The life of a 442

Blkhrt13

Blkhrt13

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In a thread in the reloading forum I explained I am wanting to start with 38 special. One of the points that came up was that I want to build a good serviceable load for practicing with my 442. A point made is that smith and Wesson says they are plus p rated for the life of the gun. So on that note how many rounds has your 442 lasted? Have you run it with many plus p? Anyone worn one out? I admit other that running 15 rounds of commercial ammo through it to make sure it went bang I have them cleaned and carried it. Any one worn one out shooting it?
 
I have had a 442 since 1997. I cannot tell you how many rounds I have shot through it. Maybe 3000 or 3500 rounds, but I can honestly say that I haven’t shot more than a hundred +P rounds through it. I do not shoot hot loads through my gun. Standard velocity SD rounds, wadcutters and target ammo to match SD ammo weights and velocities. Last year I started having light primer strikes so I installed the Apex Tactical J Frame Duty Carry kit. My gun feels brand new again.

Sorry I can’t give you info on wearing out my gun. ;)
 
I have shot between 4000 and 5000 rounds through my 638. Bought it in 2015. Most of that has been my reloads, which are not quite full power. Around 700 were factory full power 158gr loads and probably 400 to 500 have been Plus P. Gets carried daily. It’s held up really well. Locks up as tight as ever and even the finish is still nice.
Something to consider too is that all Plus P’s are not created equal. I have shot some Plus P that was like slamming the car door on your hand and others that I could run through 50 of with no problem.
076364B1-4A5A-4AEB-A5E6-DA00E900E8EA.jpeg 17AF5EAB-01EB-4BD0-9FFE-44B8382A1873.jpeg
 
If youre really worried about it, Id just pick up another gun to use in practice with and use the other to carry. That way youre not wearing out the gun you want to count on in practice, and you also have a spare should you happen to need it.

A case of practice ammo is basically the cost of the second gun.
 
My practice revolver cost about $200. Shooting a 2" 38 snub is the same as shooting a 38 snub, as far as practice goes, IMHO.

My LCR and 642 don't have to shoot hot ammo. They'll last as long as I will, at this rate.

If/when the practice revolver gets too worn, I'll part it out and get another. NBD. That's its purpose.

Taurus Model 85 38 special DAO

Taurus Model 85 38 special DAO

 
Not all 2" snubbies are the same. The Airweights are definitely more of a challenge to shoot, especially if they are set up as a carry gun and you are shooting them a lot at an outing.
 
i respectfully disagree with carry ammo and/or carry piece being purposely different from practice ammo and/or practice piece. maybe when just starting out with a handgun doing so is ok for a very short while, but actual use should be just another practice session performed under dire circumstances.
 
I picked up a 442 a number of years back. I carry it often because it is reliable, and fits comfortably in the front pocket of a pair of shorts. Much of the year I am at our Miami place, and concealment is difficult in year round warm weather. Since it's a CCW revolver, I practice a lot with it. I shoot a lot of practice ammo, but a fair amount of +p as well. A 158 grain LSWCHP or a 158 grain JHP with a stout dose of SR4756 behind it is a handful. No issue though with the gun loosening up or getting out of time.
 
trackskippy said:
If youre really worried about it, Id just pick up another gun to use in practice with and use the other to carry. That way youre not wearing out the gun you want to count on in practice, and you also have a spare should you happen to need it.

A case of practice ammo is basically the cost of the second gun.
Click to expand...
Back in early 2019 I got to thinking about how much I had shot my 638 and how I would miss it if it broke. Around that same time gun sales were in a slump and prices were low. An area shop put J frames on sale for $337.95 so of course I got one. I bought a 442 as a backup to the 638
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Many moons ago a Charter Arms Undercover with a 2" barrel was my daily carry. factory ammo was rare and I kept it fed with 158 grain SWC over a charge of around 5 grains of Unique. It digested several thousand of those pep pills with no signs of wear.
 
Jonesy814 said:
Back in early 2019 I got to thinking about how much I had shot my 638 and how I would miss it if it broke. Around that same time gun sales were in a slump and prices were low. An area shop put J frames on sale for $337.95 so of course I got one. I bought a 442 as a backup to the 638
View attachment 1124424 View attachment 1124425
Click to expand...
For the guns I use and carry, I have a duplicate gun I practice with, and usually another as a spare/backup. That way Im not beating the guns Im going to be counting on to death in practice, as I tend to shoot those the most, and a lot.
 
Honestly I never worry about wearing out a gun, never have! I shoot my 638 often but not with heavy priced factory self defense ammo. I shoot my reloads that are standard pressure but not too heavy. Similar POA/POI. Even with Wadcutters it’s hard to have a 200 round shooting session with an Air Weight.
 
I have a non+P rated model 38 Bodyguard Airweight from 1968. (So a tad older than the 442 W-30 pictured above)

I have run over 2000 +P rounds through it with no discernible problems. I know it’s not a 442 but it also isn’t rated for +P, has an alloy frame, and is doing great.
 
That’s awesome I just got my first 638. My best pal then bought a 442 and his buddy bought one cause he did. All at a secret Smokin deal price I know of.
 
Closest gun I have to the S&W 442 is an old Model 38 Airweight, which I bought over 40 years ago. I’ve shot enough +P’s in that gun over the years to know how uncomfortable that was! I’ve maybe put a thousand rounds of standard loads through it in four decades. Still a reliable gun, but I rarely carry it anymore, usually only when I travel to states with high cap mag bans and I anticipate I’ll only be in “low-threat” environments.
 
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Not a 442, but my 340 has seen a lot of use with .357 and .38+P rounds and has been in for service twice. First time back was for a broken cylinder crane (gun was still functional) and recently back for an inspection and tightening up.

There are limits to what these light guns will stand up to long term. That being said, they are great carry pieces and S&W Will absolutely take care of you.

I recently bought a 340PD (the titanium one) and intend on using that for defensive purposes with low round count and using the old one for practice.

So I guess my advice is “buy two”!

6FBC1B53-2489-4054-BA26-20C51C11F76C.jpeg
 
I have both a 442 and 642, basically the same gun but different color. The latter I bought at the end if the 1990's and it has 2500-3000 rounds through it.

I do not care for shooting +P ammunition from my Airweights but they have had a few. I was getting light primer strikes a few years ago with the 642. A quick replacement of the main spring corrected the problem.

The 442 is much newer than my 642 and has not been shot as much. I practice with the 642 and carry the 442.

Side note, both guns are machined for moon clips.
 
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