S&W airweight

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Is the only difference on the S&W model 642 and 442 is that one is stainless steel, and the other is black?
 
Is the only difference on the S&W model 642 and 442 is that one is stainless steel, and the other is black?
yes. 642 has stainless barrel and cylinder. 442 is coated carbon steel. both have aluminum frames. it comes down to what you think looks better. i have a 442 and love it. no problems. cant go wrong either way. they are popular for a reason. check out the 642 club on this forum. it will tell you everything you might want to know. alot of good info.
 
For the most part Yes. The steel parts on the 442 are made out of carbon steel and the 642 is stainless steel.
 
Thanks for the info guys.

What is the 642 club?

And the ones at buds without the lock are the ones that I am looking at, but I was just wondering, I know that people don't like the locks because they don't look good and they rotate on the same axis as the recoil, but has anyone actually ever had a problem with the lock locking while firing?
 
Yes there are numerous accounts internal locks locking them selves while firing. I have newer witnessed, it but if you can get a new gun without a lock there is no reason to get one with a lock.
 
I own these Airweights.

The barrel and cylinder are stainless, the frame Aluminum.

I am of the opinion that the frame finish is a paint. It can be scratched. I am now very careful using a brass brush above the forcing cone. The finish was being scrubbed off when I tried to scrub powder residue.

I would assume the black finish is also a paint.

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Clearcoat. The factory says to avoid harsh abrasive cleaners. They told my friend to clean his frame with CLP only, no Hoppes 9.
 
I have, or my wife has, a hammerless 642 like the middle picture above with the factory laser grip. What is CLP? Our only complaint is recoil. About a dozen or so rounds and I'm ready to try another pistol for a while. I would hate to see or shoot one of these if it was made in a .357.
 
I've been reading through the 642 club posts. I've read about 5 or 6 pages of the first thread, and I've learned a lot already.
Thanks for pointing me towards the thread.
 
41

Welcome and how do you plan on carrying a snub? If you are going to exclusively pocket carry, go light. Find 15 ounces + of something (642.442) and put it in your stronghand pocket and see what you think. Then go take a look at M&P 340 at 13.3 ounces and 340PD at 11.4. I think the $50 rebate from S&w is still on the table.
 
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