642 Club Part Deux

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What handgun cartridge for grizzly?

Admittedly, if faced with the task of SD against a griz
with a handgun, I'd prefer a hot .44 mag or .45 Colt.
(In reality, I'd prefer a rifle or 12 ga, but hey ...)

But it appears that in a pinch, a lowly .38 spl will do.

Gee, makes me feel better about my 642 as SD against vermin in my hood.
 
Alright, I just finished reading every single post in part one and deux. It only took me a couple of weeks reading off and on in the evenings. There were some nuggets of information in there.

So here is my club application:

Two 642-2s wearing LG-105s (the clear coat is missing from the backstrap of one from use)
One 442-2 SAF wearing Hogue bantams (love this gun and I am hoping there will be a Chicago v McDonald version later this year)
One 640-3 wearing wood grips from S+W (great for practice and a good winter gun)
One 360PD wearing LG-205s (a beast with 357s and not to great for pocket carry)
Four bianchi speed strips (carry all the time in my watch pocket of my jeans)
Two Tuff quick strips (ok but prefer the bianchis)
Four safariland comp Is (love these things)
Two HKS model 36s (not my cup of tea but they work)
Two Maxfire speedloaders (don't like them at all)
One Jet loader (oh so fast but a bit big to carry in anything but a winter coat)
One SL Variant loader (useless, don't waste your money; it doesn't hold the cartridges right so it jams up when trying to insert it into the cylinder)
Two Desantis Nemesis holsters (like them a lot)
One Desantis ankle holster (comfortable and a good price, will get another when this one wears out)
One Comp-Tac C-Tac holster (best IWB holster I can find)
One Don Hume Jit Slide (not that great)
One Ross Leather Driving Crossdraw holster (does its job on roadtrips)
One Hogue Monogrip (comfortable but too big for the ways I carry)
Hundreds of Speer GDHP 135 +P (never shot anything living with them but I carry them because of the tests I have seen online and they are the easiest to get in my area, I make reloads of them as well for practice)

Sorry no pictures; I don't have a digital camera (I prefer film, preferably out of my leica M6).


I must admit that I have already broken one 642 and had the frame replaced. The hammer stud broke away from the frame. Surprisingly the gun still fired, the trigger was horrible though. S+W gave me a new frame promptly.
I have shot these guns till I bleed several times in the four years since I switched to J-frames for carry. Mostly the side of my thumb from the cylinder release and the web of my hand from shooting too many 357s. I have since figured out the best hold for my massive hands and my thumb no longer gets it from the cylinder release (that and I took a dremel to all of them and broke the sharp edges).
Now I am looking to get a 686+ 3", a model 40, and a 640 pro series. I also need a Mika holster, a smart carry holster, a better belt holster, and one of those upside-down shoulder holsters. I am also considering a 43C for practice.
I used to have a 649 but I gave it to a girlfriend (who is no longer around). So I may also be looking for a 438 or another 649 (I like the body guards too).

I have also read every thing on:
Snubnose.info
snubtraining.com
hipowersandhandguns.com

Sadly, I don't get to carry the little guys too often since I got my new job working in a courthouse (a smart carry may remedy that since we don't have any metal detectors).
 
Welcome hedghog23 and austinkroe

austin you are indeed a prized student for all your homework and are majorly "snubbed up"!!!

Looking forward to both your contributions and again welcome aboard.
 
Here is my 642 and my wife's 640 along with my ubg belt and holsters.
 

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I have

been meaning to buy one of these for quite some time. I looked at some of the ballistic nylon units from Cabelas and they received good ratings with the exception of the noisy hook and loop disengagement.

I think the leather would slide out of the pocket easier and could be opened with little to no noise. Classier looking too.


580-2.jpg

One of these fits in this....

18308_ihl_speed_strip_wallet_1_m-1.jpg

Accepts .38 spl and .357.

Ordered it from:

http://www.dillonprecision.com/cont...HL_Speed_Strip_Wallet__Black___38_357_6_round
 
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ammo laden grip?

I see one of the current gun rags has an article about a new (wider) grip with 4 back-up rounds inside the butt. Think I prefer stock but it's a new product some might like.
 
i'm happy to report that i became a part of this club on Thursday! i took it out to shoot it yesterday; i kept shooting high with it. i eventually got the hang of it, but i definitely want to get more practice in. i have the 642-1, no lock on it.
 
Howdy all. I've been pretty lucky over the years when dealing with folks in the shooting sports and related suppliers.
I have to tell y'all that Robert Mika just raised the bar in customer service. I'm not gonna tell ya' what he did (Don't want others expecting it) but I'm blown away, and that ain't easy.
He's my go-to guy for any of his type of product, henceforth. Thanks Mr. Mika!
 
I have to tell y'all that Robert Mika just raised the bar in customer service.
Click to expand...

Somehow that just doesn't surprise me. When I was in a bind for a pocket holster Robert made me an offer I refused, he seems to under promise and over deliver and that is indeed rare today. Hats off to Robert.
 
This item arrived today and it is of very nice quality and well constructed for the intended purpose.

When lying out in the open, you can't see the rounds so you really don't know what it is without opening it.

You can set the Speedstrip up in the jt1 2x2 format leaving the two center rounds in the case if you need to come back for them later. Or all 6 can be inserted in the strip.

Price was right, although the shipping at almost $10 (should be 5) was onerous.

The design is effective. Molded leather to fit the rounds and keep them secure. No sloshing around, no noise. Heavy duty snap which can be opened quietly and it surprisingly small with a 3.125 X 2 X .50 inch pocket footprint. The photo is almost actual size.

18308_ihl_speed_strip_wallet_1_m-1.jpg

I'll give the Speedstrip Wallet a 5 out of 5...and definitely would recommend it to a friend. ;) Beats the heck out of carrying a loose Speedstrip getting all tangled with other EDC goods.

I have no affiliation with Dillion or IHL.

In fact speaking of Robert Mika...you Robert should check these out I think you could do well with a facsimile.
 
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DAdams nice set up indeed and I do hope that Sir Robert follows this forum and would consider putting his spin on this rig.
 
Where's the best location to carry speed strips while pocket carrying? Strong side or weak side? Does this change if you decide to use the speed strip wallet? Is the speed strip wallet a two handed operation in order to reload with the speed strip?
 
FLGator,

Choosing where to put your speed strip is more a matter of how you reload. There are two schools of thought on reloading. One, Keep the gun in your dominate hand and reload with your weak hand. Two, transfer the gun to your weak hand and reload with your dominate hand. (I choose the latter)

When I am wearing jeans I put the speed strip in the little watch pocket on the right side of my jeans. This gives me easy access with my right hand but it is not so far across my body that if I had to I couldn't reach it with my left hand. Using the Watch pocket also keeps things out of the way if I am pocket carrying.

You could also use a smart carry device and carry the load right in the center of your body so it wouldn't matter which hand you load with.

At the very least I keep my ammo on the same side of my body as my gun. You should do the opposite if you reload in the opposite manner that I choose.

As for the Speed strip wallet. I see that more as a belt carry item. There is no real need for it if you plan on keeping your speed strip in your pocket as it would only slow you down in that regard. If you look at the main flap you will notice that it goes around the back and over the top before snapping on. what you would want to do is put your belt in between the main body and the flap. This way you just open the snap with your reloading hand and pull out the quick strip. Otherwise this would be a two handed operation and you cannot do that while holding your gun as well.

In conclusion. Speed strip wallet is for belt carry. Reload ammo should go with the hand you use to reload.
 
Newb Here

Hello guys! I am new to THR and excited to be here. I am also new to the 642, I bought one yesterday (642-2 talo exclusive) :D:D:D I am looking for several different carry options and was hoping someone could help me out.

1) really high quality leather IWB (preferably tuckable)

2) nice leather pocket carry rig (maybe a Mika?)


Pictures would be much appreciated!!!


Yes, I confess, I did not read through all 150+ pages to find my answers... all in due time!
 
Well the 442 actually made me bleed!

Coupled with dry skin and 125+P Winchester HP, the 442 somehow managed to make me bleed where the mule kicks -right in between your index finger and your thumb!-

I am more consistent & accurate using a high hand grip so that is what I use, but boy does it seem to hit even harder using that grip.

What I essentially need is the Crimson Trace with the rubber recoil absorbing pocket on the top of the backstrap, but it's so expensive! Are there any cheaper alternatives? (maybe shaving a hogue mono smaller?)

Edit: Welcome to THR tolesy, unfortunately I couldn't help w/ the leather.
 
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stealth: A reasonable alternative grip might be a Pachmayr Compac. Here is a link to a comparison of the Compac to the CT 405.

However, there are tradeoffs--the Compac is softer, and will have more 'squirm' in your hand under recoil. It is also thicker, longer--and therefore, less suitable for pocket carry, most likely.

And, then there is simply the issue of hand conditioning--i.e., what one needs to do to shoot a j-frame for sustained periods. Two-plus years ago, by the time I had practiced enough I had new calluses in my web, on my trigger finger, middle finger, and on my palm. Getting those calluses required both the practice and nurturing them.

Jim H.
 
Jim-

What's that old Beatles song ending...."Iv'e got blisters on my fingers".

You must be the Eric Clapton of J Frames. :D

I still keep my squeeze ball close at hand to maintain that necessary grip of steel. :rolleyes:

A half round wood rasp can help quicken the conditioning process....;)

Welcome aboard tolesy.

At Ease.
 
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