I'm trying to decide on a CCW.....

[rufunky]

I'm trying to decide on a CCW. I like the idea of 38 38+P & 357 but have heard the 357's are quite painful to shoot with such a light gun. There for if I am not going to shoot 357 I believe the 642 can be had for quite a bit less. Opinions?

Smith and Wesson 642 2" .38+P - hammerless

OR

Smith and Wesson M&P 340 CT .38+p & 357- Centennial

 

[20nickels]

Get the 642 and put some glow paint on the sights. Take your money saved and have a trigger job done by a reputable gunsmith, not the factory. There is some fine .38 defensive ammo out there that will settle most any confrontation.

 

[Haywood]

I have a SP101 Ruger, a 605 Taurus, a 617 Taurus and a 971 Rossi. All are 2" 357s with a Grip change on the 605 and 617, all of these handle 357 ammo with no problem. I practice with 357 Reloads that are not quite as hot as Factory but, they are hotter than 38SPL.+P. One or Two of these are a Carry gun every day and a 642 is my Pocket Gun for Backup.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Another to consider is the 640 Centennial in 357. It is a steel frame to minimize recoil with the added weight but will also carry heavy. If not this then the 642 is the way to go.

 

[orchidhunter]

rufunky, Out of a snubnose revolver the .357mag is like a hot .38. Save your money and get the .38. orchidhunter

 

[Willy G.]

I went with a 442, black like the 340 but no .357 just +p hydro-shocks
With the money I saved I got CT 405's and a few holsters and ammo.

 

[BlindJustice]

Uh, Haywood you might correct your post, the
S&W 617 is a K-frame with either a 4" or 6" Bbl. in
.22 LR

for the O.P. I have the S&W Model 60 3" Bbl. it's
All steel at 24 oz. it isn't the weight so much as the 3"
Bbl. that make it a little less convenient as a CCW but
it dows have the rear adj. sight, plain ramp front and
it is chambered for .357 Mag, but I carry it with .38 Spcl
+P usually.

Have you considered the S&W Model 640, it's also all steel
but has the shrouded hammer for DAO and unlike the Lt wt
J-Frames it's got a 2 1/8" Bbl. It's also a .357 Mag. so it leaves
that as an option, or .38 Spcl/+P of course.

Any thought of the S&W 315 Nightguard? It's a K-frame
.38 SPcl +P with the 6 shot cylinder, Scandium frame, Stainless
Steel cylinder & a 2 1/2" Bbl. along with the other
standard to the NG line, features.

R-

 

[indiandave]

I would go for the 642 at 15oz it's still very light. you should add grips that cover the backstrap. You will get reduced felt recoil. Painting the front sight is an old police trick. It works. I carry a 642 daily, I like it alot.

 

[PcolaDawg]

I LOVE the 642 as a carry gun. The recoil doesn't bother me a bit, even with the Plus P ammo. My only gripe was the small grip, but I bought one with a Crimson Trace grip and it is a bit bigger than the stock grip and made all the difference for me.

I've found the gun to be surprisingly accurate, especially when I aim using the laser.

Good luck.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

There are 4 S&W J frame Airweight revolvers I consider good carry guns. Yes, the Aitlite .357 Magnum revolvers are lighter but like you already said, they are extremely uncomfortable and even painful to shoot so why spend almost twice the price as a Airweight?

I like both the Centennial and Bodyguard frames. The M642 you mentioned is nice and so is the Blue/Black M442 also mentioned. I like the Bodyguard frame a little better so the M638 would be my choice. That is unless you can wait for the new Model 438 to be readily available. That's S&W's new Blue/Black Bodyguard J frame which I would buy if I didn't already have 4 J frames!! LOL

 

[brin747]

My 642 is in my pocket as I type this. It's the perfect size and weight for pocket carry and I personally don't find the recoil at all uncomfortable with the stock grips.

 

[jfh]

I'll vote for the M&P 340 with the CT grips. It's my favorite carry gun.

There is no doubt in my mind that the scandium-based j-frames are significantly stronger firearms, if that is a factor to consider.

Jim H.

 

[Kleanbore]

642 with laser grip.

The Airlight is not only painful to shoot, it is not controllable for a rapid second shot.