642 vs. 637 Advice

[Lostaro]

I'm late to the party here but.... I can say the best thing I like about my 442 is the fact that the enclosed backstrap doesn't collect dirt/lint/junk when carried in an ankle holster (everyday for me)
Sure that holds true for pocket carry also.

Having said that...there's no wrong choice. J frames are great ccw guns regardless of which model. I carry a M36 IWB and it works great. Rarely use the SA mode on it but it's there...doesn't hurt a thing

 

[Honey Badger]

Okay, for full disclosure, I will say that I owned both a 642 and a Ruger LCR. I had a 642 in 1999, after the Colt Pocket nine was a malfunction waiting to happen with a few trips back to Colt, I was again complaining to the shooting range/gun store owner, who sold me the Colt. He had tried to get the Colt to manage an entire magazine of 9mm cartridges without success. He offered to take the Colt and $45 in trade for the 642. I had no operating issues with the 642 and had it for a few years. I don't recall why or for what I got rid of it for, but I am not faithful to my guns and I just love to get new ones. Basically, I am a gun addict. Somewhere down the line, I picked up a Ruger LCR. At this point, I am not sure why or when. However, in both cases I did not like the DOA both guns had. I feel that should I ever need to defend myself with the 637, I will NOT cock the hammer until it is out of my pocket. If time permits, I will cock the hammer for a more accurate shot. Since fortunately I have never experienced shooting at anyone, I have no idea what I would do. It's possible I would just fill my pants with not so solid waste. BTW, as a resident of a cooler state, I plan to carry the 637 during the short summer months. During most of the year, I will carry a SIG Sauer P239 9mm.

 

[washerman]

another 638 vote from me.....No snag, safe, great trigger. Love the Humpback! IL is a non-issue in any j-frame as far as i am concerned

 

[Mister X]

Okay, for full disclosure, I will say that I owned both a 642 and a Ruger LCR. I had a 642 in 1999, after the Colt Pocket nine was a malfunction waiting to happen with a few trips back to Colt, I was again complaining to the shooting range/gun store owner, who sold me the Colt. He had tried to get the Colt to manage an entire magazine of 9mm cartridges without success. He offered to take the Colt and $45 in trade for the 642. I had no operating issues with the 642 and had it for a few years. I don't recall why or for what I got rid of it for, but I am not faithful to my guns and I just love to get new ones. Basically, I am a gun addict. Somewhere down the line, I picked up a Ruger LCR. At this point, I am not sure why or when. However, in both cases I did not like the DOA both guns had. I feel that should I ever need to defend myself with the 637, I will NOT cock the hammer until it is out of my pocket. If time permits, I will cock the hammer for a more accurate shot. Since fortunately I have never experienced shooting at anyone, I have no idea what I would do. It's possible I would just fill my pants with not so solid waste. BTW, as a resident of a cooler state, I plan to carry the 637 during the short summer months. During most of the year, I will carry a SIG Sauer P239 9mm.

I'm not sure what type of scenario you're envisioning being involved in, but civilian personal defense encounters are generally fast, close and short-lived. You must be able to respond quickly, decisively and effectively against close-range ambush style attacks. There are virtually endless videos and stats available that demonstrate this.The notion of absolutely needing to make a longer range precision shot with a snub revolver just isn't very realistic. It could theoretically happen, but so could just about anything as there are nearly endless possibilities. Even if there were time to cock it to single-action(probably not), it's still usually a bad idea. And if pistol sniping or engaging active-shooters and/or terrorists is a priority to you and something you honestly feel is likely(it's not by a large margin), I would probably forgo the snub altogether. What is actually important for civilian personal defense is to focus on and prepare for the most likely scenario and in those reactive close-quarter(or even extreme close-quarter/contact) ranges, the enclosed hammer revolver excels.

Massad Ayoob: Hammer or… "-Less?" | The Daily Caller

The case for the double action only revolver. - www.GrantCunningham.com www.GrantCunningham.com

https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/double-action-only-revolvers/

 

[Honey Badger]

Are they forgetting that it's DA/SA?

 

[cjtraining]

I prefer the black Model 437, 438, or 442. The finish is much better than the 600 series j frames. They all shoot about the same.

 

[haywood]

I see a few frames back you picked the 642. You won’t regret it. The J-frame is a great pocket gun. I carry a 442 in my pocket at all times. Most of the time a second 442 or 36 is in the waistband. I have only one problem with J-Frames........Adiction.

 

[Practical]

The Centenial's 642/442/640/432 do have a better trigger pull due to the removal of that one part mentioned in these articles. Also the ONLY part I have ever broken on a J-Frame is that very part. Mine broke a couple years ago and it went back in for repairs. I was dry firing and it stopped firing. I felt a problem in the trigger and it would not pull correctly.

I peaked inside and that part was snapped in half. I had less than 2000 rounds and probably 6000 dry fires I am guessing.

They returned my J-Frame with a BETTER trigger than before and the part was replaced.

The Centenial's are MORE reliable I think and have a smoother trigger. That being said. I just like hammers.

 

[max503]

With time and practice it gets really easy to use the SA on a 638.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Massad Ayoob: Hammer or… "-Less?" | The Daily Caller

The case for the double action only revolver. - [url]www.GrantCunningham.com www.GrantCunningham.com[/url]

https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/double-action-only-revolvers/

Thanks for posting those links. I've read them all before, but I enjoyed the refresher course. Perfect!

I carry either Centennials or a bobbed Baby Chiefs for all the reasons these three guys highlight. No thinking required.

 

[3rdgeargrndrr]

King of the hill

Yes. I agree. The silver color reflects light. The 442 absorbs light so it is heavier.

 

[3rdgeargrndrr]

OP-triggers weights DAO or SAO are not that important in a self defense situation. It is not like careful shot placement at the range.
Bad guys wont hold still for you to shoot them.
You will not notice a 1,6,or 12 pound trigger or long trigger pull.
Practice your point and shoot at 3&10 yds. Practice again at home with a laser.
There are free shot timer apps for the phone. Get off all five shots on center mass within 3 seconds from the holster to simulate a life death scenario.
I carry J frames but there is no accuracy difference when I practice with the SP101.
I too have a P239 but it wont make it into my rotation.

 

[lkabug]

The 638 works for me.

 

[shouldazagged]

For a number of reasons, some physical and neurological, I definitely don't want the option of single action fire. I have no surface sensation in the thumb and first two fingers of either hand, but before that became a problem I decided that in an up-close-and-nasty defense situation SA would be both unnecessary and risky.

When I decided, twenty years ago, to go to a pocket-carried snub revolver as my EDC, the considerations in the three articles above--I did a lot of research and talked to cops and other experienced people--tipped the balance for me.

For a couple of years I carried a Rossi 88, a very decent inexpensive clone of the Model 60. Immediately after buying it I had a smith bob the hammer and polish the internals a little. It had a surprisingly good DA trigger, equal to or better than a few Smiths I had handled. I wish I had kept it as backup.

But when I got the chance I jumped at a very lightly-used 1990 CEN- prefix 640. It met every condition I had decided on after doing the research, and it's been my EDC ever since.

I particularly like the high hold the design affords me, enhanced further by the Pachmayr Compacs I put on it immediately. Makes it much more controllable.

 

[AZretired]

I carry both the 638-3 (IL deactivated) and the 642-1 (no lock) and although the 642 gets carried more, both shoot he same and I never use the single action on the 638 anyway. I just like both.

 

[Squarebutt]

Can't have too many J-frames. My first, and still a favorite, is an old Model 36 squarebutt. A humpback 649 followed me home one time, and it's fun to explain that design to the newbies at the range. The 642-1 has been the pocket carry of choice for the last decade, mostly for the weight advantage. As others have said, the DA trigger takes some getting used to, but the trigger gets better with some dry fire.
One advantage of the hammerless snubs that hasn't been mentioned here is that they won't get jammed with a stray dime or pocket crud down behind the hammer.

 

[Honey Badger]

Can't have too many J-frames. My first, and still a favorite, is an old Model 36 squarebutt. A humpback 649 followed me home one time, and it's fun to explain that design to the newbies at the range. The 642-1 has been the pocket carry of choice for the last decade, mostly for the weight advantage. As others have said, the DA trigger takes some getting used to, but the trigger gets better with some dry fire.
One advantage of the hammerless snubs that hasn't been mentioned here is that they won't get jammed with a stray dime or pocket crud down behind the hammer.

Nor will they get jammed in a dedicated pocket holster in a pocket that only has the gun in a holster. The vast majority believes I erred in buying a S&W 637. So, I have no choice to wait for delivery of my NIB 637 on Wednesday, 5/30 and immediately sell it. Fortunately, I bought in on the internet at an excellent price. I should be able to sell it for a couple of hundred dollars and add the difference for a Kimber K6s Stainless (NS) Revolver in 357 Magnum as it is a double action only revolver. Thank you for all your input.

 

[adwjc]

Nor will they get jammed in a dedicated pocket holster in a pocket that only has the gun in a holster. The vast majority believes I erred in buying a S&W 637. So, I have no choice to wait for delivery of my NIB 637 on Wednesday, 5/30 and immediately sell it. Fortunately, I bought in on the internet at an excellent price. I should be able to sell it for a couple of hundred dollars and add the difference for a Kimber K6s Stainless (NS) Revolver in 357 Magnum as it is a double action only revolver. Thank you for all your input.

Don't let other people change your mind, no one even mentioned the the "Gunsmoke" customs that were all the rage when they came out, the only complaint I heard about them was cosmetic. They did have bobbed hammers though.

Take delivery, look the 637 over, take a few days off the forum to clear your head and re think your decision, after all, you wanted the 637 to start with. You could slick up that 637 for less than you would lose on the deal.

 

[3rdgeargrndrr]

Who says you erred? No way! The Chief special was carried for many years by those who put their life on the line. Dont write it off, you will be fine. Practice practice practice. And get the black K6 version too while youre at it.

 

[haywood]

Nor will they get jammed in a dedicated pocket holster in a pocket that only has the gun in a holster. The vast majority believes I erred in buying a S&W 637. So, I have no choice to wait for delivery of my NIB 637 on Wednesday, 5/30 and immediately sell it. Fortunately, I bought in on the internet at an excellent price. I should be able to sell it for a couple of hundred dollars and add the difference for a Kimber K6s Stainless (NS) Revolver in 357 Magnum as it is a double action only revolver. Thank you for all your input.

I don’t think you erred. Get to know your new 637. Shoot it. Dry fire it. Carry it in all the positions to see where it carries best for you. You may never use single action for Self Defense but, it’s fun on the Range and shooting outside to see how far away you can shoot. If you hate the hammer you can Bobbi it . You may find it no problem and keep it. Masad Ayoob has a draw technique for hammer guns. When he draws from a pocket he puts his thumb on the hammer. Nothing catches it and it makes a smooth draw. If this is your first J -Frame, my bet is you will be hooked and want more.