Okay, not a big revolver fan and definitely not a .380 fan, but I’m in the market for a decent pocket gun for the summer months. I am not interested in the latest .380 whiz bang autos, I simply don’t trust them.
I have found that even my P2000SK in an MTAC is simply too much during the hot and humid days and am looking for something to simply put in the pocket. With that said, I’m looking for a good J-frame. My wife owns a 637 which is nice, but I’m looking for a centennial framed revolver. The 642s are nice, but am curious to learn what other’s are carrying.
I have previously owned an MP340 and shooting .357s through it was rather, shall I say, unpleasant. As a result, I carried .38 +P in it and since that was my previous experience, I’m leaning towards another .38 +P. Paying the MP340 premium to only carry .38 kind of defeats the purpose. I really regret selling the MP340 and like all things, you learn from experience. I need another J-frame! I prefer the reliability of a revolver over the pocket autos.
Let’s hear some collective thoughts and opinions. TIA
I’ve carried a pre-lock 642 as a BUG for years. Love the gun. I found it used at a pawn shop table at a gun show, picked it up for a reasonable price, then had some minor action work done by Nelson Ford. He smoothed the trigger up, polished the trigger face, and chamfered the cylinder holes. Then I popped a pair of LG-405 Crimson Trace lasergrips on it, and it’s good to go. With the laser, I can reliably make headshots out to about 15 yards or so (albeit on a stationary target), and the cushioned backstrap makes shooting the gun for extended periods less painful.
I don’t see the point in a .357 snubby. You’re not going to get any appreciable lethality bonus from a .357 over a .38 in such a short barrel, just more recoil and flash/blast. I carry 147-gr wadcutters in my J-frame, but a lot of people swear by the Cor-Bon DPX or the special ‘snubby’ Gold Dots.
A lightweight alloy .38 J-frame is the gun that goes nearly anywhere. Is it the most effective fighting gun in the world? Of course not. It’s a five-shot snubby in a marginal caliber. But it’s ALWAYS there, and it ALWAYS goes bang when I want/need it to do so. Train with it, practice drawing and engaging targets, as well as ‘speed’ (ha ha) reloads, and it’ll do what needs to be done in a pinch.
When I pocket carry, I use a 638 bodyguard. I just kind of like to option of being able to cock the hammer back if I need more precision. I personally think it is hard to bet a j-frame for summer carry with exellent reliablity.
Sorry about that, JW! I did a brief search and didn’t find that many. My search fu needs some tuning. Thanks and again, sorry for a duplicate and/or repetitive thread.
Have you looked at the Ruger LCR? It was just announced in .357Magnum last week. A little heavier that a 340PD, with slightly larger grip that should make shooting .38+p’s a bit easier. Smoothest factory, non-custom trigger I have ever shot on a small wheelgun.
Yes, I’ve seen them and dry fired one a couple of times. It felt cheap and I can embrace the idea of a polymer pistol, but a polymer revolver when compared to a S&W airweight is kind of senseless. When it comes to revolvers, it has to say S&W on the side. Just a personal preference. Thanks for sharing, though.
Hi, If I can’t carry my HK P2000SK, I go for my S&W 642-2. My 642-2 has been with me for just about everywhere legal, and with practice can be very accurate and lethal at its intended distances. Handy, reliable, easy to clean, accurate (with regular practice), and so, so easy to conceal. My CCW dream come true. Now I just need to practice fast reloads more :-). Good Luck, Jess
have both a mod 60 and 36 both steel frame 38. I do think that having the 357 chambering is pretty useless except for the fact in an emergency you could at least shoot 357’s if that was all you could get a hold of. With the scandium or alloy frame and a good pocket holster, they should be pretty easy to carry. my steel ones ride ankle holsters very comfortably. I use bianchi speed strips for reloads on my person and if wearing a loose jacket a speed loader in an outside pocket. While I have literally dozens of pistols and have used /owned pretty much every modern auto at one time or another, I always find myself ending up using the j-frame for
“everyday carry”
I found my 642 too bulky to conceal anywhere on my body other than my ankle, I loved the gun, but it just sat in my safe and I never used it, so I sold it. I now find myself using my LCP when I am dressed light. I was skeptical about the .380 pocket pistols myself, but after shooting one and doing my own tests with it, I trust mine to save my life, also with round capacity and reload speed, I find it hard to beat. Don’t get me wrong I love Smithys, they make the best revolvers IMO, and if I was able to carry one comfortably I would. The .380 has come a long way, for 7 yard self defence it works really well.
If you can, try wearing a 642 or somthing like it first, to see if you like it, I thought it was too “thick” and no more easy to hide than my Glock IWB
My .02
Good luck with your decision, your life could depend on it.
I really want to love the J-frame revolvers, especially the 642. I carried one as a backup gun while at work for a few years. I ended up selling it off.
A couple of years ago, I bought another 642 (no-lock). With the 135 gr Gold Dot ammo, it’s a handful, but manageable.
The problem is that I also own a Kahr PM9. For pocket carry, I find that the PM9 works better for me. Easier to carry, easier to shoot effectively, quicker to reload.
I don’t use ankle holsters. If I did, it’d be the J-frame, no doubt.
Where the 642 shines over the PM9 is that since the grip is bigger, it’s easier for me to grab from a pocket while in a hurry.
I like my 642 enough that I do not intend to sell it off. If I do, I know I will regret it. I found that out once, the hard way.
I have an M37 DAO bobbed hammer no-lock - it was a special run for RSI, I think. I can keep all 5 shots in the circle of an IALEFI Q out to 10 yards shooting pretty fast. I carry it in a PCS No See Um. I just carried it and a speed loader on a tough 8 hour hike.
I often carry a pre-lock S&W 642 with a CT grip on it. It was important for it to be pre-lock and my BUG had to be a revolver. I will often times have it in a jacket pocket. I can manipulate the gun in any direction I need without the threat having any idea that gun is pointing at them. Being a revolver with internal hammer allows me to be able to shoot inside of the pocket without jamming. There is a high chance that a small auto’s slide might not cycle fully in a pocket. As far as the summer months go…it is small, light and powerful. I have it IWB most of the time, but ankle and pocket carry are also choices.
My “de locked” 642 is a constant companion. I to prefer a revolver in the pocket over an auto loader. I did the Kahr PM9 thing for a while had two of them. Neither gave me the level reliability that I felt comfortable with.
Since 1978, I’ve worn and in some cases worn out, a S&W M36, then a Centennial (2nd year production, NIB when I got it), a 640, 442 and 642. Always as a second gun, at times partner to another J-frame. Except for a couple of overseas trips, the J-frame has been with me as a second gun.
Started with a Jackass Leather ankle rig and a Safariland IWB (instant collapse version). Moved to quality pocket carry, armpit and ankle holsters. These days, a 442 with Crimson Trace grip, in an Alessi (the Gold Standard in ankle rigs) ankle holster is a daily companion and second gun.
Loads have included: Black Hills .38 Spl +P, CorBon, Federal Ny-Clad and SWC-HP.