Buckeye63
Member
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2018
- Messages
- 2,276
@halfmoonclip .. I agree about the gloves for sure .. most of the time ,while at the range I wear LEO gloves ...
I had a very similar experience.
Ive owned a number of 642's over the years, and still have one. Still shoot it a couple of times a month too. Mostly to try and stay on top of it, and to remind me why its usually sitting in the safe.
Ive always been a fan of S&W snubbies, and have a number of them, .38 and .357, and as much as I like the 642's, they have always been the least pleasant and the one that was always a chore to shoot. And because of that, the one of the lot that actually gets shot the most. 50 rounds is about my limit too.
I think something that Kleanbore pointed out about running drills with them is, or can be, a big wake up for those who have never tried it, when you actually try. Their shortcomings there are pretty stark and quickly become clear.
Ive gone through a bunch of smaller, what I call "back up/second/third line guns" over the years, which included the 642, and settled on my 26's for that role. While slightly chunkier, and a tad heavier than the 642, it also carries double the ammo and has good sights and shoots like a full size, even with the ten round mag in the gun. With a 17 reload in it, its basically, and pretty much instantly, a short-barreled 17. And I carry it in the exact same places I carried my 642's.
I still occasionally use my 642 for that third line role, mostly as an outer coat pocket, under my thigh or maybe on the seat or in the console, etc, while Im driving, or as a hand off to my wife, since she seems to never bother carrying hers anymore.
At the very least, everyone should have a 642, just to know what it is and what its like the shoot. Ive taken a number of newbies shooting who insisted that was the gun they wanted to get and carry. And almost to a one, after just one cylinder full, handed it back to me and said, "NO!".
Reality is a bitch I guess.
Buckeye may your neck heal super fast and well in the name of Jesus Christ! Amen
Do you use a pocket holster?After reading all the hype on this and other forums I bought a 642, and one without the idiot lock. I remain under whelmed. Since I don't wear baggy pants I can't hide the bloody thing. First time I put it in my jeans front pocket and walked into her office my wife asked if that was the new gun I'd just bought.
Dave
guy, I've tried 3 pocket holsters - leather, nylon, Kydex. I'm told I need to start wearing baggy cargo pants to carry in the pocket. Good grief, I look bad enough in my jeans. If I dress any worse children will run screaming to their mothers when they see me. (smile)
Dave
You can’t pick a wrong J-Frame The no lock 442 is my favorite View attachment 956511
Back 15 years ago when I got the 642 as my first EDC gun, I did have the choice. I went for the 642 because should I ever have to use it, I wanted the miscreants to see I had a gun. In low light with the black 442 (which I agree is a better looking gun) they might not notice it. That logic might be flawed, but was my thought process at the time.I would have picked a 442 over the 642
Agree. Had a 642..first handgun after years of not really being interested..PIT-rear end to shoot, hurt my crappy wrist/thumb(thanks USN docs). Traded for a Glock 42.I like the idea of aluminum frame snubs, but I find the sweet spot for me is 16oz. The 13 oz alloy kicks just a tad too hard. Bumping up to a steel frame like a 9mm lcr or my current edc Charter Undercover makes them just a touch more shootable.
Still, the 642 and 442 are fine revolvers and easily pocketable.
Agree. Had a 642..first handgun after years of not really being interested..PIT-rear end to shoot, hurt my crappy wrist/thumb(thanks USN docs). Traded for a Glock 42.
Hang on, didn’t you start the 642 threads?I keep trying to talk myself out of a 42. I'm a mouse gun carrier. Well, I guess the 42 is more like a rat But having a .380 with glock reliability and toughness that can fit in my jacket pocket made sense. Honestly, if I had more .380 on hand or could find it in the stores, I probably would have caved. Hard to justify it when my Shield 45 does the same thing, though.
Anyway, yes the lightweight .38s are just a tad too light for me to hit anything with them.
Hang on, didn’t you start the 642 threads?
Nope. not me