The 642 club

[SwampWolf]

Nematocyst: Before retiring, I carried a sidearm for thirty years in about every imaginable configuration out there and have the proverbial dresser drawer full of leather to prove it. These things I have learned: selection of the right holster is more of a personal preference thing than is the choice of gun , what works for one person may be wrong for another; the type of holster will often times be determined by the type of gun (i.e., you would not tote a 1911 in an ankle rig); the mode of carry (iwb, owb, ankle rig, cross-draw vs strong-side, etc.) will often times be determined by the build and gender of a person, the weather, the social circumstance (i.e., at the beach, deep-cover, at a wedding replete with tux, etc.) and other situations and, for these reasons, most people will require more than one holster for the same gun when carrying concealed; some amount of trial and error when deciding on a holster is probably unavoidable no matter how much pre-buy research is employed (ergo, the "holster drawer" ); good leather is rarely cheap and, finally and going directly to your query, "clip-on" style holsters are almost NEVER a satisfactory option in my experience- the one exception imo would be a situation where a holster/gun has to be taken off and put back on several times during a given day.

I am familiar with the DeSantis "Cozy Partner" and I think it's one of the better reasonably priced iwb options. Though more comfortable than most iwb rigs that I've used (and never underestimate the importance of comfort when selecting a holster- you'll be more apt to have a gun on you than near you if the holster feels good), in hot weather this rig can become a "Warm Cozy Partner".

 

[sevenbark]

Thanks to all the good info for us new to the club!
Brassman the tooth pick application is just what I was looking for.
Erik F That sure is nice.
Nematocyst hope you had a good nap, and a good day getting the ccp.

 

[sevenbark]

Sorry SwampWolf I left you out by mistake. In the end I hope to have at least four holsters for my snubs.

 

[DAdams]

642/442 J Frame Snub Prices

With all the questions about prices, good bad, and ugly, including CT grips and the possible mutations I will start a J frame thread on the revolver page.
Easier to keep track of and current.
We set one up on the BERSA site for various models and it went over well.

I would like to keep it S&W J Frame generic which will allow us to not only see what's going on with the 642, 442, 340 360s Centennials, but those with hammers too.

Would also be nice to get a feel for the prices people are paying for older ones. Appreciation has not quite hit the J frames as hard as some others but it's coming emminent.

SEE THE FOLLOWING THREAD TO MONITOR AND OR SUBMIT J FRAME PRICES:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=273795

Thanks to those who have been there and posted. Helps the shoppers and makes you feel, good, bad or neutral on your own buy.

 

[308win]

A couple of years ago you could get 642's on sale for $319+tax; then it was $329 for a while; then $349 for the last 6 months or so; now it seems $359 is the floor for NIB at the leading dealer in Columbus. Don't see 642's with CT grips advertised too often. Like we used to say when I was selling software: "Nothing makes a quota buster like a hot product."

 

[Iggy]

With this and a dollar you can get a cup of coffee

*

 

[jad0110]

Sir Nem,

I wish you luck in getting your CCW. Just keep your feet from getting too close to others shooters on the line (ask me how I know this ). Hey, when you get to Alaska, you won't even need a stinkin' permit. Lucky!!!

As far as putting the red mark on the front sight of your 642, I went to a hobby shop and bought a small bottle of bright red model paint and painted mine with a toothpick.

Brassman,

I did the exact same thing with my 642, except I used gold paint. Did you paint the entire sight ramp, or just the tip?

 

[AStone]

Seven'b and Jad, thanks for the CCW well wishes.

Unfortunately, I overslept and missed the class. :banghead: Yes, it's a professional hazard for me: I work nights and sleep days (well, I work from 2 PM to 2AM most days - remember, self-employed, so hours in the studio are long), and often don't get to bed until 4 AM. I thought I could switch my schedule today to be at the class at 8 AM (that meant getting up at 6). I was wrong. I barely even remember the alarm clock going off. I must've instantly fallen back asleep. Next thing I knew, it was noon. (I called the range and left an explanation and apology for the instructor.)

Now, it'll be summer before I get another chance at THAT particular class.

I'm bummed.
_______

S'wolf, thanks for the great advice about a holster. All makes excellent sense.

Nem, who is still not CCW permitted.

 

[jad0110]

Nem,

Does time really exist before noon?

I don't suppose it does.

Bummer dude, sorry to hear you missed your class . Before my wife and I got married, she was really bad about sleeping through alarm clocks. She took to hiding her alarm clock each night (ie: in the top of the closet in a shoe box). She was not always successful .

I also don't suppose there is anywhere else you can take the CCW class (even if it's a haul)?

 

[Brassman]

Jad

I just paint the tip, which a little less than 1/8" from top to bottom and about 3/16" wide. I guess painting the whole ramp is a good idea, but I guessed all you needed was a good view of the top of the blade.

 

[Brassman]

Those measurements are probably off, anyway, it's just the last step on the ramp

 

[GVMan]

Sight Picture

Anyone have a picture of the proper sight alignment on the 642? I'm surprised the manual doesn't have a picture for this.

 

[AStone]

I also don't suppose there is anywhere else you can take the CCW class (even if it's a haul)?

There's another school north of here by an hour +, but their classes are 3X as much (I'm a member at my range), not as thorough, and their scheduling is months out (like mine).

I may just have to wait.

 

[mike5liter]

New Member w/ issue

Hi All,

I'm a new 642 owner. Picked up a new 642 Saturday AM. Dry fired it a bunch Saturday and ordered a Mika pocker holster that night. So far so good....

When to the range Sunday and ran 20 rounds of .38's through it. Loaded up 5 more and the cylinder won't lock. I messed with it a bit and then just shoved in back in the bag and ran some rounds through the 617.

When I got home I see the issue is that the cylinder does not seem to be closing all the way. So I guess I will be calling S&W tomorrow. Anyone else have this issue? Any suggestions?

thanks
/Mike

 

[Headless]

I had that problem once when i over-tightened the swing-arm locking screw. That's the large one right above the trigger. Worth a try at least...

 

[jt1]

Lot's of new members, looks like I have some catch up to do. Seems you can't leave the 642 club for a whole day anymore!

Tonyvt - Welcome. If you like the CT 305's, then yes this a good deal. You might read here first.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=273842
Let us know when you are ready for membership.

GVMan - Welcome to Club 642. Glad you are here. My sight picture varies a little with different ammo, generally the front blade is more or less half way down in the rear u-notch or maybe a touch more. This is very subjective and will vary from gun to gun and and even with the same gun and different shooters. You should get to know yours in fairly quick order after a few rounds.

mike5liter - Welcome to the club. Sorry to hear about your problems. I had a similar thing occur several months ago with my 629. I had fired 18 rounds and when I reloaded the cylinder would not even close. Upon a close inspection I found a very small piece of grit under the extractor star wheel. It was so small I did not think it would cause the problem but once it was removed the cylinder closed and locked up just fine. I did not even notice the slight amount the extractor was raised above the cylinder face but apparently it doesn't take much. Hope your problem turns out to be an easy fix. Let us know.

 

[AStone]

Seems you can't leave
the 642 club for a whole day anymore!

Yet, when we do, it remains,
and questions get answered,
mostly without spam images.

Life is good, no?

 

[jt1]

Sir Nem - Life is beautiful, Yes!

I barely even remember the alarm clock going off.

You could put it across the room so you have to get up to turn it off. But, with that 642 on the nightstand next to you.....however you would be wide awake. (If you grabbed the 870 you would be w-i-d-e awake)

IMO, for an otherwise qualified person, the only requirement to carry a concealed weapon should be a concealable weapon.

 

[AStone]

You could put it across the room
so you have to get up to turn it off

Sir JT,
if I did that,
that clock would
become a target for a .22 ...

... or even a 642.



<warning: OT rant ahead>

I'm not much into time ...
especially when it pulls me out of sleep ...

IMO, the biggest problem
with the US is lack of sleep ...
We've become a society that lacks sufficient rest,
and that's causing us to be frenetic & even unhealthy.

Sleep promotes health.
(Sometimes I wonder what this country would be like if
every afternoon, businesses shut down for 2 hours for siestas.

Suggestion: Unplug the clock whenever possible ...
_________

<We now return you to consensus reality, already in progress...>

So, like I was saying,
I think 158 gr rnds make sense for a 642.

What do you think?

 

[jt1]

So, like I was saying,
I think 158 gr rnds make sense for a 642.

What do you think?

I would really like to have a 158 gr. Cor-Bon DPX.

I'm going to try the sleep thing now.

 

[AStone]

I would really like to have a 158 gr. Cor-Bon DPX.

I'm wondering about those 158 BuffBores.

I'm going to try the sleep thing now.

{LOL}

Sleep well, bro.

 

[mike5liter]

642 working again

JT,

Thanks, althought I could not see anything under the extractor star I wiped that area down and the cylinder now fully closes and locks. I guess I probally should have done a better job cleaning it before bringing it to the range. I figured running a patch through the barrel and cylinders would have been enough for a new gun.

/Mike

 

[Iggy]

A flake of unburned powder or a metal shaving from production can cause it.

Glad you got it working.

 

[HornsKeith]

MassMark - Thanks for the grip comments.

I'm now official, I suppose.



Picked it up on Saturday and went to the range yesterday. Did most of my shooting with some 158gr Winchester semi-wads and 158gr Remington FMJ that I picked up locally. Coming from a Glock 34, the experience was, well, quite different. It will definitely take a lot more practice to get good with this gun.

I'm sure I'll have more questions about the best practice/target ammo (125gr reloads, maybe?) and proper grip for firing this thing. Obviously, my IPSC-style grip from the G34 won't work.

I've got a Desantis Nemesis and a round-cut Mika on order. Next up is finding more pants with deep enough pockets to effectively conceal the larger 305 grips. Many of the pants I have now are definitely not deep enough.

 

[AStone]

Keith, congrats on the new tool. I look forward to reading your questions about "proper grip" and answers to them.

Somewhat of an OT question, even though it's about an accessory tool for the 642 (feel free to send PM if you want): What LED flashlight is that in your photo? It looks like the one I've been looking for since I saw one a couple of years ago, but can't remember it's name/model to order one.

Do you like it?

Nem