quote:

Originally posted by Z06:
Another 642 vote. My good old pre-lock 642-1 (shipped 12/1999) is still #1 for my daily CC. I have tried several others over the years with the LCP in 2012, and the 43X MOS right when they came out. Liked 'em all, but love the Airweight. All 3 with cat teasers and easy to use but I shoot the .38 (with Federal Personal Defense Low Recoil 110gr. JHP) better than the others.

I'd like to get another CTC for my 442.
The best part, for me, about the LG-405 Lasergrips is the 'pocket' on the top of the backstrap.
It made shooting my 642 much more pleasant.
But that price is a little steep for a gun I rarely carry.

While I don't have a 642, I do own a few 442 revolvers and even a 638 w/Crimson Trace grips I bought today, they are great to throw in the pocket when you run to the local stop and rob or have a couple around the house for home defense. They are easy to operate and are generally more reliable than semi-auto pistols. With that said, most of the time I carry a semi-auto pistol. But, the stupid little J frame revolvers are like my "Catcher in the Rye", meaning that every time I find a good deal on one, they are coming home with me.

One small note on the red kitty teasers I run on my CC guns, the Crimson Trace LG-305 version is the better choice for me.

The grip is longer at the bottom for a more full handed grip but does make the 442/642 a little bit harder to conceal. So I switch back and forth once in awhile.

I have owned a few of this general type (S&W 640-1, Colt Agent, Ruger SP101) and couldn't hit the proverbial side of the barn, but a concealed (or at least shrouded) hammer small-frame revolver would be very useful at contact or near contact distance and for carjack defense. At muzzle contact, there is no slide to possibly be pushed out of battery and activate the trigger disconnect. They don't eject empty cases, an advantage inside your car. Although their cylinders are fat, the rounded contours make them easier to get a grasp on when pocket-carried. If ankle-carried, they are less sensitive to dirt build-up. Although not feasible to practice extensively, they can even be fired inside a coat pocket.

Some of these revolvers can be had in 9mm Luger. However, unlike the .38 Spl. which is a purpose-built revolver cartridge, they need moon clips or other funky means to extract cases, and sometimes even pull bullets loose under recoil. There are a couple of .30 and .32-caliber cartridges available. The only advantage I can see over .38 Spl. is an extra shot. .357 Magnum has nasty recoil in anything but the SP101.

I carry a 642 as a BUG in my left pocket every day at work, and usually slip it into my pocket when I walk my dog. It's so light and easy to carry, especially if I'm wearing shorts without a belt. It's the gun that I carry when I don't feel the need to holster up my P365X, or X-Macro.

It has its place as a defensive tool in my toolbox for those situations.

I still have my old 642 that served as my BUG at work until we approved the p365. It's not my favorite gun, and I don't shoot it particularly well, but it's still the gun I drop in my pocket if I'm just running out to the mailbox or doing some yardwork.

I'd like to shoot one of the new 642UC guns. A j frame with more usable sights appeals to me if it doesn't create snag issues.

638 Airweight for my daily neighborhood dog walks. It's super light and compact enough. I'm far more concerned about stray dogs attacking my dogs than people attacking me with guns so round count isn't a big deal, as I don't have the time or ability to reload anyways trying to separate fighting dogs. What is a big deal is a really fast small target dashing around really close, possibly with my dogs fighting it and trying not to injure my own dogs. As it's near impossible to shoot something the size of a dog dashing around you up close, especially without hitting my own dog tangled up with the other dog, I would probably have to basically grab the attacking dog and point blank shoot him and the little revolver is perfect for that. While I love all dogs, I love mine more.

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
The 642 is longer and thicker than a P365. It is only a couple ounces lighter. The penalty for that is half the ammo capacity with each round delivering 2/3 the energy of a 9mm (Speer GD short barrel loads).

Other than a sense of nostalgia, I'm not quite getting the niche for the 642UC. Are there some states where revolvers are less prone to legal obstacles than revolvers? In the age of the P365, what is the attraction of a modernized J-frame?

Some thoughts:

Thickness? A J-Frame is quite slim, except for the cylinder. There are places on my on my body, where that cylinder fits well.

Overall, a J-snub is what I would rather have, in a pocket holster.

Energy? I think that energy can be over-rated, in “stopping power.” Handgun bullets poke holes.

Nostalgia? I started handgunning with an auto, in late 1982 or early 1983, a time when I thought revolvers were quaint, so, at least in my personal case, nostalgia is not a factor.

I am not a lawyer, but, I am unaware of any jurisdiction that prohibits auto-loaders, yet allows revolvers.

Ultimately, miniaturized, slim-line nines, as a class, are not my friends. I tried to like them, for decades. Invariably, it seems, they are “handSguns,” rather than handguns, requiring two hands, in order to stabilize them, for proper control. Personally, I am “not quite getting the niche” for the P365. A J-Frame will lock into my hand’s grip, for one-handed or two-handed shooting. This is a personal thing, of course. We all have unique hand dimensions.

I am a long time revolver fan, and I shoot them better than anything else. 1/2 size uspsa steel at 75 yards is good for 4/5 hits, anything inside 25 yards a fist size or smaller group. Hits first speed second. Just like doing things to a carry auto to shave a few microseconds off your reload time is foolishness, the idea a gun you can shoot splits a few tenths faster is some substantial advantage is nonsense.
The classic belly gun, which in close quarters, from compromised shooting positions ( which can cause grip limp wrist malfunctions in an auto) or with contact of the muzzle with an adversary, or the gun twisted up in a garment, the revolver still will run.

I think revolvers make much better “pocket” guns than autos. For that reason alone I have a bunch. Very easy to drop one in a pocket quickly for certain errands. If I knew I was going to fight I would stay home and choose a rifle. lol

They are convenient, light, and especially with a pocket holster (which I use) a DA gun is safer in my pocket than most autos that would fit.