Gun question

[Super Santa]

Looking for input and/or suggestions.

Does anyone have the Smith & Wesson 642CT pistol?

I have been considering one, but have not talked to anyone who owns one or has fired one.

[roboto65]

Not that I am a gun expert but if I was looking at a 38 I might think about a 357 instead because of the dual role you could fire the 38 for practice and for defense you could put 357 rounds in there!!!!

[Super Santa]

Are you on the boat this coming weekend?

Mid Winter Gathering is next weekend in Austin area.  Love to have you over there if available.

[alph]

You know, I’ve always thought that just having a gun for self defense is better then not having one, so with that thought, wouldn’t it be better to have a gun that is easier to control, other then one of those hand cannons that are so over powering that it would be a miracle to get two accurate rounds popped off with out killing yourself!

[roboto65]

Yep sorry on till the 24th but off for 2 weeks after I get off the boat. Sorry hopefully next year will be at the Gathering of Fools though.

[bsnicely]

I have owned 2 642 revolvers. I traded the last one in on a 640 .357. It is a little heavier than the 642 but you have the option of carrying .357 instead of .38 spl. Also with the 640 you have the option of fireing single action, where the 642 is double action only. If you are happy with .38 then the 642 will be a great choice for you. They are great little revolvers and you just can't beat a S&W trigger. If you decide on the 640 you can always buy the Crimson Grips for it.  Can't go wrong either way.

[Ratdog]

Looking for input and/or suggestions.

Does anyone have the Smith & Wesson 642CT pistol?

I have been considering one, but have not talked to anyone who owns one or has fired one.

What's the nature of your inquiry?  

[Super Santa]

Looking for recommendations or any pro/con comments.

[Ratdog]

Looking for recommendations or any pro/con comments.

First, make sure the gun fits your hand.  When the backstrap is nestled into the web between your thumb and index finger... the line between those two fingers' knuckle bases should be perpendicular to the barrel... and your trigger finger pad used to pull the trigger.

Everything is a give/take.  A lighter weapon is more comfy to carry, but, will transfer recoil energy more than a heavier framed one will.  

Given that it's designed to be used with the +P ammo on a regular basis, that's a good thing.  And... previous comments on getting a .357?  Well... there's pluses and minuses there too.  Sure, the options are a good thing, but the potential for over penetration of a magnum round should be heavily considered (liability).  You want the bullet to stop with the attacker's body, not with a bystander standing beyond the attacker.  Today's ammunition does a fine job of doing its intended purpose, so non-magnum rounds do the job.  Another drawback with magnum rounds are the brighter flash at the muzzle.  Generally speaking, a need for using a gun will come at night, when it's dark.  The brighter the muzzle flash, the more it will affect one's ability to see in the dark.

The hammerless design benefits in that there's one less thing to get caught on things when drawing under stress... and the DAO mode may generate less attention (liability).  

The Crimson Trace grips are very nice.  I have them on my Kimber .45 and pointing a red dot under stress/low light conditions is a good thing.

Wheel guns will generally require a little less "training", and can be a little more forgiving under dire stress.  

Personally, I'm a huge fan of S&W DA revolvers, I like the Taurus offerings too.  I really like the HKS speedloaders for them too.

Now, feel free to get a little more involved in your inquiry than a couple of vague sentences.

[wizard -vrccds#125]

 Ray come on over, you can shoot mine behind the barn !

[solo1]

I've  had a number of concealed carry handguns.  I always keep coming back to the Smith 642 or variation of it.

I presently carry the Airweight hammerless.  As usual, the Smith has a great trigger pull.

As Ratdog says, the heavier weight,  muzzle blast and increased recoil of a .357 is something to consider.  Originally the .357 was used with an 8 5/8" barrel to get the higher velocity making use of the increased powder charge over the .38 Special.
In a short  (2") barrel, the advantages are much less.

A short barrel .38 makes sense to me.  It is a good compromise of recoil, weight, reliability, and concealability.  A good 125 gr HP standard or +P round works well.

[Chrisj CMA]

You know, I’ve always thought that just having a gun for self defense is better then not having one, so with that thought, wouldn’t it be better to have a gun that is easier to control, other then one of those hand cannons that are so over powering that it would be a miracle to get two accurate rounds popped off with out killing yourself!

OK...a SW 500 magnum is an overwelming handgun unless you are big and strong and have fired it a lot....but at $3 a round who can afford it.  A .357 is not an uncontrollable "hand cannon"  I have had a model 19 SW .357 for years and years (and that is the lightest one).  It has a 4 in barrel and there is a heck of a difference between .38 special and the .357 magnum rounds as far as power, but I can control the .357 rounds just fine single action or double action 2" groups at the close range targets (15m I think is what it is)  

Bottom line.....no gun is safe for you, or worth having if you dont practice with it and get proficient with it before you put it into service as a weapon for protection.  That being said...between the .38 and .357 for home protection...you just cant beat the .357 high performance hollowpoints, sometimes called "police" rounds or labeld "personal protection"  Now for personal protection (like cops carry in the field)  the current wisdom is if it doesnt start with a 4 its not big enough.  Now you are getting into cannons but then again a lot more practice.....some of them a bit too much for inside the home IMHO

[solo1]

Chris, I can handle just about any hand cannon.  I've been shooting for years.  I reached the point of trigger control where I could "call my shots" in slow fire matches that is the epitome of sight control.  I can't do that any more because of bad eyes due to my age.

 Yes, the .357 125 grain HP is considered the best in that caliber. I own two .357's for home use.

However, today, most people don't seem to want to really get into the finer points of handgun shooting..  Just buy a gun, shoot a few rounds, and apply for a permit. If the gun has too much recoil, is too heavy, or just doesn't suit them, they won't carry, which is the purpose to begin with.

It gets back to;  'A .22 that you have on your person is better than a .45 left at home.'

[Chrisj CMA]

Thats a great point Solo1 that some people cannot be bothered to really learn to shoot.  Its too bad, but if they wont learn to shoot they should not carry a gun IMO.  Same with bikes, some buy their first bike (a big cruiser) blunder through a safety course (or not) and just DRIVE it...notice I say drive because motorcycle riding is like handgun shooting....it takes practice.  Anyone can pull a trigger or a clutch, but if they wont learn the right way they shouldnt do it at all.....

[Jess from VA]

I tend to agree with Wayne (Solo1); if you want a snub-nose revolver, .38 is probably a better choice than .357, esp if the wife and daughter might be using it.  In self defense, the probabilities are it will be used at 6 feet to point blank, and a good defense HP round (or much better frangible Glaser or MagSafe) in .38 will do the job.  If you want to shoot +P .38 ammo, the revolver may not (generally) be an alloy frame (lightweight) gun.  A .357 in a snub will cost more, be heavier, have much more recoil and muzzle flash, diminish accuracy in follow-up shots, and cause the wife and kids to not want to practice with it.  And if it is not to be a CCW gun, but a home defense or travel gun, I would move up to a four inch medium frame revolver (and here I would get a .357/.38).  (I have an old used police Smith Model 10 4" bull barrel, and an airweight Smith model 37)

Smith & Wesson is the gold standard in revolvers, but Taurus is a very good choice too.

[czuch]

Lotsa good information here but the question is still too vague.
.380,022,.38,.357,.40,  all good, all comfy,all have a place.
.22 is an underrated nasty little round.
It can be a real attention getter and remain fairly unobtrusive.
Mearly drawing a weapon is deterrent enough in many cases. Be prepared to knowelegbly use it and win the day or be prepared to be a victim.
Or stay outta the areas where you might need it. I realize sometimes the scenario finds you.
.02

[bassman]

All of the above is excellent info from guys much wiser and more experienced than me.  With that in mind, here's my 2 cents (or 5 cents if you fact or inflation) in no particular order:
 
First, what is your purpose or intent - home protection, concealed carry; everyday carry; occasional carry; plinking; all of the above; someone else besides you using it; if yes, take them with you to try them out; or ?
 
Try to find a gun store that will let you shoot both (rental?) and see what fits YOUR hand and which one is the most comfortable for you to fire - minor differences in these two guns but worth the experience to handle both.
 
Both are double action only I believe; 640-1 is about 23oz empty and the 642 about 15oz
 
Either can be had with Crimson Trace
 
You will "practice" more and thereby be more experienced with the 642......the 640 is great practice with .38 but can be uncomfortable using .357 for more than 10 rounds (you really need to
fire both calibers to see if this is true for you).....many of the guys I know would rather practice with .38 in their 640 and maybe fire 5-10 rounds at the end of practice just to remember what it
feels like if that is their "carry" round...the key is to PRACTICE  PRACTICE  PRACTICE
 
If it's for home defense only you might want to consider .357 in a 4" barrel....lots of stopping power and less recoil than the 640-1
 
642 is a great and very popular carry gun for the reasons stated above....CT is a nice option too.
 
640-1 would have less recoil than the 642 if using the same .38 ammo
 
Chances are you would end up carrying the 642 more often because of it's lighter weight
 
Is this your first or only handgun?
 
As for 642CT specific;  easy all day carry - barely know it's there; CT is good in almost all lighting conditions and can really let you know how steady or unsteady you are; see if you can get the CT demo video to watch - makes a good case for having them on your gun; adequate caliber but certainly not the best (shot placement with the aid of the CT can improve this limitation; can generally fire from inside your coat pocket while not having to draw.....
 
All things considered, I think you could be happy with a 642CT

Good luck !
 
 
 

[roboto65]

The only reason I say 357 is it's dual purpose it can fire 357 round OR the 38 now a 38 +P is a great round just if you have the 357 you have the option of going to the 38 for practice and back for defense..

[Serk]

The only reason I say 357 is it's dual purpose it can fire 357 round OR the 38 now a 38 +P is a great round just if you have the 357 you have the option of going to the 38 for practice and back for defense..

This was my thinking too... If you get a 357, you don't HAVE to carry 357 rounds in it, it just gives you the option. You can carry 357 rounds, you can carry 38, you can carry 38 +p, you can carry 38 +p+... If you get "just" a 38, you're stuck with just a 38 (And whatever level of +p'ness that particular gun is rated for, of course)...