I have both a 640 in .38 and i just got a 637 Perf Center for times when weight is an issue. I shoot all DA, and I don't mind the hammer as my thumb covers the spur when i draw from the pocket. I have always been a fan of the snub in a pocket for carry.
That being said i just hit the 500 round mark with an LCP Max. 4 different types of ammo, JHP and FMJ. Zero issues. Its kind of hard to not carry this over the snub.

I voted for the S&W 442 / 642, with my preference being for the stainless 642. I’ve also carried a 638 a good bit and wouldn’t hesitate to do so again.

I pocket-carry a J-frame nearly all the time, either as a “solo” or in support of a larger handgun. I swap back-and-forth between pocket holsters from JW O’Rourke / O’Rourke Leather (shown) or Ryan Grizzle. I typically carry spare ammo in a discrete 2x2x2 pouch from Barranti Leather on the belt.

For what it’s worth, I carry standard-pressure JHP rounds in mine.

As with any defensive arm, regular practice is key.

quote:

Originally posted by VictimNoMore:
I spent a lot of time on this very same path, and a Ruger LCR in .327 Federal Magnum caliber turned out to be the best solution for me.
-6 rounds (.327) instead of 5 (.38spl).
- More muzzle energy, better penetration. 450-500 ft lbs in the spicier SD loads.
-Can shoot four .32 variants from very mild to very spicy.
-Ammo can be hard to find and pricey. However, this is one that is carried a lot and shot a little revolvers.

Also had a S&W 351c like Para mentioned, and .22mag is no joke. I regret selling that one and will one day acquire another.

Good luck with whatever you choose, bcj.

This. Ruger LCR has a better trigger than most, and the .327 Fed Mag yields a 6 shot variant in the same size. Good ballistics in a very shootable round, or absolutely mild in various lesser calibers while still providing a .33” hole.

I pocket carry a 442 pro prelock sometimes, but I voted kimber just because of how much I like my k6.
The k6xs would be my choice if I didn’t already have the 442. Same weight, extra round, and the Kimbers are great quality based on my k6.

There is no question the K6 and LCR have better triggers, although the K6 feels “different” to me almost auto pistol like. Probably just me and it’s certainly a good trigger.

The above said I still feel both feel bulkier to me especially as a pocket type gun. Hence my 442/642 choice. As mentioned above the 638 is pretty awesome as well.

My MP 340 has been outstanding. A little light to shoot bunch (I only shoot 38's I just like the option in a pinch if 357 is all I have) but pretty reasonable for a couple cylinders at a time. Easy to carry due to the weight, no lock which I hate, and better sights than the 442's. That little X
S dot and the U trough are surprisingly decent sights. I shoot the same basic sight in my 43c and it's easy to get accurate hits at snubbie distance and the sights are easy to pick up visually. Me like.

I carry a Taurus 85 (38spl) 5 shot lightweight aluminum frame if I have shorts or can’t carry the 1911.
I also have a mod60 ss framed 2” 38spl. But it’s twice as heavy as the Taurus. So it doesn’t get carried much.

As long as you don’t have to qualify with the lightweight I’d carry whatever you can get ahold of that fills your need.

I used to have a scandium framed 357 5 shot for a backup and only carried it until next qual season came. 100 rounds of full strength 357 was enough to break me of that.

I like my 642. But i did have a wilson combat spring kit installed that makes the trigger as good as the ruger!!!

How do you pocket carry a LCR with those big
Honking grips? Are there aftermarket options?

I’ve got a 360pd only because I could find a 340 pd or m@p but if I had to do it over again I’d just go with a 442/642. I actually shoot a 642 better than the 360 anyways. I’ve got a 640 which is great on the belt but not so much in cargo short pocket. My brother just got the new Kimber lw k6, I’ve yet to shoot it or check it out so my choice may change after that happens. He got a regular K6 and if I wouldn’t have already had the 640, I probably would have went the Kimber route

I've gone through:
S&W 442/642
S&W 340 PD / M&P 340
Ruger LCR (.38 and 9mm)
Kimber K6
Charter Arms (Undercover)
S&W 360
Ruger LCx (Hammer)

The only one I still have is a 442 my wife got in 2009 for me. It's simple, it's light, carries well in a coat pocket when walking the dog in fall/winter or in a shorts pocket in spring/summer. It rode in an ankle holster for a long time, vest carry for a time, pocket carry.. just a versatile little gun.

Like Oaklane, I shoot the Airweight better than the Unobtanium/Scandium models and find the steel framed .357s like the 640 and 60 just too heavy for my perfect "all around".

I will throw out this caveat: the sights on the 442 are not great (I took luminescent paint and colored a "stripe" on the front blade) and the trigger in newer models is really heavy.

For comparison, the LCP has a better sighting system /and/ better trigger out of the box. That said, the S&W cleans up nicely with a Wolff spring kit and is just a slimmer, more tidy package in my opinion.

A very close second would be a LCR in either .38 or 9mm with XS sights and a bantam grip, and I wouldn't feel like I was losing too much ground to the S&W except for how trim that gun is. The 9mm LCR would likely win out over .38 because of moon clips and common ammunition with my other CCW guns.

All said and done? If you can live with sending it out for a trigger job and practicing, the S&W 442 would be my choice for my one revolver... And in fact, that's just what it is at my house.

Lots of great choices for sure. I still have a Charter Arms Undercover that I bought years ago when I couldn’t afford the S&W. It resides in my buddies Florida house for when I fly down there for a few days and don’t want to check a bag. A S&W model 60 resides in my safe for nostalgic reasons, but honestly, my Kimber Micro 9 is the same size, shoots better and carries more ammo. And the 365 is just slightly bigger and heavier but so shootable and carries double + what the revolver does. Still, some days you just want to remember simpler times.
Good luck in your quest.

I'm another lcr in .327 Fed fan. Carry it the most.

I wonder what the lifespan of the 442/642 is compared to the titanium / scsndium framed revolvers?

quote:

Originally posted by bcjwriter:
I wonder what the lifespan of the 442/642 is compared to the titanium / scsndium framed revolvers?

What do you feel the lifespan is on your wrists? I guarantee you the titanium guns have a longer lifespan than that.

I would imagine with standard pressure .38 ammo they will last a fairly long time as they are rated for +P and or .357 magnum (depending on the Titanium ones)

Honestly I doubt most folks put bajillions of rounds through these. When I was pocket carrying more I was shooting my 442 far more and have a few rounds down range with it with no real issue but I don’t have thousands of rounds through it.

I am a shooter, and maybe the odd man out because I find the little 642 air weights Js to be remarkably accurate. I also don’t think the recoil is hard to manage at all, even with the +P defensive ammo I carry. That said I rarely shoot more than 100 rounds in a session, and only 3-4 times a year. I bet it would last a few lifetimes at the rate at which it is used.

ruger357:
Hogue makes a Bantam grip for the LCR. Its what I have on mine. Usually available on the ShopRuger website.

quote:

Originally posted by dking271:
I am a shooter, and maybe the odd man out because I find the little 642 air weights Js to be remarkably accurate. I also don’t think the recoil is hard to manage at all, even with the +P defensive ammo I carry. That said I rarely shoot more than 100 rounds in a session, and only 3-4 times a year. I bet it would last a few lifetimes at the rate at which it is used.

I'm with you there. While they're no full-size service pistol, I have no problem qualifying with my 360 and 640 out to 25 yards, even with +P or magnum ammo. These guns are a lot more capable than people give them credit for, although they do take some work to get proficient with. I don't subscribe to the "carried a lot but shot little" school of thought. I do use mostly .38s for training, just due to cost and to keep down wear and tear on the gun, but my snubs typically see 500-600 rounds per year.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:

quote:

Originally posted by dking271:
I am a shooter, and maybe the odd man out because I find the little 642 air weights Js to be remarkably accurate. I also don’t think the recoil is hard to manage at all, even with the +P defensive ammo I carry. That said I rarely shoot more than 100 rounds in a session, and only 3-4 times a year. I bet it would last a few lifetimes at the rate at which it is used.

I'm with you there. While they're no full-size service pistol, I have no problem qualifying with my 360 and 640 out to 25 yards, even with +P or magnum ammo. These guns are a lot more capable than people give them credit for, although they do take some work to get proficient with. I don't subscribe to the "carried a lot but shot little" school of thought. I do use mostly .38s for training, just due to cost and to keep down wear and tear on the gun, but my snubs typically see 500-600 rounds per year.

I'm going to start reloading, so I plan on doing some nice creampuff wadcutter loads for the .38 Spc. My 640-1 is a dream to shoot, and not terrible for carry (I'm AIWB with it now...). I'm going to have to look at the 442...sadly I just sold off a 642 to an old coworker, thinking I would get the 340. (It was a gun I bought second hand, and was pretty rough when I got it...needless to say I sold it for a song...) #kickingmyself...

quote:

I'm going to start reloading, so I plan on doing some nice creampuff wadcutter loads for the .38 Spc.

A friend at the range has been providing me with a bunch of his home cast 148gr wadcutters, so I'm only out powder and primers to put together practice ammo. Before that I was getting the 250ct boxes of Hornady hollow-base wadcutters pretty cheap. Either way it's no more expensive than loading 9mm. I've been shooting a ton of them!

I had a 642 for a grand total of three days. Bought it used at an LGS and turned out the frame was cracked. Thankfully they took it back...and made a sale on a 640 Pro as a result. Love that gun, I'd just like to have a lighter option occasionally. A different shop had a 642 police trade that was pretty rough a while back, and offered to sell it to me for $325. I had other expenses at the time and decided I didn't really need it...wish I'd done it now.