Patton

First, there are several versions of the 640.  One is a 1.85", 2.125 and the other is a 3" all are pocketable but obviously the 1 7/8" is lighter and smaller(perfect in my opinion). There are several versions of sp101 and the smallest is still larger than the biggest 640, you really don't want to shoot 357 out of either of the ~2.25" barrels. The ejector rod is easily bent on the sp101 which is probably its biggest downfall, if you aren't going to be doing tactical emergency reloads it doesn't much matter. Another thing, I only like the shrouded hammer/body guards as collectors (model 638/38/49/649). You miss out on the best attributes of the chief special and you miss out on the best attributes of the centennial, without any gains.  The shrouds around the hammer act as a funnel for moisture and pocket debris, my grandfather told me stories of cops going out on the range to find the bodyguards locked up from standing out in the rain one day.  Coins love to find their way into the shrouded hammers. I don't know if it would interest you but there are a few 327 Fed mag,6 shot j frames on the market.  You gain an extra shot, 357mag like performance with 38 like recoil, and the ability to shoot 327 fed mag, 32 h&r mag, 32 long, 32short, and 32acp(only use the 32acp for target practice as the primers often get weak strikes). If you find a S&W cut for moon clips, in a 3" barrel, or a pro series just buy it. Older non MIM parts and no Hillary Hole (internal lock)often bring more money.

Lots of fairly accurate information has already been provided, I have several Smith & Wesson revolvers and a LCR 38(the wife's). I pick the Smiths over the LCR solely based on aesthetics, nostalgia, and availability of holsters and grips. My only performance complaint on the LCR is that it is easy to short stroke the trigger. I may have noticed a slight bit of accuracy increase with a LCR over airweight. I prefer an all steel like a 36/40/60/49/640 with a 640 or 940 being my preference over the airweights. The 15oz vs 20oz is noticeable by it makes it such a better shooter. My old 640 was like shooting a target gun compared to a 642. Airweights are not fun to shoot but carry well, but so do 20-22oz all steel j frames. I had the itch for a sp101, which is a fine gun, but I thought a 64 snub nosed gave me one more shot, weighed and was sized about the same, and lastly the 357mag out of a short barrel is not worth doing. I really wish I would have kept my 640 instead of going to the 6shot 64.

I actually didn't think of a tumbler, I bought a dry tumbler which does a great job but I normally just take my brass and shake them a few times in a homemade liquid cleaner. Then I let it sit for a couple of hours and then rinse.

You will hear a few people say that Lee is crap or that Lee is cheap. One of my friends that got me into reloading recommended the Lee kit, it has a little easier access than others. In fact he has brought a die over to beat and bang a stuck case out using my Lee press. That Lee press has a lifetime warranty and should last a million rounds. The Hornady scale is only about $35, the powder drop is about $100. The Lee scale seems cheap but mine is within less than 1/10 of a grain of two other scales. The Lee gives you the option to prime on the press which I really like doing, this may be a personal preference though. The Hornady manual is ok, so is the hand primer. The Hornady power trickled is just a luxury that will come in handy very seldom for most people. That Hornady One Shot case lube is great but only about $6.

Really either one is a great value, the ROck Chucker kit is what most people buy though. I am not so sure that I wouldn't just buy the Lee Challenger kit and upgrade the powder dispenser and scale if you decided the Lee's wasn't what you wanted. I am inclined to believe that you will be perfectly happy with the Lee press itself, it's what I have and have never desired a different one.

The M&P Shield is one of the smoothest handling guns that I have ever shot. If you can't "suffer" through 50 rounds with it and get a passing score I don't know that a 22lr would help you that much. The Shields a very soft shooters.

You are not the first person tell me that the 238 handles a lot better than the 938.

Technically a man and a woman, but I know what you are saying.

I just saw read where you were also looking at the Kahrs and the Pf9. I had a Pf9, reliable and accurate enough but damn it was like firing a small cannon in your hand.

To be honest, I don't think this guy really cares if he is convicted or not. Somewhere I read that he is on over a dozen medications, he know has free health care. If he wanted to plea insanity with his list of meds he could have gotten it.

You have that right. Google her name, the last year has been kind of hard on her.

Lots of Damage on North Shore of Chattanooga into Red Bank.

That's true, you really would never have a need.

Do you not find it very easy to put the gun in the halfcock position, especially if trying to ride the hammer forward? The halfcock looks like the hammer down position to me. I don't think the 938 is a bad firearm at all. In fact, I want to shoot one.

While the recoil wasn't anymore significant, the concussion felt from a commando barrel AR was significant when I was standing slightly to the side and to the rearwhile others were shooting. But did I mention that it was pure awesome?

I have never shot a 938 but I have manhandled them on a few occasions. Some people like the triggers, I found it a little stiff. The slide was easy to rack but, if the safety is on you can not rack the slide unless the hammer is pulled back, this caught me by suprise. It is kind of hard to tell if the safety is on or off. Something else, the gun can fire from the half cocked position with the safety on, it's not exactly easy to tell if it is half cocked or forward. The magazine is not as easy to release and change as many other guns. Other than that the sights are good, it is about the same size as a shield and they say they shoot very nice.

I think Glock sights are about the only ones they do, just because so many others are more difficult. They wouldn't do Springfield XD sights. I went in and bought $100 of holsters and mags and they put my sights that I had bought somewhere else on for free. They put $60 factory Glock night sights on for free so there is no way they would charge more than that.

I love k frames and didn't know this?

Fugates in Calhoun, they are closed Saturday afternoons, and all day on Wednesday. It is a nice range and it is cheap.

If you say that you found research of their only being 350 I believe you, but it sure seems like I see them a lot. In fact Quick Cash pawn in Rossville has had two in the last two years.

While I enjoy coffee from a French press it is actually bad for your health. If you are otherwise young and healthy you do not have too much to worry. My FIL drank coffee from a French press for years, the doctor is pretty sure it lead to him having a stroke. When you press coffee you release cafestol that otherwise aren't released when filtering, cafestol stimulates the production of LDL, bad colestrol, in your body.

Great gun and a great price, but that is a heavy BUG. There is one thing that you need to be cautious of and that is the ejector rod. If you ever start doing emergency reloads or practicing them beware of the flimsy ejector rods, they can bend.

Those are more common than you would think.

The PM9 is a little smaller, just enough to see a difference and feel a difference.

You are not alone, I made the exact same decision.