Somewhere in a police station someone is saying “Wait..I thought you had the keys to the weapons locker.”
Police trade-in 642-2’s. Perfect for dropping into your pocket when you walk out the door and don’t wanna be bothered with a heavy gun and strapping on a holster. DeSantis ankle holsters, which actually don’t suck nearly as much as I thought, were included.
I am usually a very big not-a-fan of alloy-framed revolvers….BUT….I’ve been carrying this thing in my pocket all day and I literally forget that its there. Just shove it in my jeans pocket and go. I really like that.
Wow, what a score! I love my 642, it’s just the right size for self protection while walking the dog without having to wear special clothing or gear for concealment with something bigger. I find myself carrying it more and more along with a POM spicey treat dispenser and spare speedstrip or loader.
I live in Florida and in the summer months, clothes are not thick or heavy enough for full sized pistols. I am usually left with the choice of a Sneaky Pete with a small auto like the S&W Shield, or a 642 in a pocket holster that I just drop into a shorts pocket. That little revolver is a great option.
Check with S&W to confirm if the -2 version is ok with +P ammo. I was told +P in the -0 version was absolutely verboten, by a Smith rep at SHOT Show.
I found that those oem boot grips allow the gun to move in my hand under the forces of trigger movement and/or recoil. Had to replace them with rubber grips that covered the backstrap, but I cut them to the same length as the oem type. That cut the POI circle in half, essentially doubling my distance for a head shot. I’m shooting 125 gr, standard pressure ammo, as that shoots to POA out to ridiculous distances for a snubbie.
Believe they will usually have “+P” stamped right on the barrel if it’s rated for it.
And these do.
642’s- convenient to have, not fun to shoot at the range. Practicing with these is like eating your least favorite veggies because they are healthy.
” Practicing with these is like eating your least favorite veggies because they are healthy.”
Ha! Sounds like too much of my life lately.
Those little revolver remain a ‘gold standard’ option for pocket carry!
I stuff my 642 in a Mika Pocket holster in jeans/dress pants/chinos .
I did change the grips to Ergo Delta grips and put some green fluorescent paint on the front sight.
I shoot it in BUG matches and agree it is not the most pleasant thing to shoot.
I hate the “one is none” mantra. Two or three is certainly better than one. But one is certainly better than none.
In practice, yes; in planning, no.
Had one of those years ago, loved it, carried it constantly. I stupidly sold it when I replaced it as my edc. I might have to look for another one some day.
Dear Friends, These are great revolvers. Smith and Wesson makes them with no internal lock. That is right, No internal lock! They are rated for 38+P. Just before last Christmas I bought my second one as a spare. The good news was they sold for $300.00 flat with no shipping. New! Bad news is today they are temporarily out of stock and marked for sale to Law Enforcement/ Military only. If you look around you can find them with a lock and without. The only cost extra was tax, background check and my dealer’s handling fee. Sold by Sportsman’s Outdoor Superstore. Great people to deal with. I would gladly work with them again. I do not even work for them!
I have heard (not verified by shooting) that lighter shooting wadcutter loads both penetrate and spread nearly as well as +P, without the terrible recoil.
Depending on what you can find one for, those a re a great deal, I seem to shoot small nines like the G43 or Shield better, YMMV.