S&W 442

[daddyo]

My son and I went to the range yesterday. He wanted to shoot his SW9VE, and I took my M&P9c, since I had the external safety removed recently and wanted to make sure it worked like I wanted it to, which it did.

As always, I had my J frame in my back pocket, so I decided it needed a little range time too (I know it's not a range gun). I happened to have some .38 target ammo so I loaded it up and commenced destroying the target. Well, it kicked like a magnum. Wow, I thought. I emptied the other four chambers in the cylinder before I realized I was shooting +P ammo. I ran another cylinder through and realized that my thumb was bleeding where it made contact with the cylinder release.

I hit the target (at about 3 yards), but not in tight groups. It's a little hard to handle with +P, so I guess I'll stick to regular .38 sp loads. And, it's painful.

[bubbadavis]

Ah, the joys of a j-frame! I don't like +P in my 442 at all - its just not fun. Now, if the time comes and I have to use it, I'll deal with the pain. Until then, its regular .38 loads for me. I try to practice with my j-frame enough to where I'm confident I'm proficient with it if I ever need it in a self defense situation. But otherwise, I have other handguns that are way more fun on the range.

[East_TN_Patriot]

I carry +P Gold Dot in my 642 for defense ammo, but the earlier Airweight Smiths are not +P rated, so unless it is marked on the barrel, your revolver isn't designed to stand up to the extra pressures. I'm willing to use the +P in it occasionally just to remind myself what the kick feels like, but I virtually always shoot standard pressure rounds in mine. It's a great little gun and it stood up to 8 years as a daily back-up gun with no ill effects.

[daddyo]

I carry +P Gold Dot in my 642 for defense ammo, but the earlier Airweight Smiths are not +P rated, so unless it is marked on the barrel, your revolver isn't designed to stand up to the extra pressures. I'm willing to use the +P in it occasionally just to remind myself what the kick feels like, but I virtually always shoot standard pressure rounds in mine. It's a great little gun and it stood up to 8 years as a daily back-up gun with no ill effects.

Mine's rated for +P, I just didn't realize that's what I had loaded it with.

[TGO David]

You should try my M&P340 sometime with full-house .357Mag rounds. Those +P .38's will feel like bunny farts.

[daddyo]

You should try my M&P340 sometime with full-house .357Mag rounds. Those +P .38's will feel like bunny farts.

No thanks, man, the +P's were punishing enough. .357 magnums would probably either dislocate a finger or rip it right off.

[TGO David]

No thanks, man, the +P's were punishing enough. .357 magnums would probably either dislocate a finger or rip it right off.

Not gonna lie... it hurts. I forced myself to do two full cylinders with them. My thumb was sore for days.

[enfield]

I carry +P Gold Dot in my 642 for defense ammo, but the earlier Airweight Smiths are not +P rated, so unless it is marked on the barrel, your revolver isn't designed to stand up to the extra pressures. I'm willing to use the +P in it occasionally just to remind myself what the kick feels like, but I virtually always shoot standard pressure rounds in mine. It's a great little gun and it stood up to 8 years as a daily back-up gun with no ill effects.

Not totally accurate - my 638 is not marked in any way that it can take +P's, but an email to S&W confirmed that it can. The difference is the introduction of the magnum frame on the j-frame, replacing the earlier frame. For the 642, the changeover happened in 1996 with the re-introduction as the 642-1. Therefore, only no-dash 642's are not +P rated, per the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson.

[Oh Shoot]

...

As always, I had my J frame in my back pocket, so I decided it needed a little range time too ...

You've been EDC that gun, but had never shot it, or just not shot +p through it?

+p in is generally considered to be optimum for self-defense in .38sp, as it is in 9mm also.

- OS

[Kevo]

I have learned to save the J-frame for last at the range:) Were you shooting one handed or two?

[Guest Archminister01]

My wife shoots hot .357mag loads out of her Taurus snub nosed .357 mag..lol. All she does is grin. I feel sorry for the person foolish enough to enter our home thinking they will meet a defenseless woman...

[BigK]

I just got a revolver recently. I wanted a S&W, but got a deal on a Ruger that I thought was fair.

I was curious to know how light or small the S&W 642 is compared to my 2.25" SP101 in .357. Mine is about 25 oz and about 7" overall.

[graycrait]

I used to have a ported Titanium J-frame sized Taurus .357. I think it weighed about 13oz and I don't think they make them any longer. I got from a another range friend of mine. The only thing I did with it was load it up with various loads and hand to guys at the range who liked to talk big smack. I always got a kick out of watching "someone else" shoot that thing. We put a little post-it on the front "sight" over the ports, assuming we would see the post-it catch fire. That post-it became nearly microscopic confetti. That prompted me to think, "What if I had to hold that thing close in for a SD shot?" Would that jet coming out of the ports take my eye out, "clean out" my nose hair or eliminate my eyebrows or some combo of all three? Plus I couldn't make a quick grab weak-hand one-handed and shoot it well enough to pass that particular test of a "Save Your Butt" handgun.

[Guest Guy N. Cognito]

You've been EDC that gun, but had never shot it, or just not shot +p through it?

+p in is generally considered to be optimum for self-defense in .38sp, as it is in 9mm also.

- OS

I was just having the same thought.

I rarely carry my J Frame, but I do carry it, so I practice with it reguarly. I always practice with .357, since the gun is rated for such. It's not fun to shoot, but I can keep a fist-sized group on target at 7 yards. I put several hundred rounds through it every year.

[daddyo]

You've been EDC that gun, but had never shot it, or just not shot +p through it?

+p in is generally considered to be optimum for self-defense in .38sp, as it is in 9mm also.

- OS

Yes, I have shot it before, but not with +P loads.

[g2122]

I took my Smith 637 out yesterday. I shot about 30 rounds of standard pressure to practice. I then ran though a cylinder of +Ps just so I would know how it feels. There is a noticeable difference, but not bad. They are great little guns. I like to keep in practice with the little snub nose because when I do carry, I probably carry it most of the time because of the size. I do wish I had the 442 with the internal hammer though.

[Mike]

You should try my M&P340 sometime with full-house .357Mag rounds. Those +P .38's will feel like bunny farts.

Or better yet hand it to someone with 4 .38's and a .357 at the top. I had my own pistol thrown at me one time doing that. I still laugh about it.

[Seaslug]

You should try my M&P340 sometime with full-house .357Mag rounds. Those +P .38's will feel like bunny farts.

Just now seeing this, but sweet geebus you ain't kidding! Not sure what sadist decided it would be a good idea to shoot .357 out of an 11 oz. scandium-framed gun, but I can honestly say that's the worst thing I've ever shot--including hot-loaded .500 S&W rounds. I did not have my 340 long...lol. On a positive note, I can now shoot +P through my 642 all day long thanks to all the nerve damage...

[eastenn]

i need to shoot a few more rounds of +p through my 442. The last time I shot some +p rounds through mine I couldn't tell a difference in the recoil. The POI was also about the same as with the target loads.

[DAdams]

One way to tame a J Frame is with a Hogue Mongrip. Doesn't lend itself to pocket carry unless you have deep pockets but it does take some of the smack out of shooting even .357.

I run Plus P in my 340 and Buffalo Bore standard pressure in my 642. It runs at the high end of the pressure spectrum but not as high as a Plus P.

Both my J Frames have Crimson Trace 405 grips. They have a softer rubber and an shock absorbing pocket on the backstrap area.

Edited November 26, 2010 by DAdams

[Chucktshoes]

My wife's grandfather has one of these that he hates. I was wondering if anything can be done about the trigger, and what would be a fair price to offer on one that appears to be in excellent condition with only about a box put through it? He mentioned that he would gladly let it go this past weekend. I'm thinking it might fill the pocket carry role, but the trigger is just plain awful. Can they be improved in any meaningful way?

[Trekbike]

but the trigger is just plain awful. Can they be improved in any meaningful way?

Yes, simple dry firing helps smooth it out some.

[eastenn]

yes if you shoot about 200 rounds plus dry fire maybe 300 times the trigger will be noticably smoother. it really isn't a bad trigger, once you dry fire it some and learn the trigger pull you can stage it to shoot more accurately if you need to.

[eastenn]

as far as price, if he despises the gun and you feel like he really wants rid of it try $250 or 300. you can look at the prices of them new online then determine how much you are willing to pay before you could just go buy a brand new one

[Guest Guy N. Cognito]

yes if you shoot about 200 rounds plus dry fire maybe 300 times the trigger will be noticably smoother. it really isn't a bad trigger, once you dry fire it some and learn the trigger pull you can stage it to shoot more accurately if you need to.

Agreed. Most of my modern S&W revolvers smoothed out after a few hundred rounds.