Should I trade my glock 26 for a s&w j fram 642?

[PabloJ]

Well i really want a snubby and someone offered to trade. I love my glock 26. Its my first gun(bought it used, im the 3rd owner) so i have a certain attachment to it. Having said that, it is quite blocky for carry. I know I can shoot snubs ok but the 5 shot capacity worries me as well as the more expensive ammo. What do you guys think? Trade or no?

Unless you're going to pocket carry or ankle carry, no.

 

[FireInCairo]

I would expect some cash on their end ($80 or so) to make that deal happen. Even then, I think a G26 is a better weapon for what they are and wouldn't bother at all.

 

[ThatTokenGuy]

I would expect some cash on their end ($80 or so) to make that deal happen. Even then, I think a G26 is a better weapon for what they are and wouldn't bother at all.

Yeah i declined. The dude said its more than a fair deal since my gun is over ten years old. Which is bs. Because by that logic all c&r guns would be worth pennies.

 

[P5 Guy]

No. Keep the G26.

 

[Wanderling]

Nah no worries. I dont expect anyone to understand our bs laws. But even if I lived in AZ id go flush mag with backup mags having a pinkie extension. I go ankle carry so the pinkie plate will snag.

With all due respect, if Zimmerman ankle carried, he'd be dead. Or, at the very best, brain damaged.

 

[ThatTokenGuy]

With all due respect, if Zimmerman ankle carried, he'd be dead. Or, at the very best, brain damaged.

With all due respect, I dont go looking for trouble. Nor do I consider myself a neighbourhood watch of any sort. While it is impossible to be prepared for all situations, a good danger sense and a gun will serve most of us well.

 

[Teachu2]

With all due respect, if Zimmerman ankle carried, he'd be dead. Or, at the very best, brain damaged.

You mean he's NOT brain damaged???

 

[Wanderling]

With all due respect, I dont go looking for trouble. Nor do I consider myself a neighbourhood watch of any sort. While it is impossible to be prepared for all situations, a good danger sense and a gun will serve most of us well.

More often then not, trouble comes looking for you.

 

[AK103K]

With all due respect, if Zimmerman ankle carried, he'd be dead.

Youre basing this on what?

While an ankle holster has its advantages/disadvantages, just like anything else, they really are not hard to draw from, if you practice.

Regardless of what you use, if you saw trouble coming, wouldnt you already have the gun out anyway? Nothing different there with an ankle holster either.

 

[Wanderling]

If you believe him - the jury certainly did - Martin knocked him down on the ground, sat on top of him, and was banging his head into the concrete.

If his gun was in his ankle holster - behind the thug straddling him - he would never reach it.

If his gun was in the small of his back - as some people like to carry theirs - he would never reach it and would likely have his spine damaged from the impact.

If his gun did not have a round already in the chamber, he'd never get a chance to load it.

As for the seeing the trouble coming ahead f time - are you going to pull your gun every time someone passes you by in a public place, or is getting out of his car in a parking garage just as you are getting in yours ? Because, you know, they may not be showing any signs of being the bad guys, until they are ready to strike. Or in case of a flash confrontation - you get out of a store, bump into someone, they get all worked up, do you think they will just stand there while you're reaching for your ankle gun ? Also, if you overreact - knowing that you need to get your gun in advance because of the way you chose to carry it- and pull a gun without being able to prove you were facing clear and present danger, you just lost your carry license and likely will end up with a criminal record.

You can't foresee everything, which is why I believe the carry gun should be easily accessible from most positions, and ready to be fired with one hand.

I also practice firing it one handed. If I ever find myself in a bad situation where I have to use my gun to defend my life - which I hope and pray I will never have to do - I will likely not have the time and opportunity to use a proper two hand stance. I want to be able to pull it and fire it immediately, and after I got good enough with firing it while holding it at eye level, I started practicing firing from the hip, with the goal to put three bullets in a man sized target at 15 feet every time. I also use the two hand stance, of course, but it's more for fun and so that I keep the proper firing technique.

 

[markpcola]

FWIW, i read somewhere that the G26 is the least traded Glock.

 

[AK103K]

If his gun was in his ankle holster - behind the thug straddling him - he would never reach it.

If his gun was in the small of his back - as some people like to carry theirs - he would never reach it and would likely have his spine damaged from the impact.

If his gun did not have a round already in the chamber, he'd never get a chance to load it.

If, if, if. Not arguing with any of them either, they have their points.

The problem with "gun" people and boards is, "the gun" always seems to be the only answer to all problems. Most seem to believe that having a gun, is whats going to get them out of trouble and save them. From what Ive seen, many, if not most, seem to stop there too. This isnt all about the gun, its about a package of skills and goods, that will help you survive.

If all you have is "a" gun, you have one part of the package. If you have no other weapons and/or skills, then youre seriously lacking, and I would highly suggest you expand your horizons.

I have and do carry a handgun in an ankle holster fairly regularly. Its normally a back up to the full size gun on my belt. I also carry a couple of other "tools", and have a number of years of various martial arts/grappling type skills to supplement them.

The ankle gun complements the belt gun, and gives me a number of options. The other tools and skills do the same. Im not reliant on just "one" thing, to help me make it through. If for some reason, I was not able to get to one thing, I have access to another, and all with either hand.

If I were for some reason to just wear the ankle holster, I have other options available, if for some reason I wasnt able to get to it. I also practice drawing and shooting from it on a regular basis, and from a number of positions, so Im familiar with getting it into action, and without any thought. And again, you'd be surprised at how quickly you can actually get the gun into action, "if" (theres that word again ) you put in a little practice.

People carry guns in all manner of ways, some of which, seem wrong to many, and often, that "seem" part, is simply because they have never "really" tried to, or have been told by the "experts", that you cant carry it that way. Im not saying any one way is right for everyone, we all know that cant/wont be, but you need to prove whatever it is you chose, to yourself, and for your needs.

 

[Wanderling]

The gun is not the only answer to all problems, I believe most sane people realize that. But not everyone is young enough, strong enough and fit enough to fight off a 6'-2" 200lbs attacker after a sudden assault especially once they knocked you down.

Being prepared is great, too. It also has it's limitations. Last weekend we were walking late in a local downtown (a safe area) when a door swung out and a bunch of young guys walked out of the bar just bare feet in front of us. As it was, they smiled and went on their way. Do you suggest that a "prepared" person would jolt across the road to the opposite sidewalk or draw their carry piece just because these guys might be dangerous ? There are situations where you can sense some danger ahead of time, then there are situations that just unravel out of the blue with little warning. To be situationally aware is great but it's not going to help 100% and if one takes this too far it can end up badly anyway (like a local guy who shot a complete stranger out of sheer paranoia last year). I believe a part of being prepared is to not put my EDC in a location which would be harder to reach than other locations.

If - another if - it comes to the situation in which the gun is the only chance you have for survival, I think you would want it be easily accessible from most body positions, and ready to fire - won't you ?

I just fail to see an ankle carried only gun being a sensible solution, and I thin Z's case proved this.

 

[Panzerschwein]

I personally would trade it.

The Glock 26 is a good gun, but it's a chunk and is going to be no where near as reliable as the revolver. If you can't do it with 5, then you probably cant do it with 10 either. How about learn to SHOOT the gun vs. slinging a bucket of bullets everywhere? Also with modern +P .38s you get all the stopping power of 9mm but with less recoil.

Ge the airweight and thank me later.

 

[sikiguya]

You already decided to keep the glock and I would agree. Regarding the airweight 642, get it, out is the essential conceal carry gun. There are a lot of valid criticism from the low round capacity to the trigger. It just carry so well...unless you have one, you don't understand. You can carry just about any pistols...but after awhile, you realize that weight matters!

 

[krupparms]

Keep the Glock 26 & save up to get the S&W! The 26 has the capacity to use hi-cap magazines. The 642 is a very nice gun, but I would not limit myself to 5rd.s if I could chose. The Glock 26 is fairly easy to conceal.

 

[george burns]

No, they are two different guns for two different purposes and different shooting disciplines. If they appear the same to you, the you require more information on the subject. It's too large a topic to start here.
My advice is to do some reading on combat handguns, carry weapons and revolvers vs auto's. It's not a fashion accessory. A gun should suit your lifestyle. If you aren't sure which one is for you, perhaps a gun club or training facility is needed.

 

[amd6547]

I own both a G26 and an Airweight Model 38.
Both guns are favorites of mine, and I enjoy shooting them a lot.
But, if I had to choose, the G26 is the last pistol I would lose.
While my J-frame can be pocketed, when it comes to IWB, I find the the G26 easier to carry...maybe not "easier", but certainly just as easy.
And, to the person who wrote that the G26 can be nowhere near as reliable...mine has never jammed in hundreds of rounds.

 

[toivo]

Also with modern +P .38s you get all the stopping power of 9mm but with less recoil.

That depends on what gun it's in. In my experience, shooting +P .38 in an Airweight stings a lot more than shooting 147-grain 9MM in a G26.

 

[AK103K]

In my experience, shooting +P .38 in an Airweight stings a lot more than shooting 147-grain 9MM in a G26.

Thats been my experience as well, and even while shooting 127 grain +P+ out of the 26.

I usually shoot one my Airweights a couple of times each month, and a box of 50 158 grain standard loads is about all I can take at any one outing anymore, and my hand hurts for a couple of days after. I can shoot the 26, even with +P+ loads, as long as the ammo holds out, and with no discomfort at all. Its also a lot more controllable under rapid fire, and easier to stay on target with.

 

[fastbolt]

Okay, without following all of the rabbit trails seen while browsing this thread ...

In answer to the OP's actual question?

I own a pair of G26's. My favorite of Glock's lineup. (Second is my G27.)

I own a pair of 642-1's. My second favorite of the J-frame models (first favorite is now the M&P 340, of which I own a pair, and I presently own more than half a dozen J's).

I'd not trade a G26 for a 642, or vice versa. I prefer to own and use both, at different times in different circumstances.

However, I'm also a long time revolver shooter, and I've invested a lot of time learning to shoot the lightweight J's. Not everyone can, or wishes, to do that ... and the diminutive 5-shot snubs are difficult for even some experienced revolver shooters to use, especially under stress.

As an instructor I've seen my fair share of shooters who "liked" some handguns, but when pressed to use them in demanding drills & quals, they couldn't shoot them nearly as well as they could other handguns.

AK103K makes some good points in a couple of his posts.

 

[Gordon]

The S&W Shield is a lot thinner than the Glock 26 and carries in a front pocket holster very well. I just bought one in .40 in Calif. it is on the list . It carries MUCH better than the Glock 26 I carried for years, seems to shoot better too, and it is .40 I got mine for $450 including DEROS!