got chaptered out for Raynaud's disease in my hands after a brutal 17deg PT session turned 'em black. Otherwise though it was an experience I was glad to have.

Nice Line Up

Xongxingfreesty.

just got my 4th J frame! I am so excited!

Click to expand...

That is a fine looking gaggle of snubs and that is indeed exciting.
Do you see more J Frames in your future? Which is next?

The Annoyed Man-

So, before I go to the range this Saturday, I will inspect the pistol for rough edges and smooth them out

Click to expand...

Don't forget, that is a clearcote finish on the 642 frame. Not like you are going after bare or raw aluminum or stainless.

Marvin-

I haven't got pictures. But I'll post some in the future.

Click to expand...

I would like to see a photo of your J Frame in the FIST configured for OWB with the snap bands.

========================================================================

The Master's Grip-

For those of you who haven't seen this and are new to mastering a J Frame, this is how to grasp/hold an X42.



Take it to the range if need be. It eliminates getting "beat up" and "bloodied".
You don't need to hold it like you are strangling it but not too far from it. Firm, very firm and keep your wrists locked.

http://www.jerrymiculek.com/

I am new to the j-frame and will now try that grip, maybe I will be able to shoot more than 25 rounds my next range trip. But my question is, can you dry fire a 642 too much? I have been dry firing mine trying to get used to the trigger and find where it breaks. But the trigger got real hard at the begining of the pull all of a sudden. So I don't know if it needs to be cleaned or if there is a piece broken that involves the intial movement of the trigger. The cylinder still rotates and the firing pin still strikes so I don't think its broke, just not sure. I was just curious if dry firing would hurt the gun in anyway? Thanks for the help in advance. Lastly can I use brake parts cleaner to clean out the inside? Carb/choke cleaner? Will they hurt the finish?

menohearclicksound

Welcome to the X42 Club.

S&W says you can dry fire an X42 to your hearts content. There are those who insist on using snap caps regardless.

1000 dry pulls should start the smoothing out process nicely.

Finding where it breaks and then readjusting your aim prior to pull through is fine in an attempt to make a close in self defense firearm a target shooter.
Don't forget to work on your "fives". Five rounds in five seconds at 5 yards.
Think COM and get all the rounds in a 6 inch circle and you are closing in on the X42s intended use.

If you can, take a class where there is target work done on moving and multiple targets (threats).

Don't forget your Mika Pocket Holster (roundcut) and a couple of Bianchi Speed Strips. Oh and a box of SGDFSB 135 gr.

Welcome to all the new members..........

Many of you, and you know who you are.....



At Ease. Smoke Em If You Got Em.