Smith & Wesson 642 recoil

[ccm]

Hi,
I am searching for a good pocket pistol and seem to keep coming back to the Smith & Wesson model 642. I have never shot a snub nose pistol so I am looking for input from some of you who have owned or shot a pistol like this. Let me say I am not new to handguns. Have owned many over the past 40 years. I have a S & W 357 so I am accustomed to recoil. What concerns me is that I have a brother who is even bigger into guns than me and he has a S & W airweight. He says the gun is not fun to shoot and when he does shoot it the cylinder release always cuts his hand because of the recoil. He lives in Idaho and I live in Louisiana so the changes of shooting his gun are not good.

I would appreciate input from those of you who have shot this gun.

Thanks in advance for taking time to reply.

 

[rtroha]

I have a 642 and I have no problem with the recoil. I actually enjoy shooting it.

 

[biblefreak]

Before I picked up a 642 I either only heard or only paid attention to the folks that said it would hurt to shoot it. I wish I hadn't listened. It is a decent little gun to shoot, and in my mind has way less recoil than a .40 out of a Glock 27, but a tad more than a 9mm out of a Glock 26. You can easily shoot .38 Specials without any of the pain I was expecting, actually quite comfortable. .38 +P is noticeably more stout, but not unbearably so. I have never been cut or maimed in any way. If you already have a SW revolver than you should be comfortable with the trigger which was my biggest issue after shooting Glocks and 1911's for years.

 

[Kendal Black]

.38 snub is mostly a state of mind. You hold on tight, the tighter the better, you look at the sights, the fronter the better, and you remember the kick won't actually cause you any permanent injury.

If your brother is right handed, tell him to get his thumb down and out of the way. I think a tight hold is the key point here. You don't want the gun turning around in your hand and maybe nicking you with sharp edges.

For perspective, Smith makes an even lighter gun and chambers it in .357 Magnum. We can suppose from this that some people go on from mastering the .38 snub to still greater challenges. So the 642 is quite do-able if you forget the relaxed (lackadaisical) grip someone taught you in Eisenhower's army and really wing down on the bastard. When I take hold of a little pistol that shoots a big cartridge, I try to crush it in my hand. It's a matter of who is boss.

http://www.squidoo.com/hitwithpistol

 

[ArchAngelCD]

First off welcome to the forum.

I have owned a M642 for almost 3 years now. I agree it's not fun to shoot at the range because it's light but it's not a range gun, it's a SD carry gun. I can easily shoot 50 rounds of standard pressure practice ammo and then 5 or 10 +P carry rounds at the end before leaving the range. The recoil with the +P ammo is stiff but not painful at all and quite controllable.

I like my M642 so much I just bought a M442 last month too... Both models are great carry all the time revolvers. You won't even notice it in your front pocket, really...

 

[chaim]

I have the "blued" version, the 442. Mine has wood grips and it is OK shooting low recoil practice and target rounds, uncomfortable shooting standard defensive .38spl and nearly painful shooting defensive .38+P. I have shot someone's 642 with rubber grips and it wasn't bad at all (didn't shoot any +Ps though), the rubber really helps tame the gun. Still, keep in mind it is a small, pocketable, defensive gun in a standard defensive caliber. Like the little 9mms and .40s, it won't be fun at the range. Shoot a lot of the lower powered practice rounds, a few of your defensive rounds, and carry it a lot. Do that, and you'll be fine.

 

[sixgunner455]

It's kind of a balancing act - small, lightweight guns aren't as much fun, or as comfortable, to shoot as big, heavy ones with long sight radiuses. Big, heavy guns with long barrels aren't as comfortable or as easy to carry as small, lightweight ones.

For me, I think that the .38 Special in the 642 is right at the balance point for a carry gun - it's super easy to carry, and it's shootable. I've had more fun shooting, but I wouldn't say that I hate to shoot it. I've had less fun shooting, and smaller, lighter guns seem to be fussier. This one isn't. It just shoots whatever will fit in its chambers. And a heavier, bulkier gun might get left behind, where this one doesn't unless I can't legally carry somewhere.

It's a packing pistol, a niche pistol. You'll probably want to continue doing most of your shooting with something else, though.

 

[Paladin38-40]

Airweight advantage?

For pocket carry the 2" Airweight makes sense. Otherwise neither Airweights nor 2" barrels have any advantage. The all steel 3" J-frames are plenty light and concealable to carry in most any other common manner -- OWB, IWB, shoulder holster, ankle holster, or fanny pack. The extra weight, full length ejector rod, and longer sight radius make them noticeably better shooters, and shooting is the purpose of carrying a gun to begin with.

So, how often you must resort to pocket carry should be a major deciding factor.

 

[sloman]

You will not regret buying one. Even many of the all star gurus in the gun world admit to carrying one...get a Remora holster for it and you are all set!

 

[sixgunner455]

What's a Remora holster?

 

[skoro]

I would appreciate input from those of you who have shot this gun.

I carry a 642 on a regular basis. It is NOT a fun revolver to shoot 38+P out of. But the grip makes a big difference. Pachmayer rubber grips tame a lot of that unpleasantness.

 

[sloman]

Remora Holster: http://remoraholsters.com/

Once you try one, you'll order more for your other firearms...I did!
No break in required. For an old fart like me, that instant comfort means a lot.

Give Alan a holler. Great guy to deal with!

 

[bcp280z]

I recently acquired a 438, which is about the same but w/ spurred hammer, SA/DA versatility. I was looking for a 'good' pocket gun/summer edc as well. The guy at my shop said, among many others of recoil but it's really quite manageable, and if you're use to 357, no prob. I do tend to grip it high with my medium? sized hands and occasionally, mainly in SA, it'll slice my thumb knuckle, doesn't hurt though, very minor. It's my first revolver so I find it fun.

 

[Diggers]

I have the 442. I changed the grip to the pachmayr grip because I gave up on pocket carry with the little snub. I'm in Levi's 90% of the time and I found it difficult and slow to draw from these pockets. So I put on a larger grip and carry it in a IWB holster.

The pachmayr grip makes this gun fun to shoot. It has some recoil but nothing like a .357. I shoot fiocchi at the range mostly, which is loaded pretty hot for being a non +P and carry Speer 135 grain short barrel golddots P+ , which I've found to be VERY easy to shoot accurately and quickly with the 442

The only time this gun actually hurt to shoot was when I sprained my right thumb and shot a week later. 10 shots and I was done.

 

[243winxb]

Your brother is correct, the gun is not fun to shoot with +P maximum loadings. But a 15 oz gun will not hurt you like my 10 oz 337PD. That few extra oz makes a big difference. My M60 at 16 oz is OK to shoot, even with +P.

 

[TonyT]

MY S&W 642 shoots more accurately than my much older Model 60. I carry it with the factory rubber grips. Neither the 642 or older 60 is fun to shoot with 50 or more rounds of +P ammo. I use standard velocity ammo for practise and follow up with 5 shots of carry ammo.