Which pocket carry .38 snub?

[Dollar An Hour]

With the practically year-round shorts & T-shirts I wear here, I'm thinking pocket carry makes the most sense for my CCW.

I guess for pocket carry, light weight is everything, and it needs to be shrouded hammer or DAO. So how about the S&W 442 or 642 (15 oz) or Taurus M85CHULT (13.5 oz).

S&W's usually command a premium, but the J-frames can be found pretty close to $400 NIB, about the same as the lightest Taurus models.

Does the Taurus' lighter weight outweigh S&W's reputation for attention to detail and good trigger? The lower priced J-frames aren't really as nice as they once were, are they?

 

[Frank1991]

I have never owned a Taurus so I really can't speak for their reputation. I do, however, own a Smith 340PD which I really like. It is very light and weighs only 12 ounces and costs a lot more than the 642. I am in the market for a new JFrame and have been doing lots of research on them. I keep coming back to the 642. It really seems that this is the preferred pocket pistol to carry on most of the boards that I have read (and I have spent a lot of time researching this next purchase). I plan on having mine by next weekend. Good luck with your decision and let up know what you decide.

 

[ACP230]

I have some other snubs, but my preferred carry snubs are Smiths.
I like the M649 and M38 and also used to have an M49.

The M38 is lighter, but I shoot the 649 more accurately, so most often carry it.

 

[Ala Dan]

Quote by Frank1991:
"It is very light and weighs only 12 ozs and costs a lot more than the 642".

Maybe the 340PD does cost more than a 642 (and chambered for the
.357 magnum cartridge); but does cost play a significant role
when choosing a CCW piece? FWIW, a persons life is valuable
regardless of cost~!

Fact of the matter is, I sold a NIB S&W 340PD this week for $639.88
+ applicable sales tax. The gentleman who bought it stated that he
plan to shoot only .38 Specials out of this gun. My question is,
given the fact that the 340PD can shoot .38 Special/.357 magnum
ammo; is this fact along with a three ounce weight difference worth
the extra $$$~? Price of a NIB S&W 642 is $349.88.

 

[Bob79]

Ala Dan-

I'm also 99% sure that if you change out the Uncle Mike's grips that come on the 642/442 with the Hogue Bantams, for only $15 you just shaved off one ounce. The Hogues are much lighter, and now give you a 14oz gun, making the diffence only 2 ounces.

Again, I'm 99% sure on this one, but it would be nice if someone could weigh the same exact gun with the different grips.

 

[MillCreek]

My favorite pocket carry snub is my Taurus titanium 651: 17.0 ounces unloaded and 19.1 ounces loaded with five rounds of Speer Gold Dot .38+p 135 grain JHP. I removed the stock grip and put a Butler Creek boot grip on it. I carry it in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster.

My other snubby revolvers weigh upwards of 25 ounces loaded, and are too heavy for pocket carry.

 

[rich636]

Dollar,

We almost have year round t-shirt and shorts here in Houston, TX. The 642 fits well in the pocket of my cargo type shorts but in some pants the grip sticks out. I typically carry it in my waistband. I am pleased with the quality of the gun and the minimalist nature of the hammerless DA revolver. The trigger is heavy but has a clean break. With any pocket carry revolver I would make sure you have a good belt so it doesn't work your pants down.

My Kel-Tec P-32 goes with me more often during the summer because it is a very good match for IWB with a t-shirt. The grip on the 642 prints through my t-shirts pretty badly. For pocket carry this of course is a non issue.

 

[Dollar An Hour]

wood grips a good idea?

I'm also 99% sure that if you change out the Uncle Mike's grips that come on the 642/442 with the Hogue Bantams, for only $15 you just shaved off one ounce

I don't know if wood grips save any weight, but for pocket carry it seems wood is best, since rubber tends to stick to pocket/holster material on the draw.

A couple of the Smith DAO J frames come with wood grips - is it the Ladysmith line?

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

The only revolvers in the smith line that I know of that comes with wood is the Lady Smith 65, Lady Smith 60, Lady Smith 642, and the Lady Smith 36. I have the 36, and although this was designed for us ladies in mind, I'm not crazy about the wood. It's tiny and isn't comfortable to grab. I'm currently looking for something that fills the hand better. I'd like to possibly get the 65 next - maybe - but they're pricy, and my model 60 2" is just as nice as the Lady Smith version.

 

[Lord Bodak]

I think the Hogue Bantams are more than an ounce lighter than the stock 642 grips. I don't have numbers, but they are noticeably lighter and the gun is noticeably lighter with them. If you're not going to shoot .357s, I can't see any reason to go with the 340.

 

[Ala Dan]

I also sold a NIB Smith & Wesson model 442 (.38 Special) that came with
factory laminated Rosewood grips. Price? $459.88 + tax~!

 

[Dollar An Hour]

Wood 442

I also sold a NIB Smith & Wesson model 442 (.38 Special) that came with factory laminated Rosewood grips

I saw one at a local gun shop, looked real nice, and I think it was $459, or about $70 more than the rubber-grip 642. So I guess some of the 442's are coming with wood grips and some with rubber? I don't think this was a LS.

 

[jobu07]

FWIW, I carry a Model 36 with the factory wood grips. I like the wood over rubber grips because it conceals better. Wieght isn't really an issue for me. Double action or single, doesn't really matter either. The lack of a shrouded hammer isn't very bothersome for that matter.

 

[dasmi]

but does cost play a significant role
when choosing a CCW piece?

Yes, at least for me. Cost plays a role in every gun purchase. Even if I could afford whatever I wanted, I was still raised to get the most out of my dollar. It's been beaten into my head for years. I'm not going to spend 1000 on a gun, if I can get the same accuracy, reliablity, and fun for 500.

 

[Ala Dan]

Hey Dollar-

The S&W model 442 I sold was not a Lady Smith~! I haven't seen any
442's with rubber grips; we had two, but both had the laminated Rosewood
grips.

 

[Mulliga]

since rubber tends to stick to pocket/holster material on the draw.

Keep in mind that when you draw from a pocket, your hand will probably be in a firing grip before the gun ever leaves your holster. The grip will be completely covered - so grip material doesn't really matter IMO.

 

[Dollar An Hour]

I haven't seen any
442's with rubber grips; we had two, but both had the laminated Rosewood
grips.

The 442 on the S&W site has rubber grips.

Why does the 442 cost more than the 642, anybody know? Aren't they the same gun but the 442 is black?

 

[denfoote]

Here's mine!!!

I'm in the same boat because I live in Buckeye.

Here's what I carry.
Taurus M85SSUL.
I'm not sure what it cost because it was my wife's before we were married.

I have no problem with the hammer catching!!

 

[bubbygator]

I've been well-satisfied with a nickel 442 with Crimson Trace bootgrips. It has fulfilled all my desires in a snubby.

 

[ruger357]

I like the S&W 637.

 

[cookekdjr]

S&W is my favorite gunmaker, but when I went shopping for a light-weight .38 I left the store with a Taurus. I tried EVERY .38 in the store (there were dozens) and the Titanium Taurus 85 had the best trigger and action by far. Fit and finish were first rate. The Smith was excellent, but to my surprise, the Taurus was better.
This Taurus shoots to point of aim with every ammo I have tried, and even though I'm a bad pistol shot I can keep all five shots on a 2" shoot-n-see target shooting off hand at 7 yards. Usually all shots touch. I've shot it back-to-back with my friends S&W Airweight, and even though I like the Smith, the Taurus shoots better.
I really can't recommend the Taurus enough.
Good luck,

David

 

[roo_ster]

Several good pocket snubbies.

S&W & Taurus are the top makers.

Figure out how heavy is "too heavy for pocket carry" for you & eliminate all that are too heavy/large.

Figure out how much recoil you can stand below your cutoff weight and then pick one. You can cut it really fine, as I believe models are available from 12 oz all the way to 25 oz in roughly 1 oz increments, if you include all Taurus's & S&W's snubbies.

 

[R.H. Lee]

I have an all steel Taurus 85 and a 642. The 642 is far and away the best for pocket carry. It's lighter and hammerless. Either can be carried easily IWB.

 

[Pointblank]

The 642 is tough to beat. I put Pachmyar Compac Pros on mine. I always carry one Safariland speedloader and one Bianchi speed strip. It's loaded with Corbon +P DPX.

 

[whelen35]

I picked up a titanium Taurus last spring and carried it with shorts all summer. If you haven't carried one of these, its hard to imagine just how light this gun is in the front pocket. An added plus is that I sweat a lot, and don't have to worry so much about corrosion.