642-2, finally a pic.
 

I finally got my order from Midway USA so I'd have my grips and speedloaders for the pic. I installed the Wolff spring kit(8# hammer, 13# trigger) and polished up the action a bit, nice, smooth and light but not too light of a trigger pull. Got the Hip Grips installed after I buffed them up to get the "shinny" off of em', and took a pic with my Fobus Paddle holster. I really love this set-up, I can carry with the paddle holster, or "Mexican" style with the hip grips. Anyway, here's the pic.
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/9149/642b.jpg

Very nice looking setup, congrats!


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Thanks, I feel like I've come "full circle" back to what I had before I started all this buying, selling and trading,LOL.
I had that Taurus 605, 357Mag snub for about a year and a half and loved it. Only reason I sold it was because my truck needed some parts to keep it running. Now after going thru a Glock G26, Beretta 92F Compact and PX4 Storm in 40cal I'm back to a 5 shot snub nose revolver,LOL. Only took what, a year or so.
If anyone wonders why I went with the 13# trigger spring it's because the factory spring(blue color) was the same length as the Wolff 13# so it looks like the factory had a light spring in this gun from the get go so that's why. Also, I polished up the DA sears and sides of the part the trigger spring goes into so it has a silky smooth DA trigger now. Can't wait to get out and put 5 rounds thru it to see how it'll shoot.

A whole 5 rounds, that will make you proficient. :tongueout:

He has to save those other 5 for carry! :tongueout:

PS Great gun. The S&W J-Frames are timeless.

Very nice setup. The blonde sister to my 442.

I'll even admit to owning the same Fobus holster (my one and only!)....the Fobus paddle holster for the Jframe actually works quite well, every one else gets it's own CompTac paddle.

I've shot so much over my lifetime that I really only need to shoot to see where the sights are hitting. I'm JUST THAT GOOD.:whistling:
Here's 5 from 7 yards, smaller grips do hit your thumb a bit harder and the right grip panel was a bit loose. Tried to tighten it up but it's still not as good as I'd like it.
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/6737/6422nd.jpg

Don't make the mistake of thinking a factory spring may be similar to some other aftermarket spring just based on overall length. The number of coils, outer diameter, wire gauge and hardening can make for differences.

The factory rebound slide spring for the J-frame is painted light blue, has 15 coils and is a flattened closed-end design spring. (K/L springs are unpainted and have 17 coils, but also have the same outer diameter as the 15 coil spring.)

The rebound slide spring is the number one "safety" in S&W revolvers. (In external hammer S&W revolvers the hammer block and minimum single action trigger pull weight are additional safeties.) Cutting spring coils off the factory spring, or using a lighter rated aftermarket spring, can impede the speed of the rebound slide.

Also, and perhaps more noticeably for owner/shooters, lightening the rebound slide spring can result in a slower, and perhaps less brisk trigger recovery.

How fast trigger recovery occurs affects how fast you can fire the revolver (without short-stroking it).

I remember when the former revolver armorer installed one of the reduced power rebound slide springs in my first 642-1. The first (lightest) spring he tried wouldn't reliably let the trigger recover in dry-fire bench checks. The next heaviest reduced power spring let the trigger recover almost all the time during dry-fire checks. The heaviest of the reduced power springs that came in that pack let the trigger recovery all the time during dry-fire. It stayed in the 642.

However, after a few months of a lot of shooting in various drills, especially those involving fast-paced shot strings, the faster my revolver skills returned, the more often I noticed that sometimes my trigger finger was having to "wait" for the trigger to recover before I could fire the next shot in the more demanding rapid-fire drills. Hmmm.

I removed the reduced power rebound spring and replaced it with the factory spring. Suddenly (surprise, surprise), my trigger recovery was faster and seemingly more brisk. It easily kept up with my trigger finger.

Now, if trigger recovery speed isn't a concern, think about something else ...

Sometimes a particular DAO snub might find itself having to be fired under less-than-ideal conditions, meaning abuse environmental conditions, owner neglect (poor maintenance practices), etc. Thins which may have an adverse influence of the rebound slide moving, meaning things which might adversely affect trigger recovery.

In such an imagined set of conditions, which spring do you want in your 642? The strong factory spring? Or the lighter aftermarket spring?

Having experienced having my 642's trigger not recovering fast enough for me to fire subsequent shots as fast I I wanted to fire them during some fast-paced drills, I never want to feel that again, myself.

A lighter hammer spring may create the potential for light-strikes which may not ignite a primer. Add in the same less-than-ideal influences and conditions that may occur for any particular shooter/gun, and a lighter hammer spring's lacking the force of the factory coil spring might become a potential issue at some time or another.

Now, if it's just a leisure range gun, used for target shooting or sport, then it might not be an issue that would concern some owners, as all they risk is not punching a hole in some paper target, plinking target, etc.

All of my half dozen J's use the factory mainsprings and rebound slide springs, but then I only have them for use as dedicated defensive carry weapons.

Just my thoughts.

Congrats on the new 642.

Very nice

Congrats! :cool:

i like it!

:cool: Nice

Sweet revolver!

I've got a 642 with the Talo grips (wood). It doesn't see as much use as I thought it would, but I'm still hoping the wife may warm up to it someday. Still need to get some speedloaders for it.

Congrats on finding the right carry rig for you!!! Again.....:rofl:

Guess it's time to start the search for a new gun again. :rofl:

Nope, I lived with my Taurus 605 for over a year and a half and was perfectly happy with it. I think this one will fill the hole left by having to sell that revolver nicely.
I would like to get a full size K or L Frame gun for HD or maybe another 40cal semi of one kind or another but this little gun has found a home to stay. It just fills it's niche too well to ever get rid of it.

That's why Jerry Michelick actually uses a heavier then stock trigger rebound spring in his guns. He shoots so fast he needs more spring pressure to get the trigger reset for his next shot.

Congrats Frank!:cool:

Do those grips allow use of the speedloaders?

My factory grips make using a speedloader difficult. Its still possible, but not faster than the speed strips because of the tight fit.

Give him a month or so, then he will be agonizing over not enough capacity and too short a barrel.:tongueout:

Happy shooting!

Some people are just Evil and then there's you, Glockin' Gregg, LOL:dancing:

I'm just bustin your chops Frank.:supergrin:
This place wouldn't be the same without you.

I know pard, just bustin' back a little. :wavey:

You seemed pretty in love with that PX4, but I know how it is only having one gun. You always feel like you have to have the perfect one that fits you and your needs the best. I used to trade every few months or so when I was only able to have one. Hopefully you'll be able to get a second one day. I like my full size 45/sub compact 9mm combination and don't feel like I need any other handguns... just overwhelmed by WANTS now.

I really did like it a lot, it was a great gun for HD or as a full size holster gun but for CCW it was just too big. I've carried this little 642 every day, all day since I've gotten it and I don't even notice it's there half the time, I love it. With the hip grips I have a second option for carry if I need to go for deep concealment and the Fobus Paddle is nice for GP carry and easy off and on if I need to go into someplace that doesn't allow carry.
I'm still going to give a couple other grip types a try, these little hip grips really bust your thumb pretty good when you're shooting. It's not the recoil, recoil isn't much but it's the velociety of that small amount of recoil that really hits ya'. I think when I get some mild handloads put together it'll be better. Going to start with a 158gr SWC home cast over 4.3grs of Unique. If that works out then I'll bump it up to 4.5grs then finally 4.7grs if all goes well.
That's the great thing about handloading, I can taylor ammo to my needs and wants. I don't see why everyone that's into shooting doesn't handload as well, it's a hobby in and of it's self.